FELLOWSHIPPING WITH THE LORD
One of the most important and practical things in the life of a Christian is to live in fellowship with the Lord. All those who desire to grow in life must pay attention to this one thing.
I. THE MEANING OF FELLOWSHIP
“The fellowship which is ours is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3b
In the Bible the word fellowship means “joint participation, partaking in common.” When we believed into the Son of God, He entered into us, and we received the divine life. As a result, this life flows within us, creating a flow between us and God.
This fellowship is carried on by the Spirit in our regenerated spirit. Hence, it is also called the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14
Hence, our fellowship with the Lord is according to the Holy Spirit in our spirit in the flow of the divine life, that we may have a direct, intimate contact with God. This keeps us in the participation and enjoyment of the divine love and grace.
II. A LIFE OF FELLOWSHIP— ABIDING IN THE LORD
The Christian life is a life of fellowship. No Christian can live normally apart from God or independently from God. This relationship can be illustrated by that between the branches and the vine:
“I [the Lord] am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him,...for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Our mutual abiding in the Lord is the mutual fellowship. Every believer in Christ is a branch in this true vine of the Lord. Once we see this fact, we should maintain the fellowship between us and the Lord, so that we will not be cut off from the enjoyment of His rich supply.
III. THE CONDITIONS FOR FELLOWSHIP
According to the Word of God and the believers’ experience, it is possible for this fellowship to be broken. Hence, in order to enjoy this fellowship with the Lord, we must fulfill some requirements.
1. WALKING IN THE LIGHT
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.” 1 John 1:7a
God is light. If we want to fellowship with Him, we must also be in the light. In order for us to be in the light, we must abide in the Lord. Once we are not in the light, the fellowship is cut off, and we feel uneasy, empty, and darkened.
2. CONFESSING OUR SINS
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous that He may forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
All unrighteousness is sin. Sin means wrongdoing either against God or against men.
Once we sin, we must confess before God. He will forgive us according to His Word and based upon the redemption of the blood of Jesus. In this way the broken fellowship will be recovered, and we will have a conscience without offense to enjoy Him without interruption.
3. LOVING GOD AND THE BROTHERS
“He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him.” 1 John 2:10
God is light. He is also love. As we live in God, spontaneously we love the brothers, which indicates that we are abiding in the light.
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