"THY WILL BE DONE"
It's evident from Jesus' prayer that the unity of the church is of utmost importance. He prayed, "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those who you have given Me, that they may be ONE AS WE ARE. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they may be as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in thee, that they also may be ONE IN US: that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:11,20-21)
The same union that Jesus enjoys with the Father is the same union Jesus wants among the brethren. In fact, Jesus prayed that our unity as the body of Christ would be found in the relationship that Jesus has with the Father. Jesus said we are made one "in us."
Are we in union with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ? We absolutely are!! We read from Genesis 1:26 that "God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness..." Every human being is uniquely made in the image of the triune being of God. Notice that God said, "Let US make man in OUR image." The words "US" and "OUR" imply that God is more than one person. Indeed He is!! God is represented in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Every person is made in the image and likeness of all three.
By virtue of our creation, we each have the unique ability to operate in the image and likeness of the same Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There isn't God the Father "A" and God the Father "B". There isn't God the Son "A" and God the Son "B". The same God the Father that's in you is the same God the Father that's in me. The same God the Son that's in you is the same God the Son that's in me. That gives us the ability to function as one person though we are collectively comprised of many individuals.
Jesus prayed we'd come together as "One in US." The "us" He referred to was His union with the Father. Our unity is found in knowing and walking in the light of who God has created us, reflecting the image and likeness of God and God alone.
The more acquainted we are with who we are in God, the greater unity we'll see among the brethren. We need to know the role that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have to play in our lives.
It's clear from Luke 11:1-2 that God the Father has a will and His will is that His kingdom be established throughout the earth. When teaching His disciples to pray, Jesus prayed, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, THY WILL BE DONE, AS IN HEAVEN, SO IN EARTH." In John 6:38, Jesus declared, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me." Notice that Jesus has a will. Every one of us has a will. The question is, are we pursuing our will or the will of Him in whose image and likeness we are made? Disunity and dysfunction arise when individuals pursue their own will instead of the will of the Father. Disunity arises when individuals have their own agenda, becoming "self-willed." According to Jesus, the entire planet should be pursuing one will and one will alone and that is the will of God the Father.
What role does God the Son have to play in our lives? Since we are also made in the likeness and image of Him, we need to know. It's clear that Jesus, God the Son, had one mission and one mission alone and that was to reveal the will of God in the earth.
One day Philip asked Jesus, "Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." Jesus answered him saying, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet have you not known Me Philip? HE THAT HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER, and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?" (John 14:8-9)
Jesus was the walking, talking, reflection of God the Father. In short, Jesus' entire life and ministry were a reflection of the Father's will. Though He had His own will, He only pursued the will of the Father. Also, we know from John 1:1-3,14 that Jesus is the Word of God. Verse 14 reads, "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt along us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." As the "only begotten of the Father", Jesus was the Son of God, yet in this passage He is also referred to as the Word of God.
The purpose of Jesus, the Word of God, is to reveal the will of God. As sons of God, we too are designed to know and to do the will of the Father. The degree to which we each know the Word of God is the degree to which we will each pursue the will of God and come together in unity. This is the key to a good marriage. This is the key to our relationship with one another. As each person reads, studies, and meditates on the Word of God, each is able to walk according to the will of God and not their own. We are all literally operating from the "same page." It's no longer what I want. Rather, it's all about what He wants. And apart from the Word of God, we cannot possibly know what the will of God is.
What about God the Holy Spirit? We are also made in the image and likeness of Him. How do we reflect Him as we come together in unity? Lord willing the answer to that will be presented next week in Part IV of the series, "ONE-IN US."
The same union that Jesus enjoys with the Father is the same union Jesus wants among the brethren. In fact, Jesus prayed that our unity as the body of Christ would be found in the relationship that Jesus has with the Father. Jesus said we are made one "in us."
Are we in union with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ? We absolutely are!! We read from Genesis 1:26 that "God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness..." Every human being is uniquely made in the image of the triune being of God. Notice that God said, "Let US make man in OUR image." The words "US" and "OUR" imply that God is more than one person. Indeed He is!! God is represented in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Every person is made in the image and likeness of all three.
By virtue of our creation, we each have the unique ability to operate in the image and likeness of the same Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There isn't God the Father "A" and God the Father "B". There isn't God the Son "A" and God the Son "B". The same God the Father that's in you is the same God the Father that's in me. The same God the Son that's in you is the same God the Son that's in me. That gives us the ability to function as one person though we are collectively comprised of many individuals.
Jesus prayed we'd come together as "One in US." The "us" He referred to was His union with the Father. Our unity is found in knowing and walking in the light of who God has created us, reflecting the image and likeness of God and God alone.
The more acquainted we are with who we are in God, the greater unity we'll see among the brethren. We need to know the role that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have to play in our lives.
It's clear from Luke 11:1-2 that God the Father has a will and His will is that His kingdom be established throughout the earth. When teaching His disciples to pray, Jesus prayed, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, THY WILL BE DONE, AS IN HEAVEN, SO IN EARTH." In John 6:38, Jesus declared, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me." Notice that Jesus has a will. Every one of us has a will. The question is, are we pursuing our will or the will of Him in whose image and likeness we are made? Disunity and dysfunction arise when individuals pursue their own will instead of the will of the Father. Disunity arises when individuals have their own agenda, becoming "self-willed." According to Jesus, the entire planet should be pursuing one will and one will alone and that is the will of God the Father.
What role does God the Son have to play in our lives? Since we are also made in the likeness and image of Him, we need to know. It's clear that Jesus, God the Son, had one mission and one mission alone and that was to reveal the will of God in the earth.
One day Philip asked Jesus, "Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." Jesus answered him saying, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet have you not known Me Philip? HE THAT HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER, and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?" (John 14:8-9)
Jesus was the walking, talking, reflection of God the Father. In short, Jesus' entire life and ministry were a reflection of the Father's will. Though He had His own will, He only pursued the will of the Father. Also, we know from John 1:1-3,14 that Jesus is the Word of God. Verse 14 reads, "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt along us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." As the "only begotten of the Father", Jesus was the Son of God, yet in this passage He is also referred to as the Word of God.
The purpose of Jesus, the Word of God, is to reveal the will of God. As sons of God, we too are designed to know and to do the will of the Father. The degree to which we each know the Word of God is the degree to which we will each pursue the will of God and come together in unity. This is the key to a good marriage. This is the key to our relationship with one another. As each person reads, studies, and meditates on the Word of God, each is able to walk according to the will of God and not their own. We are all literally operating from the "same page." It's no longer what I want. Rather, it's all about what He wants. And apart from the Word of God, we cannot possibly know what the will of God is.
What about God the Holy Spirit? We are also made in the image and likeness of Him. How do we reflect Him as we come together in unity? Lord willing the answer to that will be presented next week in Part IV of the series, "ONE-IN US."
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