Jesus Prays that God’s People May Be Kept from the World.
John 17:14, 15, 17 NCV: I have given them your teaching. And the world has hated them, because they don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. v15. I am not asking you to take them out of the world but to keep them safe from the Evil One. v17. Make them ready for your service through your truth; your teaching is truth.
Why did Jesus say that we don’t belong to the world? The New Testament calls Satan the god of this world [2 Corinthians 4:4]. Jesus prays that His disciples will be a holy people, separated from the world and sin. What kind of sins we should be separated from? The answer is found in NCV 2 Timothy 3:1-5. The list shows why Jesus prayed that God’s people may be kept from the world, the kind of people that would destroy our lives.
1. Trouble [makers]
2. Love themselves
3. Love money
4. Brag
5. Proud
6. Evil things against each other
7. Will not obey their parents
8. Not thankful people
9. Not the kind of people God wants
10. Not loving others
11. Refuse to forgive
12. Gossip
13. Will not control themselves
14. Cruel
15. Hate what is good
16. Turn against their friends
17. Do foolish things without thinking
18. Conceited [think themselves better than others]
19. Love pleasure [of this world]
20. Not loving God
21. Act like serving God [heart far from Him]
22. No power of God [in their lives]
Final warning from Paul: 2 Tim. 3:5 “Stay away from those people.”
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to fill us with the power of Holy Spirit that we may not be partakers of this god of the world. Deliver us from Evil One in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. God loves you so much.
