We can begin to understand from Christ's prayer in the seventeenth chapter of John the awesome distinction and separation between the Church and the world.

Although the saints were chosen from among the inhabitants of the earth they belong to Christ in a unique manner. They are His possession.

Christ does not pray for the world. He makes intercession for the Church—for the people whom God has given to Him.

Christ is not in the world but the members of His Body are in the world and He is glorified in them. Our role in life is not merely the informing of other people concerning the Christ of history. Our role is to demonstrate, to reveal, His indestructible, incorruptible resurrection Life that is dwelling in us. He is glorified in us.

Christ's prayer is that the Church will be one as He and the Father are One. We see anything but this today. Nevertheless the true Church always is one in Christ and in the Holy Spirit. Some day the world will be able to see that the Church indeed is one in the Father and the Son.

Christ takes care of and protects His Church. The world hates the Church because the Church is not of the world just as Christ Himself is not of the world.

The Christian Church is not merely a social institution. It is not of the world. It is not just a collection of well-intentioned people who are attempting to put Christ's teachings into practice.

The Christian Church is the incarnation of Christ just as Christ is the Incarnation of the Father. The Church is bone of Christ's bone, life of Christ's Life, flesh of Christ's flesh, spirit of Christ's Spirit, mind of Christ's mind, strength of Christ's strength, being of Christ's Being, joy of Christ's joy.

The Church is the fullness of Christ in Heaven and on the earth. When the Church has been perfected and glorified, he who sees the Church will be seeing Christ.

It is not true today that seeing the Church is the same as seeing Christ. But God speaks of things as being accomplished before we can see them in actuality.

Before the creation of the world the Father saw the holy city, the Bride of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem. Two thousand years ago the Father permitted the Apostle John to glimpse the vision. The city is the Church, the Bride. He who beholds the holy city, the new Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb, beholds the Glory of Christ and the Father in Him. This is what the Father has purposed and this is what shall be brought to pass.

The world hates the saints because it hates Christ. The world hates Christ because He bears witness concerning the world that its works are evil. The true Church, being one with Christ in all things, also bears witness of the world that its works are evil.

It is not the will of Christ that the Church be taken from the world. Jesus does not pray to that end. Rather, He prays that the members of His Body be guarded so the adversary cannot touch them.

To be continued.