The prayer of our Lord in John 17 is that we be one as Christ is one with the Father. Indeed, we are one in Him, but I believe this prayer goes beyond our position and embraces our oneness here in time. In John 17 and in John 13 it is clear that what is at stake in our ability to be one is the very believability of the gospel.

High stakes to say the least!

Then Paul takes a similar approach when he urges us to make every effort to keep and maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  Literally, he is urging us to use every fiber of being and every ounce of energy to keep the unity of the Body.

This means having to walk in humility and bear responsibility for our shortcomings. This means having the mind of Christ and esteeming our brothers and sisters as more important than ourselves. This means forgiving others as we have been forgiven in Christ.

I am grateful to pastor a church that has a strong sense of unity and I pray we will continue to make it a high priority!