Glory & Unity

The glory He gives us is His own presence in our hearts. Our Lord was one with the Father because of the glory that God gave Him, John 17:22 indicates. We in turn enjoy oneness by the glory that Jesus gives us, which is the glory the Father gave Him. So as God filled Jesus with His own presence, Jesus in turn fills us with His own presence. This is what makes unity possible. 

The context makes it evident that Jesus is referring to the indwelling Holy Spirit when He promises us His glory.  It is by way of the Spirit that the Christ dwells in the believer. “I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you,” He promises the apostles in John 14:18, which is hardly a reference to His second coming. It points rather to the coming Spirit, who was to be both with and in them, and through whom Jesus would Himself be present. 

In John 14, the reason the disciples were not to let their hearts be troubled was that in each of their hearts God had a dwelling place, for in God's house there are as many abodes for His presence as there are children. The "place"that Jesus has prepared for us is not an apartment in heaven, but a communion with Himself here in this world through the visitation of the Spirit of God, which His departure in the flesh would make possible. He puts the same promise in the context of the coming Spirit in verses 25-28 of the same chapter. Verse 26 refers to the Spirit’s coming at Jesus’ departure.  Verse 27 makes promise of the peace that only Jesus can give, and then says, “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Then in verse 28 he repeats his promise that even though he is going away he will come again,not leaving them as orphans. All this shows that He frees us of trouble, worry and fear by being with us (and who can be troubled with Jesus around?) and giving us His peace. And this by way of the Holy Spirit within us. This is our glory, His presence within us, and it is this that makes us one. This is why unity is the Spirit’s unity and not our own. Unity must find its source in Jesus just as glory emanates  from Him into our lives. 

Thank God for the many among us who wish for the Church of Christ that it be “a glorious church, having neither spot nor wrinkle nor any such thing,” as the Spirit urges. Such ones are refusing to follow party lines, but instead are allowing the fellowship of the Spirit to introduce them to brothers that they never realized they had. They are reaching out beyond sectarian barriers to claim all those as brothers whom God accepts as sons. It is this that removes the spots and wrinkles of division and strife. 

God’s glory will fill the church as it fills each of us who are resolved to “preserve the Spirit’s unity in the bonds of peace.”  Let God reform His church and fill it with His Spirit by beginning with me.