what's important

Today we looked at what is important to Jesus using John 17.20-26.

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 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. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 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. 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. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 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.”

Here Jesus is speaking to those that believe in Him as opposed to those that know about Him. When He speaks of knowing Him (as in verse 3), He is speaking of an intimate knowing, a one-flesh kind of knowing, a husband knowing his wife kind of knowing. This is life in Christ. Being joined with Him in His life and His death. It is both now and forever. It is eternal life.

And Jesus is speaking of real visible oneness, a practicing oneness, a practical oneness across all lines, among all true Christians. Here we have two tasks; that is to practice both God’s holiness and God’s love. To practice love without holiness can lead to compromise. To practice holiness without love can lead to legalism. How strongly must we demonstrate love? As strongly as Christ loved us. How strongly must we live holy? As strongly as Christ is holy.

He also clearly indicates a reason for this oneness, i.e., so that the world might know God. He does not say the world would know God by our ability to expose error in each other, nor by our ability to articulate the difference between supralapsarianism versus infralapsarianism, etc.. He said they would know us by our love. And notice, He does indeed love us. In fact, God the Father loves us as much as He loves Jesus. So we also need to stop beating up on our brothers that express their perspective that it was for His love of us that Jesus came, died and rose again - they are not altogether wrong and we only demonstrate our lack of understanding of Him by acting in that contrary way.

I do not think this passage gives us license to ignore error but I should point out that God cares quite a bit about those that bring division and place yokes around His people.