A conversation in heaven
A boy in my school class recently said to me “ God is always against
me!” Well, I don’t know all his
circumstances, but I know that God is not always against us.
I would like to
show this in a different way – to read the prayer of the Lord Jesus as
recorded in John17 and give a brief outline of His requests for His own.
1 To reinstate the glory of the Son of God (Our whole existence depends
on the position of the Son)
He became poor – now to
have ultimate riches
He humbled Himself – now He
is exalted, to Him every knee will bow.
He was crucified in
weakness – now His is fullness of power
He was despised – now He
is great
He was pierced – soon He
will be seen in power and great glory
[let us believe in Him, yield
to Him, trust Him, honour Him]
2 To ‘give eternal life’. This intention of God is the greatest
expression of grace – to the unworthy, God shares His own life, bringing
redeemed sinners in His family that they might not only serve Him, but to know
Him!
3 To bring the disciples, by the words of God, into the joy of knowing
who Christ really is.
4 To keep them from the evil world and the evil one.
5 To keep them as one.
6 To have His joy fulfilled in them.
7 To be set apart for God, in the world that is committed to the evil
one.
8 That they all may be one, as God is one. Oneness by the glory given
to Christ, given to us.
9 To see His glory in heaven itself.
10 To be filled with the same love that existed and exists between the
Father and the Son
I have not given you all the verse references in John 17 and related
passages, rather I would like you the reader to now read the Lord’s prayer
again and highlight the divine intentions. God is interested in our day to day
lives, but His ultimate intentions for us are much much greater than feeling
good today.
Indeed He is for us, not against us.
I do think the problem of my student, highlights the real
need to know the enemy (Satan) and understand his ways. In Australian society Satan is not mentioned as the source of evil, so that people blame God for evil
when the Devil is the source and propagator of evil!
How important it is to let the Bible be our compass in these matters.
John McKee
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