In but Not Of: Living in the Tension of Hope to ComeSample

Day 3

Think About It

Did you know that Jesus prayed specifically for you? He prayed for every one of us. In fact, He prayed for every single member of the Church who believes the message of those first disciples. In these four verses, He prays that all believers would be brought to complete unity.

With all the division we see in our world today, it may be difficult to imagine what this kind of unity looks like. Jesus knows the human tendency to divide, and so He gives a much greater example of unity: Himself and the Father.

We worship God the Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit—distinct and united. Just as Jesus promised, today all believers have access to the Spirit living in them. This Spirit of God gives us the supernatural ability to find unity where this world sees division. If you’re a follower of Christ, you have infinitely more in common with believers from other countries, nationalities, ethnicities, and political parties than you do with non-believers from your own.

By living from this unity rather than falling into patterns of division, we are letting the world know that the Father’s love can overcome any barrier.

Live It Out

•  Read Revelation 12:9-12. Meditate on the image of this multitude of people, all distinct and different, completely united in worship of our holy God. Consider how, even today, this same worshipful devotion can overcome barriers in our hearts, our communities, and our nations.

In a particularly polarized cultural climate, let’s pay extra attention to the way we talk about one another. Our words have power! Let us witness to the Father’s love with the way we speak. Instead of falling into worldly patterns of sweeping generalizations, let us pursue the greater unity that Christ prayed and died for.