Unity in the Faith (Pt 3)


John 17:20-23 (ESV)
[20] “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, [21] that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22] The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, [23] I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

God calls us to unity, not uniformity. Unity must have a focus or foundation. The foundation of our unity is that system of belief we call the faith. But why is unity so important? The truth is, that we sometimes find ourselves in a church where the only thing we have in common is the faith. We may differ on politics. Many people are quite passionate about their political beliefs. We may differ on our entertainment preferences. One person loves to talk about movies and the arts. Another person has no idea who an actor is, or what is significant about a play, but they love adventure sports. Still another is enamored with team sports. One family is African-American, another is Hispanic, a third is Native American, and still another has a Scandinavian background and thinks Christmas isn’t Christmas without lutefisk. How can there possibly be any unity among such a diverse group, and why should we work toward it?

Unity takes respect, honor, good listening, and hard work. If it is not a priority then we may decide it is not worth the effort. It is easier to separate and find a church where everybody is like me. There are at least three biblical reasons why unity is worth the effort. First, in John 17 Jesus prayed for unity. Unity is both the desire of Jesus and the answer to Jesus’ prayer. His words to the Father were, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one” (Jn 17:20-21). This was his last prayer before the Garden of Gethsemane, his arrest, and his crucifixion. It was his deep desire. When we do the hard work of unity we become the answer to Jesus’ prayer.

Second, there is a reason why Jesus prayed for unity. Unity convinces the world that God sent Jesus. He prays, John 17:23, “. . . that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me.” The world often points to the monochromatic makeup of the church, and the diversity of denominations as evidence that what we preach about Jesus is not true. How can it be true when there is so much divisiveness within the body? When we talk as though our church is the only church with the true truth, we actually hinder the gospel. When we are constantly pointing out how wrong everyone else is and why we have a corner on truth, we undermine the truth that God sent Jesus. Certainly there are churches that have abandoned biblical truth. We need to speak out about that, and preach the truth. But sometimes we act as though the only church in the world that preaches the truth is our little flock and we’re not sure about some of us. Unity convinces the world that God sent Jesus. Disunity does just the opposite.

Third, unity convinces the world that we are disciples of Jesus. Four chapters earlier, in John 13:34-35, Jesus said to his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Unity not only convinces the world that God sent Jesus, but that we are truly disciples of Jesus. When we, as believers, love one another, accept and honor one another, work to understand one another, and embrace our differences, that is something the world does not do. That is the amazing thing that convinces the world that we are disciples of Jesus whom God sent.

In short, unity is foundational to evangelism and discipleship. Disunity undermines our very purpose as a people of God. Why is unity important? Because it is the answer to Jesus’ prayer, and convinces the world that God sent Jesus and we are his disciples. Do the hard work of unity. Learn to listen, embrace, and love. Let the world see Jesus in his church.

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