John 17:21 that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray[bi] that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me.

Commentary: Oneness in a group of people or in the church has evangelistic consequences. The world is watching how united we are as a group of believers in God, as a church. Unity and oneness are achieved as we are in Christ Jesus, in the Father and in the Holy Spirit. We are called to be in a relationship with our triune God. We are not called to be out of it, but in that relationship. When we are in a relationship with God, we spend time in prayer and study of the letters He sent us. When we are in a relationship with the Lord, we are actively waiting by serving those around us in such a way that puts a smile on His face.

Prayer: Oh Father, please give us courage to continue building unity in our marriages, homes, groups, churches, and communities without compromising the Biblical principles You have left us. Amen

Commentary: Verse 21 would be good to be expanded upon and here are few cross reference verses for it:

John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

John 14:20 On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.

John 15:4-5 Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. / I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

Commentary: Where we spend the majority of our free time shows what we are into. God is calling us to be active in building a relationship with Him and He faithfully does His part to be in a relationship with us. We are into each other if that is what we choose regularly.

John 17:11 I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one.

1 Corinthians 6:17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.

Commentary: Through the Holy Spirit that we invite daily into our lives through prayer and obedience, we experience closeness of the Lord as well.

Ephesians 4:3-6 and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. / There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; / one Lord, one faith, one baptism; …

Commentary: As we follow in the promptings of the Holy Spirit we are united and we experience oneness.

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

Commentary: What a fellowship, what a joy divine, when we lean on the everlasting arms of our Lord.

1 John 3:24 Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.

Commentary: The benefit of inviting the Holy Spirit to lead us is that He will prompt us to do what is best in each situation and for us to be able to keep the Commandments that help us maintain a good relationship with our Father and Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is a helper to us. He wants to see that we succeed in each day He gives us.

1 John 4:13 By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.

Commentary: As we learn to surrender to the promptings of the Holy Spirit we respond to His promptings rather than to get into complexities of making decisions. That is part of the blessings He promises in John 10:10b.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Commentary: When we have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, when we are in that relationship, we have eternal life, right here and right now.

Romans 12:5 so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Commentary: Where the godly love, the agape rules, there is not division but unity. Our triune God is our example to inspire us.

Philippians 2:1-2 Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, / then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So, it is with Christ. / For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

Prayer: Lord, I am blessed and humbled to belong to different Bible based groups that grow in unity and oneness. I am blessed that I belong to a church family that is united and moves forward as one. For that experience dear Lord, I do give you praise today. Amen

Peter Caran

Pastor of Cobourg and Harmony Churches