“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, 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. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 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. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:20-24 ESV)

Here Jesus is stating something else which is much more cutting, much more profound: we cannot expect the world to believe that the Father sent the Son, that Jesus’ claims are true, and that Christianity is true, unless the world sees some reality of the oneness of true Christians. Schaeffer, F. A. (1982). The complete works of Francis A. Schaeffer: a Christian worldview (Vol. 4, p. 189). Westchester, IL: Crossway Books.

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

Jesus is approaching “his hour.” The time has come for him to complete the mission God has given him—the offering of himself as our sacrifice on the cross. He lifts his eyes to heaven and prays this prayer we find in John 17. What is the burden of his heart at this crucial moment in his life? His prayer for us, “those who will believe in me through their word,” is that we become “one.”

Our Savior’s call for unity in his prayer should certainly capture our attention. If we really want to know what his desire for us is, we must pay attention to what he asks God to do for us. His desire is that we reveal the reality of his love and sacrifice by loving one another (as he has loved us) in such a way that we show we are committed to the same God, the same Savior, the same cause, the same hope, the same goal, and the same body (the body of Christ).

Fellow believers, sister churches, fellowship groups, and parachurch organizations are not our enemy. But if we treat them as enemies, if our approach is adversarial, if we see them as opponents, we are only destroying the unity that will show the world the reality of our faith. In doing so, we are destroying ourselves.

What does this have to do with experiencing the presence of Christ? Well, I trust that, as you were reading the passage above, you noticed that his prayer included the request that believers “may be in us.” “I in them and you in me” adds additional emphasis. I submit that it is the presence of Christ in our lives, the spiritual connection to our source, the deep relationship with our Lord, that enables us to practice unity with fellow Christians.

St. Paul, in Ephesians 4, provides some practical instruction concerning unity. He speaks of the character traits that are necessary to facilitate unity: “in all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” He talks about the understanding we must cultivate: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Obviously, unity is not automatic and will require effort (sometimes a great deal of effort) to build it. But it is worth the effort to maintain, because the world is watching to see if we really mean what we say and practice what we believe. They are looking for evidence that we are different.

The more we experience the presence of Christ and bond with him on a spiritual level, the more we will be able to cultivate and exhibit the character traits mentioned above. We won’t be humble, gentle, and patient by mere human effort. We won’t be able to bear with other believers, to forgive them and accept them, to refuse grudges and release bitterness, without his help.

I probably need to qualify unity by describing what it isn’t. It is not uniformity. Just because they wear the tee-shirt doesn’t mean they support the team. We may attempt to give an outward show of unity, but if we aren’t supportive of God’s team, it will be a sham that the world will recognize. It’s not unanimity. I have served churches for 38 years and still am amazed that people will vote for a proposal and then leave the meeting upset that it passed. Lip service paid to unity does not create unity nor does it promote unity. If we talk about unity and then proceed in disunity, what will the world see? It is not union. Just because two oxen are yoked together doesn’t mean they will pull in the same direction. Many people have joined an organization, giving the impression that they wanted to work together with others to pursue its cause, only to seek to undermine it instead.

Presently, the church in America is languishing, mega churches notwithstanding. Young people are leaving the church and many will never return. I understand that there may be many peripheral issues involved which may need addressing. However, I believe that the one thing that would reverse this trend and revive the church is for believers to experience, in a deeper and more profound way, the spiritual presence of Christ in our lives. This would, in turn, have a profound effect on how we live and would result in a profound effect on the watching world. They will have to take the church seriously when they see something real and powerful in us. They will not be able to say that Christ is a myth, that he is merely a good moral teacher or prophet, or that he could not be the Messiah. They will begin to acknowledge that he certainly must have been sent from God because they see the reality of what he accomplished in our lives and in our relationships!