Friday, August 9, 2024

The Word of Life is Relational (1 John 1:3b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/9/2024 9:45 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  “The Word of Life is Relational”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                         Reference:  1 John 1:3b

 

            Message of the verse:  “so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

 

            The key to understanding the fact that “The Word of Life is Relational” is to understand that all believers will realize they have fellowship, which is an authentic partnership with Jesus Christ and also with fellow believers.  In my life I have had the chance to live in Aruba for about eight months and actually the Lord gave me the opportunity to preach a couple of times down there.  Now the church that I attended was with English speaking people, but many of the Aruban believers were there who spoke Papiamento which is actually a form of Dutch that was spoken of by the slaves living in Aruba.  My point in all of this is that even though some of the people I was around who could not speak English there was a bond between us because we were believers.

 

            Now the word rendered fellowship is the familiar Greek term koinonia and this signifies a mutual participation in a common cause or shared life.  Here are some verses we can compare this one with where this is used “Gal. 2:9; 6:6; 1 Tim. 6:18; Titus 1:4; Philem. 6; 1 Peter 4:13; Jude 3.  MacArthur adds that “It is far more than a mere partnership of those who have the same beliefs and are thus drawn together.  Rather, it is the mutual life and love of those who are one in spirit (1 Cor. 6:17; cf. Eph. 5:30-32).”

 

            He goes on to write “The aim of the gospel preaching is to produce faith that rests in Christ (John 6:29; Acts 20:21).  Those who believe savingly in Jesus enter into a genuine union with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

 

            Here are some verses to help us understand this “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor. 1:9; cf. Gal. 2:20).

 

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. (2 Cor. 13:14; cf. John 17:21)

 

            This last quotation from MacArthur’s commentary can step on some toes as it has mine.  “Even sinning Christians who lose the joy of their fellowship with God never lose the reality of that eternal life from Him (1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1; Heb. 12:10), given them through their union with Christ (Rom. 6:3-5; Eph. 2:5; Col. 3:3).  Jesus said ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life’ (John 5:24; cf. Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5).  The new birth produces new life, so that believers are regenerated into everlasting fellowship with the triune God (cf. John 3:5-8).”

 

8/9/2024 10:09 PM

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