John 17:11

[11] And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

The world, its values and priorities are hostile to the Father. It serves as a great peril to believers and works to squeeze us into its mold.

Protection comes via the name given by the Father to the Son. Have you ever wondered what was the name given by the Father to the Son? Think about his baptism and his transfiguration. “My beloved Son.”

The Apostle Paul picks this up when he says that God’s glorious grace is freely bestowed upon us IN THE BELOVED (Eph. 1:6). He teaches that we have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His BELOVED Son” (Col. 1:13).

Since believers are in Christ, we too are beloved of the Father.

When we forget this, disunity and division often rupture peaceful relationships with others. When we know and rest in this, unity and love will mark our relationships with other believers.

How would you assess your relationships right now? Ask the Lord to give you a renewed sense of how beloved of the father you are!