“IN PERFECT HARMONY”

8 “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” 

John 17:8

The Bible says much about church unity. We have many reasons to unite: we serve the same God, were saved by the same Christ, and are led by the same Holy Spirit. However, the church can face challenges as it tries to make this idea of unity as tangible as possible. Because the church includes people with different personalities and backgrounds, conflict can happen. What motivates us to unite as God's people?

John chapter 17 is a heartfelt prayer known as Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer.” After delivering His Farewell Discourse, Jesus now prays for Himself, the disciples, and future believers. This moment is also the start of Jesus’ “time.”

Yesterday, we learned that Jesus showed the world who God is and what He’s like. Here's another spiritual nugget we can take from this passage:

Perfect harmony exists within the Godhead.

Previously, Jesus stated that His words are not His own, but the Father’s (12:48; 14:24). He argued that He did not come up with a teaching that did not originate from the Father. The disciples accepted Jesus’ teaching not only because it was God's teaching, but also because God had given it to Him, and they believed the Son came from the Father. To them, Jesus' words were not merely words; they were God's messages to them that guided their lives. They were well aware of the mutual relationship between the Father and the Son. 

This verse provides a glimpse into the unity between God the Father and the Son. The Father reveals Himself through Jesus, who speaks the truth about Him. Therefore, to hear Jesus is to hear the Father. There is no contradiction

This unity should motivate us to work toward Christian unity rooted in truth, not compromise. We don't have to water down our core beliefs just to get along. Rather, we should faithfully submit ourselves to the Lord's teachings while extending His grace to one another.

The truth is, Christians share more things in common than they disagree on. If we can set aside our minor differences to serve our communities and share the Gospel, we reflect the unified mission of God the Father and the Son. Therefore, we must put the needs and spiritual well-being of other believers over our own preferences.

Let's remind ourselves of the Apostle Paul's exhortation to the believers of Philippi: 

3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." 

Philippians 2:3-4

Will you do your part in reaching church unity?

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Mathieu Bigard on Unsplash