In Me
In John 16:33 Jesus gives us some encouraging words to embrace as residents of this earth. We are strangers in this earth because we are of another country, the Kingdom of Heaven. We operate under a different set of laws and principles than people of the world.
Let’s look at what Jesus said to His disciples here. And remember we are His also, as He pointed out in John 17:20-26 when He said: Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you have sent me. And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them, as you have loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me: for you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known you: but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me. And I have declared unto them your name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.
We see from these verses that Jesus prayed a very specific prayer for all who would believe on the Lord through His Word----and that includes us. He prayed that we would be one with Him and our Father, and with one another. He prayed that the glory that was in the Father and Him would be in us and that their love would be in us. Why? That the world may see and know that the Father sent Jesus and that He loves us as He loves Jesus, with no partiality. Jesus prayed that we be with Him, that we behold His glory. In other words, He prayed that we would be in His presence, beholding the awesomeness of His presence, the all enveloping-power of His glory. And I know that the world will physically see the tangible results of our being in the presence of the Lord. The Light of God will shine forth from us like a physical light, drawing people to Him. I know it will happen. I can already see some evidence of that in believers.
Let’s go back to our main text in John 16:33.
In this verse Jesus spoke to us words regarding our living in the world. Here’s what He told us.
In Me you have perfect peace and confidence. Perfect----entire, wanting nothing. Peace----wholeness, nothing missing, nothing broken. In Jesus we have wholeness, with nothing missing. We are whole, complete, sound, without break. We are whole.
In the world we have tribulation, trials, distress, frustration, cares, anxieties, worries, challenges, stress and misery. If you look up these words, they mean affliction, to crush, press, compress, squeeze, with the purpose of breaking.
Compare the two positions: In Jesus we have wholeness. In the world we have breakage. One is smooth. The other is a mess. I choose Jesus and not the world. I may be in the world, but the world with all of its pressure is not to be in me. Pressure comes to all of us. What we must be trained by the Word of God to do is this: take the Word and turn the pressure back on satan. He cannot stand hearing the Word of God. It is the death bell ringing in him of his defeat. It is a clanging cymbal in his ears saying: you are nothing; you are nobody; you are defeated; you have no power; it is over for you. Keep on speaking that Word to him. He will leave. He can’t stand it.
Jesus tells us: Be of good cheer; have courage; be comforted; be confident; be bold. Why? I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of its power to harm you and have conquered it for you. We are told in God’s Word that we are more than conquerors. The reason for this statement is the fact that if someone has conquered something for you, you are more than a conqueror. You didn’t have to conquer it. It has already been done for you. Wow! I think I will stop and shout about that. That takes the sweat and work out of it for me. It has already been taken care of for me. So, you say, what does that mean to me? It means that whatever is coming your way, you don’t have to worry about it. God has already taken care of it for you, whether it is pain, sickness, defeat, worry, sorrow, grief, sadness, poverty, lack, want. What we must do is believe that it is done for us already and not get uptight when it seems that things are not coming into line yet. Time is the greatest factor to us. And time raises questions. When is the pain going to leave? Will I ever be well? Where is the money coming from to pay the bills? What am I going to do about my marriage? How can I bring my children out of rebellion? Questions come when we don’t trust somebody to do what they say they will do. And trust is developed by spending time with someone and seeing that they will truly do what they say they will do. Trust is developed by listening to their words of truth and knowing that they are truth and will be performed on our behalf. Trust, faith, confidence----whatever you want to call it----this is what we all need in God our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
When trials come, rejoice; rejoicing reinforces and releases the victory that is already yours. REJOICE!
Let’s look at what Jesus said to His disciples here. And remember we are His also, as He pointed out in John 17:20-26 when He said: Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you have sent me. And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them, as you have loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me: for you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known you: but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me. And I have declared unto them your name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.
We see from these verses that Jesus prayed a very specific prayer for all who would believe on the Lord through His Word----and that includes us. He prayed that we would be one with Him and our Father, and with one another. He prayed that the glory that was in the Father and Him would be in us and that their love would be in us. Why? That the world may see and know that the Father sent Jesus and that He loves us as He loves Jesus, with no partiality. Jesus prayed that we be with Him, that we behold His glory. In other words, He prayed that we would be in His presence, beholding the awesomeness of His presence, the all enveloping-power of His glory. And I know that the world will physically see the tangible results of our being in the presence of the Lord. The Light of God will shine forth from us like a physical light, drawing people to Him. I know it will happen. I can already see some evidence of that in believers.
Let’s go back to our main text in John 16:33.
In this verse Jesus spoke to us words regarding our living in the world. Here’s what He told us.
In Me you have perfect peace and confidence. Perfect----entire, wanting nothing. Peace----wholeness, nothing missing, nothing broken. In Jesus we have wholeness, with nothing missing. We are whole, complete, sound, without break. We are whole.
In the world we have tribulation, trials, distress, frustration, cares, anxieties, worries, challenges, stress and misery. If you look up these words, they mean affliction, to crush, press, compress, squeeze, with the purpose of breaking.
Compare the two positions: In Jesus we have wholeness. In the world we have breakage. One is smooth. The other is a mess. I choose Jesus and not the world. I may be in the world, but the world with all of its pressure is not to be in me. Pressure comes to all of us. What we must be trained by the Word of God to do is this: take the Word and turn the pressure back on satan. He cannot stand hearing the Word of God. It is the death bell ringing in him of his defeat. It is a clanging cymbal in his ears saying: you are nothing; you are nobody; you are defeated; you have no power; it is over for you. Keep on speaking that Word to him. He will leave. He can’t stand it.
Jesus tells us: Be of good cheer; have courage; be comforted; be confident; be bold. Why? I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of its power to harm you and have conquered it for you. We are told in God’s Word that we are more than conquerors. The reason for this statement is the fact that if someone has conquered something for you, you are more than a conqueror. You didn’t have to conquer it. It has already been done for you. Wow! I think I will stop and shout about that. That takes the sweat and work out of it for me. It has already been taken care of for me. So, you say, what does that mean to me? It means that whatever is coming your way, you don’t have to worry about it. God has already taken care of it for you, whether it is pain, sickness, defeat, worry, sorrow, grief, sadness, poverty, lack, want. What we must do is believe that it is done for us already and not get uptight when it seems that things are not coming into line yet. Time is the greatest factor to us. And time raises questions. When is the pain going to leave? Will I ever be well? Where is the money coming from to pay the bills? What am I going to do about my marriage? How can I bring my children out of rebellion? Questions come when we don’t trust somebody to do what they say they will do. And trust is developed by spending time with someone and seeing that they will truly do what they say they will do. Trust is developed by listening to their words of truth and knowing that they are truth and will be performed on our behalf. Trust, faith, confidence----whatever you want to call it----this is what we all need in God our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
When trials come, rejoice; rejoicing reinforces and releases the victory that is already yours. REJOICE!
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 9:54 AM
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