Reconciliation and forgiveness are immensely biblical. “He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken

down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity” (Eph 2:14-16).

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:31-32).

Jesus wants His church

unified!

John 17:20-21

Jesus has prayed for His disciples. That they be one (v 11).

That they might have His joy fulfilled in themselves (v 13).

That they might be kept from the evil one (v 15).

That they might be sanctified in the truth (v 17).

We know that faith comes through Scripture. “Truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples,

which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (Jn 20:30-31).

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17).

John 17:20-21

Jesus wants His church

unified!

How do we make unity happen?

We must forgive. “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also

forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt 6:14-15).

“As the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Col 3:12-13).

We cannot insist on our own way. The church in Corinth was split over personality.

Some were in the Apollos “camp” and others were in the Paul “camp.”

“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor 1:10).

The Philippian church seems to have had some sort of personality conflict. Paul encourages Euodia and Syntyche “to be of the same mind in

the Lord” (Phil 4:2).

“If there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil 2:1-4).

We must stand upon Scripture. It’s not an accident that Jesus prays “for those who will believe in

Me through their word.”

There was a dispute over Gentile converts (Acts 15). “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no

greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well” (Acts 15:28-29).

The Word of God is inspired by the Holy Spirit. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for

doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:20-21).

If we understood “Jesus wants His church unified,” how might

churches be different?