Fellowship with God is the expectation of God
Author: Voice Of God Ministry // Category: Fundamental TruthSpirituality is the bone of the real religion. The Bible is the foundation of Spirituality and fellowship.Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.( Matthew. 5-8). without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14.) Holiness is the primary preparations to the fellowship with God. Joshua told the people “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” (Joshua3.5).
Hence, It is the expression of God’s unconditional love on human and induced us to receive His finest divine nature .The objects why God created man in His own image is to have a better relationship and to have the greatest fellowship with him not to make a servant to maintain the garden, but the world and men exist separately from Him. So the kingdom of God is the fellowship with God. He wants to establish His kingdom with us and He like us than His Almighty and He proved it through His mighty activities.
Before Hecreates the man God know the needed of Him andtook care of him then after those are fulfilled finally, He creates the man in His own image. In another side He createseverything and saw that it was good. But, after the creation of human God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
By His expression it proves how He admires us more than the heaven and earth because they will be unable to havefellowship with Him but except for humans, others are all are not inHis image. None of them will have fellowship with a tree or moon. This is the high secrete of fellowshipbetween Godand man. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. After that by the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on that dayHe rested from all the work of creating that He had done. But it is the very first day for Adam.So God started His day by blessing it.This also proves how God is good to us.
Secondly, in his sequence steps ofcreation- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Genesis 1.1-2).
We cannot understand how long time gap between these two words… That is between the creation and now the earth was formless and empty. That is when God created the earth it is not so, but now. That is the God almighty never creates the earth with formless and empty. Something is happen between these two words may be by our common enemy Lucifer. In the same way he acts on human and destroys the fellowship between God and man.
Then automatically man became formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep heart and start to find the fault on His wife and on God Himself. It proves by the words that He utters (blaming others). The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3.12-13.)
But, they were not ready to judge themselves and just through the stone on others (like against prostitute)are the beginning and still it is being continued with Adam too. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.
Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. John 8.3-8.But God, surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,yet we considered him punished by God,stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.We all, like sheep, have gone astray,each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him all our iniquities.
He was oppressed and afflicted,yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth( Isaiah 53.4-7 )It’s His divine nature and God wants us to be in His nature.
Therefore as soon as God start the fellowship He removes all the formless. Empty and darkness by His light pass over us. Without His light nothing will be happen with us and no change with us. Therefore without Jesus we are only zero.
How can we be hero? It is only by humbling our self before Him and permit Him to act and to do His will within us. That will happen only by the fellowship with Him.We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.(1 John 1.3-7)
Therefor from the beginning to end that is from Genesis to Revelation God’s pure plan is that, God always motivates us to have a great relationship with Him. One who has this fellowship will be having His divine nature automatically. God wants this final result from us.
For to renovation or for reconstruction of our relationship He sent His only son Jesus and through His scarification and by the new covenant we have receive the fellowship again more better than what Adam had, like father and son relationship. Church is the body of Christ and we are all part of thebody, joining each other having common blood of Jesus to live with him. Hence we are made for each other and the part of the body may not be identical but, each one has its own function in the body of Christ Church. If one finger comes out it from the body will be distorted.
So each part to be properly joined with fellowship is to be must. It is the basic requirement of Christianity. So Jesus prayed in John 15 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world begun.(John 15.4-5) “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? I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.
Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.(John 15.20-24). It is to have the fellowship with us not to serve him or nothing else and we will be judging the angels because they are bot the children of God and they are servicing sprits. That’s all.
Therefor no one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. In John 3-6 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. (John 14.23-24) So we can be sure that we “know” Jesus, that we are in fellowship with Him, and that we have perfected our love for God,(i.e.) fellowship with God only if we are keeping the commandments of Jesus!
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.(John 15.1-4.)
The Vine and the Branches
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15.5-8).
“Abiding in Jesus” is described by Jesus Himself as similar to branch abiding in the vine – . There is a union, or attachment, between the branch and vine.. From this union comes a communion, or sharing. So again, we are discussing the idea of having fellowship with Jesus. The person claiming to “abide in Jesus” (or to have fellowship with Him) should “walk” (live) just as Jesus did. For only those who follow His words are truly His disciples. And those who are His disciples will become like their Teacher. (Lk 6:40.).
Such is the goal of discipleship, and of God’s scheme of redemption itself! –(Ro 8:29). Understanding and applying this truth should have powerful ramifications in how we live.
We learn from John, then, that the key to knowing that we have fellowship with Jesus understands the difference between “talking” and “walking”. Anyone can say that they know Jesus that they abide in Him..
But those that really know are those who… keep His commandments. Walk just as He walked. Do you really know Jesus? Are you in fellowship with Him, wherein is eternal life and fullness of joy? Have you kept the commands of Jesus? How about His commands concerning faith, repentance and baptism? How about all thecommands toobserve thatHe commanded, including those revealed through His apostles.
How you answer reveals the truth regarding your relationship with God, and your hope for eternal life! And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” –(Acts 2:42)
Fellowship with God
Fellowship is the most important thing God wants from us. He wants us to come to know him – to be with him – to spend time with him. Jesus set an example for us when he slowed the pace of his life to spend time with the Father. He knew the importance of quiet moments. He often went into the mountains to pray. The more mature we become in our relationship with God, the more important this quiet time with God becomes.
We look forward to being alone with him. We realize we need to listen to him for comfort and direction in our lives. God has called us so we can come to know him (John 17:3). It is possible to be so busy with God’s work that we neglect to come to know him. Luke tells us that when Jesus visited the home of Martha and Mary that “Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” (Luke 10:40). There was nothing wrong with what Martha was doing, but Mary chose to do the most important thing – to spend time with Jesus, to get to know him and to listen to him
The Fellowship of the Believers
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.(Acts 2:42).God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
(1 Corinthians 1:9) And if one member suffers, all the parts [share] the suffering; if one member is honored, all the members [share in] the enjoyment of it. (1 Cor. 12.26).Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are ill-treated, since you also are liable to bodily sufferings. (Hebrews 13.3) Get involved in the suffering Church by being unitedand the final result is fellowship. It is always in Christ, todays Present Suffering will be the Future Glory.
May 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) James, Ciphers and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. (Galatians 2:9)
Sources of Religions
The Bible is the main source of the principles and values of Christianity. Central to Hinduism are the Smritis, or books of revelations, which include the Vedas, the Agamas and the Bhagavadgita, which Hindus revere as God in word form and which are considered to be eternal, inviolable and revealed by God for the welfare of the worlds. Tradition, law books, the epics and the Puranas and the writings of several enlightened scholars, philosophers and masters also play an important role in the religious lives of Hindus.
Hinduism played a significant role in the emergence of other world class religions such as Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism and shaping the history of the eastern world, while Christianity played a significant role in shaping the history of Judaism and Islam and the western world.
Hinduism is also the most dominant source of inspiration for many new age religions and religious movements.it is the outer coating of metal in a Coin. It may be coated, but the inner material is more valuable hence, this is the mostcommon part of the coin. Please don’t judgeanyoneor any religion forjust what they are preaching or telling very high up right things. That must to be proved by the God;i.e. is through the Holy Bible.
Religious is everybody option.
Here, we don’t want to hurt any religious person and it is not our motive too. Generally God fearing is better than an atheist. When we are selecting a school for our children we search a better one and for good treatment we search good hospital in city. Nowadays people eagerly searching good food and good mineral water for their good health. Nobody is going to live permanently here (earth). But for our eternal life we are just following any rang of standard of religion. Here we can see clearly about the very good standard of the best religion with explanation and illustration.
Acceptation is option for other religions. But for the Christian it is compulsory to understand their high standard is our motive. But, merely have the admission in a high standard college is not enough being a brilliant student matters. Moreover, it is more important and it is based on their value of hard work which is behind them. Such that being in a Christian family is nothing enough. To be a Christian, Christ has to live in you and to be honored by you. That means you have to obey all his commands and all his advice. One who loves Him will keep all His commands. “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15). Can a person enter the kingdom of God without having a true love in God? There is no trick in this.
Hinduism is partly revelatory and mostly evolutionary, while Christianity is mostly revelatory and partly evolutionary. Hinduism is a continuously evolving religion, not founded by a particular person or prophet and shaped by the collective wisdom of enlightened masters, incarnations and revelations of God accumulated over several millenniums.
It is regarded as an eternal religion (Sanatana Dharma) by its followers. Christianity is founded by Jesus Christ. To be a Christian, one should invariably believe in the way of Jesus only and acknowledge him as the only savior. Central to Christianity are the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the glory of God, as described by witnesses and others in the old and new testaments of the Bible.
But, we are nothing but made of just mud. Because the almighty wanted to have a personnel relationship with us, we became the dust of the ground, man became a living being .Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2.7 What it proves unless God have the relationship and fellowship with us simply we are dust of the ground .That’s all. Moreover the heavenlyFather and the Lord Jesus and Sprit of Lord all gottogether in the Garden of Edenwith a plan and to have fellowship with each other.
Christianity was begin with the fellowship
It is proved by the very first word of the Holy bible “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.( Genesis1. 1)and God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1.2). God’s name Yahweh.”.Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, (Genesis 1. 26.)Here US are not a singular person. When we compare this word John 1 1). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4. in him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”(John 1:1-4.)He is the Lord Jesus. Hear, it again proved in another angle Yahweh is not act as a separate God, as well as the Holy Spirit and Jesus. Is the Major different between all the religion and the Christianity!
Foundation of the real Christianity is the unity and the fellowship and it is the God’s nature and God wants to establish the same in us. God created Adam not to be a good gardener but to have fellowship with God. He eagerly wants to get uppermost fellowship with Him but it was rejectedby the relationship of our common enemy Lucifer.
Today also the great Almighty eagerly wants from us just for this only no more special expectation and to get his divinenature and to expose this with His people. In this the Christianity is differ from all the religion in the whole world. All the other religions may expose something taken from this compact back age but, not all off is the real situation.
Now, the problem created by us with bad relationship with Lucifer isexplained by Jesus in Mathew 23,Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt they will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.(Matthew 23:1-12). Here,I have coatedthese words not to judge anyone. Any law has the control over the person who invented too.
These passages are not for others, but first especially for me and then for my beloved brothers. Hence no one is perfect in this whole world and we each one trying eagerly to follow our Elder brother Jesus, That’s all. Let we judge our self accordingly and repent earnestly.
May the almighty help us to favorers! When we expect from God, He promises us which is the rule of agreement we have to obey to our promise to Him this is the real truthful agreement. When one party violate the agreement then automatically there is a right to another party can escape from the agreement. But, keep in mind our loving God is not so because we are the children of God by the Grace of God. We should not take it asbad grievance. According to Christians the only way to salvation is the way of Jesus and faith in Jesus and only those who believe in him would be saved from the consequences of sin against God.
Just as a skillful coach will often return to the basics of the sport to pull the team or a player out of a slump, Paul returns to the basics to keep this church on track. As he seeks to counteract the influences of the false teaching here, he emphasizes one of the most important practical lessons of the Pastoral Epistles: the soundness of a church depends on ministers and leaders who are sound in their faith and practice.
But wait! This teaching applies to all Christians. Yes, in this section Paul focuses on Timothy, the paradigm of the good minister or Christian leader, who must pursue spiritual priorities and pay attention to his lifestyle and calling. But we shouldn’t be fooled by the term minister–the principles apply to all believers, just as all believers are to be vitally involved in ministry.
The leader or minister is to be a model. In the leader’s ministry and life God’s Word and its application must be central. Attention to these basics will make a critical difference. As we saw in chapter 1 of this letter, the minister and ministry that accord with God’s will are exact opposites of the “enthusiasts” and their version of the faith. SpiritualPriorities.In over 2,000 places the prophets of the Bible say things like this:The Lord said to me . . . These are the words of the Lord. .This is what the Lord says are the signification of God’s relationship with us.
Good News of Forgiveness
Of course, there are many things that could rightly be identified as “spiritual priorities.” Paul selects three that are most essential for the development and maintenance of a sound spiritual life. We all can enjoy “forgiveness” because Jesus suffered the punishment we deserved.
Our sins condemned us. They separated us from God and killed us spiritually. When Jesus gave His life on the cross, He took our place. Now the Father gives to us the gift of His Son’s own purity and goodness. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20) is the personal relationship of God and we are members of his body. (Ephesians 5:30).Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2).
And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47)
That they may all is one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:21-23)
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and him in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. (1John 4:11-13).Finally, all of you, has unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.(1 Peter 3:8)
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. InThessaloniansand they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayer. (Acts. 2:42)For just as the body is one and have many members, and all the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ.(1 Corinthians 12:12)
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.(Revelation 3:20).A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.( John 13:34).I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.(Exodus 29:45).We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng(Psalm 55:14).And all who believed were together and had all things in common.( Acts 2:44)
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16.Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.(1 Peter 2:17).
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.(1 Corinthians 12:27.)So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not his personal interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,(Philippians 2:1-5)
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,(2 Corinthians 6:14-17)
But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”(Luke 22:32.)Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.(Malachi 3:16).When the day of Pentecost arrived; they were all together in one place.
And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:1-47)
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,(Romans 15:1-7)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.(John 3:16.)Now the full number of those who believed was of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. (Acts 4:32-35)
In our day the word is used to describe gathering ranging from coffee and donuts to worship services. Many atimes it is associated with gathering where food is provided. Now, there is nothing wrong with calling these fellowships. They are important and give us opportunity to be with one another to better get to know our church family.
They are design to promote fellowship with each other.All that I need to do today is look at the biblical use of the word and its use in Scripture and let it teach us the true fellowship that God would have us to experience. The word used in Early Church, went far beyond occasional or regular gatherings, even though they met because of their common bond in Christ, and met at the same place and time, for a unified purpose.
We learn in God’s word that fellowship is a heart issue, something to be felt and expressed, and something very important to be a part of. It should occur apart from any program, schedule, or activity. It is to be a way of life for believers in Jesus Christ to want to be in each other’s company, to share things together and to help and support each other both physically and spiritually.
If one of the members hurt we share that burden.Let’s look at what fellowship meant to the early church. It is recorded in the New Testament to set an example for us today. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.(Acts 2:44-47)
Three thousand souls were saved on the day of Pentecost. Within a few days 5000 more (Acts 4:4) believed. The early church was born in a hostile society. The Jews had crucified Jesus less than two months earlier. It was not popular or healthy to be a believer. Yet, these believers had to be close due their uniqueness as believers in Christ Jesus.
The church (the assembling of believers) was the source of strength. They had at this time only the Old Testament and they were all Jews. Five things as recorded here kept them together, and strengthen them. They continue together in one accord. They preached and taught the Gospel exhorting people to believe. They had fellowship together. . They practice the ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They Prayed.
Let us examine each activity. It means they met together. Part of their strength was in that they came together. The simple act of meeting together bonded them together and was a source of personal support. Because of their faith in Christ they were alienated from Jewish society. They were not only shunned, but in danger for their very lives. Thus the local church became their “support group.”
The Bible says they “all” came together. It appears twice in Acts 2:44, and once in 45. Later in Hebrews 10:19-25 when the Jewish believers were waning in their faith and faithfulness to their assemblies God tells them:Hebrews 10:19-25 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised ) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
The Lord combines church attendance with holding fast the profession of one’s faith. Further assembling together was for the purpose of exhorting one another…which means to lift up and encourage. A church is a body of believers. A body is a unit (1Corinthians 12:12, )” For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”(1 Corinthians 12:12-31), the point is that the church is a unit, a body, with no part being more important than another part, meaning every part is vital and important to the whole.
That there should be no schism (division) in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. Every person is important in a church. Paul explains that Gods gives the gifts as it pleases Him. Each person has a gift; an ability to do a job in the church that needs doing.Everyone does not have the same gift. Different gifts are given so that all the jobs will be filled.
They had all things in common. They saw themselves as a body with a common bond. Acts 4:32, says “they were of the same heart and soul. Acts 1:14, States they prayed and continued together in “one accord”. Note again the word “all”. I believe today that the reason it is so hard to get everyone to regularly attend church is because Christians are too much involved in worldly things. Notice that I said “too much.” The first priority in our lives must be Jesus Christ if we are to live a happy and fruitful life.
Colossians 1:18 says that Christ is to have the preeminence in all things. Putting Him first everything else falls into it proper place.Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. “The problem is that many professing Christians know the words and the meaning of these passages…but can’t seem to believe them.
If they believed them they would practice them. Many will let anything interfere with their faithfulness to the Lord. Paul told the Ephesians not to have fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness.(Eph 5:5)
In 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”. The church is made up of people who all accept the doctrines and teaching of the Bible. The spiritual church, having spiritual members will let the word of God settle any matter…and never do wrong for friendship or for pride. The basis of their unity was Christ and this brought them together. Biblical Fellowship has at its heart Love and acceptance:( Eph. 3:17-19)
Sharing own experience of victory over sin with Co believers.
We accept each other with our faults, problems and failures. Esteem others higher than ourselves. That would solve about 95% of problems that come up and love, which seeks the highest good of the other person, getting behind them so as to help them reach God’s goal and will for their lives. Biblical Fellowship is a Family relationship: You become a part of the Family of God on Earth. I hope all of us see ourselves as a family.
When we joined this church we joined this family. Our home is in heaven. Thus as strangers here in the world, we are outnumbered, and different from the world, being believers, having our sins forgiven and having received eternal life. It is sad that some in our churches by their lack of devotion to their church show they love the world more.
Fellowship requires having concern and a spirit of restoration one to the other. (Galatians 6:1-2) “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” We are to bear the burdens of one another.Especially of a brother or sister who is in need hasfallen spiritually, or morally. It requires prayer, but more it requires fellowship with the person fellowship in a common concern for one another.Being gentile with the offended, or person who has the problem. Fellowship requires confession and forgiveness.
James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”In order that confession and forgiveness to able to be effective, there must be freedom in the church and atmosphere that will allow it.Gossiping, bitterness, back biting, criticizing, hinders the spirit of freedom for forgiveness and confession and will kill the spirit in the church and be like throwing cold water on the freedom to fellowship with each other.
So does being judgmental, or condemning, or feeling one better that the other person. One also must have the courage to be frank to share a failure or personal need. We each must recognize our own failures, faults and prejudices. We must as Jesus said, “Get the beam out of our own eye before we try to get the mote out of someone’s eye.” Fellowship involves encouragement and availability. We seek to serve and help each other. You cannot do that if you have something against someone else.
You cannot do it if you are not faithful to the Lord. Hebrews 10:23-25 says we are to hold to our faith without waving. We are to consider how we spur one another on to love and good deeds. We are faithfully meet together, exhorting (building one another up or encouraging one another.Fellowship Involves Informality and Flexibility. (Heb. 13:1-2, 14-16).Let brotherly love control all we do.
Do not for get to entertain stranger. It doesn’t mean show them a good time, but means to show love to or hospitality towards others. It means having a freedom in our fellowship, and not let ritual and ceremony rule it. We should not let not ritual rule or tradition rule our fellowship, but experiencing our common bond to the God. We should let our fellowship develop and praise God by actually doing the will of God, sharing and helping one another for this is what pleases the Lord.
Fundamental Requirement of Fellowship
2 Cor 2:5-8 (Phi) If the behavior of a certain person has caused distress, it does not mean so much that he has injured me, but that to some extent (I do not wish to exaggerate), he has injured all of you. But now is the time to offer him forgiveness and comfort, so that a man in his position is not completely overwhelmed by remorse.
I ask you to assure him now that you love him.2 Cor 7:8-11 (Phi) …I can see that the letter did upset you, though only for a time, and now I am glad I sent it, not because I want to hurt you but because it made you grieve for things that were wrong. In other words, the result was to make you sorry as God would have had you sorry, and not to make you feel injured by what we said.
The sorrow which God uses means a change of heart (NIV: repentance) and leads to salvation without regret–it is the world’s sorrow that is such a deadly thing. You can look back now and see how the hand of God was in that sorrow. Look how seriously it made you think, how eager it made you to prove your innocence, how indignant it made you and how afraid! Look how it made you long for my presence, how it stirred up your keenness for the faith, how ready it made you to punish the offender! You have completely cleared yourself in this matter.
Reason of trouble
In James 5:19-20 .My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner away from his error will save him from death and cover many sins.Gal 6:1-2 (Phi) Even if a man should be detected in some sin, my brothers, the spiritual ones among you should quietly set him back on the right path, not with any feeling of superiority but being yourselves on guard against temptation. Carry each other’s burdens and so live out the law of Christ. Let us not become weary in doing well, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Fellowship Requires Good Stewardship
Whenever the Spirit begins to move in us, the flesh jumps in and tries to “seize the reins” (Rom 8:12-14). If God uses us to prophecy one moment, the next we are spouting off our own opinions as prophecy. When we start to get a taste of God’s love, then our flesh jumps in with lust.
When God gives us money, we spend it all on ourselves and thus cannot help others in need. Some of this is just the learning process, but some of us have never learned (2 Pet 1:8). We need to learn how to feel God’s feelings (Phil 2:1), to think his thoughts (1 Cor 2:16b), and to speak his words (1 Pet 4:11a) without giving the flesh any opportunity. Good stewards prove worthy of more power, bad stewards get what little they have taken away (Mat 25:29).
It is to freedom you have been called, my brothers. Only be careful that freedom does not become mere opportunity for your lower nature. You should be free to serve each other in love… But. if freedom means merely that you are free to attack and tear each other to pieces, be careful that between you, you destroy your fellowship altogether!Col 3:2, 7-10 (Phi) Be concerned with the heavenly things, not the passing things of earth…
Consider yourselves dead to worldly contacts: And never forget that you had your part in those dreadful things when you lived that old life. But now you must put away all these things: evil temper, furious rage, malice, insults and shouted abuse! Don’t deceive each other with lies any more, for you have discarded the old nature and all that it did, and you have put on the new nature which, by constant renewal in the likeness of its Creator, leads to a fuller knowledge of God.
Fellowship requires thegrace gifts andfruit ofthe Holy Spirit
Phil 2:1-4 (Phi) Now if you have known anything of Christ’s encouragement and of his reassuring love; if you have known something of the fellowship of his Spirit, and of compassion and deep sympathy, do make my joy complete–live together in harmony, live together in love, as though you had only one mind and one spirit between you. Never act from motives of rivalry or personal vanity, but in humility think more of each other than you do of yourselves. None of you should think only of his own affairs, but consider other people’s interest also.
2 Pet 1:5-9 (NIV). For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.(2 Cor 13:14 )
Fellowship Requires Real Love
Mat 22:38-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”
1 Pet 1:22 (Jer) You have been obedient to the truth and purified your souls until you can love like brothers, in sincerity; let your love for each other be real and from the heart.Rom 12:9-16 (Phi) Let us have no imitation Christian love. Let us have a genuine hatred for evil and a real devotion to good. Let us have real warm affection for one another as between brothers, and a willingness to let the other man have the credit. Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work and let us keep the fires of the Spirit burning, as we do our work for the Lord.
Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come endure them patiently; steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer. Give freely to fellow-Christians in want, never grudging a meal or a bed to those who need them… Share the happiness of those who are happy, and the sorrow of those who are sad. Live in harmony with each other, don’t become snobbish but take a real interest in ordinary people. Don’t become set in your own opinions.Gal 6:10 (NIV) Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
If we enter into true fellowship, Jesus’ promise will befulfilled
Mat 12:47-50 (NIV) while Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him… “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 10:29-30 (NIV) “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields–and with them, persecutions); and in the age to come, eternal life.
1 Cor 1:9 (Phi) God is utterly dependable, and it is he who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.1 Theso 4:9 (Phi) …as regards brotherly love, you don’t need any written instructions. God himself is teaching you to love each other.John 17 (Read from NIV) the real “Lord’s prayer”.
I am continuing the study of “Fellowship.” It has been a lively topic for many years, and promises to continue with new mutations to accommodate the changing views of the church in a denominational world. We need to understand the will of Christ for his people in this sin-sick society.
After having shown the contrast between righteousness and unrighteousness, good and evil, and the temple of God and idols, the inspired writer says: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Cor. 6:17). The admonition of the Bible is to abstain from evil and wrong doing and cleave unto righteousness. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11).
We share fellowship in the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:23; Philippians 1:5). Paul probably meant that all believers participate together in the saving power and message of the good news. Believers also share together a fellowship with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14), which the apostle understood as a most important bond for unity in the life of the church (Philippians 2:1-4).
The tendency of many Christians to refer to the Lord’s Supper as “communion” is rooted in Paul’s described the cup as “communion of the blood of Christ,” and the bread as “communion” of the body of Christ ( 1 Corinthians 10:16 ). Paul did not explain precisely how such “communion” takes place through the Supper.
He emphatically believed the Supper tied participants closer to one another and to Christ. Such “communion” could not be shared with Christ and with other Gods or supernatural beings. Thus Paul forbad his readers from partaking in pagan religious meals, which would result in sharing “fellowship” with evil, supernatural forces or demons (1 Corinthians 10:19-21).
Immediately after Paul spoke of “fellowship” with Christ through participation in the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 10:16 ), he said, “since there is one bread, we who are many are one body” (1 Corinthians 10:17 NAS). This illustrates clearly Paul’s belief that fellowship with Christ was to issue into fellowship between believers. Once we grasp this, it is easy to understand why Paul was so angry over the mockery that the Corinthian were making of the Lord’s Supper.
While claiming to partake of this sacred meal, many Corinthian Christians ignored the needs of their brothers and sisters and actually created factions and divisions ( 1 Corinthians 11:17-18 ), “for when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk” (1 Corinthians 11:21 NRSV). Because the “fellowship” among the Corinthians themselves was so perverted, Paul could go so far as to say “when you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper” ( 1 Corinthians 11:20 NRSV).
The Lord results not only in sharing His benefits (the gospel and the Holy Spirit), but also sharing His sufferings (Philippians3:10; Colossians 1:24). These texts express clearly just how intimate was Paul’s perception of the close relationship between the believer and the Lord.
The pattern of self-sacrifice and humility, demonstrated most profoundly through Jesus’ suffering on the cross (Philippians 2:5-8), is to mark the current life of the disciple. Just as Jesus gave so completely of Himself for the sake of His people, so, too, are believers to give completely of themselves for the sake of the people of God (2 Corinthians 4:7-12 ; Colossians 1:24 ).
The pattern of following Christ in suffering continues for the believer, in that just as Christ entered into glory following His suffering (Philippians 2:9-11 ), so, too, will the believer in the future share in the glory of Christ “if so be that we suffer with him” (Romans 8:17 ; compare Philippians 3:10-11 ).Today suffering is the tomorrow glory. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. )
The proof of fellowship with God
How do one know if he walking in the light? What does a life that lives in fellowship with Him and is for His glory look like? John does not leave us in the dark. Here is one proof from the scripture, Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more.
What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” (Genesis 18:32)And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
(James 2:23)Fellowship, in the Bible, has the basic idea of sharing, or participation. In terms of God and our relationship with Him it involves our participation in the life of the Trinity, granted by the Father, purchased by the Son, made alive by the Spirit. It is fellowship with God and therefore it is fellowship that is marked by truth and holiness. “Light” in Scripture and when used by John has the two basic ideas of truth and holiness. In others words, to say that God is light is to say that there is no error, or deceit in Him and He is utterly separate from sin: He is holy.
John mentions this upfront because fellowship with God and glorifying God is not simply a matter of feelings or actions – like energetic music, weeping at certain songs, doing a lot of religiously good things, and so on. Fellowship with God that produces a life to His glory is a matter of enjoying and reflecting His character; it is a life that is lived in union with the incarnate, crucified, risen, and ascended Lord whose Spirit is within us. It’s a matter of walking in the truth and in holiness. This is the heart of glorifying God. Without this John adds, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6).
We need this reminder every now and then, because the idea of how we glorify God so easily becomes masked over by either purely externals (what I do), or the purely subjective experience (what I feel) of what is so often called “worship.” The truest test, or display of worship, however, is loving and trusting obedience, it is walking in the light, it is reflecting the life of Jesus: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
The life of fellowship with God that reflects His glory is a life that is very conscious of indwelling sin and confesses it constantly. This is one who is “Poor in spirit” (Matt. 5:3) A life of fellowship with God that reflects His glory is a life lived in submission to His commands. In others words, obedience is an essential mark of fellowship with Him and living to His glory: “By this we know if that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments … whoever keeps His word in him the love of God has been perfected” (1 John 2:3, 5).
This should sound familiar, for Jesus already said to His disciples as He was headed to the cross, “If you love Me you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Notice, love comes before obedience and obedience’s is the outflow of love.
Jesus loved the Father so much He did everything the Father commanded (John 14:31); His will was completely yielded to the Father (Lk. 22:39-46), even to the point of death on a cross (Phil. 2:8). He loved the Father, so He obeyed Him; He yielded to the Spirit, the same Spirit that lives in a Christian.
It was that obedience that brought ultimate glory to the Father (John 12:27-28; 17:1; Phil. 2:11) – and so it is for us. We cannot glorify Him if we do not love, and we do not love Him if we are not yielding to His commandments (cf. Rom. 8:6-13). Put another way, it is a love for righteousness that comes through faith in Christ and is fueled by the inward ministry of the Holy Spirit (1 John 3:5-9).
The life of fellowship with God that reflects His glory is a life lived in sacrificial love for the brethren. “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him” (1 John 2:10). This love is to be like the love of Jesus (1 John 2:6), who laid down His life for His friends (John 15:12-13) and even washed their feet just before He did it (John 13:34-35). Later John will put it like this: “We know love by this, which He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).
At the very least that means meeting physical needs (1 John 3:17), but really so much more., Life of fellowship with God that reflects His glory is a life that loves Him, longs for Him, His presence more than the things of this world. “Do not love the world, or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Fellowship with God who is light make the heart more distant to the glitter and things of this world (1 John 2:16-17).
The life of fellowship with God that reflects His glory is a life that perseveres in faith. “They went out from us because they were not of us” (1 John 2:19), which is to say, those who don’t remain faithful to the gospel clearly don’t glorify God, they don’t even belong to Him. Persevering in faith in Christ is essential to glorifying Him. And a life of fellowship with God that reflects His glory is a life that remains in the truth, in sound doctrine.. The voice of truth is the substance and meat of our worship of God, of which our singing, prayer, and service is the fruit.
Fellowship of God with Manfew on Scripture.
After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.( Genesis 5:22)Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (Genesis 5:24.) This is the account of Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. (Genesis 6:9)When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel. (Genesis 35:15)When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” (Exodus 3:4)But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.” (Numbers 22:12)
Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.( Deuteronomy 6:3) Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.
(Psalm 40:5) I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, (Daniel 9:4) “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. (Acts 9:5) Since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:40)
Conclusion
Fellowship with God, by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ is the being of Fellowship. With God is the first, and because of that fellowship with one other. Are you in fellowship with God? Trust in Christ. Are we in fellowship with one another? Are we forgiving? Are we judgmental or considerate and sensitive to one another’s feelings? Do you have true fellowship with your life partner and in father in-law mother in law,
with your father and mother and with your brother and sister and with your daughter and son basically and with your elder in your church and the servant of God who leads you in Christ! Do you forgive all theperson in in the whole world who may be against you. Do we see ourselves as a vital part of this church, each one of us, equally important and vital to seeing the work of the Lord done here? God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1Corinthians1.9
So how do you live a life that marks fellowship with God and glorifies Him? By confessing sin, yielding to God in loving obedience, sacrificially loving others, longing for and finding more joy in things eternal than the things of this world, by persevering in faith, by remaining in the truth. These are the proof of fellowship with God and a life lived to His glory. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship that is ours in the Holy Spirit be with you all! Amen.
Servant of God
Bro. David Samuel
Email: thevoiceofgod.inda@gmail.com
web: http://Vgsongschristianmedia.org
Cell: +91-9442502949
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