“Christians are in the world in the sense that they occupy the same space, go to the same markets and interact in the same society as non-Christians. They are not people who form their own sub-cultures or ghettos to avoid the world.”

Near the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus prayed to the Father on behalf of His disciples what has been called His High Priestly Prayer (John 17). When we consider the content of His High Priestly prayer, we soon discover indicatives regarding the state of His followers in the world as well as imperatives on how they should walk in the world. In the midst of these two aspects of our Lord’s teaching about the relationship between His people and the world, we learn that there is one over-arching purpose for Christians and our relationship with the world. Let’s take a brief look at these three things:

Indicatives

Christians are in the world (John 17:11).

While this might be obvious to the reader, the point is that Christians are not physically separate from the world. Christians are in the world in the sense that they occupy the same space, go to the same markets and interact in the same society as non-Christians. They are not people who form their own sub-cultures or ghettos to avoid the world. They recognize where God has placed them and do not run from that reality. They are relatable, accessible, and approachable to those in the world in normal, ordinary ways (e.g., friend, neighbor, coworker, classmate, teammate, etc.).

Christians are not of the world (John 17:16).

Christians do not belong to the world. They are not longer conformed to the values and ways of living common in the culture and society around them. They belong to the kingdom of God and therefore have a new identity and loyalty to the King and his kingdom.  Therefore, while they are in the world, they do not belong to our embrace the world as those who do not belong to Jesus Christ.

Christians are hated by the world (John 17:14).

It stands to reason that if Christians are not conforming to the world and its ways, the world would mock, ridicule, detest, and hate the counter-cultural ways of Christians. Therefore, as Jesus says, his followers should not be surprised that the world hates us. The world hated Him first and crucified him for who he was. In a later epistle, John wrote that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19). The strong distinction of being in the world and not of the world causes Christians to be hated by the world who does not accept the King in whose kingdom we gladly live.

Imperatives

Christians are called to remain in the world (John 17:15).

Jesus knew his followers would be hated by the world. He knew there would be consequences and a high cost to identifying with him, and yet Jesus asks the Father that his disciples would remain in the world that has a predisposition of hatred and contempt. Christians are not to compromise or conform to the world due to this hatred, because that would be a denial of our identity. We are not to retaliate with violence or acts of force, because that would be a denial of his sovereignty. Rather, we are to respond like Jesus and suffer the hatred and mocking and contempt as the glory of God is put on display in our trials. By remaining in the world, we are called to love those who hate us, to bless those who curse us, and to give our lives away for those who have not given their lives to Jesus Christ.

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