Have you ever felt divided from other Christians over secondary issues? Differences in politics, culture or preferences can strain relationships within the church. But Jesus had a dream- a dream of unity.
Before ascending to heaven, Jesus prayed for his followers, present and future. His heart’s desire was for all Christians to be one – united in love that flows from their unity with God. If only the world could see that kind of unity and selfless love, it would open their eyes to the truth that Jesus deeply loves each one of them.
But to experience Jesus’ dream of unity, we must first address the root issues that keep Christians divided: lack of love, sin, self-righteousness and elevating secondary issues.
- Jesus’ dream is for Christians to have unity with each other that flows from their unity with God. Unity does not mean uniformity, but diversity within oneness.
- Lack of love is at the core of the breakdown of Christian unity. Sin and how we respond to sin, self-righteousness, and elevating secondary issues hinder unity.
- Christians’ unity with each other flows from their unity with God through being in Christ. Union with Christ provides the basis for loving one another.
- The purpose of Christian unity is so that the world would believe that Jesus loves them. When the church is united and loving, it can impact the world and lead people to faith.
- The speaker asks for forgiveness for the lack of Christian unity and asks God to give Christians his heart and passion for unity. The hope is that the world would see a change and be willing to hear about Jesus’ love.
Jesus’ dream remains the same – Christians united in love so that the world may know they are loved. The question is: will we live out that dream? Will we humble ourselves, own our sin, release bitterness and forgive one another? Will we drop our other allegiances and truly seek unity with one another in Christ?
When the world sees a community living out radical, sacrificial love – even for those they disagree with – it will point them to the ultimate source of that love: Jesus Christ. My prayer is that we would begin to experience that kind of unity – not for our own fulfillment, but so that many more may know the love of Christ through us. May Jesus’ dream become a reality in and through our lives, for the glory of God and the good of the nations.