SetFree
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The following was Lord Jesus' prayer to The Father just prior to His being delivered to be crucified. Much about being called vs. being chosen is revealed here.
John 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.
Jesus shows He was with The Father before the world was, and that The Father gave Him power over all flesh so that He may give eternal life to those The Father gave Him. Jesus' time on earth was coming to a close at this point.
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.
Jesus is pointing to His elect sent ones there, those chosen. They originally belonged to The Father, and He then gave them to His Son. This is why when Jesus' asked Peter who they say Jesus was, Peter said Jesus was The Christ. Jesus said no man revealed that to Peter, but that The Father had revealed that to him, and thus Peter was blessed.
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.
Did Lord Jesus teach His apostles things in private? Yes, beyond a doubt (Luke 24:27).
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.
By Jesus' pointing to Judas being lost only, this shows in the above Jesus was speaking of His chosen Apostles, and not about the whole Church. The idea above about these is especially about 'ownership' of these chosen elect sent ones. That is where the idea of predestination becomes involved, because this reveals the Apostles were already owned, and ordained to serve Christ. Because they are already owned, that is also how Jesus would tell them that in the regeneration, they would sit upon 12 thrones judging over the 12 tribes of Israel in His future Kingdom (Matthew 19:27-28).
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.
Again, Jesus is pointing to His elect chosen sent ones (apostles) in the above. Notice He even said they are not of this world, even as He is not of this world? That is meant spiritually of course.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word;
The above is a very important verse. I reveals those who are 'called' to believe only, and are not chosen sent ones like His Apostles in the previous Scripture. These come to believe by His Apostle's 'word', which is a pointer to their preaching of The Gospel. For Christ's Apostles, He had no need to ask them if they believe, for He already owned them. This is why Jesus would simply say to His Apostles, 'follow me', and they got up and followed Him without question.
So these, "for them also which shall believe on Me through their word", is about the called only. What is unique about these called only, is that they CAN fall away from Christ being deceived, if they do not keep the Faith. Christ's sent chosen ones cannot... be deceived, because He already owns them. But for these called, they are under a test of their Faith. This is why Christ's Apostles would admonish us so often in the New Testament Epistles about being careful to not fall away, and remain in the Faith on Christ Jesus.
Lord Jesus also showed in His Olivet discourse about how His chosen sent ones cannot be turned nor deceived even at the end of this world. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus forewarned that the coming false-Christ for the end will work great signs and wonders so powerful in deception, that IF it were possible, it would deceive even His very elect. That means His chosen elect sent ones cannot... be deceived by the coming false-Christ. That is another pointer to how Lord Jesus has already shown them His Truth, even as to what to expect for the final days of this present world, and He protects their spirit by The Holy Spirit.
21 That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.
22 And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one:
23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.
Then Lord Jesus prays that both... groups may become 'one' in Jesus and in The Father.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me.
26 And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
KJV
Jesus repeats His existence with The Father from before the foundation of the world, and the love of The Father towards Him may be in them also, and Jesus in them.
John 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.
Jesus shows He was with The Father before the world was, and that The Father gave Him power over all flesh so that He may give eternal life to those The Father gave Him. Jesus' time on earth was coming to a close at this point.
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.
Jesus is pointing to His elect sent ones there, those chosen. They originally belonged to The Father, and He then gave them to His Son. This is why when Jesus' asked Peter who they say Jesus was, Peter said Jesus was The Christ. Jesus said no man revealed that to Peter, but that The Father had revealed that to him, and thus Peter was blessed.
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.
Did Lord Jesus teach His apostles things in private? Yes, beyond a doubt (Luke 24:27).
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.
By Jesus' pointing to Judas being lost only, this shows in the above Jesus was speaking of His chosen Apostles, and not about the whole Church. The idea above about these is especially about 'ownership' of these chosen elect sent ones. That is where the idea of predestination becomes involved, because this reveals the Apostles were already owned, and ordained to serve Christ. Because they are already owned, that is also how Jesus would tell them that in the regeneration, they would sit upon 12 thrones judging over the 12 tribes of Israel in His future Kingdom (Matthew 19:27-28).
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.
Again, Jesus is pointing to His elect chosen sent ones (apostles) in the above. Notice He even said they are not of this world, even as He is not of this world? That is meant spiritually of course.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word;
The above is a very important verse. I reveals those who are 'called' to believe only, and are not chosen sent ones like His Apostles in the previous Scripture. These come to believe by His Apostle's 'word', which is a pointer to their preaching of The Gospel. For Christ's Apostles, He had no need to ask them if they believe, for He already owned them. This is why Jesus would simply say to His Apostles, 'follow me', and they got up and followed Him without question.
So these, "for them also which shall believe on Me through their word", is about the called only. What is unique about these called only, is that they CAN fall away from Christ being deceived, if they do not keep the Faith. Christ's sent chosen ones cannot... be deceived, because He already owns them. But for these called, they are under a test of their Faith. This is why Christ's Apostles would admonish us so often in the New Testament Epistles about being careful to not fall away, and remain in the Faith on Christ Jesus.
Lord Jesus also showed in His Olivet discourse about how His chosen sent ones cannot be turned nor deceived even at the end of this world. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus forewarned that the coming false-Christ for the end will work great signs and wonders so powerful in deception, that IF it were possible, it would deceive even His very elect. That means His chosen elect sent ones cannot... be deceived by the coming false-Christ. That is another pointer to how Lord Jesus has already shown them His Truth, even as to what to expect for the final days of this present world, and He protects their spirit by The Holy Spirit.
21 That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.
22 And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one:
23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.
Then Lord Jesus prays that both... groups may become 'one' in Jesus and in The Father.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me.
26 And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
KJV
Jesus repeats His existence with The Father from before the foundation of the world, and the love of The Father towards Him may be in them also, and Jesus in them.
