I have given them the words thou gavest me

I have given unto them the words thou gavest me: and they have received them, and have know surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou dist send me. I pray for them:  I pray not for the world, but for then which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” (John 17:8, 9)  

Who is Christ praying for here? For those that believed, and for those which the Father gave him. Or in other words those who were members of his church. In particular He’s speaking of those he is leaving in charge of the Church. Peter, James and John and the twelve, and for those others who were faithful disciples who taught Sunday School lessons, preacher , evangelist  and missionaries who bore wittiness of Christ and Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost.

It is obvious that Christ intended for his church to continue.  Why else did he set it up in the first place? God knew from the beginning when he placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden that the mankind would fall and that he would send his Son Jesus Christ to redeem us. He also knew that even after the great miracle of the Atonement and Resurrection that many would be deceived and fall away until the time of restoration.

In Pal’s second letter to the Thessalonians Paul says, don’t be shaken or troubled in the days ahead but stay firm in your belief of Christ. “Let no man deceive you by any means for that day (of Christ return) shall not come except there come a falling away first.”   Then he speaks of how the wicked will be found out, and then he says,” But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord.” Remember he is speaking to the leaders of the church here. So he continues. “Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.”

So God chose his leaders from the beginning, but that does mean that the chosen could not fall. Look at Judas. Look at Lucifer, the morning star who fell while still in heaven. So if a chosen leader falls can he lead us astray? Judas kinda removed himself but Lucifer was cast out of heaven and so will those who lead us astray in Christ Church be cast out from the church. Christ said, “If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not,”  Neither should we judge for we know not the cross that unbeliever was give to bear, be it mental illness, abuse, addiction, or other. Christ work was we might know God the Father and his Son that we might return to heaven.