“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
John 17:20-23
Not far from my home is a village which has a church on each of four corners of the main intersection passing through that town. It is supposed to be one of the only locations in the United States where you can find this. I remember pointing this out to someone some time ago and was, at first, taken aback by their reaction. Essentially they commented on how sad it was that there existed so many ‘divisions’ within the church that such a small town would need four different churches.
Did I mention that this person was not a believer?
They were actually more perceptive than I was at that moment.
We have been talking about ‘unity’ this week.
Please understand that the bible speaks of a ‘…unity of the Spirit…’ and not a ‘unity of doctrine’. As long as we are in the flesh, when you put two different people together in the same room there will always be differences. However, Jesus clearly prayed in the text above that our being “…brought to complete unity…” would be evidence, to the world, of two things – First, that the Father sent the Son; and second that the Father loves us as He loves His Son.
You see; those four churches spoke to my friend of division; but Jesus prayed that when we were brought to complete unity it also would speak volumes to the world.
Unity provides evidence.
Unity provides the evidence of the relationship between the Father and the Son and each one of us. Ask God to help you grow in unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Give the world all the evidence they need!
John 17:20-23
Not far from my home is a village which has a church on each of four corners of the main intersection passing through that town. It is supposed to be one of the only locations in the United States where you can find this. I remember pointing this out to someone some time ago and was, at first, taken aback by their reaction. Essentially they commented on how sad it was that there existed so many ‘divisions’ within the church that such a small town would need four different churches.
Did I mention that this person was not a believer?
They were actually more perceptive than I was at that moment.
We have been talking about ‘unity’ this week.
Please understand that the bible speaks of a ‘…unity of the Spirit…’ and not a ‘unity of doctrine’. As long as we are in the flesh, when you put two different people together in the same room there will always be differences. However, Jesus clearly prayed in the text above that our being “…brought to complete unity…” would be evidence, to the world, of two things – First, that the Father sent the Son; and second that the Father loves us as He loves His Son.
You see; those four churches spoke to my friend of division; but Jesus prayed that when we were brought to complete unity it also would speak volumes to the world.
Unity provides evidence.
Unity provides the evidence of the relationship between the Father and the Son and each one of us. Ask God to help you grow in unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Give the world all the evidence they need!
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