THE BELIEVER'S FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, PART 2

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.

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[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.

© 2024 David M. Rossi

THE BELIEVER'S FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, PART 1

In the Apostle John’s first epistle, he references that “indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Fellowship is an essential aspect of the believer’s present spiritual position. Therefore, the importance of this concept of fellowship with God cannot be overstated and needs to be understood completely as we progress through John's first epistle.

Aspects of Our Present Spiritual Position “in Christ”

Examining the chart below, we should note the specific details of the believer’s present position as being in Christ. For demonstration only, the main circle bounded by solid yellow represents the entirety of the believer’s relational sphere with God. It is solid because once inside there is never the possibility for the believer to ever be outside of this eternal relationship.

There are two aspects of being in Christ: The inner realm of fellowship and the outer realm of carnality. Throughout the believer’s life we occupy either aspect, but never at the same time. This follows the teachings of John that we either “walk in the Light”—the inner realm of fellowship (1 John 1:7); or we “walk in darkness”—in carnality marked by sin (1 John 1:6). The inner realm of fellowship has a permeated line, indicating that this aspect of the believer’s fellowship with God is temporal—transitory.

Fellowship with God

The meaning of the Greek word for fellowship is that of “an association involving close mutual relations and involvement.”1 Our fellowship with God is much greater than sitting around and singing hymns or walking about pseudo-piously with eyes looking towards heaven. It is intended to be a solemn, intimate and vibrant relationship that involves our participation of commonly shared interests and as imitators of God’s characteristics—specifically His love and righteousness (Ephesians 5:1-5). It is a supernatural life which requires that believers are to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. R.B. Thieme, Jr. rightly states this, that “In the Church Age, to be ‘in fellowship’ is to be filled with the Holy Spirit”2 (Ephesians 5:18b).

The Holy Spirit is the Agent of the Godhead sent by Jesus Christ for the believer (John 16:7). He is designated as our “Helper” and has specialized ministries exclusively for believers in the Church Age. Here are a few of the His many ministries: He is the provider of the new birth in Christ (John 3:3-6); He is to guide us in the teaching of God’s absolute truth (John 16:13; 2 Timothy 3:16); He provides a variety of individual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-11); His sealing is “the believer’s guarantee of the security of his salvation”3; He indwells the believer eternally and provides empowerment for us to be Christ’s witnesses (John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 3:16); and “by one Spirit we were baptized into one body” the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13).

The inner realm represents the place of our fellowship with God. Consistently residing in this place of fellowship should be the objective of every believer. This requires that the believer be filled with the Holy Spirit in order that they “walk as children of Light” (Ephesians 5:8) by their holy living.

Temporal Aspect of Fellowship

Residing in the inner realm of fellowship means a life devoid of sinfulness. It is the reason that our fellowship is a temporal aspect, because sin severs the believer’s fellowship with God. For we have been called to holy living: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:1). In contrast, the New Testament writers provide numerous examples of what constitutes sinfulness:

But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:3–5)

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. (1 Peter 2:1)

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

Nevertheless, it is inevitable that the believer will sin and when that occurs they are no longer “walking in the Light” but instead they are walking in darkness and dwell in the Outer Realm of Carnality. Paul characterized these believers as unspiritual, men of flesh (carnal) “infants in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1). Elsewhere he is emphatic that those who are carnal and unspiritual “cannot please God” (Romans 8:8; cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:1). Paul does explain how we can please God:

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9–10)

In Our Lord’s discourse of the “Vine and the Branches” in John 15:1-16, He further described what pleases God and that our fellowship should glorify Him: “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples...and that your fruit would remain” (John 15:8, 16). Our Lord’s desire is that our fruit bearing would not be “a mere spurt, but permanent growth.”4 The believers' exhibition of the fruit of Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) ensures that they are pleasing Him by keeping His commandments (John 13:35), abiding in His love (John 15:9-10) and witnessing so that others might believe in Jesus Christ (John 17:20). Thus, “as we bear ‘much fruit’ the Father is glorified in us.”5

However, it should be noted that Our Lord mentions in His discourse that “every branch in Me [in Christ] that does not bear fruit, He takes away” (John 15:2a). This in no way implies loss of salvation, but instead it depicts being removed from the Inner Realm of Fellowship and consequently residing in the Outer Realm of Carnality. Concerning the Greek word for ‘takes away,’ Dr. Ryrie asserts that “The word may mean this literally (as ‘Remove’ in 11:39) and would therefore be a reference to the physical death of fruitless Christians (1 Cor. 11:30).”6 The Apostle John warned that "there is a sin leading to death" (1 John 5:16). 

The writer to the Hebrews, quoting Proverbs 3:11-12, cautions that there is the real potential of Divine discipline for a believer continually dwelling in the Outer Realm of Carnality:

And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

 “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;

For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,

 And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:5–8)

When Continued in Part 2:

It will be explained how the believer can be restored to the Inner Realm of Fellowship and how they are to maintain their fellowship with God.

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[1] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1.445.

[2] Thieme, R.B., Jr. (2022). Thieme’s Bible Doctrine Dictionary, Houston, TX: R.B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, p. 99.

[3] Ryrie, Charles C. (1995). The Ryrie Study Bible: Expanded Edition, Chicago, IL: Moody Press, p. 1877 note.

[4] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 5.261.

[5] Scofield, C. I. (2002). The Scofield Study Bible, New King James Version, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, p. 1478, note.

[6] Ryrie, p. 1710 note.