NO BIBLE NO BREAKFAST DAILY BIBLE REFLECTIONS AND MORE

REFLECTION

“Glory and unity” is the theme for our reflection. The glory of God means the manifestation of God’s presence. Unity means a state of being joined as a whole. Jesus prayed for His disciples and all believers, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23)

Dear friend, it is important for us to understand that Jesus shared the same glory with God because God is in Him, and Jesus is in Him. In other words, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit eternally share the same glory because they are united and inseparable. Similarly, Christian unity is incomplete without the presence of Jesus or His glory in the fellowship of believers. Indeed, we are because He is. Our unity is meaningless without the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, the same glory He shares with His Father. It is for this reason that Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:22-23). Beloved in the Lord, our attention is drawn to the fact that a church that is bedevilled by confusion, disunity or division cannot experience the glory of God. Where the glory of God departs from believers or the church, the church becomes powerless and easily enslaved by the forces of darkness. Consequently, the world would hardly believe that Jesus was sent by God to save the world since the church has failed to be united in carrying out the Great Commission of making Jesus known to the world as the demonstration of God’s love and salvation to the world. God’s glory through Christ is shared with believers or the church to bring us to complete unity, and the unity of the body of Christ or the Church is needed to effectively preach Christ and enable the world to understand that Jesus is the “the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). We must stop unnecessary competition for attention, power struggles, and favouritism in the church. These things breed disunity and anarchy in the Church and make the glory of God depart from us. If we wish to continue experiencing the glory of God and unity in the Church, then we must humble ourselves, forgive and love one another unconditionally, work towards reconciliation and above all, heed Peter’s admonishment that “We must obey God rather than human beings! (Acts 5:29). The Lord has offered us another opportunity to reflect on the unity of the church and its impact in the world, especially when it comes to discipleship and living the transformed life. The church must yearn to experience the glory of God by remaining united at all times. Shalom.

PRAYER

Almighty God, may your glory never depart from the Church. Enable us to remain united to fulfil the great commission so that through the unity of the Church, the lost and the perishing shall come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.