September 20
Believers Given to Christ
The Christian's Daily Treasury"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."—John 17:6.
THESE words are part of a prayer, presented by our great Advocate and High Priest to the Father. The verse now before us contains a fourfold description of the disciples of Christ. Let us contemplate it.
THEIR RELATION TO GOD. "Thine they were." They were originally the Father's, in three senses.
As the creatures of his power. God made them. Their being and preservation are derived from him. They were in his hand as clay in the hand of the potter. He had a sovereign right and proprietary in them.
As the prisoners of his justice. By sin we have fallen from our original state of purity and happiness; and as criminals forfeited God's favor, and become obnoxious to his justice. Behold the wonders of God's grace, in making those who might have been the eternal victims of his offended justice, the glorious trophies of his saving mercy.
As the objects of his choice. They were the Father's by electing love; set apart for himself, to receive his grace, and to celebrate his glory. Their names were written from eternity in the Lamb's book of life.
THEIR DONATION TO CHRIST. "The men which thou gavest me out of the world." Notice
The grounds of this donation. Why were they given to
Christ? As the reward of his mediatorial work—in accordance with the eternal counsels—and as his honor and ornament.
The purposes of this donation. They were given to him, to redeem from sin, to be the subjects of his kingdom, and the partakers of his benefits; to be his offspring, his jewels, to deck his mediatorial crown, and sparkle to his glory, in the full blaze of eternity. If believers are given to Christ out of the world, then they must not be conformed to the world. It is a just remark, that a true Christian living in the world is like a ship sailing on the ocean; it is not the ship being in the water that will sink it, but the water getting into the ship—so, in like manner, the Christian is not ruined by living in the world, but by the world living in him.