Fellowship
Sharing things in common with others
In the New Testament, fellowship has a distinctly spiritual meaning. Fellowship can
be either positive or negative.
Heb: Chabar (Khaw- Baz) = compact, couple together, join self together
Gk: Koiowia (Koinonia) Partnership, participation or social intimacy
Positively:
Believers have fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (John 17:21-26,
Philippians 2:1, I John 1:3) as well as with other believers (Acts 2:42, I John 1:3, 7).
The only reason why we dare to have fellowship with God, in the sense of sharing
things in common with Him, is that He has raised our status through the death and
resurrection of Christ (Ephesians 2:4-7).
We can fellowship with God because:
We are made in His image (Genesis 1:26, Psalms 82:6)
We are washed in the blood of Jesus, made the righteousness of God in Christ
(Romans 3:22, II Corinthians 5:17-21).
We are justified = just as we had never sinned (Romans 3:24, 5:1, 8:1-4).
What believers share in common with God is a relationship (we are adopted into the
family) (Rom 8:14-17). As well as God’s own holy character (I Peter 1:15).
Those who have fellowship with Christ should enjoy fellowship with other believers,
a communion that ought to illustrate the very nature of God Himself (John 13:15,
Ephesians 5:1-2, I John 1:5-10).
The more we draw closer to God, the more God draws closer to us (James 4:8).
Our relationship with God has to be developed.
A lot of people’s fellowship is short, because they run out of things to say (Romans
8:26).
We have a partnership with God (Ezekiel 22:30, I Corinthians 3:9). We have
dominion on earth and as we pray we bring God’s power into our situations
(Matthews 6:9-13).
Prayer is communication with God. We are not telling God something He doesn’t
already know. We are asking God to step in and do something about a problem or
situation that we have, giving God back dominion. God loves us so much, but He
cannot do anything in our life unless we ask Him. God gave man dominion
(Genesis 1:26, Psalms 8:6-8), and even though man fell, God being Truth did not
go against His word.
Negatively:
Believers should not have fellowship with unbelievers. This means they should not
share in unbelievers sinful lifestyles (II Corinthians 6:14-18). This does not mean,
however, that believers should have nothing to do with unbelievers. The Bible
plainly teaches that believers are obligated to help unbelievers and share the
Gospel with them (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-18, I Corinthians 9:16-17).