"There is no greater ground of
security in this world of time than to feel that you are a part of the grand
plan and purpose of God. None of these things are accidental, none of them are
fortuitous. It does not matter what may happen in the future, nothing can
disturb this plan. My friend, if you are a Christian, do you know that you were
the object of God’s interest and concern before the foundation of the world?
All these things have been worked out in eternity, before time, so we must
always remember that nothing can happen in time which will make the slightest
difference. That is the argument which we find so constantly in the Scriptures.
We must never be tired of quoting those great words: ‘For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord’ (Rom 8:38–39). And if you have ever been in any doubt about that, read
this prayer and see the security as he outlines it here…
Can you imagine anything that is more comforting than this, that the Lord Jesus Christ has prayed for you: ‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word’? (John 17:20) Do you realize that when he was praying this prayer the Lord Jesus Christ was praying for you? Now, if we are Christians, we all like to have people praying for us… Is there anything that gives greater consolation than to know that people are praying for you? I know of nothing that is a greater encouragement to me, in my work and in my ministry, than to know that people are praying for me. They are going to God who is the source of all power and asking him to fill me with power.
So, then, if you believe in the prayer of a saintly person, how much more should you believe in the prayer of the Son of God for you. Here (John 17) he lets us know that he prayed for us and he goes on praying for us, and, most wonderful of all, what he does is to put us into the hands of God. He says: ‘Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept … and now come I to thee’ (John 17:11–13). ‘Father,’ he says in effect, ‘I hand them back to you, you keep them.’ If only we could somehow take hold of this wonderful truth, that the Lord Jesus Christ, himself, has put us into the safe keeping of God and that we are therefore in God’s safe keeping!"
Can you imagine anything that is more comforting than this, that the Lord Jesus Christ has prayed for you: ‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word’? (John 17:20) Do you realize that when he was praying this prayer the Lord Jesus Christ was praying for you? Now, if we are Christians, we all like to have people praying for us… Is there anything that gives greater consolation than to know that people are praying for you? I know of nothing that is a greater encouragement to me, in my work and in my ministry, than to know that people are praying for me. They are going to God who is the source of all power and asking him to fill me with power.
So, then, if you believe in the prayer of a saintly person, how much more should you believe in the prayer of the Son of God for you. Here (John 17) he lets us know that he prayed for us and he goes on praying for us, and, most wonderful of all, what he does is to put us into the hands of God. He says: ‘Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept … and now come I to thee’ (John 17:11–13). ‘Father,’ he says in effect, ‘I hand them back to you, you keep them.’ If only we could somehow take hold of this wonderful truth, that the Lord Jesus Christ, himself, has put us into the safe keeping of God and that we are therefore in God’s safe keeping!"
— Martyn Lloyd-Jones (2000). The
assurance of our salvation: Exploring the depth of Jesus' prayer for His own:
Studies in John 17 (18–21). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
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