1 John 1:6-7

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

From Background Notes [BN] for March 10^th/11^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

A few observations about this text:

1. God is the author of fellowship when He calls human beings into fellowship with His Son. This is a sign of His faithfulness and His reliable commitment to His children.

2. The grace and love of Father and Son take shape in human lives by the work of the Holy Spirit.

3. The earliest covenants among the apostles of the church involved “the right hand of fellowship” as the acknowledgement of God’s gracious mission to both Jews and Gentiles.

4. In the life of the church, the experiences of encouragement, comfort, tenderness, compassion, joy, love, unity, and humility in the service of others — all of these belong to what Paul calls “the fellowship of the Spirit.”

5. Ultimately the rootage of fellowship lies in the sufferings and resurrection of Jesus.

6. Our witness to the Gospel is an invitation for others to share our fellowship with God.

7. Fellowship requires honesty about ourselves before God, and the trust that Jesus, God’s Son, washes away all sin. The imagery of light reinforces the teaching about fellowship, reminding us about the importance of transparency before God and others.

Anxiety and alienation are the two dominant human crises of our time. The koinonia — fellowship — is God’s gift to the church and through the church for overcoming them. Fellowship is light driving out darkness in human relationships through the power of the Gospel.   [BN, 9 & 10]

Join us this week in Study & Worship at ChicagoFirstChurch of the Nazarene –

* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 8:30am & 11:00am, 5:30pm