“Jesus answered, ‘I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,’ that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, ‘Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.’”
John 18:8-9
In a world dominated by the forces of darkness, danger and deception are everywhere (Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 5:16; 1 John 5:19). This is especially true for the child of God who, in the present dispensation, is the special target of the enemy (Luke 22:31; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 5:8). Happily, there is safety and protection for the people of God. In the days of Moses, those in danger could flee to the appointed Cities of Refuge (Numbers 35:6-15; Deuteronomy 4:41-43). Today, however, the believer runs to Jesus (Hebrews 6:18); clinging to the Lord, the believer is in the safest place possible. It was the presence of the pre-incarnate Christ in pillar of cloud and of fire that protected the fleeing Hebrews from Pharaoh’s armies (Exodus 14). If not for the protective presence of the Son of God, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would have been utterly consumed by the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:24-27). If not for Christ’s presence in the boat, the disciples would have gone straight to the bottom of the sea of Galilee (Mark 4:34-41). It was Christ’s presence that protected His apostles from the demonized maniac from Gadara (Mark 5:1-5). Astonishingly, it was Christ’s presence in the Garden of Gethsemane that not only protected His disciples from violent arrest (John 18:8-9) but protected even His enemies from permanent injury (John 18:10-11). Most importantly, it is the abiding presence of Christ in our lives that protects us from the awesome, terrifying wrath of a Holy God against sin. Just as the Lord stepped between His enemies and His frightened disciples in the garden, He now steps between us and God’s hostility towards sin. As Noah was safe in the ark, protected from God’s judgment (Genesis 7-9), we too are safe in Jesus. We are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10); we are permanently accepted in God’s Beloved One (Ephesians 1:6). May the abiding presence of Christ in our lives, now and evermore, protect us from error, discouragement and confusion. May He fill us instead with wisdom, power, hope, and love. May we rejoice today over so great a salvation, and over the blessed presence of so great a Savior!
God bless you dear saints,
Pastor John
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