Perfected in Unity

The Christian faith is founded on the prophets and the apostles, who were moved along by the Holy Spirit to write the Bible (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20–21; Heb 1:1). It is the written Word of God that unites the generations. Christians believe the Bible because the same Holy Spirit that inspired the human authors to write is the same Spirit of God that indwells each saint (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11).

We remember that Jesus did not pray for the world that hated Him (Jn 7:7; 15:18–25; 17:9); rather He prayed for His immediate disciples, and those who believed in Him because of the Word His disciples (later apostles) would deliver to them. In other words, there has been an unbroken chain of faithful witnesses to Christ since His life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and enthronement.

The revealed God of the Bible is one (Dt 6:4). There is only one God, but the Bible teaches that our one and only true God is comprised of three Persons: Father; Son; and Holy Spirit. There is perfect unity in the triune Godhead. Together, in the unity of their community, they have one mind to think and do all things in infinite perfection.

When Jesus petitioned the Father on behalf of those the Father had given to Him, He asked for unity for His disciples, in addition to His request for their protection. Christ’s followers need protection from the evil one, while they remain on in this world that is not their home. Christians are sent into the world as missionary ambassadors bearing witness to the superiority of Christ and His heavenly kingdom.

John 17 affords us a view to unity in the doctrine of mutual indwelling. God the Father is “in” the Son. Likewise, God the Son is “in” the Father. So, he who has seen the Son has seen the Father (Jn 5:19). In fact, we learn the Person and work of God the Father by learning the Person and work of Jesus Christ (Mt 11:27; Lk 10:22). We learn Christ from the indwelling Spirit, in every child born again by Him (Jn 14:26; 2 Pet 3:18).

Knowing God is eternal life (Jn 17:13); and it is all grace that we receive the special revelation of God in the Bible. The world cannot receive the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17), so the world remains in the darkness of ignorance (Col 1:13; . Men love the darkness because their deeds are evil (Jn 3:19). The natural man does not accept nor does he understand the revelation brought by the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:14).

Receiving Christ, by the will of God (Jn 1:12–13), is all mercy and grace. The disciples were told that when, not if, the Spirit of God came upon them, they would be missionary witnesses to the Person and work of Christ (Acts 1:8). It is no longer the man living for himself; but it is Christ living in him (Gal 2:20). Christ is all and in all of those who belong to Him (Col 3:11).

Jesus prayed for God to be glorified; and for Himself to be glorified (Jn 17:5). By His indwelling presence, His saints receive His glory (Jn 17:22). Today, we see the glory of God in part; but there is a day when we will see Him face-to-face in all His glory (Jn 17:24; Rev 22:4).

The glory of the sons of God being revealed shines with each additional soul being born again of God (Rom 8:19). God has sent the Holy Spirit that we would know, believe, and rejoice that God sent His only begotten Son (Jn 17:21, 23). We who have been baptized by the Spirit, baptized into Christ’s church, have our unity in the Word revealed to us. We help one another with what we know of these glorious things.

As the Spirit teaches the believer what He Himself has revealed in the Bible, we glory all the more in God our Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Titus 1:4; 2:13; 2 Pet 1:1). Knowing that the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world, on a mission to save His people from their sins, is clearly emphasized by Jesus in His high priestly prayer (Jn 17:21, 25).

Jesus, being sent from God, communicates to the world that our Lord is very different from prophets, philosophers, and other religious gurus. The origin of Jesus is God Himself. The Son emanates from the Father. The Father loved the Son before the foundation of the world (17:24). The Father and the Son shared the glory of deity before the world was (Jn 8:58; 10:30). God is eternally one, in perfect unity and glory.

Jesus prayed for all who belonged to Him to share in that perfect unity (Jn 17:20, 23). As with so much of God’s blessings and benefits, we see these glorious realities manifested in part. Then, in glory, we will rejoice in the fullness of the whole. We will see the glory of Christ and not die…but live.

By way of application, it behooves the body of Christ to be mindful of this perfect unity enjoyed by the Triune Godhead. It also should compel us to work in the Spirit of our one Lord, who has issued on faith, for us to love one another in the manner of Christ’s love for us. God so loved us that we ought to love one another so that the world might know and glorify our Father in heaven (Mt 5:16; 1 Jn 2:17).

Let us never forget that Jesus prayed for our unity; and God the Father answered His Son’s prayer by sending us the Holy Spirit. He indwells every member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13); and He that is in us is greater than the devil who is in the world (1 Jn 4:4). The Spirit grants us repentance (Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim 2:25), even as He gifts us faith in the One who does all things well (Phil 1:29) — to Him be the glory for the prayer for unity, the working of unity by the Word, and the promise of perfect unity to come.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

February 17, 2025

John 17:20–24