Christian Unity
Jesus prayed that each believer through faith in Him would receive the indwelling Trinity; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The unity in being members of Christ’s body.
“I do not pray for these only, but also for those 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, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.” John 17: 20-23
The giving and receiving of the Trinity at Pentecost
Thank you Jesus, for your prayer, it was answered loud and clear at Pentecost when about 3,000 people responded to Peter’s message, ‘Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are afar off, every one whom the Lord calls to him.” Acts 2: 38. 39.
On that day thousands of people knew the living presence of Jesus as their Saviour, God as their Father and the person of the Holy Spirit dwelling within them and as a result would know that Jesus had been sent by God to be their Saviour. The glory of God being revealed through the new covenant established in Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension.
Jesus in His prayer said, “23 I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me”
Our human body, a spiritual house the dwelling place of God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.
Perfect unity is with the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit our created soul/spirit has been transformed and united with His Spirit and transformed by God’s nature and character indwelling our soul, mind and will, we now feel how God feels about sin.
We read and inwardly digest the Words of Jesus, his teachings remembered and wrote down by His disciples and followers.
We have been baptised into His death and raised up with Him in His resurrection.
We are seated with Him in heavenly places; our desire is to do His will.
Unity in the Spirit that Paul wrote about:
“So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Romans 12: 5
The body consists of many Christians, whose function is by working together will make Christ known in the world. For one part to function properly the Christian needs to be sensitive to the other working parts, because we are individually members of one another.
It’s like the blood cells work individually, tiny as they are they travel through the lungs picking up oxygen, they take their precious load of oxygen to a tissue and at the same time the waste carbon dioxide is carried by the cell in the blood stream to the lungs where it’s exhaled.
The blood of Jesus
Spiritually each blood cell carries the forgiveness of sin to a person, their sin (waste) is disposed of into the darkness of the tomb and through the resurrection of Jesus enter into a new life in Christ.
This means that each Christian having been cleansed by the blood, are able to contain and have perfect unity with the Trinity, and as individuals we are not transferring our sin or spiritual baggage to another member of the body.
To function properly, the Christian needs to keep their spiritual house clean and not to leave any windows open for bad habits to start and take up residence. It can be a variety of worldly things that we can allow to come into our spiritual house. Jesus tells us to watch and pray.
Christian Unity
The church is the body of Christ; we commune together sharing the love and spiritual gifts of Christ. When each member of the body uses their gifts to fulfil ministry to others as a result will bring people to faith.
Paul describes the church as sanctified, cleansed by the washing of the word. “That Jesus might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 6: 27