(tm) Day 22

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; (John 17:20)

Christ’s faithful Apostles chose to set themselves apart to His work. They were called by the Lord. They then passed into the ranks of the chosen by their determination to abandon all else in order to follow the Lord Jesus. Their faithfulness was demonstrated as they spent the remainder of their lives spreading the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire.

Christ was praying for them and also for the millions of the elect who since have believed in Christ because of the faithfulness of the first apostles in holding forth the Word of Life. Where would you and I be today if they had not set themselves apart to Christ’s service?

The prayer of the Lord Jesus in John, Chapter 17 reaches out to include the entire elect, the Bride of the Lamb, the Body of Christ. He does not pray for the world. Christ prays for those whom the Father is creating in His image as a part of Him, as brothers of His, as fellow heirs of God’s salvation.

Jesus’ prayer shall be answered. Not one detail will remain unanswered. The course of the entire world is being regulated in terms of the creating of the Wife of the Lamb. All people, events, and things are being governed by the hand of God so they will bring about the answer to this prayer. The maturing and unifying of the elect is the significance and focus of world history.

The Word of Christ still is coming forth from the saints today. It sets all of God’s chosen apart from the world and consecrates them to the eternal purpose of God. Those who were not given to Christ by the Father may start out among the believers but they will not be able to endure to the end. No person can come to Christ as one of His chosen unless it was given to him or her to do so by the Father in Heaven. The elect are the elect!

The religious activities of men and women will proceed with full vigor until the Lord returns. But the only work that will stand will be that which was created by the Word of Christ proceeding through the Lord’s chosen remnant. Those who have not been touched by God will eventually go out from us so it may be revealed that they never were truly of us. But what Christ has done will stand forever.