14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.
-John 17:14-18 (NLT)
So far this week, we've discovered that the sin filled world hates Christians, and we've discovered that Jesus prayed that God would keep us safe in the midst of a sin filled world. Today, we're going to discover that, as Christians, we don't belong to this sin filled world.
Verse 16 says, "They do not belong to this world any more than I do." As Christians, we no longer belong to the world of sin that surrounds us. How can something control us that we do not belong to? Paul writes about this in Romans 6:12-13, "12 Do not let sin control the way you live;[a] do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God." Paul teaches us not to let sin control the way we live (Rom. 6:12). The problem is that many times, we yield ourselves to sin, we give into sin because we feel we can't pull away from it's desires. Since we no longer belong to that sin world, why do we give ourselves up to it?
Paul says in Romans 6:13, "Instead, give yourselves completely to God...So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God." Are you living, today, like the sin world still has control over you? If so, then give yourself completely to God. That means everything-give it all to God. Think About It.
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