The Believer's Position

Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. If you'd like to follow along, I'm gonna be in John chapter 17. I would say again, but the thing I like about John 17 is you can't never get away from it.

It's the prayer of Christ to the Father. It's all about Christ. I'm just gonna read for a start one verse, John 17 verse six. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word. Folks, what I wanna talk about today is the believer's position. The believer's position.

Now, as far as I'm concerned, John 17 is the greatest chapter in scripture. That's my opinion. It could be wrong, but I don't think so. But every time I read John 17, I'm convinced I'm right. It's okay. John Newton said this, the best advice I can give you, look unto Jesus, beholding his beauty in his written word.

This is what we have, folks. This is what we have. And the reason we have it is he gave it. And he kept it. And he's passed it down to us. Oh my. But here we have in John 17 in verse six. The believer's position is my point today. Believers are given to Christ out of the world. Out of the world. What's that mean? It means you were in the world. Every single one of us. You were in the world.

Now I believe, this kind of sounds a little off target here, I believe in keeping this world in as good a shape as we can. You don't need, as Earl used to say, you don't need to foul your own nest, all right? But we also have to remember this one thing, I can't remember who said it, but I do remember reading it and it stuck in my mind.

You understand that man fell when he was living in paradise, okay? Everybody's striving now to get the world back to what pristine condition or do the best they can. Trust me, that's not gonna help you. Man fell when he was in the garden. There wasn't trash laying around. There wasn't any pollution. There wasn't any global warming. There wasn't anything except perfection and man still fell.

That's what we are. And here he says it, thou gavest me out of the world. That's where we were, happy. All that were chosen by the Father were chosen in the Son and were given to the Son. They were chosen before the foundation of the world, but now the giving of them is in time, in God's good time. Not your time, not my time. His time. And believers were given to the Son out of the world. By gift. By gift, folks, by gift.

Oh my. Now let me leave this other part. I'm gonna try not to keep it too long. I got five or six things here, but we're gonna go through them right quick. Let's not leave this out where it says and They have kept thy word. Don't you feel proud? No, don't feel proud. Let me say that the right way. Don't you feel proud?

There's a reason you keep the word. There's a reason. Why? The Father gave you to the Son. Oh, that's not all. What else did he say? Even before this, I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me. It's not because of you. It's not because of me. It's not because of any preacher. It's because of Christ. It's because of Christ. I have manifested thy name. We hold fast the word of God. We keep an eye on it. were on guard of what? His word, his word, thy word. Oh my.

But only after he has manifested God's name to those that the Father gave to him. After that. Because here's the thing, when Christ makes the name of the Father known to the believer who is in the world and given out of the world, that believer will hold fast. That believer will keep the word of God. Oh my. This is the believer's position.

Given out of the world. The second one is in verse 11. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee, Holy Father, keep through thine own name, Those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are. Understand, you are given from out of the world, but you're still in the world. That's the believer's position. He's given out of the world and he's still in it. Now, he says, What'd he say? And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world. This, this is where we're supposed to be. We're right where we're supposed to be. You know who said so? Christ said so.

Nobody else's opinion matters, folks. I hate to say that, no I don't. I don't, I like saying that. His opinion matters, yours don't. His opinion matters, well, mine don't. Or proper English, mine does not. It still doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. My opinion does not matter.

But you understand, this is not a paradox. You were in the world, he was gone. You were given to him out of the world and you're still in it. And we're gonna get a little more into this. But this is the believer's position. You're given out of the world and you're still in the world. I'm gonna get into that other word in just a minute. The next one's verse 14. Verse 14. I have given them thy word and the world hateth them. because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Okay, so you're in the world, you're given to Christ out of the world, you're still in the world, but you're not of the world. This is not a paradox, this is fact. This is the way we are. This is the believer's position is what I'm talking about. You understand, and the world hates those that believe Jesus Christ. Now there are varying degrees of hatred. There are varying kinds of hatred.

But understand this, Jesus Christ told us himself in John 15, just three chapters before, If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. This is natural. It's natural for the world to hate you because naturally the world hated Christ. Oh my.

Believers are hated in Christ. in Christ. And I'm gonna tell you something, the world will either hate and manifest it or ridicule his gospel, his word. And in that is a manifestation of their hatred of Christ. Because you understand, to the Jews, to the religious, it's a stumbling block and a rock of offense. They're offended. You understand, just the fact that you tell people they need the blood of Christ to cleanse them from their sin, that's offensive to a religious person. I'm not that bad. No, no, no, no, no, no, me and Jesus, we got it all worked out. I'm gonna tell you something, Jesus doesn't need you to work anything. But to the Greeks, to those that are not religious, it's foolishness.

It's superstitious mumbo jumbo. It's blind faith. I always love that one. Because there's one thing faith isn't, is blind. You understand, you talk about blind faith, you don't know anything about faith. You don't know. And it's leaking out on you folks. You talk about blind faith, my gosh.

Oh, because here's the truth. The gospel of God, the gospel of Christ, the gospel of his dear son, okay, is a stumbling block and a rock of offense and foolishness to the world. To the world. 1 John 3 and 13 says this. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you. Hates you, oh my. Believers are hated by the world.

Here's the other thing in this one. Believers are not of the world. I said it. You're in the world, you're given out of the world, you're still in the world, but you're not of the world. And try to explain that to somebody that doesn't know Christ, it don't work. Thank God I'm not in explaining business. I remember when Henry said that. I'm not in explaining business, I'm in the preaching business. I'll proclaim it. You're in the world, but you're not of the world. You know why? Because being in Christ, you're not of the world. It's got nothing to do with you, that you're so holy, or that I'm so holy. No, it has to do with Him. This is His work. You understand, we believe it, we teach it, that believers are in the world, but not of the world. Now, believers still understand the world, because they're in it. And they came out of it. How do you become not of the world? Father's gotta give you to the Son. That's how you're not of the world. That's how you're not of, it's not up to you. It's not because of something you did, it's because of something that's been done to you. And believers are still in the world, just not of the world, and they're hated because of Christ.

Oh my. But believers still understand the world. The thing where we differ from the world is we also can understand the things of the Spirit of God. They're spiritually discerned. The natural man cannot know them. Why? Because they are spiritually discerned.

But folks, that's one of the greatest scriptures there is, where it says, but we have, we have the mind of Christ. And that word is the understanding of Christ. He's given us understanding. I have manifested thy word unto them. which thou gavest me out of the world.

But they're still in the world. But they're not of the world. People hear that and they think you're making up stuff. Because it doesn't make any sense to them. But this is the way, this is the position of the believer in Christ Jesus. This is the believer's position. Now look at verse 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

I always wonder sometimes if folks in other churches that don't preach the truth ever pay any attention to what Christ didn't pray for. You understand what didn't Christ pray for? Well, hmm. Verse nine. I pray for them, talking about those the Father gave him. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. They are thine. And here he says, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world. We're right where we're supposed to be. We're here. Assembled together in Christ's name. This is where we're supposed to be, folks. This is where we're supposed to be.

But, yet, even so, keep them. Keep them. Now I read it earlier, but I didn't cover it. Verse 11, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me. And here it says, keep them from the evil. Understand, this is the believer's position also. They're in the world, they're not of the world, they come out of the world, and they're kept. They're kept. And they're kept, wait a minute, by God.

Not by themselves. Not even by your faith. Oh, oh, we are kept by the power of God through faith. Not by your faith, through faith. The gift of God, who's the author and the finisher of faith, who gives it to us. Faith is the gift of God. Oh my, but we are kept by the power of God.

You understand? How is the believer kept, and here it says it specifically, from the evil of the world. You ever think about that? Keep them from the evil. Jesus Christ prayed this, folks. It happened. It happened. And it is happening. And it shall continue to happen.

Because you understand, Jesus Christ doesn't pray something one time and change his mind the next. And he told God, he prayed to the Father and said, keep them from the evil. Oh, and I got to thinking about this. How is the believer kept from the evil of the world? The believer is in the hand of Jesus Christ. The believer is in the hand of the Father. And what's it say?

No one can pluck them out of my Father's hand. Not one person, not one thing, not one circumstance. Let me tell you, not one sin can pluck you out of the Father's hand. Oh, I'm gonna tell you something. Here it is. The evil cannot lay anything to the charge of God's elect. Why not? We still sin. We still fail. We stumble, we fall, we trip. We'll walk in a room and forget to turn the lights on. Then we'll stub our toe.

But there's only one reason. why there's no charge being laid to God's elect, it is Christ that is risen. Christ died, yea rather is risen. Oh my, it is Christ that is risen again, it is God that justifies in Christ, in Christ. Even more, let me tell you something. Believers are kept from the evil that men do. Believers are kept from the evil that Satan does. Well, here's something most people don't think about. Believers are kept from the evil they themselves do.

In my flesh dwells no good thing. In my flesh dwells no good thing. All right. How is this done? Romans 8, 28 tells us, and we know, that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. The evil that men do works together for good to believers. The evil that the believers do works together for good. The evil that Satan does What? It works together for good.

What? To them who are thee called according to his purpose. His purpose. Oh my. Believers are kept from the evil by God himself. Oh, I'm gonna tell you something, folks. That's the believer's position. It's a good position to be in. Verse 18, as thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. Believers are sent into the world. Wait a minute, now we're in it, we're given out of it, we're still in it, we're not of it, and we're kept from the evil of it. Well here it says, Believers are sent into the world. Guess what, what I've been saying? We're right where we're supposed to be. We're right where we're supposed to be. Believers, listen, believers are sent to believe Christ. Believers are sent to preach Christ.

What's it say in Romans 10 verse 15? And how shall they preach except They be sent, they be sent. And then Paul, he says it another way. For Christ sent me not to baptize, what? But to preach the gospel. Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. Believers are also sent to assemble together. Don't forsake it. Don't forsake the assembling of yourself together. Some do. You don't. Don't do it.

Believers are sent to love one another. To love one another. And believers are sent into the world. This is where we are. Even though that world may hate you because it hated him first. This is where you're sent. If you were of the world, The world would love his own, but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. And I've sent you into it. I've sent you into it. Oh my. He has sent us into the very same world that hates him.

Don't get too puffed up, because you used to hate him too. You used to hate him too. You know when that hatred for Christ stops? Well, at least slows down. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Until he lays his hand on you, shows you a little bit of who he is, we're just like everybody else. We were in the world, and you understand, we were happy in the world, but he called us out of that world, even though we're still in that world, but we're not of that world, but we've been sent into this world. Oh my, I like this. Oh, that's the believer's position, folks. Believers are in the world, they're hated by the world, because they're not of the world, they are kept from the evil of the world, and they're sent into the world.

Why? Why? It pleased God. That's why. If you know God, if you know Christ, you don't need any more reason than that. I don't need any more reason than that. Oh my. I love this great statement. It is the Lord. Let him do as he will. He's going to anyway, folks. He's going to. There's no doubt in my mind, and there's no doubt in this book, which is more important than my mind, that God does what he wants, when he wants, where he wants, with whom he wants. Every time. Oh, I like that. And here's the beautiful thing about this, folks.

We are sent to love one another. We are sent to love Christ and to believe Christ. But listen, folks. Your salvation does not depend upon your love of Christ. And thank God for that. Our salvation depends upon His What's the overall message of this? The believer's position is in Christ Jesus. And the believer's position is due solely to the work of God. The believer's position is because of the work of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Well, here, let's put it even meaner, I mean even tighter. The believer's position is the work of God, the work of Jesus Christ, and the work of the Spirit.

Now understand, we're given to the Son by the Father. And in the Son, we are given what? Life and faith and love and joy and peace and his word. Oh, and his word. And much more than that. We're given his gospel to hear. We're given his gospel to believe. We're given his gospel to rejoice in him. We're given his gospel to preach to other sinners. Because the believer's position is to believe and to walk, walk. To hear and to witness. And it all comes from our Lord Jesus Christ. You understand? Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, here it is, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

The Believer's Position

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The Believer's Position

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