WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT WALKING WITH GOD



“FELLOWSHIP”, WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT WALKING WITH GOD

The Greek word translated "fellowship” in our English Bible is a form of "koinonia" , meaning to "share", or "participate" in something together.

"Koinonia" , is derived from the Greek root word “koinonos” , which is translated in the KJV as “partaker” 5, “partner” 3, “fellowship” 1, and “companion” 1 time.

God’s Word states that we are to “fellowship” with God and with our Christian brothers and sisters and avoid “fellowship” with “workers of darkness”.

God has a Plan and God has a Life. Every moment of our Christian life, we are either fellowshipping, or “sharing” our life with God through His Spirit and sharing and participating in His Life and plan, or we are "stiff arming" God and living our life on our own, "out of fellowship".

1 John Chapter 1 is a dissertation on the importance, mechanics and joy of maintaining fellowship with God.

In 1 John 1:6 & 7, our fellowship with God is described as "walking in light", and the breaking of this fellowship is "walking in darkness". Walking in the Light of God’s will and Word, "in fellowship" and controlled by His Spirit is where the maximum blessings, growth, guidance, production, joy, & rewards of the Christian life are found.

In Eph 5:18, we are commanded to "continually be filled (Greek word "pleroo" means controlled by) by God’s Spirit”. The child of God is constantly and forever indwelt by God's Spirit. The issue here is not how much of God’s Spirit do we have, but how much of US does God’s Spirit have.

When we are commanded by God to do something, we fully expect to find guidance on the "mechanics" of HOW to do it!

There are two actions of our human will that are said to break our fellowship with God, "quenching" the Spirit of God (1 Thess 5:19), and "grieving" the Spirit of God (Eph 4:30). I see “quenching” God’s Spirit, as not doing the things God’s Word clearly tells us to do (sins of omission) and resisting the control of God’s Spirit by doing things "our way". At best this produces human good, which is unrewardable (1 Cor 3:11-15), and always falls short of God’s best for us.

I see "grieving" the Spirit of God, on the other hand, as knowingly and overtly committing sin in violation of God’s Word.

At every moment in time, we either have unconfessed sin in our life from quenching, or, grieving the Spirit, or we are fellowshipping with God.

When we realize that we have sinned against God and broken fellowship, I find only one God given method to restore that fellowship, and that is the subject of 1 John chapter one. Honestly confessing our sin to our loving heavenly Father removes the sin that has come between us and restores us to full fellowship. 1 John 1:7 teaches that when we confess our known

sins to the Father, that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, not on our own merit, but on the basis of the work Jesus did on the cross.

God’s Word declares that all our sins were paid for on the Cross. Sin, in the Christian life does not change our “relationship” with God, it breaks our “fellowship” with God, and brings us under Divine discipline.

There are many, many humanly devised methods for mankind to attempt to earn their way back into God’s good graces. From prayer beads, to church work and attendance, from walking the isle and re-dedicating, to beating themselves on the back with a chain, every religion, has a method of attempting to get back into God's favor.

Many of God’s children, who lack good Biblical guidance, get caught in a cycle of beating themselves up in their mind, carrying a tremendous burden of guilt, and vowing to God to do better, then finally breaking down and sorrowfully “re-dedicating”. This cycle of guilt can even cause physical illness! It seems that the desire to do things our own way, without reading the directions is a powerful part of our sin nature. Assembling toys on Christmas morning is a good example. I guess we secretly want all the credit for our accomplishments, so we resist any form of help, even from our loving Heavenly Father. That is a pretty good definition of pride, isn’t it? “Pride” is the number one thing that God hates in Prov 6:17!

I believe the Bible teaches that, instant confession of known sin, even a bad thought, is the most important key to the Christian life. This is God’s grace method of restoring fellowship for His children when they sin. Paul says in 1 Cor 10:5, that we should be "bringing every thought into captivity, which results in obedience to Christ".

THE MECHANICS OF MAINTAINING OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD:

1. Instantly confess all known sin. 1 Jn 1:9 Fellowship is restored, the power of God flowing in our life again. The sin itself was already forgiven on the Cross.

2. Forget it, God doesn't remember it, and we shouldn't either: Phil 3:13 & 14

3. Isolate it: Heb 12:15, dwelling on past forgiven sin is failing to understand the Grace of God, and promotes bitterness.

BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF RESTORATION TO FELLOWSHIP:

1. God’s relationship with Israel: Jer 3:13, They needed to confess their sin - 13 “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD”. “Acknowledging” our sin to our Loving Heavenly Father brings the power back into our life to help us resist sin.

2. The parable of the self righteous brother (AKA the parable of the prodigal son), Luke 15:11-32 illustrates the grace of God in forgiving His children.

The attitude of the self righteous brother also illustrates the improper mental attitude of the child of God who does not understand or believe in orientation to the grace of God. The story ends with the brother still angry because the prodigal son confessed his terrible sin and was completely forgiven!

3. David's restoration to fellowship after his periods of sin:

a. Psa 32:5 David is restored through confession of sin to the Father.

b. Psa 38:1-18 David confesses and feels sorry for his sin. His sin is forgiven no matter how he "feels", but quite often we feel very bad about our sin.

c. Psa 51:3&4 and 16&17 Confess. Notice in verses 16 and 17 "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else I would give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise.

4. Solomon: Prov 28:13 "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

SYNONYMS FOR RESTORATION OF FELLOWSHIP, THAT WE HEAR:

We often hear these terms preached as if one of them is the “mechanics” for being “filled with the Spirit”.

1. “Confession of sin”, 1 John 1:9. As 1 John 1:7 states, then the blood of Christ cleanses us of all sin. I think that “Judging ourselves”, by examining ourselves and honestly acknowledging our sin to our Loving Heavenly Father, PRODUCES the rest of the following “synonyms.

2. If we "Judge our self", we will not be judged, 1 Cor 11:31. (The word for "judge self" is to "discern", or "examine" and for "be not judged" is to "not come under divine discipline"). If we do not compare ourselves to God’s Word and confess our sin to the Father, God will discipline (correct) us (Heb 12:3- 11)

3. “Yield”, Rom 6:13 and 12:1. Placing our will under God’s will. I have been in churches where "yielding" was the subject of almost every sermon, but the pastor could not tell us HOW to "yield". Just do it. I believe that when we are told to do something, we should be given the mechanics of how to do it.

4. “Obey”, 1 Cor 10:5, same as "yield", the subject of many sermons. How many Christians feel like failures because they are trying to live the Christian life in their own energy?

5. “Lay aside every weight”, Heb 12:1. This can only be done by means of the power of God.

6. “Be in subjection to the Father”, Heb 12:9. Same as "yield".

7. “Lift up hands that hang down”, Heb 12:12. Sin paralyzes. Get going again, back to doing divine good works by God’s power.

8. “Make straight paths”, Heb 12:13 and Matt 3:3. Stop wasting time on out of fellowship side trips.

9. “Arise from the dead”, Eph 5:14. Out of fellowship, all our works are "dead works".

10. “Put off the old man”, Eph 4:22. The only way we can break the control of our Old Sin Nature and walk in the Spirit is 1 John 1:9 confession of sin.

11. “Purify ourselves”, 1 John 3:3. Again 1 John 1:9 confession of sin removes the stains of our experiential sin.

12. “Abide in Jesus”, John 15:4-7. 1 John 1:9 confession of sin restores fellowship with Jesus.

13. “Be filled with the Spirit”, Eph 5:18. While we are in fellowship, we are controlled by the Spirit of God.

14. “Repent”, 22 times in the New Testament. A “change of mind”, which produces a change in actions. The problem here is that we cannot “repent” in our own energy! True “repentance” must begin with confession of sin in accordance with 1 John 1:9. We can “vow”, or “promise God” that we will do better, but this alone will not produce “repentance”. We cannot “clean up” our selves, we must have the power of God flow back into our life to produce REAL change!

Isa 66:18 says that if we regard iniquity in our heart, God will not hear us (no positive answer). We cannot do any of the above actions apart from confession of sin. But, when we come boldly to the throne of God’s grace and honestly admit our sin and shortcomings, in effect, "judging our self", we are "yielding" our self, "laying aside every weight", we are "placing ourselves in subjection to the Father", we are "lifting up hands that hang down", "making straight paths", "arising from the dead", "putting off the old man", "purifying ourselves", "abiding in Jesus", and “truly repent”, and we are "filled with (controlled by) God’s Spirit", and have God's power to be obedient, until we knowingly sin again.

Without first confessing our sin to the Father, I do not see ANYTHING that we can DO, or STOP DOING that will restore us to fellowship and to the control of the Holy Spirit. This is God's Grace method of staying under His control, in His will, and operating in His power.

Even the desire to confess our sin and maintain our fellowship comes from God!

1. 2 Cor 7:10-11 Speaks of the sorrow from God that causes a change of mind.

2. Acts 11:18 A God given change of mind that results in a changed life.

3. God works in us to will and do His good pleasure, Phil 2:13, Heb 13:21, 1 Thess 2:13,

Stay in fellowship through instant confession of all known sin, take in God’s Word, seek to live by the Word through the power of God and you will, as Peter says in 2 Pet 3:18, "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever, amen."!

Bob

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