Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth! (Psalm 46:10)
The mission of glorifying God among the nations is rooted in relationship.
In Part Two of this series we considered Christ’s command to abide in him, so that his disciples might bear fruit and thus glorify the Father. Jesus continues this theme of relationship in his high priestly prayer, recorded in John 17, where his prayer for all believers is “that they may be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us,that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)
As spiritual fruit in the lives of his followers is an outgrowth of their relationship with Christ, so the effective witness of these disciples derives from their relationship to him and to one another. The outgrowth of the believer’s abiding relationship with the triune God is the relational unity into which believers are drawn as they abide in Christ. The task of discipling the nations is inextricably linked to this eschatological purpose, “that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:23)
“Even as we are one…” (John 17:22) indicates that, as in the relationship between Father and Son, relationships between believers are to be characterized by a shared life of love that gives unselfishly to the other, even as Christ gave of himself on the cross. The glory Jesus received from the Father is given, not for the exaltation of any one person or group, but for transforming the relationships of believers to be like the relationship between the Son and the Father, that through their unity the world would know who Jesus is.
John Stott in his Commentary on the Lausanne Covenant writes, “Our message is one of love and peace, but it always rings hollow when we are not living in love and peace ourselves (John 13:35; 17:21). Therefore, our oneness strengthens our witness, just as our disunity undermines our Gospel of reconciliation.”
Essential Interdependence
Collaboration on the field as an expression of this unity is not about expediency; it is a declaration of believers’ identity in Christ. It may be true that more gets done when people from different organizations or churches choose to work together. Sharing resources and dividing up tasks, with each one serving in his or her area of strength, can allow the workers to accomplish more together than they could by themselves. On the other hand, collaborating with others often makes things more complicated, especially where culture and language differences are involved, and in many cases more can be accomplished, and done so more efficiently, by one organization working alone. Thus, pursuing unity for its potential usefulness falls far short of what Jesus is praying for here.
Nor should unity be confused with uniformity. Within the unity of the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Spirit all maintain their distinctiveness, yet they are one. Paul makes clear in Romans 12 that its diversity is an essential element of the body of Christ. Christ has built interdependence into his body, the church, making it necessary for his disciples to work together to accomplish his purposes. His admonition, “apart from me you can do nothing,” echoes in Paul’s words, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the hand to the foot, ‘I have no need of you’.” Disciples are made to need one another, and in their interdependence they reveal God’s glory.
For teams and organizations, living out this interdependence requires a clear understanding of what they uniquely bring to the shared work of the body. They must make a sober assessment (Romans 12:3) of what God has entrusted to them for the service of the community. They respect God-imposed limits and do not become over-leveraged in an attempt to do everything. Nor do they look at the rest of the body solely in terms of who or what they might acquire to strengthen their own game. Instead, they value complementary relationships that build on the strengths and compensate for the limitations of all involved. Using the analogy of a soccer match, Ji Yajie offers a compelling look at the necessity and the effectiveness of this posture for serving in creative access nations.
Unity for unity’s sake also falls short of Christ’s design for the church. Forced unity or perfunctory activities intended to exhibit Christian harmony can mask divisions, creating an illusion of unity while ignoring the underlying fissures that resist the Spirit’s restorative work. These must be brought into the light and dealt with prayerfully and in humility if genuine unity is to be realized.
Pursuing Unity
Living into one’s identity in Christ means adopting a kingdom-focused agenda that is bigger than any one team, church, or organization. Among other attributes, this kingdom mindset is marked by consideration for others within the Body, a spirit of generosity, and a desire to see others succeed, which has a catalytic impact on the work overall.
Writing to the Christians at Philippi, Paul encourages them to “in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4 NIV) Consideration requires looking beyond one’s own agenda and appreciating the bigger picture of how God is working through others. The interdependence alluded to in John 17 is realized when individual workers value the infinite variety of giftings, callings, and personalities found in their peers, both inside their own organization and beyond, and commit to seeing these developed for God’s glory. It is realized when churches and agencies recognize their respective strengths and unique resources and in humility come together to seek the Spirit’s direction as to how they might collaborate.
This may require acknowledging the leadership gifts of others in the community and submitting to their authority at certain times and for certain purposes, putting aside one’s own positional authority for the sake of a greater shared goal. The concept of polycentric leadership, which has gained traction in mission circles in recent years, is helpful here. Polycentric leadership recognizes the legitimate roles of people from different backgrounds with different kinds of gifting, working together collaboratively regardless of perceived status, educational attainment, positional power, or access to resources.
Those who have a kingdom mindset are open-handed. They recognize that God’s resources are unlimited, and that hoarding the resources entrusted to them violates their stewardship responsibility within the Body. Instead, they actively look for ways to bless others. Rather than viewing whatever unique relationships, ideas, processes, or tools they may possess as a competitive advantage and holding onto them tightly, they instead ask how God is calling them to give these away.
A kingdom mindset is characterized by a desire to see others succeed. As the old adage goes, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” In planning their work and in responding to opportunities as they arise, kingdom-minded leaders ask how their decisions can benefit not only their own team or organization, but the wider community to which they belong. This may mean spreading resources around so that everyone has more to work with or inviting others into situations where they can learn and be equipped to do more. Doing so may require going slower in order to involve others. It could entail deliberately serving behind the scenes to bring people together. While it might appear counterproductive in the short-term, this catalytic approach can have a transformative impact on the work and those engaged in it.
That They May Believe
The witness of Christ’s disciples cannot be separated from the quality of their relationships, just as the fruit of their lives cannot be separated from their relationship with Christ. Unity, like abiding, is often intangible, but it is essential.
Jesus’s prayer in John 17 includes not simply a desire for unity, but unity so that the world may come to know him. The attributes described above may provide some indication as to whether believers are moving toward unity. Yet the ultimate metric, found in Christ’s words, is whether his presence is being realized among those whom the church seeks to serve.
Do they perceive Christians as being divided, separatist, agenda-driven, predatory in their approach? Is Jesus identified with a particular organization or movement, political power, or ideology?
Or have their lives been touched by a community of spiritually transformed, self-giving people who demonstrate a love that is not of this world?
How will we know? Ask them.
