John 1:1-5, 9-14; 17:6-26; Hebrews 10:5-10; 1Peter 1
For God so loved the world, mankind, He sent His Son into the world...
John 1:1-5, 9-14
John 1:10 world 2889 Kosmos - the created order - the circle on which we dwell, the abode of mankind
● The inhabitants of the earth, men, the human race
● Specifically, to make an appearance or come into existence among men - spoken of the light Jesus shone upon men
● To dwell among men
John 1:14 Dwelled, or took up His residence with us - as in a tent - to pitch or live in a tent, among us
● For the Christian - dwelling is in intimate communion with the resurrected Christ - even as He who Himself lived in unbroken communion with the Father during the days of His flesh (Jn 1:14)
Jesus came by His own volition…
● Phil 2:5 “He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing…”
Hebrews 10:5-10
There was a conversation … and it sounded like this:
● Heb 10:5-7 “... ‘as He was coming into the world, Jesus said 'you did not want sacrifice and offering, but You prepared a body for Me. You did not delight in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings.’ Then I said, ‘See - it is written about Me in the volume of the scroll - I have come to do Your will, God!’”
● Heb 10:8-10“You did not delight in burnt offerings… I have come to do your will”
○ He was and we are in Him, sanctified through/by loving obedience: Jesus sets aside the Law to establish a new way - His way - to lovingly, with honor, accomplish the Father’s will - this is what sanctified Jesus and us in Him
■ Purified by atoning for, or making reparation - to repair - our relationship with the Creator
■ Jesus desired this so much He was willing to pay for the repairs of this broken relationship…
What the Father longed for, and Jesus offered, and now we can bring, was the love of a sincere heart...
● Heb 10:22 “...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water…”
○ Sincere - real and true, veracious, genuine
● James 4:8 “Draw near to God, wand He will draw near to you”
We, once of this world, by faith no longer belong to this world, but we have been set apart… having been loved, turning to see and receive that love, our hearts now renewed, we draw near to God with sincere hearts, having once been an enemy, seeing God as one to be afraid of, God and His way now appeals to us, He and His way now sit well with our soul…
1John 2:15 “Do not love the world or anything of the world”
● Worldly affairs; the whole circle of earthly good, riches, advantages, pleasures - though they be hollow, frail, and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ
James 4:4 “...don’t you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?”
● Friendly with those ways that bring peril, suffering and loss
● ...with the things and ways that stand against or distract from God
John 1:10 “...and though the world was created through Him, the world did not recognize Him”
● Know, recognize or perceive
● Acknowledge as God, creator and make, lover of mankind, savior
● As such, did not respect or honor
John 17:6-26
In the world, not of the world
John 15:19 “If you were of, or belonged to, the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you are not of, do belong to, the world (I have chosen you out of the world). That is why the world hates you”
John 17:15 “my prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”
1John 5:19 “we know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.”
1Peter 1:1 “1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout…”
● sojourning in a strange place; residing in a strange country; stranger; a foreigner - not attached to this place
○ As Jesus came and pitched a tent to dwell
○ So we now, pitch a tent
● Close beside the world
● An active relationship
● Due to current circumstances
● Left here on purpose - the minister
Scattered throughout - like seed by the sower
● Thoroughly scattered
● Distributed widely
1Peter 1:2 “...sanctifying work of the Spirit…”
● Chosen from the world - a people of God’s own
● Set apart by the Spirit for the purpose - to love God and do what God does
● ...and that by Jesus - “Go!! Join Me, and go!”
1Peter 1:13 “...with minds that are alert and fully sober, set you hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus is revealed”
● Ready for action - girded - “tuck and run”
● Sober - not intoxicated - Eph 5:18
● Set your hope on Jesus’ grace - the expected outcome of your faith
● Set yourself apart as God has already set you apart!!
● Go, undeterred… shrewdly - wise as serpents, innocent as doves
1Peter 1:22 “22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.”
● Purified yourself by loving God and obeying thus producing a sincere love
● Now love one another - deeply, from the heart
1Peter 1:23-25 this world will perish, and our bodies may perish, but God’s word endures forever - as will you - because it is God’s word planted in you that bears the fruit of righteousness…
● James 1:21 “...humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
● Ephesians 1:13 “And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth--the gospel of your salvation--you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit…”
