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In The World But Not Of The WorldJohn 17:11“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”John 17:14“I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”These verses are taken from Christ’s prayer as recorded in John chapter 17. It is a prayer He made for the disciples and all Christians. We see in our verses that as Christians we are “in the world” but we are “not of the world”. Though we live in this world we are not of this world. The Christian, though we still live in the world (John 17:15), we have been chosen of God “out of the world” (John 15:19). Christ separates the Christian from the world that we might be a witness for Him, and that we might keep His Word not just in our heart but in the way we live. When you study the prayer of Christ in John 17 you see He prayed for our protection and sanctification while in this world. Why? So that we would live in it, but not be of it. That we might be radically, spiritually different than others that are in this world. This is not to draw any attention to ourself. But that the world may believe that God has sent Jesus (John 17:21), and that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17).