John 17:21-23
“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us… I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me.”
John 14:18
“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.”
Reflection
When Jesus prayed “that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee,” He was speaking of something His disciples would experience while they were still alive, not an abstract or distant promise. That unity—Father, Son, and Spirit forming one essence, and that same essence dwelling in believers—was the sign Jesus said would convince the world. Not a flawless theological argument, not a well-defended doctrine, but a lived and visible oneness.
Much of the confusion in the modern church comes from having fragmented what was always one. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are spoken of as though they were three separate entities one could possess partially: some claim to know Christ while keeping distance from the Spirit, as if these were independent relationships. This fragmentation is not merely a conceptual confusion; it produces a divided, incomplete spiritual life, unable to reflect the unity Jesus asked for on our behalf. There is even a saying attributed to Jesus in an ancient extra-biblical text, the Gospel of Thomas—which is not part of the biblical canon but reflects a truth consistent with the words of John 17—”if you have three gods, you have none.” The divine essence is not divided into fragments we can possess selectively.
When Jesus tells His disciples “I will not leave you comfortless,” He is speaking precisely to this: His return, in the person of the Spirit, does not create a new relationship distinct from the one they had with Him; it is the continuation and deepening of that same relationship. The last Adam did not come to establish a religion with multiple internal divisions, but to unite completely with His church, to dwell in it in such a way that Father, Son, Spirit, and believer form one living reality.
The greatest obstacle to experiencing this remains the spirit of orphanhood: the tendency to feel separated, incomplete, seeking outside what has already been given within. Jesus’s invitation was not to wait, but to dwell: Him in us, us in Him, and all united in the Father.
Meditation for today
Am I living the Christian faith as a fragmented relationship with three separate persons, or as communion with one God who fully dwells in me?
In what area of my life does the spirit of orphanhood make me feel separated instead of recognizing the union I already have?
Does my life reflect the oneness Jesus asked for so that the world would believe?
Prayer
Father, thank You that You, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one, and that in Christ that unity has come to dwell in me as well. Forgive me for the times I have fragmented my relationship with You, seeking Jesus without fully seeking Your Spirit, or knowing doctrine without living the real communion You offer.
Heal me of the spirit of orphanhood that makes me feel separated from what You have already given. Help me live from the unity Christ asked for His church, so that my life would be a testimony that You sent Him. May I no longer live divided, but one with You, as You are one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Blessings beloved
Ana Mendez Ferrell