Summary
In the final hours before the cross, Jesus doesn't pray for his disciples' success, safety, or comfort. He prays that they would be set apart. But this kind of holiness isn't about behavior management or religious striving. It's about belonging to God and being refined by Him for something deeper.
In this sermon, Reverend Donny Cho explores three key themes in Jesus' prayer: the priority of holiness in a world that wants to shape us, the pursuit of holiness as a life of focus and freedom, and the power for holiness that flows from the cross of Christ. Like a silversmith holding silver over the hottest part of the fire—not to harm it, but to purify it—God holds us through the refining flames of life with careful love. He watches the fire closely. He doesn't go too long or too short. And when He can see His reflection in us, He knows the work is done.
If you're exhausted from performing or blending in, the gospel offers something better. You were made to be different. Through Jesus, God is not only saving you—He's shaping you. And that, even through the fire, is good news.
