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Welcome to the Daily Blade. The Word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

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Welcome back. This week we are spending our time digging into the high priestly prayer of Jesus, as recorded by the Apostle John in John 17. So yesterday we looked at verses 6 through 12, where Jesus was praying for the preservation of his disciples, and today we'll look at verses 13 through 19, where Jesus prays for the mission fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself that they may also be sanctified in truth. Okay, so let's go ahead and break it down, verse 13. But now I am coming to you. So Jesus is referring to a place beyond the cross, to his eventual ascension back to the heavenlies, and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. So Jesus is saying this out loud so that the disciples hear him. He wants to hammer home that what is to come should fill them with joy, right? So this actually echoes John 16, where Jesus said that the disciples' sorrow would be traded for joy.

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Now, verse 14, I have given them your word. So this is divine revelation. And it was not kept from the disciples. It was actually earnestly shared with them by Jesus, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. So this actually echoes Jesus in John 15, essentially expressing to the disciples that hatred would definitely come their way. There's no question about it. There's no escape from it.

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Allegiance to Christ separates the believers from the world around them, but it simultaneously makes them a target of hatred for the world as well. So now, verse 15, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. So, guys, how many times have Job and I screamed at you about being in isolation? Okay, I mean, we do that because Satan loves when we are isolated, right? And here Jesus isn't praying for God to deliver his disciples from the world, right, he's praying that God would protect them from the schemes of Satan. So it's just like in Psalm 23,. A lot of people miss this. The point of Psalm 23 is not that God delivers us from the valley of the shadow of death, it's that God is with us in the valley and all of us are either in it, about to leave it or about to enter it.

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So verse 16. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. So this is a repeat or a callback to verse 14. Jesus' disciples, just like Jesus himself, are strangers in this world. Verse 17.

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Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. So sanctification is the process where one is set apart or made holy. So how are we sanctified? It's by the word of God, which is the sword of the spirit, right? The whole point of this podcast and the Bible isn't just true, it is capital T truth itself.

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Now, verse 18, as you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. So, again, god sent Jesus here. And then Jesus didn't just guard the disciples, right. He won't eventually just put his arms around them so that they can all ascend with him to heaven. He sends them out. Their calling is not to remove themselves from the world that hates them. That is precisely where Jesus tells them to go.

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And now verse 19,. And for their sake I consecrate myself. So consecration is where you are formally dedicated to a divine purpose and Jesus is dedicating himself to the process of crucifixion, that they also may be sanctified in truth. So the only way that is even possible is if Jesus intercedes. Right. He has to atone for the sins of all humanity so that holiness is possible. The only way that sanctification can occur is by the sacrifice that he is about to make. So I'll leave you with this question to think on today Are you spending enough time absorbing the word of God so that it shapes and molds you in the ways of capital T truth? If not, you need to fix that. All right, guys, you need to go read John 17 every day this week. Come back tomorrow, where we'll get into Jesus praying for all believers.

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Thank you for listening to today's episode Before you go. If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp.