THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE / JOHN 17:21

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) 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.

THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE / JOHN 17:21

This expresses one of Christ’s deepest desires for His people as a whole. He mentions this four times in His prayer (John 17:11, 21-23) because unity is a primary factor in accomplishing God’s purposes and confirming the truth of the message about Christ (John 17:21, 23). The unity that Jesus prayed for was not organizational unity but spiritual unity based on the following: true spiritual salvation and a personal relationship with Christ (John 17:23); knowing and experiencing the love of the Father and the companionship of Christ (John 17:26); separation from the evil ways of the world (John 17:14-16); growth in their knowledge of truth and devotion to God’s purposes (John 17:17; John 17:19); receiving, believing and obeying the truth of God’s Word (John 17:6; John 17:8; John 17:17); and the desire to bring Christ’s message of forgiveness and spiritual salvation to those who do not yet have a personal relationship with Christ (John 17:21, 23). When any one of these factors is missing, complete unity among Jesus’s followers cannot exist as He desires.

Jesus does not pray for His followers to “become one,” but rather that they may “be one.” The present subjunctive phrasing used here means the action is ongoing, meaning “continually be one.” This type of unity is based on their common relationship to the Father and the Son and on having the same basic attitude toward the world, the Word and the need to reach out to those who are spiritually lost – those who do not have a relationship with Jesus (1 John 1:7).
Attempting to create what looks like unity by having meetings, conferences or complex organization can result in tension and frustration. What Jesus had in mind is much more than unified gatherings of the appearance of togetherness. It is a spiritual unity of heart, mind and purpose among those who are fully devoted to Christ and His Word (Ephesians 4:3).
This does not mean that God’s people must agree or have the same perspective on all issues, but they must maintain a unified and uncompromising commitment to honoring Christ, staying true to His Word and leading others into a personal relationship with God.
One of the primary reasons for this sort of unity is that people will know that Jesus was sent by the Father to bring them back into a relationship with God – that they “may believe that you have sent me.” Christ’s followers will not be able to effectively accomplish their purpose of leading others to Christ unless they are living in unity. Without unity, their testimony will lack credibility and few people in the world will give serious thought to following Christ and becoming part of His church.

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THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE / JOHN 17:21

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This expresses one of Christ’s deepest desires for His people as a whole.

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Margarita Crews

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Guided By Grace

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