2017-05-09

You are in the Great Union of God filled with His Love to Show the World

Jesus' prayer recorded in John 17 is most amazing. Here the part that speaks of our oneness with God.

  • Joh 17:20  “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word
    • We, who believe in His disciples' words of Jesus, are included in Jesus' prayer. 
  • Joh 17:21  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. 
    • We are to be One, as close as Jesus and the Father. 
    • Jesus and the Father are in each other, totally immersed in each other. We are to be like that.
    • Our Oneness becomes the testimony that Jesus is from God! Jesus said it earlier in:
      • John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you: that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples: if ye have love one for another.”
      • Our love for one another, our oneness, is the key for people to know we are Christ's.
      • There is more....
  • Joh 17:22  The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 
    • We have this glory that the Father had given to Jesus because Jesus had passed it to us.
    • This glory enables us to be one. Our oneness also gives forth this glory that attracts attention. 
  • Joh 17:23  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. 
    • We all become perfectly one because Christ, the Father and we are all together in a union!
    • The triune God is the perfect union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And now the Son brings us into this union with them. This is really amazing. We are in and of God and God is in us too. 
    • As a side note, love about the relationship between at least two separate identities. If God is just alone, how does He know about love? Because our God is a trinity, a perfect union of three personalities, we know God is Love.
    • Jesus emphasized this perfect love also includes us. The Father love us as much as He loves Jesus. 
    • This oneness of us with God is not easy to understand and grasp. Even Paul tried very hard to explain it and yet still not as close as what Jesus prayed. Paul said Jesus is the Head of the Body. The body that is made up of His church. In Ephesians, he uses the metaphor of a building.
      • Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Eph 2:19  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, Eph 2:20  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, Eph 2:21  in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. Eph 2:22  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 
We are so loved by the Father that He is willing to be in union with us, with His Son and the Holy Spirit. His glory is given to us. We are to live out this unity and glory so that the world may come to know Him. Speak of His love for us. Show forth His glory and power for us. Be joyful. Be helpful. Be hopeful. We are a different kind of people, of God's kind.

May we spend time meditating on this Oneness with God.

Lim Liat (c) 9 May 2017

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