There are many kinds of meetings. There are all kinds of fellowships. The human soul longs for fellowship. But what is true fellowship? In these few verses of first John we find the word "fellowship" repeated four times. Its meaning is so deep and wide. It is complete fellowship. It is fellowship with God. It is fellowship with Jesus. It is fellowship among those who realize the love of God, and it is the fellowship of those who understand the meaning of Jesus' incarnation.
The Apostle John wrote this letter to the early Christians in Asia Minor. At first, they were happy to have fellowship with God. They were happy to have fellowship with Christ incarnate and fellowship with each other. But suddenly, there were many Gnostics within the church. Gnostics claimed that spirit is good and matter is evil. In short, Gnostics denounced the incarnation of Jesus Christ. They said, "If Jesus is perfect God and perfect man, Jesus cannot be God, because the body is evil." As a result, the early Christians began to doubt the grace and truth of Jesus' incarnation. Finally, they began to doubt the love of God, who sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ to save men from their sins. They were influenced by the Gnostic's love of the world. They were good Christians. But they lost their first love for Jesus Christ and they began to love the world. This situation grieved Apostle John and he wrote about Jesus' incarnation and Christian fellowship.
First, The Word of Life (1-2).
Look at verse 1. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” Here John writes about Jesus. John was one of Jesus’ disciples. He lived common life with Jesus for three years. He saw Jesus with his own eyes. John touched Jesus with his own hands and even sat down leaning on Jesus at the dinner table (John 13). John 1:1-2 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” These verses tell us that Jesus is God and Jesus was with God in the beginning. In the last part of 1 John 1:1, “the Word of life” is Jesus Christ, perfect God and perfect man. Jesus is the Word of life, Almighty God, the Creator God who made all the heavens and the earth. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is all powerful God. Jesus is the Lamb of God who is worthy to receive all honor power and glory.
Look at verse 2, “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” These words, “the life appeared” tell us of Jesus’ incarnation. When we know the meaning of Jesus' incarnation, we can realize the love of God. John says in John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John said Jesus' incarnation is full of grace and truth. When we look around the world, fallen man seems to be born to be proud for nothing. But look at Jesus! He gave up the glory and the honor and almighty power of God in order to come to this world and dwell among us. We call this “incarnation.” How full of grace and truth it is that Jesus came to this world in human form to save men from their sins.
From the onset of Jesus’ public ministry a man with leprosy came to him and begged him, “If you are willing you can make me clean.” Jesus could say one word, “You are clean!” But Jesus touched the man with leprosy. Jesus reached out his hand and Jesus told him, “I am willing. Be clean!” No one could touch a man with leprosy. But Jesus had fellowship with a man with leprosy.
Levi the tax collector looked healthy but he had a disease of selfishness and greed. People called him traitor and public sinner. Jesus was just passing by the tax collector’s booth but he stopped and he called Levi, “Follow me.” Jesus had fellowship with tax collectors and sinners. When Jesus came to this world and had fellowship with all kinds of men and died on the cross, he prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34a). In this short prayer, we find a triangle relationship. Jesus had fellowship with the Father God. Jesus had fellowship with those who did not know what they were doing. This fellowship is full of grace and truth. It is because Jesus gave up all his glory, honor and power and came down and take the place of sinners and prayed on the cross.
Second, the power of fellowship in Christ (3-4).
Look at verse 3. “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son, Jesus Christ.” Here in the original Greek the word for fellowship is “koinonia.” This word in character, has the meaning of participation. 1 Peter 4:13 says, “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” Jesus came full of grace and truth. He was born in a manger, in the stable of an animal to be with us. He suffered to preach the kingdom of God and help sin sick people. But his focus was on the Twelve disciples. On the road, or at the table of someone’s house, he shared divine purpose with them, especially the meaning of his death and resurrection. But his disciples did not know the meaning of koinonia. When Jesus talked about his suffering, death and resurrection to his disciples they began to argue “Who is the greatest?” They had no idea of participating in the remaining sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10).
When Jesus finished his earthly messianic ministry, after his resurrection from the dead, he visited his disciples and he ascended into heaven. The disciples had thought that Jesus would be with them forever, but he was ascending. So they were looking at the sky. Then they were rebuked by the angel, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Ac 1:11).
After hearing this message, Jesus’ disciples and his followers, around 120, became helpless. But they learned the spirit of koinonia from Jesus. However, they had nothing to do. But there was one thing they could do. They began to pray. Acts 1:12-14 says, “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” They gathered together and prayed earnestly that God’s world salvation purpose would be fulfilled. When they prayed in the fellowship of Jesus, something great happened. The Holy Spirit came upon them and changed their old natures. They became soldiers of Christ who love one another in Jesus. According to Biblical truth, those who obey are those who love, and those who obey the word of God are true brothers and sisters and mothers. Mark 3:31-35 says, “Then Jesus mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’ ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’” When heaven comes down and glory is revealed, our true brothers and sisters and mothers are those who have one word of God. This is the true meaning of koinonia. Christian koinonia is based on the word of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Most of all, we must know that the gospel is the word of life. When we have the word of life we have the most precious thing in the world. When we have the word of life, we have fellowship in Christ.
Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” This verse means that when even two get together in the name of Jesus, then they become a spiritual vessel. And God can use the vessel. There are many people who want to do great work with their own effort. But God does not use men’s wisdom and political plans. God only uses Christian koinonia, which is the vessel of the Holy Spirit. When students pray together God uses them as a holy vessel of prayer to change the world. When we love God, we not only love others, but we also have a common goal of God’s salvation. We become true friends with God. Through Christian koinonia the walls of selfishness are broken down and God’s work of saving lives can be accomplished.
Third, fellowship in the light.
Look at verses 5-7. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there no darkness at all. 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.” Fellowship in Christ is fellowship in the light. There is light and there is darkness. Many people live a double life, sometimes they live in the light, sometimes in the darkness. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Look at verses 8-9. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” These days, many have no concept of sin because their consciences are seared and have become numb like a leper and don’t feel sin. Even if they don’t feel a prick of conscience or sensitivity toward sin in their minds, they should not deceive themselves by thinking they are righteous. There is a tendency to give sin another label and to forget about it but sin is against God and man and there is eternal judgment. On the other hand, if we confess our sins, God will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Look at verse 9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” This is the promise of God through the blood of Jesus. There is power in the blood to purify us and make us right with God.
May God richly bless you and help you to grow up to be a member of Christian koinonia. Christian koinonia first begins with God and his Son Jesus Christ and next our spouse and then family in Christ. Let’s walk in the light of Jesus as one vessel for God to use.
I thank God for Jesus the Word of life. I thank God that he appeared and made his dwelling with us. I thank God for the testimony of John and the apostles who saw him with their own eyes and touched him with their own hands. Now I pray to walk in the light of Jesus in Christian fellowship. Not that I am right and able but by the power of Jesus’ blood I am made right. I pray to meet with my wife each night and pray before going to sleep even if it is a short time. May God use us as a vessel of koinonia prayer.
I will go through 1 John in five lessons. This is the first lesson on Christian fellowship. I hope this makes us stronger.
Love,
(All images here are public domain)