HE+ Came to Bring Us into FELLOWSHIP --- 1 John 1: 3-4 --- ADVENT 2022

 

 

HE+ CAME  to Bring us into Fellowship . . .

1 John 1:3 -4

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.

And these things write we unto you,

that your joy may be full. 

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κοινωνία =  koinōnia  = koy-nohn-ee'-ah

Strong’s Greek 2844; partnership, that is, (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction: - (to) communicate (-ation), communion, (contri-), distribution, fellowship.

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The Apostle John knew  something.  He knew how to form FELLOWSHIP.  The Apostle knew  The TRUTH. He knew where it all had to begin.

Fellowship begins with CHRIST JESUS.

We cannot have ANY fellowship with ANYBODY until we come to CHRIST, confessing our sins, dedicating our life to HIM+.

We cannot come together in unity with another single soul until we have that actual, working unity  with The FATHER and HIS Holy SON+ JESUS.

The Apostle John knew this. He walked with The LORD during His+ early days of ministry.  He walked with The LORD during the Last Supper .  This Apostle was there at the scene of his LORD’S Crucifixion. And, he was an eye-witness to the Resurrected CHRIST.  He had seen it all.

He was in the Upper Room when the Baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT fell upon the Disciples.  He was around during the martyrdom of several Followers of JESUS.

Enemies of CHRIST attempted to martyr the Apostle John too, according to outside accounts, but were simply not effective in doing so.

It is said that the Apostle John was the last of the living Apostles; how greatly must he have yearned to go HOME to JESUS !

He knew the Fellowship of Suffering for JESUS. . . and he didn’t run away from it.

So, the Apostle John knew something.  

He knew that the ONLY way to have Fellowship with others was to maintain companionship with The FATHER and The LORD JESUS CHRIST.

That great loneliness, that great emptiness in us must FIRST be filled with JESUS, with The LIGHT+ of the WORLD.  Our gnawing hunger to be FULL of LIFE can only be filled by coming close to JESUS CHRIST.

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So, how do we DO that, in practice ?

We learn to yield to JESUS as LORD over our thoughts, words, and deeds. 

We lasso EVERY THOUGHT and march it directly to The WORD+ of GOD.  Then we hold it up to Scriptures and see if it matches what is written.  If our thought matches, then good; we keep it.

If our thought goes CONTRARY to the WORD+ of GOD, then we drop it as an unclean piece of filth. 

We repent of even soiling our mind with it, vowing to bar that thought from our hearts.

Quickly, we wash our “hands” in the pure Water of the WORD, repenting, renouncing our sinful nature. 

Then we REPLACE that contrary thought

with the CORRECT thought from Scriptures.

Are we a little proud in the inner man when we do good ?

Are we a little proud in the inner man when our children do good and make a name for themselves ?

Do we stand in judgment of others ?

WE ALL KNOW SCRIPTURES

WHICH WILL  CORRECT THOSE THOUGHTS

THAT ARE CONTRARY

TO THE WORD+ of GOD.

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True Fellowship with others BEGINS with true and honest Fellowship with CHRIST JESUS, in the LIGHT of His+ Word.

It must come first.