"I have given them thy word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through the truth; thy word is truth" (John 17:14-17).
Jesus prayed that we would not be taken out of the world, but that we would be kept from the evil. He stated twice, "They are not of the world even as I am not of the world."
We are not of this world, but we are the uncreated, indestructible seed of God, and that seed is beginning to grow, and the more that seed grows, the more consciously aware we are of the life of God within us, and less aware of the carnal self life that is separated from God. The natural man is only conscious of being born of natural parents and having a natural life that cannot live a holy consecrated life that conforms totally to the life of God. Even after having a salvation experience, it may take quite some time before you begin to experience the life of God being the overcoming one within you. The natural man is of the earth, but the spiritual man is of heaven. As we have become a natural man through a natural birth, we become a spiritual man through being born of the Spirit.
We are one with God, not according to the natural birth, not in our carnal mind or nature, but in our spirit. This natural man must put on the spiritual man. The Apostle Paul says it this way: "Put off the old man and put on the new man which according to God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Col. 3:9-10). When we put on the new man, we are no longer subjected to the carnal desires of the old man. We are no longer of this world, but become one who lives in the kingdom of God, having the life of God manifested through us. "Know you not that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that Christ in you is the hope of glory?" (1 Cor. 3:16, Col. 1:27).
That They All May Be One
"Neither do I pray for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. That they all may be one, as you Father are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:20-21).
In these verses, Jesus prays that they all may be one. Who are all of them? It was not only those whom he was talking to on that day, but also us. All who would ever believe through their word, that all of us would be one.
God Consciousness
I want to use a phrase here that most Christians would not use because cults use it all the time. We should not be afraid to use something just because cults use it. After the New Age movement began to use the rainbow, some Christians said that we should no longer have rainbows on our cars because someone might think we are New Age. I am for using anything that is of God, even if the devil himself was to use it.
What Jesus was talking about here, "That they all would be one, not only these here but all those who would believe down through the ages, that they all would be one as you Father are in me and I in you," (and here comes the phrase) is a universal God consciousness.
Many are afraid of the phrase "God consciousness". I have heard it said that if you are ever in a group that talks about God consciousness, you need to get out of there because it’s a cult. I would ask this question, which would you prefer to be, God conscious or self-conscious? Would you rather be conscious of yourself, your weaknesses, your failures, your inability to live godly, or would you rather be God conscious? Wouldn’t you rather be aware of the Spirit of God in you to fulfill and to meet all the righteous requirements of the law?
We should have such an awareness of God and such a consciousness of God with every believer in the universe. The life of God in me is the same life of God that is in every other believer. Paul says in Ephesians 4:13, "until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God; unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
Why do not most believers see angels, as they did in the early days of the New Testament Church? Why are we not communicating with angels and them with us? In the early days of the Church, it was common for angels to communicate with the Saints, to enter prisons and lose them from their bonds. Even in the Old Testament, God’s people communicated with the angels. The early Church had more of a conscious awareness and an open communication with the heavenly realm than we have today. The main reason we do not have communication with heavenly beings is because of all the fear of being deceived that has been taught in the Church. We are so afraid of being deceived that we are not open to heavenly visitations.
We are entering into such an exciting time in the Church in these days. Jesus said, "It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). He also said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mt. 6:33). How do we begin to experience the kingdom as a reality in our life? The kingdom of God is wherever God rules and reigns, and we begin to experience it by becoming more and more consciously aware day by day and even moment by moment of the Spirit of God filling us and being the Lord over every area of our lives. He is everything to us and through us.
If I take thought for or become anxious for what I need, I will cut off the supply of the Spirit. However, if I will simply enter every day into that sweet fellowship with God, if I will become consciously aware every day of the quickening power of His Spirit in my spirit, then that contact with the Spirit of God within me supplies me with everything in the natural that I need. Jesus said, "Take no thought for what you shall eat or drink nor for your body what you shall put on" (Mt. 6:31). Why did He say this? Because we must center everything that we are on seeking the reality of God manifesting His life as us. We must get to know Him intimately.
For years in the Church, we have talked about being filled with the Spirit, yet we have experienced very little. When we are truly filled with the Spirit of God, then we will live as Jesus lived while on the earth. "He that says he abides in Him, ought himself also to walk, even as He walked" (1 John 2:6). "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: bcause as He is so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).
When we are truly filled with the Spirit, we will be so in love with humanity that anger expressed toward us will be absorbed with no negative reaction. Do you not long for the day when we will be so full of the love of God that we will not react in the natural man but in the Spiritual man? We must learn to forgive as Jesus forgives.
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