Chuck Deveau
June 24, 2015
MenofMessiah.org
“FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD/CHRIST”
“Walking in the Light”
John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the LIGHT of the world.
He who FOLLOWS Me shall NOT WALK in darkness, but have the
LIGHT of life.”
I John 1:5-10
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you,
that God is LIGHT and in Him is no darkness at all.
(vs.6) If we say that we have FELLOWSHIP with Him, and walk in
darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
(vs.7) BUT if we WALK IN THE LIGHT as He is in the LIGHT, we (=God
and me) have FELLOWSHIP one with another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
(vs.8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is
not being lived out.
(vs. 9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(vs.10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His
Word is not being effective within us.
INTRODUCTION
Clearly God, our Father, desires and invites us who are His children
through FAITH in Jesus Christ, “the LIGHT of the world,” to live out
our daily Christian lives in the conscious FELLOWSHIP of Who Christ
is and what we are and ultimately will be by His Grace.
This is APOSTOLIC fellowship: I John 1:1-4—“That which was from
the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon, an dour hands have handled, concerning the
Word of LIFE—(vs.2) the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear
witness, and declare to you that ETERNAL LIFE which was with the
Father and was manifested to us—(vs.3) THAT which we have seen and
heard we declare to you, THAT you also may have FELLOWSHIP with
us; and truly our (emphatic) FELLOWSHIP is with the Father and with
His Son Jesus Christ. (vs.4) And these things we write to you THAT your
JOY may be full.”
“FELLOWSHIP IN THE LIGHT”
My experience tells me that the concept of “fellowship” is often used to
refer to those occasions where two or more of us get together and have a
“good time” or just “yuk it up!” Thus for many Christians the term
“fellowship” is virtually a synonym for SOCIALIZING!
“FELLOWSHIP=KOINONIA”
Koinonia is the Biblical term we translate with our English
“fellowship!” This term has the basic idea/sense of SHARING!
Now obviously many things or experiences CAN be shared by people
and even with God. Thus in the most general sense we are “sharing” an
hour together this morning!
So, Biblically, when the term is used, the CONTEXT determines
precisely WHAT and with WHOM something is shared.
2 Corinthians 6:14-15
Do NOT be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (non-Christians).
For what FELLOWSHIP (koinonia) has righteousness with lawlessness?
And what FELLOWSHIP (koinonia) has LIGHT with darkness?
(vs.15) And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what PART has a
believer with an unbeliever?
I John 1:6-7 “CENTRAL TEXT”
(vs.6) If we say that we have FELLOWSHIP with Him, and walk in
darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
(vs.7) BUT if we WALK IN THE LIGHT as He is in the LIGHT, we (=God
and me) have FELLOWSHIP one with another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
BUT notice that before John makes this declaration he states, vs. 5: This
is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that
God is LIGHT and in Him is no darkness at all (=very emphatic
construction!).
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“OPENNES AND HONESTY WITH GOD”
However, notice (vs. 9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
That is IF we honestly acknowledge any SIN God CONVICTS us of, we
obtain immediate “forgiveness.” And, once again, the “blood of Christ”
“cleanses” us from ALL unrighteousness.
This includes ALL those sins I may not even be consciously aware of at
the time I CONFESS the sin I am consciously aware of!
*Please don’t mistake this verse as declaring the condition for getting
“saved” or receiving “eternal life!”
(vs.10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His
Word is not being effective within us.
THE SPIRITUAL PROCESS OF BENEFITING FROM WALKING IN
THE LIGHT= “continuing in His Word…”
The more I HONESTLY put myself under the spiritual scrutiny of
God’s Word, the more I SEE of Him and His LIGHT, the more I will
get TRANSFORMED into the character likeness of Jesus Christ.
And in all this John says in (vs.4) And these things we write to you THAT
your JOY may be full.”
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD/CHRIST—WALKING IN THE LIGHT!
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