Recognizing the "I" in Unity

In the 17th chapter of John Jesus prays 3 prayers. The 1st was that the Father would glorify Him because He had accomplished the work He was sent to earth to do. The 2nd was that the Father would keep and guard the apostles because they had work to do on the earth. The 3rd was for the Church; that it might be unified. It is the last of these prayers with which we will concern ourselves now.

John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Jesus begins by praying for those who believe in Him through the word of the apostles to be one. In other words Jesus is releasing through prayer the Spirit of Unity to the Church. Its this Spirit that the Apostle Paul wrote about to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 4:3 when he said, Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Then He explains how it works. As all things related and pertaining to God are; it is released, activated and then works or is demonstrated through relationship. In everything Jesus did He always pointed to the Father. His authority was through the Father, our authority is through Jesus.

Finally Jesus tells us the reason or importance of a unified Church. Yes we are blessed because of unity, we know this because we find in Psalm 133 that God commanded the blessing where unity was. However, here we find that the reason Jesus prayed this was so the world might believe that He was sent by the Father. That's what He is after; our hearts. He longs and desires to heal, mend and restore. This is why He does all that He does. He is in pursuit of the hearts of His creation to reconcile us to Himself and restore the authority He created us to have and exercise with love.

It all begins with unity!

One person at a time realizing that the only I in unity is Jesus, the great I AM!

Until next time stay unified in His Spirit! God's richest blessings to you!