"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). John the apostle and others who wrote by inspiration as first-hand witnesses declare to us today the basis for fellowship with God and with fellow Christians. We have a fellowship—it is fellowship with God. When we have fellowship with Him, we have fellowship with each other!
Fellowship began when we: believed God (what He said about us, our sin and His Son), believed in God (had faith in His power to save through His Son, Jesus), and when we, thus, obeyed God (Heb.11:6). By this faithful obedience, we answered God's call into fellowship. Note these two Bible verses which so teach this: "God is faithful, through whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:1). Also, "whereunto he called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:14). When a person believes and obeys the gospel, as you have done, that person answers God's call. We are thankful to God for your obedient answer to Him.
As a Christian, you now have fellowship with God and with all other Christians. You are a part of the body of Christ which is His church. Paul said, "Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof" (1 Corinthians 12:27). Again he told those in Rome, "so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another" (Romans 12:5). Paul spoke singularly of one body. The church is one body universally though there are many individual members not individual church groups or denominations!
In the Old Testament, we read of Israel. They were God's community. The word "community" comes from the same Greek word from which we get "fellowship". When we have fellowship, we are in the same community no matter where we live in the world. The Greek word used is "koi-no-né-a". It means "to have all things in common; share; participate in." You see how the word "common" is found in "community" or "communion".
In the New Testament, when we read of the beginning of the Lord's church in Acts chapter two, verse 42 tells us, "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and FELLOWSHIP, in the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42). Fellowship is vitally important. This is why we are taught "not forsaking our own assembling together" (Hebrews 10:25). As a part of the church, you are now a part of those "who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:10).
We were never meant to live the Christian life alone. We are meant for each other. There are no less than twenty-five references in the New Testament that speak to the fact that the "one another" relationship between Christians is vital. Imagine in your mind a triangle. God is at the top corner and you are at one of the bottom corners. As a Christian, I am at the other bottom corner. As you grow closer to God, maturing as a Christian, and as I do the same, we will automatically grow closer to one another. It can be no other way.
The church is what fellowship is all about. It has an important role to minister to the lonely, uprooted people in this world. We do this by providing a "family" according to the design and blessing of our Father in Heaven. Herein is a sense of belonging, acceptance, and appreciation that cannot be matched anywhere or in any other kind of "society" or "group membership" or "community social gathering." Those who fail to feel this for themselves are quite probably not putting anything into the relationship. Some are selfish that way.
The church of our Lord is the community of God—a place where we can share and participate and commune with God and one another. Keep what John said in mind when you consider your part in the body of Christ, "but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
Now, study the lesson sheet and answer the questions regarding this lesson. We hope that you continue to feel a very important and working part of the local body of Christ.