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Coming Soon – United in Christ

 

John Reese
Searcy, Arkansas
President Emeritus

 

A New WBS Course Coming Soon

Edifying the church through quality Bible curriculum. Browse our courses at worldbibleschool.net/resources.

World Bible School is pleased to announce the upcoming release of its newest course, “United in Christ”. For many Christians, unity is a difficult subject. In the world, they see wars and deep political divisions. In Christendom, they see thousands of competing denominations. They see Satan continually tempting the church with division. Reading Jesus’ promises of peace and His prayer for unity (John 14, 16, 17), it is easy to wonder, “Was Jesus being overly optimistic? What happened to His plan and prayer?”

This course is based on John 17 and the seven “one’s” of Ephesians 4. It explores Scripture’s answers which still affirm, “Yes, Jesus delivered peace! Yes, the Father fulfilled Jesus’ prayer for unity! Still today, the Father gives perfect unity to His people!” Along the way, the course shines Scripture’s light on current challenges from without and within the church. “United in Christ” is a must-study for your congregation, your class, your small group, your family, your mentees and your Students. In today’s climate, the relevance of biblically-defined unity cannot be overstated. For a taste of United in Christ, consider the following summarized excerpts.

Excerpt on John 14

In John 14:23, Jesus makes a solemn promise based on a condition: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” We cannot change the promise, but we can fulfill or fail to fulfill the condition. If we let our love grow cold, if we choose not to follow the one Lord, then we lose the sweet fellowship we once had with Him and His Father (Hebrews 6:4; 10:26-31). They never promise to make their home with the disobedient. It is as “we walk in the light” that “we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7). Fellowship is never promised to those who insist on walking in darkness.

Excerpt on John 17

In John 17, Jesus prays for a unity of relationship between Himself, His Father and each believer. Jesus is not praying for a man-made achievement, for alliances, for a potential unity that might or might not work. Jesus’ prayer is rooted in divinely established reality. The Father dwells in the Son. The Son dwells in the Father. The Son also dwells in His followers. That is the nature of the unity of John 17. Divine relationships make believers “perfectly one” (John 17:23). Such complete oneness is quite different from unions that attempt to patch together the factions of Christendom. Jesus’ prayer is not about getting denominations to improve their attitudes, to war less and to cooperate more. His prayer is about real unity at the deepest level.

Excerpt on Short Cuts

Vital truths can be surrendered by focusing on just a few verses, such as 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, as a shortcut to “one faith.” The same problem arises with similar solutions such as, “We can all unite on…

  • …belief that there is one God.” Unfortunately, that might unite us with demons who have the same belief (James 2:19).
  • …the confession that ‘Jesus is Lord’ or ‘Jesus is the Son of God’.” Unfortunately, that might unite us with unclean spirits and with believers whom Jesus has never known (Mark 3:11; Matthew 7:21-23).
  • …adopting an official statement such as the Creed of Nicaea.” Can mere men define the “one faith” with better words than God used in His inspired Scriptures? Quite apart from its lack of divine authority, the Nicene Creed addressed issues that were pressing then. But it could not anticipate other issues critical for unity today.
  • …depending on ecumenical councils.” While well-intentioned, such councils endorse the major divisions represented by their members. Their “unity” initiatives, therefore, are more about mutual acceptance and improved cooperation.

Such efforts fall far short of the unity Jesus envisioned, that believers “may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one” (John 17:22-23). Jesus did not merely want factions to get along, giving a better impression to the world. He looked to the Father for maximal unity that faithfully reflected Deity’s perfection. Modern efforts go in the opposite direction, looking for minimal unions. For human alliances to work they must be based on the lowest common denominators on which humans can agree. Jesus holds us to the much higher standard—His own “one faith”—that truly honors His Father.

For updates on the release date for “United in Christ” and other exciting news from WBS, subscribe to our monthly emails, ACTION! Newsletter, at worldbibleschool.net/action.

ACTION! is World Bible School's flagship publication. Read inspiring success stories, tips on how to share the Gospel with others and updates on WBS and its tools!

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