March 14, 2018 PERFECTED IN UNITY
John 17:21-23 “that they all may be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. And the glory that Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.”
After reading John 17, one may think that Jesus is belaboring the point of unity between God and Jesus, Jesus and us, and unity of believers. If we do think that way, then that is an indication that we do not fully understand what Jesus is saying about unity, or being one. John 17 is known as the ‘high priestly prayer’ that Jesus prayed just prior to His crucifixion, and this prayer was for His followers of that day and for all who would become followers-and that includes us. Perhaps, because we live in a fallen world, we accept strife and division as the norm, and do not understand and do not often experience the level of unity that Jesus talked about. This prayer gives us a good insight of how things work in God’s kingdom. As believers, we know that Jesus and the Father are one, and we know that the Father sent Jesus to be our Savior. Jesus knew what it was to be loved by the Father and He knew the blessings that flowed from the Father being in Him and He being in the Father. This unity that Jesus and the Father experienced is the same unity that Jesus prayed that we would experience. When Jesus completed His mission on earth, believers became the temple of the Spirit of God and they were placed in Christ and in God! This is a miracle that can only be partially grasped-Christ in us and us in Christ! With Jesus and the Father, there was and is no division, no disagreements, no competition, and no strife. The love of God is a perfect love, and it was this love that Jesus and the Father enjoyed, and it was this love that God, and His Son, had for mankind that led to Jesus coming to earth and giving His life so that man might be restored to God. This restoration was much broader than assuring believers of heaven; it meant that believers would become one with the Father and thus enjoy a relationship with Him on the basis of the love that flows from God. The unity that Jesus is referring to, is found and experienced only in the love of God. The good news for us is that God has poured His love into our hearts (Romans 5:5) and because we now have the love of God in us, we can experience unity and oneness with God and with other believers. Now, God’s thoughts can be our thoughts; His desires can be our desires; His purposes can be our purposes; and His kindness and compassion can be ours. It is indeed a great miracle, but because God has restored us, we can in this present life enjoy unity and oneness with our Father and with other believers. It is past time that we step out of discord and dis-unity, and step into the wonderful and perfect unity that is ours as sons and daughters of God and live out of the love that God has poured into our hearts. Remember that Jesus told us to pray “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Let us bring heaven to our place on earth!
Colossians 3:13-14 “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”
Blessings, Buddy
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