The World Is Watching
John 17:21
Jesus prayed that His followers would be one “that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
Additional Reading. John 13:34–35; John 17:20–23
Devotional
On the night before the cross, Jesus prayed for His disciples.
And He prayed for us.
One of His requests was remarkable:
Unity.
Jesus connected the unity of believers with the world's response to the Gospel.
That means Christian unity is not merely an internal church issue.
It is evangelistic.
The world is watching.
People hear Christians preach about God's love.
Then they watch how Christians treat one another.
They hear us preach forgiveness.
Then they watch whether we forgive.
They hear us preach grace.
Then they watch how we respond when someone disappoints us.
They hear us preach reconciliation.
Then they watch churches divide over personalities, preferences, hurt feelings, and power struggles.
There is a contradiction when our behavior denies our message.
A divided church struggles to preach a united Gospel convincingly.
A bitter church struggles to preach forgiveness convincingly.
A church filled with contention struggles to demonstrate the love of Christ convincingly.
Our unity becomes a testimony.
Our division becomes a stumbling block.
Jesus said:
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” — John 13:35
Notice that He did not say the world would recognize us primarily because of our buildings, programs, music, budgets, denominational labels, or social-media presence.
He pointed to love.
Christian unity does not mean everyone has the same personality.
It does not mean we agree on every preference.
It does not mean we compromise Scripture.
It means a supernatural love is visible even when we differ.
When a lost world sees Christians forgiving one another, serving one another, carrying one another's burdens, and refusing to let disagreements destroy fellowship, it sees evidence that Jesus really changes lives.
Your relationships are part of your witness.
Your church's unity is part of its evangelism.
Before we ask why the world does not believe our message, perhaps we should ask:
What message does the way we treat one another send?
Reflection Questions
What does the way I treat other Christians communicate about Jesus?
Is there a broken relationship in my life that could be damaging my witness?
Have I spoken negatively about another believer in front of an unbeliever?
If someone judged Christianity only by the way I treat my church family, what would they conclude?
What can I do this week to make the love of Christ visible?
Prayer
Jesus, You prayed that Your people would be one. Make that prayer visible in my life. Help me love, forgive, encourage, and serve other believers in a way that makes the Gospel attractive rather than creating a stumbling block. Let the world see You in us. Amen.