kef1000blog

The Encouragement of Fellowship

When most of us think of Christian fellowship, we immediately envision a pot luck dinner, a church-wide picnic, or a Sunday school class party. While those activities are all part of our modern understanding of the term, much more is intended by the writers in the New Testament.

Paul reports in his letter to the churches in Galatia that "James, Peter, and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me." James, Peter, and John identified in Paul and Barnabas a relationship with Christ through faith and were, therefore, compelled to express a feeling of belonging to them. Christian fellowship is so much more than an invitation to the table or to a party.

The apostles saw in one another people "who were baptized into Christ Jesus..." whose "old self was crucified with Him..." and who were "alive to God." They saw "sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus..." to whom "God sent the spirit of His Son...." Such an identification demands the fullest acceptance--—a type of communion in the Spirit.

They were a part of each other because by belonging to God and sharing His Spirit they became His sons and, therefore, brothers. All the saints in your local congregation are part of God's family, and should honor, accept, and serve one another as a result. We can take comfort from this fact and this is what we mean by the encouragement of fellowship.

# posted by kef1000 @ 8:22 PM