The Conditions of Fellowship

Jason Bryant

Amazing grace, oh how sweet, and wonderful a word to the redeemed sinner's heart, so wonderful, only one word could even give value to it... Jesus. Grace brings us into fellowship with God Most High, King of the universe, infinite, majestic, Ancient of Days Who is so Holy and loving, He offered Himself in Jesus to bring us into fellowship with Him personally, He who named the stars, Who tilts the Earth to give seasons of growth to plants, and harvest to men. Oh what a Might God He is! The indwelling of Christ, because of grace changes the old man, the original Adam into the image of His son the second Adam, the perfection of the Garden of Eden before the fall. Think on that friend, restored to position in Christ to walk with God here and now, and soon in eternity. It is called redemption, buying back that which was sold out to sin by human choice and desire. Here in this passage out of 1st John 1-10, the discile whom Jesus loved, gives a beautiful allegory on the truth of the grace changed heart, and how "Christ in us" sets us apart from the world, and its system of death by sin and flesh desire:

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.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

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.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Are you, am I, walking in the light? To do so means we must have Christ in us, submitting to Lordship and His finished work on the cross, the blood, the cross, the Christ leads us into a Christlike life. Be the New Creation for the Old has passed, it was nailed to a tree on Golgotha.