John 17:9–23

Family Bible Study
Director, Christian Women’s Leadership Center, Samford University

Set Apart by God
John 17:9–23
Many Christians unthinkingly follow cultural trends. Others attempt to withdraw from society and create a parallel universe of “Christian culture” that fails to engage or influence society in positive ways. 

Jesus has called us to be transformed in our own life and to transform the broken, unhealthy, hurting parts of our world. But how? 

Are we to transform only “secular culture,” or are there parts of so-called “Christian culture” that need transformation as well? Do we do whatever is expedient to gain “control” of our culture and force a set of rules on everyone else? Or does the gospel work through us in remarkably different ways?

We are all part of our culture. We cannot completely withdraw from it, and that is not what God calls us to do.

Christians are to be molded by Christ in them. Simply telling people, “I’m a Christian,” is not enough. Placing the name “Christian” on a program, practice, tradition, business or event is not enough to shape culture. God calls us to work together to demonstrate God’s love and transforming power to individuals and society at large in deeper ways.

We are either positive or negative influences in society; our witness is never neutral.  We either reflect God, who is Love, or we don’t.    

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 provides insight into God’s purpose for believers as we live in the world. God does not offer us redemption merely for us to enjoy relationships with people just like us. God uses us to engage and transform individuals and cultures.

God is a Spirit that became flesh and blood in Jesus, “mystery of God” (Col. 2:2), the Word (John 1) revealed on earth. Jesus prayed for His followers because upon His departure, we would be His representatives in the world (John 17:9–13).

Through Christ, the Word comes into us, fills us, grows in us and transforms us in every way. In this way, the Word is continually revealed in the world through us (Col. 2:9). We should therefore take seriously our responsibility to carry on Christ’s work in the world. We are to become more like Jesus so that we can be God’s hands, feet and arms on earth. This is how God works in our world today: through us. What do our hands, feet, arms — and mouths — show others about God?

We effectively represent Jesus in the world as we are continually transformed by God in our attitudes, actions and all that we are  (John 17:14–19). God’s truth transforms from the inside out, beginning with our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, which direct our outward actions. The Bible is very clear that God’s transformation of us as individuals is a process. It does not all happen overnight (Col. 1). It is a “new self” that is “being renewed” continually in “knowledge in the image of its Creator” as we become more “godly,” emulating the characteristics of God: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, gratitude, wisdom, love, peace and unity (Col. 3:1–14).

What might our world look like if all of us who call ourselves Christians exercise these virtues?

This is the way in which we become, literally, the body of Christ in the world. We work together as believers, functioning as a whole body of healthy parts (Eph. 4:10–16). Jesus prayed for unity among His followers, something noticeably missing among Christians today, hurting our witness and effectiveness in our culture. We unfortunately often treat each other no better, and sometimes worse, than non-Christians treat people.

Jesus prayed that those who follow Him would model a unity that transforms the world, based on the very relationship of Jesus with God: “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:
I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22–23). Thus may we be encouraged, like the Colossian believers, to pray, “Christ is all, and is in all” (Col. 3:11).