INTRODUCTION:
This is a busy morning (Sunday, August 3). With Communion this morning we are going pause our study of Ecclesiastes and consider a few verses out of 1 John instead. We’ll return to Ecclesiastes next week. Today we’re going to talk about fellowship. In our Tuesday / Wednesday study of 1 John, we’ve seen that 1 John is all about fellowship; fellowship with God and with each other. It has challenged our traditional understanding of fellowship and redefined it as a partnership between Father, Son, Spirit, you, and me.
FELLOWSHIP IN THE LIGHT
In 1 John 1:5, we read that I AM Is Pure Light. It says, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” He is pure, perfect, righteous. He is Truth, Life, Love, and Holy. In Him there is no darkness, no impure thought, no unjust word, no unholy action. One reason I love the Old Testament book of Leviticus is that it tells us in no uncertain terms how holy God is; if the people of Israel were going to be that close to God, in that close fellowship, they needed to be holy!
In 1 John 1:6-7, we are faced with the question Am I Pure Light? It says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” The word fellowship is used in 1 John 1:6 and it is the Greek word “koinonia” which means “a close relationship.” Remember, 1 John 1:5 just reminded us how holy God is…that there is NO darkness in Him. The issue then becomes, “how can you have fellowship with God if you still walk in darkness?” Light and darkness are diametrically opposed, they cannot co-exist. Unholy people cannot have a close relationship with a Holy God.
Now, 1 Corinthians 10:16 says, “the cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” The word communion is that very same Greek word, “koinonia” which means “close relationship.” Our close relationship with God is only possible because of the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and fellowship with Christ means being part of His Body: the Church. Did you ever realize your close relationship with God is inseparable from your close relationship with your bothers and sisters in Christ? In fact, if your relationship with the Church is not important to you, then your relationship with God isn’t either. The Church is identified as the “Bride of Christ” in Ephesians 5, and we become part of the Church when come to faith in Christ. So how can anyone think they have a close relationship with Christ if they consider their relationship with the Church irrelevant, unimportant, optional, or impossible? Again, 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” A close relationship / fellowship / communion is not only a three-fold cord between God, the church, and you. This close relationship also requires holiness, that we forsake the words, thoughts and deeds of darkness (sin).
Here are some other passages that agree: John 8:12 says, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” Philippians 2:12-16 says, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.” Then there is 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ Therefore, ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,’ says the LORD Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Finally, Ephesians 5:8-16 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’ See then that you walk circumspectly [carefully], not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
Now, back to 1 John 1:6-7. We are called to fellowship with God who is Pure Light…to do so we must forsake fellowship with darkness as 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “let us cleanse ourselves from all filth of the flesh, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” “If we walk in darkness, we have no fellowship with Him…” But, “If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with Him, each other, and the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin.” How much darkness does God have? [ZERO] How much darkness can you have if you are going to have fellowship with Him? [ZERO] Day to day, how much darkness are you in fellowship with?
CONCLUSION
God alone can save us. Only He can break the power of sin in our lives by the blood of Christ. Only He can give us victory over sin and death. Only through Him can we have communion in Christ and His Church. But working out that salvation is a partnership between God and all of us. If you say you have fellowship with God, but walk in darkness, you lie. If you say you have fellowship with God, but you have no fellowship with the church, you lie. Walking in the Light, in the victory over sin Jesus won for us…means being holy, forsaking darkness day-to-day It depends upon our fellowship with God, and with each other. Your close relationship with God is maintained by being holy in what you say, think, and do. Holiness is only maintained by submitting to the power and leading of the Holy Spirit and interaction with each other as we hold one another accountable and help each other grow spiritually.
