AUGUST 6: Church Unity and the Glory of God

To be able to understand today’s passage, it is important to place it within its context. The context begins in John 13, where Jesus celebrated the “Last Super” with his disciples. In the following chapters, he made some predictions as well as gave some instructions to the disciples. Then in chapter 17, Jesus prays that the church might have unity. In His prayer, we see a connection between God’s unity, the unity of the church and the glory of God, thus, “The glory that you have given me, I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one. I in them and you in me (V. 22)

Just as God, the father and Jesus are one, so is the church expected to be one, unified in mission, function and purpose. It is through unity that the church can manifest the glory of God. God’s glory is the manifest beauty of God’s holiness, character and all that God is. It is the visible manifestation of God’s attributes and character. The church is the primary channel through which the glory of God is manifested. Notice that in our main text today, Jesus has already passed on the glory bequeathed to Him by the father to the church. Why the glory is not fully manifested today in the church could be because of disunity.

To be clear, unity is not uniformity. The unity of the church involves understanding her common essence, common function, and common purpose. The mission of the church rests on her unity. The manifestation of God’s glory by the church also depends on her unity. It is my prayer that the church of God will be more united now than ever.

PRAYER: Oh Lord, send down the spirit of unity in your church, Amen.