Please note the following is an excerpt from the book, “Jesus’ Prayer from A to Z”, of which I’m Editor.


- N - Nails To Nations: “Let This Mind Be In You!”, by
Nutt, Ziden L


Within a decade of the decision to go, we went to the moon. Within a century
the Wild West was tamed. Dramatic accounts of dedication among those gallant men
and women who crossed uncharted courses are brought to mind with phrases like,
“Remember the Alamo” or “The Eagle has landed!” These events even bring to mind
the emotional word “sacrifice” as one considers the volunteers who died at the Alamo,
or the burst of fire atop the Apollo spacecraft on January 27, 1967 when Roger
Chaffee, Edward White and Virgil “Gus” Grissom lost their lives pioneering new
horizons.

Nails did not hold Christ to the cross, but His willingness to be the sacrifice
for all mankind did. He broke down the middle wall of partition so that all might
have salvation and be one in Him. No account in the annals of human history compares
to the suffering that took place on Calvary, yet two thousand years have passed and
pioneering efforts toward unity are still being pursued. What are we willing to
sacrifice?

The Nature of Christ is clearly seen as He poured out His heart and mind
when He prayed, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will
believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you
are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that
you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21) The entire prayer of Christ is filled with purpose
clauses. Two are found in verse 21, “that they all may be one” and “that the world
may believe.”

The natural response comes in those who follow Christ to “…no longer
live for themselves, but for Him Who died for them and was raised again.” (II Cor.
5:15) Scriptural mandates leave no question as to what should be done in several
arenas of Christian living, but perhaps the greatest area of restoration yet needed in
the church is, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians
2:5) Even without mandates, the most natural response would be to live for Him
Who died for us, and to seek the unity of all believers. To “disciple all nations” is a
clear command in the imperative voice, but the most natural response to the love of
Christ would be to do that with or without a command. Even as Paul said, “Christ’s
love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all
died.” (II Corinthians 5:14)

Nations will rejoice in salvation when the body of Christ is one in the Spirit.
One dynamic in the passionate plea of Christ in John 17:20 is also seen in John
13:34-35. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so
you must love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love
one another.” This is a foundational factor in world evangelism. With the salvation of
the world at stake, it is no wonder He passionately pleaded with His Father, that his
followers would be one. The credibility of the Body of Christ is at issue and will be
vindicated when the prayer of Christ is honored by the spirit of unity in all believers.

It is almost like Christ is saying, “You have heard it said of old to love your
neighbors as yourselves, but I’m giving you a new commandment to love one another
as I have loved you.” He stated that the law and the prophets hung on the two great
commandments, but now the new challenge is loving others like Christ loved us.
This clearly means to love others more than self. The only possible way to fulfill the
prayer of Christ for the unity of all believers is for all believers to first have unity
with God in Christ, living out our lives among the nations in love and unity, one
toward another.

Night is coming when no man can work, so it is pressed upon us to fulfill
the nature of Christ in our own lives, making the natural response of being one with
all believers so that the world may believe. The greatest frontier in world mission to
yet be accomplished may well be in giving ourselves to the mind of Christ, fulfilling
His plea to be one even as He and the Father are one.


Prayer: Dear Father, Thank you for allowing us a glimpse into the mind
of Christ as He prayed for unity. We pray that this unity will be fulfilled in us, so
that the world will know we are your disciples by our love for one another. May
your name be praised among the nations as we give ourselves to you in the unity
of the Spirit for your glory and honor. Amen.


Nutt, Dr. Ziden L. - Joplin, MO - Founder/Executive Director Emeritus, Good News Productions International. Begun while a missionary in Zimbabwe (1961-1976), GNPI creates culturally appropriate visual media, working with Christians in over 100 countries for evangelism and leadership training. Ozark Christian College (B.Th). Milligan (D.D.). He and wife Helen have three children, six grandchildren.


Love Divine, all loves excelling!
Fix in us Your humble dwelling!
- Charles Wesley (1707-1788)


What more can I do to
“let this mind be in me”?

Pray Jesus’ prayer for:
News (Print, radio, TV)/
Native Americans

Pray Jesus’ prayer for:
Believers in Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherland Antilles,
New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Northern Mariana Is., Norway

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tom (Jn.17:21) M.,