Thoughts from The Bible

Thoughts from the Bible

Tuesday, 21 November 2023 12:10

Joy in Fellowship
Read 1 John 1:1-4.

by Sarah Wootten Corinth Missionary Baptist Church

Have you ever experienced forgiveness after committing a grievous sin against someone? Maybe you were unloving towards a relative in their greatest moment of need. Or perhaps you lied about a friend in an effort to save yourself. After recognizing your sin, you knew you needed to seek that person’s forgiveness. However, you acted despicably. How could anyone, especially a close friend or family member, show you mercy? You were sure the relationship was over. And yet, against all odds and without reservation, you were forgiven. Your heart erupted with joy because of the forgiveness you had received and the restored relationship.
Today, we are talking about fellowship – fellowship with God and fellowship with each other. John writes that he shared the gospel with others so that they “may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ,” (1 John 1:3, ESV).
Fellowship is an odd word. It’s one that we rarely use outside religious or educational circles. But at its basic meaning, it’s an agreement or commonality that binds people together. It’s a oneness that is shared. Therefore, apart from the gospel, we cannot have fellowship with God. God is light, and if we live in darkness, we cannot be with Him. The Bible describes unbelievers as enemies of God (Romans 5:10). God gave His only Son as the perfect sacrifice that we may have forgiveness and fellowship with Him.

The fellowship that we have with God comes with amazing privileges. For starters, we are no longer enemies of God, but His children. “Children” isn’t just a title. It has meaning. Think of all the ways a good father cares for his sons and daughters. Because God is our good Father, we know that when we pray to Him, He will answer, just like a father grants the requests of his children (Matthew 7:7-11; Psalm 91:14-16). When we sin yet again, He shows compassion to His children who fear Him (Psalm 103:13). When we are in trouble, He doesn’t leave us (Psalm 91:13). When we are in need of correction, He teaches us (Hebrews 12:5-6). The description of our fellowship with God could go on and on.

But there’s another important fellowship that we, as believers, have. It’s a fellowship with one another. Since believers are all found in Christ, we are, therefore, one with each other (Romans 12:5). In Christ, God has knitted Christians together as a family, especially in our local churches. And with this fellowship, we have some amazing responsibilities and privileges. Read through Ephesians 4 and Romans 12, and you’ll find multiple paragraphs of descriptions about how we are to relate to Christians. Love one another like brothers. Serve one another. Meet needs. Be patient. Encourage each other. Honor each other. In short, be committed to one another’s good, to love one another, and grow in Christ together.

John closes his opening paragraph by giving another reason for writing this letter. He wants believers’ joy to be full, complete, and abundant (1 John 1:4).
Think back to my opening example. How great is the joy of two friends who have found forgiveness? How greater is the joy of a Christian who has found forgiveness from the holy God? As believers grow in the Lord and our understanding of how much we have truly been forgiven increases, our joy in what Christ has done on our behalf grows. As we humbly submit to His commands to not continue in sin, we joyously worship Him with our lives. The joy that we experience in our fellowship with God is our greatest joy.

But there is also immense joy in being in fellowship with one another. Isn’t it a joy-filled moment when you hear about someone becoming a Christian? How exciting is it to see believers grow in holiness? This is what John wants to see. He wants to see a group of Christians sure of their salvation (1 John 5:13) and loving one another (1 John 3:16-18). This will make John and his companions most joyous, and it should us too.