WE ARE ONE AS GOD IS ONE:

The Gospel of John tells a lot about the sociological antagonism throughout that era. It was during that time of civil unrest that Jesus prayed his great high priestly prayer. John’s gospel (17:20-26), records these powerful words, “And the glory which You gave Me, I have given them, that they may be one, just as We are one.” This was not a prayer of supplication but a declaration of what is. In understanding this verse, we must not overlook the key to this prayer/decree. The “glory” was given from God to accomplish this task. This ‘glory’ of God was the component that caused the early church to be one. Espousing the GLORY FROM God enables us to make oneness visible. When that happens, the world sees what we have -- and they’ll not be able to resist His glory that rests upon us.

Then, could we ask, “Do we need to pray anymore to get unity???” (Now remember, don’t stone me!)

Jesus continued, “That they BE one as we are one.” The unity that He prayed about was not an ideological notion, but rather a Devine concept spoken as a finished and completed command to achieve a standard: “AS WE ARE.” What we must realize is that the tense of this verse indicates that Jesus said that unity is already a done deal. It is (already) accomplished. We obtained unity within our salvation. It’s a principle like forgiveness for our sins when we were born again. We don’t have to wait. When we receive our salvation, then forgiveness is ours. No more begging and pleading is required. So it is with unity. It’s already accomplished. God will do nothing else to bring it to pass. It’s up to us to capture this truth as our own. AS we become driven by the all consuming present reality of unity — we realize that unity isn’t just a theological discussion. It’s a finished work.

This relationship of ONENESS is the standard example for all Christian relationships – church, marriage, and family. It is the anticipated outcome and demonstration of every association within and between us. This is the intended maturity that God expects from His people (Ephesians 4:13), - "that they may be one as we are one" (John 17:22). Certainly, this decree, said right before His death, didn’t mean that we should substitute church “fellowship” for true unity.

Two other striking observations about this passage: Jesus seldom repeats himself in the Bible, but twice He tells us that we are to embrace the unbelievably profound unity that He shared with His Father (3 times counting Jn 17:11). Twice, the reason given for unity is that the world may believe/know that God sent him -- so that the world will desire to become Christian. This unity for which Christ prayed has visible results -- the church displays herself with consist meaning – and the world responds.

Seizing the understanding of God’s unity is an essential component of the Christian faith – it’s not optional. We must establish a sense of priority to captivate and showforth this oneness within our midst. We can no longer hide – even within the work of the church -- within doing the good work of preaching, evangelism, or feeding the hungry, or healing the sick, and assume that we can avoid what is required of us to embrace and reveal this commandment of UNITY.

The church is a living organism. Our task is to comprehend this POSITIONAL UNITY as being an actuality NOW – we can disclose (in-act) that understanding through our Christlike behavior (Eph 4:1-3) which is based on incontrovertible principles (4:4-6). Only then can our positional unity become EXPERIENTIAL and visible.

This day has fully come, and it is time for this reality to become noticeable; unity resounds from within us (LK. 17:21). It won’t come from further prayer. Unity comes from the revelation that it is ALREADY ours. We are NOW relationally connected in ONENESS. The truth is here – hidden from us, so that we will search it out. We are already sealed together in his promises. We are heirs together in our blessed future. It is “Our (corporate) father.” It is Christ in you (plural). We are the bread, the river, and the ground fragrance of incense.

Unity comes not from knowing “about” Christ but from knowing Him and becoming LIKE Him. As we dare to move out into the deep ocean of His ever proceeding truth, we will be amazed by its vastness and distances beneath the surface. The more we truly comprehend and obey, the more we realize how little we do know (1 Cor. 8:2). Some further examples of oneness are:

John the Baptist spoke with the voice of "one" calling in the desert (Matt. 3:3; Mk. 1:3).

In marriage, the husband and wife are to be joined as "one flesh" (Eph. 5:31).

God has already made all races of humanity “one” (Acts 17:26 NIV).

Those that are joined to the Lord are "one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17).

If "one" part suffers all suffer… or if one part is honored then all rejoice (1 Cor. 12:26).

We are all "one" in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28).

Jesus caused the two become “one” (Eph. 2:14).

Jesus made "one new man” out of two (Eph. 2:15).

He who sanctifies and we who are sanctified are "all of one" (Heb. 2:11).

By “one” sacrifice, Jesus has perfected us (Heb. 10:14).

"One" sat upon the throne with a crown of gold and a sickle in His hand (Rev. 4:2).

There’ an interesting principle of unification/oneness revealed in the story of the valley full of dry bones (Ez 37). Here, a BODY was becoming re-membered. Bone joined to bone. They weren’t all leg bones. Sameness doesn’t create oneness. Oneness is completion. Wholeness. And so it is today, that the Lord asks us (who differ) the same thing he asked Ezekiel. “Can these bones live?”

Our apprehension of unity gives flesh to our understanding. We must reply, “Lord, you know they can live.” Upon our response, breath comes. The sinews and ligament join TOGETHER. This dry bone over here joins another over there. How interesting that Jesus would break the bread and say, “Eat My flesh” (Jn. 6:54). Upon hearing this statement, many disciples left. But those who stayed to partake, became tabernacles of His flesh. Let us not take the cup and bread together unworthily (not discerning the Lord’s BODY – 1 Cor. 11:29).

But, this time let us -- show forth our intimate and intermingling union with the members of the Church of ONE God. "The chalice of benediction, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord? For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread" (I Cor. 10:16-17). It is in doing this that we’re “Re-member-ed.” (Joined together again.) Jesus said, “Do this in re-member-ance of me.” And we begin to consume Christ, we communicate with His unified purpose and vision.

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