A unified church is a powerful witness in divisive times — and we are living in divisive times.
On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed His longest recorded prayer, and His primary request was that His followers “may be one,” just as the Father and Son are one (John 17:11). This wasn’t shallow ecumenicalism. It was a call to deep, Spirit-filled, truth-based unity.
When Jesus makes something the centerpiece of His prayer, we should pay attention.
From His words, we can glean three insights into what true unity should look like. Biblical unity should be:
1. Based on truth
Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth. John 17:17
Biblical unity isn’t built on vague feelings of togetherness. It’s rooted in the core doctrines of the Christian faith: God, His Son, His Spirit, His Word, and His Gospel.
As the saying goes:
- In essentials, unity.
- In nonessentials, liberty.
- In all things, charity.
When we hold fast to the essentials, we can work through minor differences and remain unified in Christ.
2. Borrowed from the Trinity
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. John 17:22
The love that flows between Father, Son, and Spirit is the model for our love toward one another. Just as oil keeps an engine running, Trinitarian love keeps the Church moving forward in mission. Without it, our witness seizes up.
The model for unity in churches and between churches should mirror the perfect oneness of the Godhead.
3. Built for mission
May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:21
Unity isn’t just for our comfort — it’s for the sake of the Gospel. When believers live in love across differences, the world sees evidence of the Triune God at work. True unity becomes our most powerful evangelistic tool.
Practical steps to bolster unity
✔️ Pray for each other, especially believers you differ with on certain issues.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
It’s hard to hate someone you consistently lift before the throne of grace.
✔️ Interact kindly with people who disagree with you.
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Even when we must correct falsehoods, we should do so with gentleness and respect.
Unity doesn’t mean silence or compromise. It does mean speaking with both conviction and compassion, just as Jesus did.
In Avengers: Endgame, Captain America rallies his team with two words: Avengers, assemble!
In John 17, the King of Kings issues His own rallying cry to the Church: Believers, unite!
Let’s make every effort to heed that call.
