Reflections On John 17:3 - pt.1 - Mark D.Pierson

"And this is eternal life,that they may know You,the only true God,and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent." John 17:3

The Bible says that the people of this world are under the power of darkness right now. They do not know their Creator. They are walking in ways contrary to God. What He calls evil,they call good;What He calls good, they call evil. They are under the power of Satan. He,"the god of this age" has blinded them. They are now walking according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. They walk in accordance to the lusts of their flesh and mind, and are by nature children of wrath. They are dead in trespasses and sins. It is written,"There is none who understands;There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside..." Romans 3:11-12. This has all come about as a result of the fall of Adam in the garden. How have they turned aside? In their minds and hearts. God said in Noah's time,"Although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth..." Gen.8:21. In Jeremiah 17:9 God said,"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked..." In Matthew 15:19-20 Jesus taught that"out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts,false witness, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man...". It is written in Isaiah 53:6" All we like sheep have gone astray;We have turned, everyone, to his own way...".

There is no end to their hostility. Even we in the West see it in the editorial sections of our news papers, in certain political parties, and in class rooms. The thought of Christ revulses many, bringing mockery and contempt. Jesus came and testified that the world's deeds were evil,and the people hated Him for it. If we testify on His behalf of it's evil, we will be hated too. The Bible teaches that the world is filled with haters of God, those who would seek to suppress the truth. Our history since the fall is filled with man's attempts wipe the knowledge of God out of existance.

Once, when the apostles spoke to the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead the religious authorities laid hands on them and took them in for questioning. The story is found in Acts 4:1-31. Those authorities went on to try to silence these men of faith. After threatening them they let them go. The apostles then went on to rejoin their company, where they lifted the situation in prayer. As they prayed they reflected on what we know today as the second Psalm,verses 1-2.
"Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand,And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ". This is a very complete commentary on the world's attitudes about Christ. It was true when they crucified Him, and,as we read verse 4:29, it is still valid for today. If Christ walked among us today it is a sure thing they would try to crucify Him again. Look at how missionaries are treated throughout the world. Look what happens even in our own families when we testify of Christ. The hatred can be astonishing.

Jesus said, " And this is the condemnation, That the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

"For by one man's (Adam's) disobedience many were made sinners..." Romans 5:19 Thanks to Adam,the human race is made up of individuals who are sinners by nature, they sin and love it...

-Mark Pierson.