THAT THEY MAY ALL BE ONE

 

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THAT THEY MAY ALL BE ONE!

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If all Christians were one in God’s Spirit—one in Jesus—we would no longer have any division within the congregations today. Then everyone would love one another just as Jesus loves us.

Then there would no longer be all these different denominations where each church clings to its own ways.

What about you? Do you judge or condemn other Christians, criticize them, and so on? If so, you are not one in Jesus.

Jesus never desired for us to create organized unity; such a thing is not biblical teaching.

Hear what Jesus’ true unity is, and align yourself with it if you haven't already.

JESUS’ HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER.
JOHN 17:20-21 AND 23: “I PRAY NOT ONLY FOR THESE, BUT ALSO FOR THOSE WHO WILL BELIEVE IN ME THROUGH THEIR WORD, THAT THEY MAY ALL BE ONE, JUST AS YOU, FATHER, ARE IN ME AND I IN YOU, THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US, SO THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT YOU SENT ME.” — “I IN THEM AND YOU IN ME, THAT THEY MAY BE PERFECTLY ONE, SO THAT THE WORLD MAY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SENT ME AND HAVE LOVED THEM JUST AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME.” Elsewhere, Jesus says:
John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

Jesus goes on to say (John 5:39–40): “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

Today, we have many experts in the Scriptures who are not one with Jesus. They know the Scriptures but do not live by His Spirit.

Jesus says that the Scriptures in themselves do not give eternal life. It is not, therefore, a matter of Bible study or theology.

Jesus has provided the answer as to how we receive eternal life:
“It is the Spirit who gives life—the flesh profits nothing.” It was the tree of knowledge that Adam and Eve ate from; that is why, today, there are so many who are wise in the thoughts of their own flesh.

When we read God’s Word through the lens of the soul or the flesh, we are deceived. We become like the scribes and the Pharisees—self-righteous, sitting in judgment of everyone else, and so on.

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and expert in the Scriptures, sought out Jesus to have a good “spiritual conversation” about the Scriptures. He was a respected theologian. But what did Jesus say to him? John 3:3 and 5–6: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ — Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. — That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’”

When we deal with the Holy Spirit, we are dealing with revelation by the Spirit. And the flesh does not understand this. The flesh wants to fulfill all commandments and requirements to satisfy everything Jesus desires—indeed, everything they believe the Bible demands. That is why Jesus said: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life.” When the Pharisees searched the Scriptures, it was to see what they had to do to be saved—to do God’s will.

Carnal and soulish Christians stand on the same ground today.
They, too, seek God’s will in order to do the right thing. BUT THE RIGHT THING HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE. They lack revelation by the Spirit to know God’s will and to see what He *has* done. There is nothing left for us to do. Just read the Book of Hebrews.

HE HAS DONE EVERYTHING!
We simply need to receive. WE ARE RELEASED FROM THE GUILT OF SIN: Isaiah 53:5–6.
WE ARE RELEASED FROM THE POWER OF SIN AND DEAD TO SIN WITH CHRIST: Romans 6:6. WE ARE FREED FROM AN EVIL CONSCIENCE; WE ARE CLEANSED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST: Hebrews 9:14

We are delivered from the coming wrath (the Great Tribulation): 1 Thessalonians 1:10. We are delivered from the coming judgment—hell: John 5:24. What, then, must we do? We simply need to accept by faith everything Jesus has done for us. We must not be unbelieving and try to work out our own salvation ourselves.

It is the same when it comes to fulfilling Jesus’ High Priestly prayer:
THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE.

For centuries, Christian congregations have worked toward this, hoping to merge all congregations into one. Yet, the spirit of division among Christians has hindered this throughout the ages. We are told again and again that we must let ourselves be filled with more love—that we must love one another more. But that, too, has been of no avail over the centuries. Over time, some have received visions that this unity will come about before Jesus returns. This has brought hope and comfort to many. Yet, it is not going to happen. Then there are those who cannot wait; they set out to organize this unity themselves. This spirit of unity—which has also existed for centuries—is actually the spirit of the Antichrist. It is, in fact, the spirit of the Tower of Babel: "We will build a tower that reaches to heaven." This mindset has always prevailed, from the political system deep into the life of the church.

"Let us build a unified church." It will surely come to pass, for God has prophesied it.
The Antichristian kingdom with the Antichrist as world ruler. And the Harlot Church....the Catholic Church, as his helper. Here, all efforts toward unity find their fulfillment. Both political forces and Christians living according to the flesh and the soul have worked toward this in their blindness—and continue to do so in our time.

But what do they lack?
REVELATION BY THE SPIRIT. 1 COR. 2:7–9: “NO, WE SPEAK OF GOD’S WISDOM, THE SECRET, HIDDEN WISDOM WHICH GOD ORDAINED BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO LEAD US TO GLORY. NONE OF THE RULERS OF THIS WORLD KNEW IT; FOR HAD THEY KNOWN IT, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY. BUT IT IS AS IT IS WRITTEN: ‘WHAT NO EYE HAS SEEN AND NO EAR HEARD, AND WHAT HAS NOT ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF ANY MAN—WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.’”

What no eye has seen and no ear heard. This can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit.
It cannot even be gleaned simply by reading God’s Word.

No matter how diligently we study it.
REVELATION BY THE SPIRIT IS REQUIRED. Jesus said: JOHN 3:5: “TRULY, TRULY, I SAY TO YOU: NO ONE CAN ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD UNLESS HE IS BORN OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT.” “Spiritual revelation is required to enter the Kingdom of God. Luke 17:20–21: When He was once asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said: ‘The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way that it can be observed outwardly—nor will one be able to say: “Look, here!” or “Look, there it is!” For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.’”

Jesus prayed to the Father:
“‘That they all may be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us.’ — ‘I in them and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, so that the world may understand that You have sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.’”

Here, spiritual revelation is required. “I in them and You in Me”! That is the Kingdom of God within us. Then we understand Jesus’ words to the Pharisees: The Kingdom of God cannot be seen outwardly; one cannot say, “Look here” or “Look there.” “Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.” Thus, we cannot build the Kingdom of God through large organizations or by merging congregations. The Kingdom of God is not found in the visible realm; it is something spiritual.

Jesus prayed:
THAT THEY ALL MAY BE *ONE* [as a unified whole/entity]. He did not pray that they all might be *one* [as a single individual]! The distinction between these two concepts of oneness can only be perceived through spiritual revelation. It has nothing to do with organizations or church buildings, but solely with the life of the Spirit within the individual. Therefore, we must be born again and receive spiritual eyes with which to see.

We have seen that God has accomplished everything in Christ. Surely, then, He has also perfectly made us *one* in Christ? It is simply a matter of receiving spiritual illumination regarding who we are in Christ. Is the Kingdom of God not, in reality, Christ in us and we in Him? From heaven, God sees His Kingdom in the Son, and He sees His Kingdom in those in whom Christ dwells. People governed by the soul and the flesh see nothing; instead, they labor over what has already been fulfilled. Paul speaks of this—being one with Christ.

Thus, it was fulfilled in Paul’s life. Galatians 2:20: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh [the body], I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Here we see that Jesus’ high-priestly prayer is fulfilled in Paul. He saw, through revelation by the Spirit, that Christ was now his life—the Kingdom of God was now within Paul. Yes, but shouldn't we then work towards uniting all Christians into one? Galatians 3:27–28: “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 4:3–6: “...making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit.” Thus, the Father has heard the Son’s prayer and fulfilled it. It says here: “making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit.” So, they already possessed it—how?

Christ in me and I in Christ. Or as Paul puts it: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” We continue:

“...just as you were also called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all!” Everything is accomplished; we simply need to receive it. But only those who have received revelation by the Spirit can accept what God has bestowed upon us in Jesus Christ. Lay down your trowel; you are not to build the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is built in the hearts of those who have received it. Jesus Christ is the Kingdom of God!
The life of Christ is the Kingdom of God lived out. 2 Cor. 3:5–6 “I do not mean that we are competent in ourselves to devise anything as if it came from ourselves; rather, our competence comes from God, who made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Gal. 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” If we live in Jesus Christ, let us also walk in Christ, just as Paul did. IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME! And let us see Jesus Christ in every born-again soul. And from that position, let us grow into full understanding and maturity in Jesus Christ. God has done EVERYTHING for complete salvation; we simply need to receive it.

IT IS FINISHED.

Can you not “see” this mystery...likeness, as Paul calls it, then ask God for the light of the Holy Spirit, so that you may see yourself in full salvation.

AMEN