Christian believers have been taught to go to church. They have not been taught to follow Jesus Christ and that is why they feel guilty if they do not belong to a church or if they do not fellowship with other believers. But the fellowship that we truly need is not that with other believers but with Jesus Christ Himself. If we have fellowship with other people but not with Jesus, then we are lost. We have to be in fellowship with Jesus Christ Himself and then we can bring others into fellowship with Him, but if we are not in fellowship with Him we are in darkness and we will perish.
I read the testimony of the apostle John in 1 John 1:1. He talks about KNOWING and FOLLOWING Jesus Christ and then testifying to the world about Jesus. Verse 1:
“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— “ He is talking about him as disciple and the other disciples, walking with Jesus Christ, they touched Him, they SAW Him, they HEARD Him. Verse 2 ”and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and INDEED OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER, AND WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 4These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.”
He tells the world about Jesus Christ. He testifies because he KNOWS Jesus.
He goes on to say in verse 5: “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7BUT IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE HIMSELF IS IN THE LIGHT, WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS HIS SON CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN.”
If we WALK WITH GOD, if we are in FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD then the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us of all unrighteousness.
Verse 8 “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
If we walk in the Light, If we walk with Jesus then the Light shines on us and He shows up the sin and impurities in our lives and the Holy Spirit convicts us, we IMMEDIATELY REPENT and walk in holiness and thus we are PURIFIED, we are CLEANSED and we have FELLOSHIP WITH HIM. If we are not WALKING IN THE LIGHT, if we are not walking in holiness and righteousness and obedience to Jesus Christ then we are in darkness. If we are still IN SIN then we are not walking in the Light, then we don’t come to the Light, we run away form the Light. If we walk in the Light then we will be PURE as He is PURE and his blood cleanses us of all unrighteousness.
We read in John 15:1 Jesus says ”I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser 2“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3“YOU ARE ALREADY CLEAN BECAUSE OF THE WORD WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU.”
What is He saying? He is saying that because they WALK IN THE LIGHT AND THE LIGHT SHINES ON THEM and the Holy Spirit convicts them, they are CLEANSED because IMMEDIATELY AS THEY ARE CONVICTED they REPENT and thus they walk in holiness and in righteousness before Him; because they WALK IN THE LIGHT.
Verse 4“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.”
We have to STAY IN FELLOWSHIP with Jesus Christ. We have to ABIDE IN HIM. We have to WALK IN THE LIGHT. Our fellowship is with HIM. If we are not in fellowship with Jesus Christ WALKING IN THE LIGHT then we are in darkness. The fellowship of the disciples is WITH Jesus Christ. It is only if we are in fellowship with Him, walking in the Light that we can bring others to the Light also and it will be OBVIOUS from our DEEDS, the fruit that we bear, that we ARE walking in the Light because our fruit will bring glory to God the Father.
Our fellowship is with God, that is the fellowship that we must be concerned about and then He will use us to bring others into fellowship with Him. We first need to WALK IN THE LIGHT and then the Light that is in us will SHINE and draw others unto Him.
We must not be concerned about our fellowship with other people, our acceptance by other believers. We must be concerned about WALKING WITH GOD, WALKING IN THE LIGHT, being LED by the Holy Spirit and being pleasing to Jesus. That is the only fellowship that we should be concerned about because if is only when He is shining through us that we can draw others unto Him.
Are we in fellowship with God, with Jesus Christ? Are we walking with God? Many people are just in fellowship with their “church family” but they are far away from God and they will perish. As disciples of Jesus Christ we must WALK WITH HIM, day by day, follow Him and be in fellowship with Him until the very end.
May Jesus bless you.
finalcall07 