John 17:23 – Perfect In Him

John 17:23

²³ 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 and hast love them, as thou hast loved me.

The seventeenth chapter of the Gospel of John is a powerful chapter. Jesus prays for His followers and it includes you and me. We looked at verse 21 earlier but there’s still more to understand of God’s oneness in us through Jesus.

I want to zero in on the phrase that they may be made perfect in one [I in them and You in Me]. Too often believers have been taught that they must become perfect before God can work in their life, or that they have to clean up their act before God will live in them. No matter how hard you would try, you could never be perfect enough for God to work in your life. That’s why God sent Jesus to be your intercessor, your intermediator—the One who makes us perfect before God the Father. God knew that man couldn’t be perfect after sin entered, and that he couldn’t get his act together enough to measure up to God’s standard of righteousness. That’s why He provided a way through His Son who fulfilled all righteousness. Then on top of that God says that when anyone accepts the provision of My Son, I’ll dwell in them because He dwells in Me. God doesn’t see you in your sins because He’s forgiven all sin through Jesus’ sacrifice. God sees you in Jesus as His beloved child.

Philippians 1:6 testifies that “once He has begun a good work in you, He will bring it about to completion”. God will complete the work He’s started in you. He’s going to finish it. God’s not done with you or me yet and praise God for that. He’s going to accomplish the blessings that He has for you. It’s His heart of love that draws us to receive from the One who was perfect. Don’t operate from what you were. Start operating from your position as God’s beloved child full of the abundance of God’s grace—ability and provision. That’s when the world will see the power of God’s love in you reaching out to them.