It is what it is

John 17:14-19

            “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

(John 17:14 ESV)

The way one sees themself is the way they will act and live; have you heard the popular saying, “It is what it is.”  And there in lies a gigantic roadblock for many Christians and it leads to verbiage like “what do you expect, I’m just human.” 

There is one very large problem, does Jesus tell the truth, and we are quick to say yes, but then we live life as if He has not spoken these words: “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”  My dear friend John often says, “you cannot have it round and square” but unless we examine ourselves we often live life as if a round peg will go in a square slot.

Unlike Jesus we showed up on planet earth with a mother and dad, and we have our origin in this earth.  So how can Jesus tell the Father that we are now like Him, in the world but not part of the world?   The apostle John gives us a clue in the first chapter of the gospel with his name on it, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13 ESV) Jesus gives this account of a Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, who came to Jesus by night and calling Him Rabbi, he then said, “you had to come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”  It is as if Jesus ignored want was said and told Nick, what he needed: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  (John 3:3 ESV)  And the apostle Paul tells us this; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)  And if you are still wondering how that has change me, listen to Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Christian you enter into Jesus time line.  This is a great example of that by Bill Gillham.

1)    When Christ went to the cross, you were in Him.

2)    When Christ was buried, your old self was buried in Him.

3)    When Christ was raised, you exploded from the grave a new person in Him.

4)    When Christ took His seat at the Father’s right hand, in Christ, you took your seat next to the Father.

From the Back Porch

Bob Rice