This topic is so important to our walk with God. Having Fellowship with God and with one another is not only a blessing, it’s necessary in order for us to be our best.
“The principal key to a successful Christian life is fellowship with the heavenly father. Christians manifest the more abundant life in direct proportion to the fellowship they keep with Him. But before a person can have fellowship, he must have sonship. We cannot have fellowship with the father until we have become His sons. Sonship makes us righteous before God, and starts us out in perfect fellowship with our Father; but sustained fellowship depends on the renewing of our minds according to his Word”
The reference to renewing our minds is in Romans 12:2:
Romans 12:2 – And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Not conformed — but transformed by the renewing of our minds.
The opening paragraph states: “Sonship makes us righteous before God, and starts us out in perfect fellowship with our Father; but sustained fellowship depends on the renewing of our minds according to his Word”
Let’s think about an example for a moment:
Imagine that you just paid cash for a brand new car. Just right from the factory. It’s clean, shiny, runs perfectly, and no one has even sat in it yet.
You drive it for the first time, how do you feel? You are excited right? This represents sonship. When we were born again it’s like we get a brand new “spiritual car”
Will that car stay clean forever?
Of course not. The first puddle you drive through will dirty up everything. That’s just how it is.
The “dirt” could represent broken fellowship. When we sin, we “dirty up” our fellowship with God. We are still his children, but our fellowship is not spotless like it was when our car was new.
Thankfully, God has unlimited grace….AKA the “Car Wash” and is ready and willing to clean our car. All we have to do is ask. God makes your fellowship perfect again, just like it was when it was brand new.
Psalms 103:12 – As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
God does not remember our sins. He is ever willing to forgive us. He wants us in fellowship with Him.
John 5:24 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth [hearing is not enough, it must be accompanied with believing or corresponding action] on him [God] that sent me, hath [already has] everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
We don’t have to wait until Jesus Christ returns to know that we are born again; we know that we are born again NOW. We have the proof of the manifestations! (I Corinthians 12)
But Rob! I feel bad! I have guilt over my past!
Well, God covers that subject too:
Romans 8:1 says: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…
Continuing to confess weakness and inability after knowing you have been forgiven denies God the opportunity to bring us abundance.
“Fellowship…with the Father is the secret to spiritual happiness…” and the abundant life.
When is your relationship the best with your friends or family members?
When you are in good standing with them, right?
If you spilled grape juice on their white carpet…
Or accidentally lit their cat on fire…..
That might temporarily put “dirt on the car” right?
Like our fellowship with God, we can have great fellowship with those around us. We show grace and are quick to forgive one another – just as God does for us.
I John 1:3 – That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
This verse lays out God’s plan for us so beautifully.
We are so blessed by what we have seen and heard that we can’t help but declare it.
Why?
So that people may have fellowship with us.
And our fellowship is with God, and his son Jesus Christ.
So get your car washed, and go out in the following weeks knowing the “secret to spiritual happiness” is Fellowship. First, fellowship with God, and then with those around us.
From a January 29, 2009 teaching [brackets indicate my comments] Adapted from the book entitled: The New Dynamic Church by Dr. Victor Paul Weirwille