Mystery of Fellowship - True Fellowship - Ch.3-Pt.4

(1) That which was from the beginning,

which we have heard,

which we have seen with our eyes,

which we have looked upon,

and our hands have handled,

of the Word of life;

(2) For the life was manifested,

and we have seen it,

and bear witness, and shew unto you

that eternal life,

which was with the Father,

and was manifested unto us;)

(3) 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.

-1 John 1:1-3

  

John is declaring the reality of the life of Christ, which the Apostles observed with their own eyes, heard with their own ears, and touched with their own hands.  John is providing evidence that Jesus is the living Word in the flesh. 

       
It was God's intention from the beginning that true believers should experience the same type of fellowship, one with another, as they have with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.  This is fellowship that is based on the truth and preeminence of God's Word.

(5) This then is the message

which we have heard of him,

and declare unto you,

that God is light,

and in him is no darkness at all.

(6) If we say that we have fellowship with him,

and walk in darkness,

we lie, and do not the truth;

(7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son

cleanseth us from all sin.

-1 John 1:5-7

Many profess to have fellowship with Christ.  But do they?

       
The determining factor is whether we are walking in darkness or in the light--according to the Word or in harmony with the world, which is the enemy of Christ.

       
If one is a true believer in Christ, he will not only be walking in the light and having fellowship with other true believers, but the blood of Christ will be cleansing him from all sin.

       
It is important to be walking in the light then.  What does "walking in the light" and having "fellowship one with another" really mean?

       
We will have the answer to this question when we finally discover the Mystery of the First Love Lost.