DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE JOY OF FELLOWSHIP

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE JOY OF FELLOWSHIP

"That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." (I John 1:3-4)

The joy of Christian fellowship is the common faith that John was writing about. John was an eye-witness to the life of the Lord Jesus. He had seen the Lord Jesus, had touched the Lord Jesus, and bore witness to the message of eternal life through Christ.

The Greek word translated "fellowship" is koinonia. It means sharing, communion, communication, or community. It is holding things in common – common ground.

That is what binds the Christian community together – the Gospel of Christ. Our common denominator is not our social/economic status, our education, our race or ethnicity, common personalities, or even family ties. It is our faith that God came to earth, lived among us, died for our sins, and rose again. John was a witness to all of this.

I find it difficult to carry on a conversation for very long with people who do not love Jesus, not because I think I am superior, but because there is very little common ground. After all, I can only talk about the weather and family so much. Then I run out of anything to say. When our fellowship – the common ground between us – is based in our fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, then we have a mutual love affair – God, the other person, and myself. There is joy that flows between us. The acronym of J-O-Y is Jesus, Others, and You.

When my relationships with God, others, and myself are in place, there is a joy that springs from our fellowship. We are one in the bonds of love.

Love, Dad