J. WARNER WALLACE — I have a passion for what I call Christian Case Making. I spent a career making criminal cases as a detective in Los Angeles County. Christian Case Making is about making the case for Christianity, that is, finding evidence for the truth of Christianity.

There is lots of good evidence, as it turns out. I think it’s one of the most exciting fields of study in the whole world. Still I often run across people who think Christian Case Making is about diving into musty old manuscripts, or worse, arguing over musty old manuscripts.

I speak at conferences on Christian evidences all the time. We don’t argue (though we do try to persuade). We do talk about musty old manuscripts, yes — and we also talk about exciting new evidences for God in contemporary science.

Yet many Christians wonder what all this has to do with them. It’s a good question. Recently, though, I was reminded of one thing we can all be doing, not only to follow Jesus Christ but also to help make the case for Him: we can live in unity with one another.

 Jesus was very clear about this: Our unity as Christians is the most important evidence we can offer to an unbelieving world:

I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me. John 17:20-23

Jesus is praying about us in this prayer. He’s talking to God about those who will hear about Him through the message of the eyewitnesses. That’s you and me (and a lot of other people who will hear about Jesus through those eyewitness gospel accounts). Of all the evidences we might offer, Jesus said that our ability to “be one,” to be united, will convince the world that Jesus is who He said He was.

We don’t talk about this enough, in my opinion. Maybe it’s because so many of us are too busy finding reasons to disagree with (and divide from) our brothers and sisters in Christ. I know I have been guilty of this. Christians can stand united over the essential doctrines we agree on. Still I have sometimes chosen (in arrogance) to divide over non-essential personal preferences.

Have you ever done that? Do you find yourself adding continually to your list of “essential” Christian truths that people must embrace before you will find them acceptable?  We divide over worship style, for example. Really?

If we care about showing our family, friends and neighbors the truth and goodness of Jesus Christ, it’s time we follow Jesus’ lead. Let’s demonstrate our unity. As Jesus said in John 13:35, they will know we are His disciples by our love. They’ll know that Jesus is for real, too.

Adapted from an article at ColdCaseChristianity.com. Used by permission.