Chambersburg Bible Church

Text: John 17:1-19John 17:1-19
17 ¹ These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: ² As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. ³ And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. ⁴ I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. ⁶ 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. ⁷ Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. ⁸ For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. ⁹ I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. ¹⁰ And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 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. ¹² While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³ And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. ¹⁸ As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. sanctified...: or, truly sanctified  

Topic: An examination of Christ’s prayer for the Church as recorded in the book of John

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James 5:16James 5:16
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  
tells us that the effectual prayers of a righteous man availeth much. If a man is right with God, that man is on praying ground, and God will not only hear his prayer, but He will answer it (e.g. Elijah).

1 John 2:11 John 2:1
2 ¹ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:  
& Hebrews 7:25Hebrews 7:25
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. to the...: or, evermore  
tell us that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, is constantly making intercession for us.

John 17 records the nature of Jesus’ prayer for the believer.

• Verses 1-5, Jesus prayed for the mutual glorification of the Father and the Son
• Verses 6-26 record Jesus’ prayer for the saint
  • Personal preservation
  • Spiritual sanctification
  • Familial unification

• A request for the spiritual sanctification of the saint
  • The meaning of sanctification – Set apart for service / Dedicate as a sacrifice
    • Sanctification is the process whereby we become more and more like Christ as we become less and less like the world.
    • Romans 12:2Romans 12:2
      2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  
      – Be not conformed to the world….
    • Romans 8:28Romans 8:28
      28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  
      – Predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ

• The means for sanctification
  • God accomplishes the sanctification process through his Word (John 17:17John 17:17
    17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.  
    )
    • The Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:152 Timothy 3:15
      15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  
      )
    • All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness
    • The Scriptures are able to transform us into the image of Christ (John 17:17John 17:17
      17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.  
      )

• The measure of sanctification
  • Jesus sanctified himself (John 17:19John 17:19
    19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. sanctified...: or, truly sanctified  
    )
    • He sanctified Himself by dedicating Himself to the will of God.
    • He was committed to the will of the Father
    • Nothing else mattered to Him

Supporting Texts:

• Hebrews 4:12-13Hebrews 4:12-13
  12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.