Christ's Doctrine of Faith: A Study of "Believing" in John's Gospel (John 17:21)

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In the verse right after the ninety-first occurrence of “belief” in John’s Gospel is the ninety-second occurrence. This occurrence is in John 17:21, which records the Lord Jesus Christ saying: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (KJV). So, as always, what is the context, and what are the facts about faith?

First, the context. Right after saying to His Father in His prayer that He is not praying for His apostles alone but also for those who will believe in Him through their Word, Christ says that this is so they may all be one, as the Father is in Him and He in the Father, that they also may be one in Them, so that the world may believe that the Father has sent the Son. This is the context of John 17:21!

Second, the facts about faith. One, being a believer in Christ makes you one with all other believers in Christ. Because Jesus here prays that His apostles and those who will believe on Him through the apostles’ Word may all be one in the Father and the Son, similar to how God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ mutually indwell each other. Second, the unity of Christians is so the world will believe that the Father has sent Christ. The Lord explicitly states this purpose in our post’s verse after praying for the unity of His followers in the same verse. These are some facts about faith from John 17:21!