Jesus’ prayer for all believers – “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” This remarkable petition was answered by the advent and gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Spirit came and took up permanent residence in the newly formed church, the body of Christ, corporately (Eph. 2: 22) and individually (1 Cor; 6: 19, Rom 8: 9)
Jesus’ prayer for the spiritual unity of all believers centred in the Spirit’s work of baptizing believers into a living union with Christ and with one another in Him – the Holy Trinity.
Our Lord was praying that the positional unity effected in Christ’s mind might be realized in experiential unity. The purpose of this was to convert what we are before God into what we ought to be before men so that the unsaved might come to know Christ as Saviour.
The best advertisement for the gospel of God’s love for all mankind is the genuine operation among believers, that spirit of unity among believers. They truly manifest their love for God and love for each other.
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
Before our Father's throne
We pour our ardent pray'rs;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims, are one,
Our comforts and our cares.
We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.
When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again. - John Fawcett
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