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“[Jesus said:] And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one. (John 17:11–12).

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

A magazine cartoon from a few years ago shows a psychiatrist with his filled-up pad in hand saying to his patient, “Now, besides your fear of terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, street gang violence, unemployment, anthrax, nuclear holocaust, stock market crashes, and SARS, do you have any irrational fears.”

It’s true! The world can be a perilous place. It would be irrational to say otherwise. Everywhere you turn, there is constant chaos and turmoil. Because of our enemies of sin, death, and the devil, we face many threats.

As parents, we teach our children about such dangers—how to prevent them and deal with them when they occur. The Fort Wayne, Indiana, fire department has a unique and creative way of doing this. They’ve built Safety Village, a miniature city that children can visit to learn about safety.

When Marissa was in the third grade, I helped chaperone her class field trip to Safety Village. We went to the Survive Alive House, a full, two-story house equipped with special effects that duplicate the conditions of a house fire. We were taught about fire safety and how to escape in case of a fire.

Our instructor said, “First, go to the door and feel it to see if it’s hot. Then, fall to your knees. Does anyone know why you ought to fall to your knees?”

One of the students replied, “Sure, we get down on our knees to start praying to ask God to get us out of this mess!”

Of course, that was not the answer the instructor sought, but the student was right! As we walk in danger, God is our only sure source of help. Amid the “messes” in which we become mired, turning to Him should be our first step to safety. Only God can protect and preserve us.

 This does not mean that we, as Christians, will somehow be immune from the “messes.” In this fallen world, all of us can expect to face dangers and disappointments. Family fights, chronic and terminal illnesses, financial shortfalls, periods of grief, and many other things will still cloud our days. As we sang a few minutes ago, you and I walk in danger all the way.

In fact, Jesus tells us that the world is especially dangerous to those who profess faith in Christ. The world hates Christians because, having been sanctified by the Word of God, our values are different from those of the world. As Christ’s light shines through our lives, it exposes the world’s sin. Confronted with the holiness of God, the world lashes out and labels us as accusers and wars against us.

The world can be dangerous physically, as the Jewish leaders intended it to be for Jesus. When it appeared that He would upset their cozy arrangement, they plotted with Judas to have Jesus arrested and crucified.

The world was dangerous for the apostles, too. After Jesus’ ascension, they also faced persecution—first from the Jews and later from the Romans. As they spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they walked in danger all the way. They were flogged and beaten, cursed and imprisoned. Each of Jesus’ apostles died as a martyr for the faith, except John, who was forced to live out the last years of his life in exile.

By God’s grace, we have been blessed to live in a land where we are still relatively free to practice our faith. But millions around the world face the threat of pain and death simply because they are Christians. It’s estimated that since the time of Christ, over 70 million Christians have died for their faith—over 45.5 million men, women, and children have been martyred in just the last century.

The world can also be dangerous spiritually. It was dangerous to Judas when he allowed highly prized silver to blind him to Jesus’ value. It was dangerous to Peter, who had just boasted of his devotion, “I am ready to go with you to prison or death. Even if all the others fall away, I will not.”

Jesus warned Peter that by relying on his own strength, Peter was placing himself in spiritual danger. “Simon, Simon,” He said, “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.” But then Jesus assured him, “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32).

We battle those same spiritual enemies. The temptation to chase after money and power is an attractive force in a world that values such things. And it is far too easy for us to take the less painful path rather than stand firm in the faith. Counting on our talents and strengths to carry us through is far too easy.

The forces of the world can also be dangerous to our unity. The disciples had just experienced this prior to Jesus’ prayer. Their unity was threatened when they jostled for places and positions within Jesus’ kingdom. Their striving for personal greatness threatened their mission to serve.

Like them, we are also prone to jealousy, self-centeredness, pettiness, grudges, gossip, and more. Even within the church, our sinful nature leads us astray and causes us to lose sight of what is most important. We jostle for position and power. We seek to have things our own way. Such things hinder our mission to be salt and light in a dark and dangerous world.

Yes, we walk in danger all the way. Sin and its harmful effects are dangerous enemies to our physical well-being, our spiritual health, and our unity in the body of Christ. So, what can we do about it?   

One solution some seek is to give up on others and depend on themselves. They rely on their own talents and abilities. But can that really work? Can we really protect ourselves from every danger? No, accidents still happen. Not every disease is cured. Innocent people fall victim to evil.

No matter how hard we try, we cannot protect our loved ones or ourselves from every possible danger. In this fallen world, bad things still happen no matter how much we plan or how hard we try. We walk in danger all the way.

Other people seek to protect themselves from danger by going along with the world and giving up on God. That’s what Judas did. Though he had believed in Jesus and followed Him for over three years, he fell away from the faith. Tempted by his greed, Judas gave up on Jesus. Willingly and deliberately, he ignored the Savior’s warnings and cast his lot with the Jewish leaders.

By the time Judas realized his great sin, he’d lost his faith and fell into despair. It still was not too late. Like Peter, Judas could’ve repented and rested in the power of Jesus’ grace and forgiveness. But by his own deliberate choices, Judas had separated himself from the Word of God. He lost his faith. He lost hope. He lost his life. Even worse, he lost his salvation.   

How sad it must be to face the world’s dangers without faith and hope! What an emptiness there is when you’ve separated yourself from Jesus and His love! How hopeless and overwhelming it must be!

I think of this every time that I watch a television show that takes place in a hospital. People come into the emergency room with serious injuries or illnesses. As they face pain and imminent death, many of them have no family or friends there to support them. Virtually none of them have the spiritual support of a pastor or fellow Christian to bring them God’s Word. With no faith to lean on, they’re left without hope.

Either option—giving up on others or giving up on God—only multiplies the danger we face. It separates us further from God and His protecting care. It separates us from others who can help us. And it keeps us from being able to help them. When we Christians withdraw our light from the dark world, the world is left with no help or hope—the very opposite of Jesus’ own life and ministry!

The best answer for dealing with a dangerous world is to be joined to our heavenly Father by faith. Jesus prayed, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name…My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

Jesus does not will or pray for our separation from the world—even though it is sinful and dangerous. We cannot carry on His work if we’re separated from the world. It’s impossible to share Jesus’ message of salvation and eternal life with a sinful and dying world if we have no contact with the people of the world. It’s impossible to seek and save the lost if you’re separated from them.

No, rather than be separated from the world, Jesus prays that we will be preserved and protected from the dangers of the evil one—the devil—as we are left in the world to carry on Jesus’ work. The devil is the most formidable danger we face. He prowls about like a roaring lion, looking for souls to devour. But Jesus has conquered Satan and has given us the authority to overcome his power.

In our baptism, we were freed from Satan’s power. We were adopted into the family of God, and as His children, we are protected by His holy name and His Word revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ. Our big brother, Jesus, brings our prayers to the Father, who hears them for His Son’s sake.

One of the marks of a good family is that it offers protection and safety. Families should be places where there is emotional, social, psychological, and physical protection from the world’s harshness. Good families go out of their way to protect their families. We’ll spare no expense to buy automobile airbags and seat belts, immunizations, smoke detectors, and much more to keep them safe from danger.

God has given His family an even higher level of protection. He has spared no expense, even giving up His own Son unto death. Jesus truly went out of way, humbling Himself to become one of us, enduring the scorn and shame of the cross, and rising from the dead. Through His sacrifice, we have divine deliverance in a dangerous world. For His sake, our Holy Father grants us forgiveness for our sins and gives us strength to stand no matter the circumstance. By the power of His name, nothing can defeat us who have been joined to Him by faith.

Knowing that we are joined to our Father by faith, we can be joyful even as we walk in danger. We can be confident that He will preserve and protect us. And, by remaining in the world where Jesus wants us to be, we can be examples and encouragers to others who may be filled with fear. We can show them the best answer for dealing with a dangerous world is to walk with Jesus all the way, trusting the Holy Father will protect us all by the power of His name. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.