Part 1 defined the two aspects of the believer’s present spiritual position in Christ. Additionally, Biblical fellowship and the temporal character of fellowship with God were examined. Part 2 develops how believers are able to maintain their fellowship with God.
Fellowship Restored
The good news is that by confession of sin the believer can be restored to the Inner Realm of Fellowship with God. The Apostle John explains the method to be employed,
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
This is an often misunderstood and abused principle. Some have construed this to be a license to sin; that it makes it easy for the believer to take advantage of God’s provision of grace by purposefully sinning knowing that all they needed to do was to confess and be cleansed. However, the context of 1 John 1:5-10 dispels this notion, teaching that the Divine intention is for the believer to be determined to consistently “walk in the Light.” In addition, John states that he is “writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (1 John 2:1) and not to give them permission to intentionally sin. Even when Our Lord forgave sins, He conveyed to the sinner that He intended that they “do not sin anymore” (John 5:14; cf. John 8:11; Psalm 4:4). This means that the highest aim of the believer in their advance to spiritual maturity should be to persistently be walking in the Light—continuously in fellowship with God. This can be accomplished with the help of God’s grace to sin no more and to avoid the occasion of sin.
Just as the gospel is uncomplicated so that even a child can believe in Jesus Christ and be eternally saved (Acts 16:31), confession of sin(s) is not complicated. The Greek word confess literally means “to speak the same thing...admitting oneself guilty of what one is accused of, the result of inward conviction.”1 This implies admitting to God that our sin is the same thing (sin) that He has commanded us not to commit. Consequently, it is imperative that we know His commands and what sins to avoid, thus necessitating the knowledge of His Word. A child can be taught by parents, but an adult must learn by an intense study of Scripture.
It is important to observe the Biblical procedure for confession of sin. David outlines this in his Psalm:
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. (Psalm 32:5)
We confess our sins silently and only to God for forgiveness—never to anyone else and never publically. David reminds us of this important fact that a human mediator is unnecessary:
Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:4)
Eternally Loved
The fact that God makes available to the believer a means to be restored to fellowship expresses His eternal love for His own. The Apostle John conveyed this love when he wrote that Our Lord “having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1b). Dr. Ryrie explains that the phase to the end means literally “to the fullest extent.”2 The degree of this fullest extent is contained in the Biblical promise regarding the believer’s security in Christ as the writer of Hebrews declared:
For He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5b)
The two synonyms used, desert and forsake, each have different shades of meaning. Desert means “to dismiss, leave, neglect,”3 while forsake implies to “abandon, leave in straits, or helpless.”4 Our God ensures our eternal relationship in spite of our unfaithfulness.5 The fact that He neither deserts nor forsakes us is evidenced by His actively seeking our return to fellowship.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:20-21)
Verse 20 is often misconstrued as a call for salvation, but instead it is a call for believers to return and enjoy full fellowship with Him.6 What should be emphasized is the Lord’s gracious offer to dine with Him. In the ancient world to dine with a dignitary was considered “a sign of intimacy and committed the guest and host to friendly relations.”7 J. Vernon McGee remarks that “this speaks of fellowship, of feeding on the Word of God, and of coming to know Jesus Christ better.”8
And finally, Dr. Walvoord’s perceptive insight concerning the prospect of our ultimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ should be noted:
With Christ on the outside, there can be no fellowship or genuine wealth. With Christ on the inside, there is wonderful fellowship and sharing of the marvelous grace of God. This was an appeal to Christians rather than to non-Christians. This raises the important question concerning the extent of one’s intimate fellowship with Christ. To those who respond, Christ promises to give the right to sit with Him on His throne and share His victory. [emphasis his]9
Conclusion
The true significance of man’s existence from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden was to have fellowship with his Creator. Paradise has been lost, but God has devised a means for the believer in this age to have fellowship with Him. The Apostle John defined how this is possible:
But 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. (1 John 1:7)
It is impossible to truly understand fellowship with God apart from the knowledge that our present spiritual position is in Christ. This is all a product of God’s Divine plan, for which Our Lord prayed to the Father:
That they may all be one; even 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 sent Me. (John 17:21)
For the believer to reside in Christ, it is the Divine objective that this should be a vibrant union, a meaningful fellowship; one that the world will be able to witness and therefore believe that the Father sent Jesus Christ to provide salvation for all mankind.
[1] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.120.
[2] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago: Moody Press, p. 1707 note.
[3] Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G447.
[4] Vine, 2.252.
[5] cf. 2 Timothy 2:13a: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful.”
[6] Ryrie, p. 2019 note.
[7] Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, Revelation 3:20.
[8] McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible Commentary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 5.925.
[9] Walvoord, J. F. (1985). Revelation. In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck, Eds.). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 2.942.
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