John 17:16-17

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 

In finishing our study we’ve been discussing the absolute necessity of “soul-defense” – apologetics.  A Christian who walks off into the world without understanding that he/she is in a spiritual battle with sin and lies is in a perilous condition.  This is why we “backtrack” to Jesus’ high priestly prayer for the disciples on the eve before crucifixion.  

He doesn’t call you and me out of the world.  When you’re saved, though the inner man is renewed, and the new life of the Spirit fills your heart, you still go to work tomorrow.  You aren’t called out of the world as we see from this verse.  This is important to understand because it’s easy to fall prey to a false theology that the daily issues of your life are not only unimportant, but somehow unspiritual.  On the other hand, there are those who teach that not much changes in Christian life – that one can simply go about their life, being conformed to this world’s ideologies, accepting the secular philosophy as their own, but still name Christ.  But we aren’t of the world!  

The issue is clear: Jesus calls us to a life of sanctification (progressive holiness and conformity of our thoughts and actions to the will of God) not appeasement or conformity with the world.  How is this sanctification played out?  How are we to do it?  Well, it’s a good thing He tells us, isn’t it?  It’s right here so we can’t miss it.  We are to be sanctified in the truth and truth is God’s word.  There ya go.  

This is why biblical apologetics, which we covered a bit in the last two studies are so essential to the Christian life.  How are we going to live our lives based on biblical principles when the world has convinced us that those principles are shot through with error?  Jesus tells us in Luke 12:35 to stay dressed for action and to keep our lamps burning.  Paul tells us to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) and to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11).  You’re in a war zone and called to do battle with sin and the Evil One just like the Israelites were to conquer the Canaanites.  They were delivered from physical bondage in Egypt and then brought to the fight they couldn’t lose because God would fight for them, but so many wavered and perished in the wilderness due to unbelief.  Likewise, you were brought out of the bondage of sin by Christ and are now to conquer the great cities of sin in your life.  Are you still wandering in the barren wilderness?  Are you still convinced that there are giants over there and that the battle is hopeless?  Are you grumbling and complaining?  Do you just go along with sin and sinful philosophy?  

But know this, our battle isn’t with flesh and blood but with the forces of darkness in high places (Ephesians 6:12) and our weapons aren’t physical but spiritual.  We fight the lies of the enemy with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1) and we preach the word in every season, reproving, rebuking, exhorting with complete patience (2 Timothy 4:2).  We tear down the strongholds of unbelief with the power of the word of God (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).  This is dominion language!  And how are we to do this unless we are mighty in the Scriptures like Apollos (Acts 18:24)?  How are we to “be kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24-25) unless we’ve done our best to present ourselves to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)?  Notice the connection between working at the Scriptures, studying them, applying them, living them and not being ashamed.  

The idea of rightly handling the word of truth is lost on Christians today. Many, when asked questions about life, ethics or politics, will do that most awful thing: they’ll share their opinion!  That’s what the world keeps telling us to do, right?  Your opinion matters, they say, because you’re special, you have that right.  But the whole thing is an evil facade based upon the shifting sand foundation of secular humanism and self-worship.  What does the Scripture say? That should be the first thing on the mind of every Christian when interpreting the facts of life.  Forming an opinion upon one’s own evaluation of life is literally violating the Lord’s commandment by “leaning upon your own understanding (Proverbs 3).”  

So, get ready for conflict.  An easy way to evaluate your sanctification is to see how often you agree in principle with unbelievers.  “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus  will be persecuted.  But evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse. (2 Timothy 3:15).”  The thing to know is that every thought in life, every fact, has a root, a foundation.  The task of Christian living is biblical thinking, which is to say that all facts of life are to be interpreted according to biblical principles.  This requires the application of these principles to the particulars of life.  It’s appalling how infrequently Christians quote Scripture and/or discuss it when talking about life.  This exposes a deeply concerning lack of regard for the word of God and brazen recklessness for we’re told to put on the whole armor of God.  We aren’t fit to fight this battle on our own terms.  Accurately handling the word of God requires the same exactness as that of carpentry, masonry or engineering.  Too many Christians endure sloppy lives because they are out of shape…in Christ.  Paul calls us to the life of athletic training in the Lord, not passive ease.  

In the movie Rocky 3, Rocky Balboa is beaten badly by a young upstart who is absolutely dedicated to his craft.  While Rocky trains in a ballroom, surrounded by adoring fans and music, in a pure carnival atmosphere, his opponent, Clubber Lang, is shown down in the trenches, sweating it out.  Lang has no eyes upon him because he knows those eyes will see the fight that’s coming and he’s out to win that fight, not the admiration of the crowd during training.  The training is goal directed.  Rocky is obliterated in their first match because he traded the adulation of the crowd for the glory that comes from true victory.  

For the rematch, though, Rocky has learned his lesson and goes back to the “old school” method.  He ditches the fancy surroundings and moves to a ghetto where he trains without the comforts of home.  He cuts himself off from the distractions that cost him the first fight and this is what Paul has in mind when he compares you, the Christian, to the soldier or the athlete in the Olympics.  You’re competing, you know…but unlike Rocky or any other athlete, you know that loss is impossible because at the end of the whole thing is Jesus Christ!  So, go.  Bury your nose in that word and bow your head in prayer.  Stop using Netflix to unwind.  Stop seeking ease and comfort at all costs.  Stop thinking of yourself all the time and train to think of Christ.  And then, gloriously, it can be said about you what was said about those in Berea, “for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11).  

Lastly, we consider the Lord’s address to the church in Sardis (Revelation 3).  His report is a mostly unhappy one.  They have uncompleted works because they’ve drifted into worldliness.  They’ve tried to get along with the world and have compromised the word of the Lord in order to do it.  In fact, they show us the danger of being more worried about our lives than Christ.  “Therefore,” the Lord says, “if you don’t wake up, I will come like a thief and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. (Revelation 3:3).”  This isn’t a reference to His second coming but to His judgment of them for falling away into sin.  

But then he says, “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.  He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My father and before His angels (Revelation 3:4-5).”

Wrap your head around this, Christian!  In the midst of an otherwise dead church that’s appeasing sin, Jesus calls some worthy.  If you struggle and think there’s no point, or that you aren’t anything to God, consider well this text.  He calls you worthy not because you’re perfect but because you remain faithful to his word.  This is how you overcome!  By simple acts of Christian living and by relying on Christ for your all, and not being conformed to this world but by daring to live by Scripture, no matter how unpopular, he will walk with you in righteous robes of white.  Your every sin forgiven and blotted out at the cross, He will bring you to the Father – you! – and will announce your name!  He will do this publicly and in front of His angels.  These are the stakes.  Would you prefer that unbelievers or nominal Christians praise you for your so-called tolerance or would you like to walk with Christ to the throne of the most high God, holy and blameless?  Remember, friendship with the world is enmity with God.  Do you tire of fighting?  Do you tire of the onslaught and figure that “it just isn’t worth it” to speak against sexual sin, abortion, and the love of self that’s ubiquitous?  Would you give up the praise of God for the praise of fools?  Even now you’re surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) who have already finished the race you run.  Will you then turn back to the fleeting pleasures of sin and the approval of the world?  

Never!  

Rise up and stand on that sure foundation which is faith in Christ and don’t relent.  He will make you stand.  He will deliver us all and not put us to shame.