Not Praying for the world

One of the most sobering responses to the world around us was how Jesus Christ reacted to it just before He was crucified for our sins. This is found in John 17:6-9 where he was praying to the Father about his disciples. He was about to leave them and he was concerned about their being in the world and He wanted God to protect them.

6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I have given them the words You gave Me, and they have received them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours. 10 All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine; and in them I have been glorified.…

While this is a wonderful prayer for those who are in Christ there is a negative side that is often overlooked or taken lightly, the fact he specifically did not pray for the world. He only prayed for those who were His.

This shows us how Jesus felt about those who did not follow him which would constitute the largest majority of the people who make up the world in his time and ever since. A lot of people take the idea that Jesus is for them no matter what but we see that there are specific conditions that come with following Jesus. The most of all are from the belief and understanding of who He is and how willing we are to follow Him because of this.

We see constantly from His time here on Earth that he was constantly against the world and the ways of the world.

Even those who followed him echoed this sentiment:

James 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

So why is it important to acknowledge the fact he did not pray for the world. It shows that he is not concerned for those who remain outside of Him and or work against Him. In the understanding of what this means you remain outside Him and outside God’s protection and influence. He however was concerned over His disciples and wanted God the Father to protect them in the world He was about to leave.

Many people in the world are indifferent to this or believe somehow that by going the way of the world they can still grant favor from God through Christ John 17 shows that this is not the case. Recently an influential leader was asked by the media what he thought his chances are that he was going to Heaven and he replied “I hope I have done enough good to get me there.” If you do not follow Jesus Christ it is unlikely they will in the sense they think they will. Living a life that glorifies God does.

So to believe we have God protection we have to examine ourselves to see which side of the dividing line we are on. It will be either on the side of God or the side of the world. The two do not mix.

Just before Jesus Christ was crucified he offered his disciples a comment that solidified their position in Him:

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Those words were meant for us as well.

Your Brother in Christ,

Steve Koenig

Lakeshore Fellowship