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.
A couple days go we saw how we display the glory of God. God the Father loves God the Son and God the Son loves God the Father with an infinite love. This love is glorious. And this glory has been given to believers. And this is what unites believers today and down through the ages in church history. This is why I love to read of Christian men and women down through the pages of history. I love to read how they read their Bibles, how they loved and lived for Christ. I love to understand how they did worship in their local churches.
And why I love to read about these things is, yes I am a bit of a nerd, I will admit. But also Jesus prayed that we would be one with believers down through the ages. Believers have been given the glory of the love of God poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:8). And I love to see how they loved God and lived for Him and talked about Him. We share that love with other believers and we know a unity in the Spirit that God creates in believers, a unity that celebrates God together and grows in love for Him and each other!
Now this is amazing isn’t? Believers spread across the world geographically and historically share a love for the glory of Christ, His Word, His Joy, His sanctifying us, all through His Spirit. And it is this love for the Glory and Work of God in Christ that unites true believers and makes them perfectly one. And Jesus says, this is what the world needs to see so they know that Jesus was sent of God and God loves them as He loves His Son.
What the world needs to see is believers who love Christ, His Glory, His Word, His Sanctifying work in their lives, and unity in those things. This is what Jesus asked the Father to do in and through us. Amazing.
John 17:22-23
John 17:22–23
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.
A couple days go we saw how we display the glory of God. God the Father loves God the Son and God the Son loves God the Father with an infinite love. This love is glorious. And this glory has been given to believers. And this is what unites believers today and down through the ages in church history. This is why I love to read of Christian men and women down through the pages of history. I love to read how they read their Bibles, how they loved and lived for Christ. I love to understand how they did worship in their local churches.
And why I love to read about these things is, yes I am a bit of a nerd, I will admit. But also Jesus prayed that we would be one with believers down through the ages. Believers have been given the glory of the love of God poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:8). And I love to see how they loved God and lived for Him and talked about Him. We share that love with other believers and we know a unity in the Spirit that God creates in believers, a unity that celebrates God together and grows in love for Him and each other!
Now this is amazing isn’t? Believers spread across the world geographically and historically share a love for the glory of Christ, His Word, His Joy, His sanctifying us, all through His Spirit. And it is this love for the Glory and Work of God in Christ that unites true believers and makes them perfectly one. And Jesus says, this is what the world needs to see so they know that Jesus was sent of God and God loves them as He loves His Son.
What the world needs to see is believers who love Christ, His Glory, His Word, His Sanctifying work in their lives, and unity in those things. This is what Jesus asked the Father to do in and through us. Amazing.