Only One

Transcript

Alright, thank you very much. And hello again, dear radio friend. How in the world are you? Yes, this is your friend, Bob Cook. You knew that already, didn’t you? [chuckle] And I’m back with you for another few moments of fellowship around the Word of God. And I trust things are going well for you today, and that you’re trusting triumphantly in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The last time we got together, we were looking at John 17:22, where our Savior said, “The Glory which Thou gavest to Me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as We are One. I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.”

Now, He has a number of purpose clauses there in this chapter. He says that, “The world may believe.” “That the world may believe,” that’s up in Verse 21, “That they all may be one in Us, that the world may believe Thou hast sent Me.” The Christian life lived in it’s fullest, where it is a walking demonstration of the Lord Jesus Christ, is the basis for any kind of credibility before a skeptical world. You cannot argue people into believing on Jesus, but the life that shines, the miracle that continues, the presence that cannot be denied-that produces conviction and belief.

And then, He says about the Glory, “The Glory that I’ve given them.” And we talked about that the last time we got together. Now, you got two purposes here. “That they may be one,” that’s the first. And second, in Verse 23, “That the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.”

Now, you wanna talk about that for a moment? He says, “That they may be one, one in Us,” Verse 21, “That they may be one.” Verse 22, “That they may be made perfect in one.” Verse 23. What’s involved here? Well, you go back to John 15, the vine and the branches. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” A life relationship. A life relationship, something that cannot exist apart from that connection.

You take the branch away from the vine and it dies. There is a source of life. There is a source of support. The branch can’t hold itself up, but it’s firmly attached to the vine. There’s a source of fruitfulness. The branch cannot continue with the process of reproducing life, unless it continues in the vine. And so it is with the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s the source of life. He’s the source of support, and strength, and stability. He’s the source of fruitfulness. “I’ve chosen you,” said He, “That ye should go, and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”

“One in Us.” What is it? A continual dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ, for your life, for your strength, and for the production of your life, which we call fruitfulness. That is what it is to be one with Christ- a continual dependence on the Savior for life, for strength, and for fruitfulness. That make sense to you? He said, “That they may be one in Us, that the world may believe.” The source of your credibility, is the evidence that Jesus is running things. The source of your credibility before a skeptical world, is evidence that Jesus is running things, not you. He says, “That they may be one, even as We are.” This is a staggering phrase, “Even as We are.” The relationship between the Father, and the Son, and that ineffable, glorious reality of the triune God, that is the relationship that our Lord Jesus wants us to sustain to Him.

He said, “I do all those things that please the Father. My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and finish His work.” He prayed, He said, “Father, I know that Thou hearest Me always, but because of those that stood by, I said it, that they may believe.” The oneness of commitment to the Divine purpose, the oneness of enjoyment of the Divine Presence, the oneness of confidence in answered prayer, all of this and more, that they may be one. One in source of life, one in satisfaction of life, one in fruitfulness of life, one in production according to divine eternal purpose. All of it yielded to the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “I want them to be one with us.” That’s a big order, isn’t it? My Lord, it’s a big order.

Because if you’re anything like me, I’m so conscious of the fact that I’m a human being and I fall a million miles short of ever approximating these divine celestial truths, but there’s hope, beloved. The Spirit of God dwells within every one of us who are believers. And He has, as His business, His job is to reveal Christ through us, to speak of Christ through us, to bring fruitfulness out of our lives, the ‘fruit of the Spirit,’ the Bible calls it, to glorify Christ in what we do. And so sinners, though we be, and faulty, and human, and oftentimes failing, the blessed Spirit of God, in infinite loving grace and mercy, reveals what Jesus is through lives that are yielded to Him. Oh, rejoice in that today, beloved. Rejoice in that, “That they may be one, even as we are.”

The purpose of all of the shine of the Christian life, is not that you might say, “Look at me, I’m shining.” But that there may be oneness between you and the Savior, and as a result, oneness between you and other believers. Nice thing about being a completely dedicated Christian, is the people feel safe with you. Have you ever met someone, concerning whom you had a suspicious thought, and you said, “I wonder what he wants?” Have you ever felt that? I guess we all have. But when you are completely yielded to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit of God is running your life, people feel safe with you, because they know you don’t have those ulterior motives. You just want Jesus to get the glory. I wanna be that kind of person, don’t you? Oh, yes.

Well, then He says, “I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect.” This is Verse 23. “I in them and they in Me, that they may be made perfect in one.” Well, there’s a long participle there, ‘te teleo mene.’ ‘Te teleo mene,’ which goes back to the Greek verb ‘teleo,’ which has the idea of purpose. Made perfect means that they might finish out the purpose of God that God has planned, that they might grow up, and be made mature, and finish out the purpose of God in their lives, and then they’re one. You find somebody… Here again, this may be a little repetitious. But this is what He said and He said it more than once, didn’t He? In this chapter. So it must be important. “I in them, Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one.” One what? One relationship with God. Cheer up, friend. If you get discouraged about yourself, Jesus said, “In this oneness with Him, you grow up, you develop.” The participle there that I referred to in my Greek New Testament, has the idea of developing according to a predetermined plan.

God has a plan for your life. Yes, he does, beloved. He knows every step. And you and I may not enjoy all the steps, but we’re in Divine hands that never drop us, and He knows. Job said, “He knoweth the way that I take. I shall come forth as gold, when He has tried me.” So the purpose of Jesus in giving you His Glory, is that you might grow, that your life might grow in line with the predetermined purpose of God. Boy, that’s great, isn’t it? Now, when that happens, Verse 23, “That the world may know,” not believe only, “But that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, that the world may know Thou hast loved them, even as Thou hast loved Me.” What is the proof of the reality of, “Jesus loves me, this I know?” Yes, I understand the song says, “For the Bible tells me so,” and we base our faith on the Word of God. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” But the proof of a loving God, is not in quoting Scripture only. It’s not in polemics and argument. The proof of a loving God, is found in a life that’s full of His love.

I pray everyday that the love of God might spill out of my voice as I speak with you, and that my whole being might be filled with the love of God. People are so hurting in these days, and lonesome, and scarred with the experiences of life. They can stand some of God’s love poured out upon them, I pray. But, hey, what God wants is that people who would otherwise be critical and cynical, may convince that He’s a loving God, when they see your life and mine full of that loving Presence.

I’ve been all over the world in years past, by God’s gracious provision. Everywhere I went, I found that unbelieving people are afraid of the deity. Whatever deity they may serve, they’re afraid of it. And everywhere I went, people were aware that there is a living God.

I began my talks in many countries with the statement, “I wanna talk to you tonight about the living God, who made the stars, and the world, and the universe.” They know. Everyone of them does and they’re afraid. Adam, after he had sinned, said, “I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, and hid myself.” And what this whole world needs, is proof that God loves them. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” And your life, full of God’s love, shining with God’s Glory, epitomizing God’s truth, will convince people that God does love them. It’s something, isn’t it? Think about it. Pray about it.

Father God, today, make us one in Thee through Jesus, our Lord, Amen.

Till I meet you once again by way of radio, walk with the King today and be a blessing!