That they may be one

In prayer to the Father, Jesus said of His disciples in John 17:11; 19-23,

11 “And I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, the name which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are.

19 “And for their sakes, I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

20 “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

21 that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.

22 “And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one;

23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.

The Father and Son are one. We have been adopted into the same oneness they share, as Jesus said, “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us,” verses 20, 21. According to these Scriptures, just as Jesus and the Father are one, so also are we one in them.

Now consider John 14:6, 7,

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

Philip then asks Jesus to show them the Father, and Jesus replies,

John 14:9, 10,

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ ”

10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.”

Notice in verse 7 Jesus used the words, My Father, making a distinction between Himself and His Father. So although the Father was in Him, Jesus was not the Father. They are two separate individuals just as Jesus reiterated when He said, “… the Father abiding in Me does His works,” verse 10.

In Greek, the word ‘one’ means opposed to a division into parts, and in ethical matters to dissensions: Romans 12:4; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 20; to be united most closely (in will, spirit), John 10:30; John 17:11, 21-23.

So the Father and Son are opposed to division into parts, and in ethical matters to dissensions, and they are united in will and spirit. We who have been born anew are now a part of that oneness with the Father and Son and should be opposed to division into parts, and in ethical matters to dissensions, and we should be united in will and spirit.

I quote again, John 17:20, 21,

20 “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

21 that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.”

Just as the Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father, so too are we to be in them, and they in us. Bringing this about is the work of the five ministries our Lord gave to the church.

This is made evident in Ephesians 4 where Paul wrote of the five ministries Jesus gave to the church for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. These five ministries will continue until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. In other words, until we all become one with the Father and Son and with each other.

And, yes, it can be done, and it will be done. In the meantime, the wheat is springing up and the tares are becoming evident.

Revelation 22:11,

11 “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and let the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and let the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.”

At the end of the age, angels will separate the filthy from the holy.

Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant

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Published by Jon David Banks