Unity by Union
Notes
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20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 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.
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 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.
24 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.
25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.
26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Setting the Stage
Setting the Stage
We have seen Jesus’ prayer for Himself with regards to His mission on earth.
We have seen Christ’s prayer for His disciples that are with Him.
Now, we come to Christ’s prayer for future believers.
Here’s our opportunity to hear Christ pray for us!
The first thing we notice in our passage is...
Entrance Into the Kingdom
Entrance Into the Kingdom
Here Jesus mentions all those who will come to Him by faith by and through the Apostolic Word.
—> Which is the Word of Christ.
And, as we‘ve previously studied, has been promised to be guided, inspired and infallible by the work of the HS through the Apostles of Christ.
The HS will:
Bring to their remembrance all that has happened.
Bring to their remembrance all that they’ve been taught.
Teach them all that has been fulfilled in Christ.
Teach them of future events.
Guide them in the truth.
We, all believers after the ascension, come to faith in Christ by this infallible, HS guided revelation…
—> Recorded for us in the NT.
So, entrance into the Kingdom of Christ is by faith in the Apostolic testimony of Jesus Christ.
And, true faith is not clinging to the testimony alone…
But, rather to the One whom the testimony points us to.
So, what is reinforced is that we are saved:
by faith alone
in Christ alone
through the instrument of the Word alone
by the power of the HS
who makes us alive to God
to behold the beauty and majesty of God in the gospel of His grace.
All based upon the OT promises of the Covenant of Grace obtained by the Son.
Now, this morning, I want us to see that Christ prays something specific for us, for His bride as a whole…
But, through individuals working together, by the grace of God working in us.
21 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.
Unity by Union
Unity by Union
that they all may be one…
What does that mean?
Well, Christ gives us an analogy to see a similarity.
He’s not saying identical.
But similar to.
Just as the Father, Son, and HS are distinct in person, they are on in essence, nature, and character.
So, the church, made up of individuals, are each of us distinct…
But, we are to be one in purpose, in love, in action taken with and for one another.
All of us, equally submitting to the revelation of Jesus Christ.
This manifests itself in:
Spiritual Unity
Church Unity
Civil Unity
Let’s explore these three areas of Unity…
#1 – Spiritual Unity
#1 – Spiritual Unity
This is because we all participate of the same Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit of all grace.
The Holy Spirit, who communicates grace to each of us.
The Holy Spirit who communicates to each of us that we are the children of God.
The Holy Spirit who leads us into submission under the same Head of us all, Jesus Christ.
This Spiritual Unity shared between all the saints of the globe…
—> And, those who are in heaven now.
We are all united together by our union with Christ.
[this is a major reason I love doing missions: Belarus, Romania, South Africa, Mozambique, Honduras, El Salvador]
This unity is the foundation and enabling force for all unity, including…
#2 – Church Unity
#2 – Church Unity
This is a unity that flows from the Spiritual unity that we enjoy.
This is a unity that joins us together:
against schisms
against divisions within the church body
against teachings that undermine the gospel
against public, unrepentant sin
against unbiblical judgments on each other
This is a unity that joins us together:
for affection for one another
for oneness of mind
for honorable living
for the practice of true doctrine
for the liberty that the Bible proclaims for us
We are united to living and functioning, corporately, as a local expression of Christ, in a manner that honors the Lord and His commands for us.
We are united to guard the gospel and the honor of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
And, so we gather in unity to honor the Lord.
But, is not just a unity while we are here, gathered.
#3 – Communal Unity
#3 – Communal Unity
This is a unity that acts in a specific way…
That we care for the welfare of each other in this life, as well as the next.
We bear one another’s burdens; physical, emotional, and spiritual.
We take care of one another, even at great cost.
How does this happen?
How does this happen?
Is this some sort of Ultimate Kumbaya Party where we get our emotions stirred and have the feel goods so high that we just all agree with whatever?
Because that is the world’s definition of unity.
Let me live my life the way I want, agree with me, comfort me in my decision, affirm me, support me, and that’s unity to the world.
It’s a lie.
It’s impossible.
It’s proven that it’s impossible.
Just look at Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
It’s a false freedom and a false unity that the world tries to sell.
And this is not the Unity that Christ has saved us unto, because the world’s unity…
—> Is a false unity.
—> Biggest stick chooses what unites.
—> A false peace.
—> And a false freedom.
True unity must be grounded upon and centered around righteousness.
This type of unity does not come by stirring of the emotions…
But, rather by and through our knowledge of the truth.
Made possible by our union with Christ…
In and by such union, we are being conformed to the image of Christ.
The reality of Christ is that He is in perfect union and has perfect unity with the Father, as the Son.
So, because of our union with Christ…
We are pressing toward greater unity with God…
And, greater unity with the bride of Christ.
This is what sanctification is all about.
Sanctification, although personal, is not meant to be private.
Sanctification is meant to benefit the church to the glory of God.
Is this unity achieved by striving to find the lowest common denominator?
—> No.
True Biblical Unity wrought in us by the Spirit of God:
This is a unity that clings to the true gospel.
Through a love that is joyfully self-sacrificial.
By a commitment to the goals of the mission of the gospel in which Christ has commanded His church.
By a deep awareness of our absolute dependence upon God for life and fruitfulness.
True Biblical Unity wrought in us by the Spirit of God:
Understands that unity is what Christ commands.
so we strive against disunity.
so we strive to honor Christ by and through reconciliation, even at great personal cost.
Paul says why sue and disgrace the gospel and our Lord. It would be better to suffer personal loss in this life.
so we understand the blessing it is to obey the Lord.
so we make it our aim to obey in every way…
and to accept biblical admonition.
so we labor to pray earnestly for God to fill our hearst with love for one another.
so we labor to pray earnestly for the well-being of one another.
so we labor to remove any appearance of division within the body.
so we labor to forgive quickly, reconcile fully, and love deeply.
This is the unity Christ calls us to and enables us to enjoy.
And, He is leading us to the perfection of such unity in glory forevermore.
Now, let’s look at something else Jesus states in His prayer for us…
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 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.
What Glory?
What Glory?
Immediately we recognize that this glory is given to us for the purpose of us being one–united…
Similar, not identical, but similar to how the Father, Son, and Spirit are One.
So, again the work of Christ on our behalf is the foundation and fuel for our unity…
But, look at what Jesus says…
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them
What glory has He given us…
—> That the Father gave him?
4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
The Son glorified the Father…by doing what?
6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
We’ve studied this a while back.
Revealing the name of God is revealing the character of God.
Christ revealed the Father to those whom the Father gave the Son to redeem.
They kept Your Word means they believed it.
They did not reject the character and person of God revealed by Christ.
12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me.
The character of God was given to Christ…
So Paul says…
19 For in him [Christ]all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
The Messiah was the eternal Son of God taking upon Himself a human nature.
Very God - Very Man.
Revealing the character of God to those whom the Father gave Him to redeem.
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Revealing in a salvific way.
So, that we may know Him differently than the world knows God.
To know God in a salvific way takes the regenerating work of the HS.
Regenerating the heart, mind, and affections to enable us to love what we behold.
So, what has been given to us…
Paul states it like this…
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Think about the gift that we have been given!
We, who are in Christ, have been gifted the opportunity and the ability to:
behold the revealed character of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
We have been made to see God and His character in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What a blessed gift!
The greatest gift that one could be given!
And, let us rejoice in it…
And, remember a purpose of it…
Glory For What?
Glory For What?
That we, the elect of God would be one.
That the world may believe that Christ is the sent Son from the Father.
That the world may know that we are loved by God in a way that words cannot describe, nor explain.
Too deep for words.
Let’s think about this...
Let’s think about this...
We should rejoice that we are enveloped in the love of God.
Nothing can separate us from it.
We should strive to remove all division through reconciliation, restoration, and forgiveness.
That our unity may honor the Lord and glorify God because of the glory given us.
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
