22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
“To let the world know” is not too dissimilar to the Words our Lord chose to use in verse 21 of this same chapter – “so that the world may believe”. God cares about the lost of this world – the depraved, the downtrodden, and the dismayed and depressed - His motivation toward all people being love. Never forget that His greatest and most priceless Gift of Jesus was given for the whole world – not simply for a select few but for all. I am once again reminded of the sweetness of the Words of John 3:16:
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
“Jesus, Thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love Thou art.” Charles Wesley
Saints are God’s chosen vessels to bring the good news of His salvation to a lost and weary sin laden world. In light of this, it is our Lord’s desire for His followers to be of one mind, one will, one heart and one judgment - just as Jesus was and is One with the Father. The Son and the Father have the closest possible unity of purpose. Earlier in John we find our Lord stating thus:
30 “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30 (NIV)
“We are mirrors of God, created to reflect Him.” Ernesto Cardenal
Believers are as many members - albeit each with unique individual functions – being all part of one Body, the church, of which Christ is the Head. I cannot write this without being reminded of Paul’s exhortation to us in Romans 12:
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:3-5 (NIV)
We are to be one in spirit and in purpose just as the Father and the Son – the intimacy of their Oneness expressed by our Lord’s Words in our verses for today. This is an extremely important point as disunity in the Body causes much confusion, vulnerability and weakness opening us up to the assaults of Satan. We become uninspiring rather than winsome and certainly not wooing. We blend with the darkness and diffuse the light. We replace being a “city on a hill” with “vulnerable in the valley”. Shame on us! Jesus wants unity - not uniformity - of heart, of will, of doctrine and of practice in the lives of His followers. This unity will shake the world obliging it to confess the Truth of Christianity. It is a unity of the heart motivated by love resulting from the members being filled and led by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why our Lord prays so fervently towards that end for His followers – for the continued maintenance and increase of it. If all believers were of one mind working together we would soon turn the world upside down – not too differently from the first eleven. We would also do well to remember that flesh cannot maintain unity of the Body – pride, selfish ambitions and vain conceits will prohibit its longevity. Paul gives us a fitting end to our discussion on unity found in Colossians:
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col 3:5-17 (NIV)
“If we focus on our differences, our focus is on each other. If we focus on unity, our focus is on God.” Anonymous