Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, special people.

But there isn’t much of the morning left. We’ve already engaged in a list of places to go, people to see, and things to do. We even laced in an earlier walk/jog. After some running, we called in at Colton Café and split a Denver omelette. Now I need to do a couple of deliveries…the cider press back to Marquam, and a 4’x8’ sign to Molalla.

If I had more time and interest to make this a priority I would like to watch the civil war game today…the Ducks and the Beavers. I may just “watch” some of it on the radio while I drive and work.

In spite of who wins the game (or even the political elections), have a blessed day. That is an important perspective contained in the John 17 prayer of Jesus…IN the world, but not OF the world.

Love, Dad/Ray.

As I move through this chapter of Jesus’ special prayer to the Father, I’m trying to give careful attention to the ideas presented. One of the results of this effort has been to formulate a list of the various qualities Jesus presents as describing those to whom He ascribes ETERNAL LIFE. I’ve come up with ten of them. Besides serving as a kind of recipe listing the ingredients for ETERNAL LIFE, I think it can serve as a checklist to help us identify our own status in relation to this goal. Now, just a minute—I think I didn’t say that quite right. The fact is that people don’t inherit heaven and ETERNAL LIFE because they focus on the pursuit of heaven and ETERNAL LIFE. More accurately, these are wonderful automatic by-product benefits of pursuing a love for God—A HEART AFTER GOD.

1. PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE (v. 3). “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” This is a personal interactive relationship, fueled by personal seeking, personal belief, and personal love. (See also vv. 8, 25-26)
2. OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD (v. 6). “They have obeyed your word.”
3. GLORIFY JESUS (v. 10). “And glory has come to me through them.”
4. UNITED WITH OTHER BELIEVERS (vv. 11, 22-23). “…so that they may be one as we are one.”
5. JOY (v. 13). “…so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”
6. HATED BY THE WORLD (v. 14). “I have given them your word and the world has hated them.”
7. NON –CONFORMING TO THE WORLD (vv. 14-16). “They are not of the world even as I am not of it.”
8. SANCTIFIED (v. 17-18). “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
9. COMMISSIONED (v. 18). “As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”
10. DESTINED FOR GLORY (v. 24). “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory.”