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Salvation
from Death of Fellowship
In this essay, we will
consider another aspect of our timely salvation which is
deliverance from being dead to fellowship with God. One of
the chief joys of a child of God is to have fellowship with
God. Fellowship is defined as "sharing in common." Amos
brings to our attention the requirement for fellowship when
he asked the question in Amos 3:3, "Can two walk
together, except they be agreed?" The answer is implied
that we must be agreed together in order to have fellowship
one with another. In order for us to have fellowship with
God we must agree with God. This agreement is on God's
terms and not on ours. God does not change (nor does truth)
in order that we may have fellowship with him. Anytime that
change is required, it is required of us! This requirement
for fellowship is further set forth in 1 John 1:5‑7, "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. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk
in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 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." Thus to have fellowship with God and
to have true Christian fellowship with one another we must
walk in the light of God's revealed truth.
Only God's born again
children can have fellowship with God. According to Rom.
8:7, 8, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:
for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
A person who has not been born spiritually is "in the flesh"
and thus has only a carnal (fleshy) mind. This type of
individual cannot please God and thus can have no fellowship
with God. Also this type of person cannot understand
spiritual things (Rom. 3:11; 1 Cor. 2:14), or seek after God
(Rom. 3:11), or do good (Rom. 3:12, or know the way of peace
(Rom. 3:17), or fear God (Rom. 3:18). Thus he is incapable
of walking with God. It is only after we are born
spiritually that we can understand spiritual things, do
good, seek after God, know the way of peace, and fear God.
Thus, we who are born again are the only ones capable of
having fellowship with God.
Many times God's born again
children do not have fellowship with him. When Jesus raised
Lazarus from the grave, this was not only typical of the
resurrection, but it was also typical of the new birth when
we are quickened from being dead in trespasses and sins.
When Lazarus came forth from the grave he had grave clothes
on. Jesus commanded to loose him and let him go. When we
are born of the Spirit we are still possessors of grave
clothes, i.e., our habits and lifestyle. These must be
changed if we are to have fellowship with God. Thus
repentance is required for God's children to have fellowship
with God.
With many of God's children,
they experience fellowship with God and then die to that
fellowship. In James 5:19, 20 we are told, "Brethren, if
any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let
him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error
of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a
multitude of sins." James refers to brethren erring
from the truth and if they continue in that error they would
die. This is a death to fellowship. Luke 15:11‑32
addresses dying to the fellowship of God and being saved
from that death. In this passage the younger of the two
sons had requested that his Father divide the inheritance.
Upon receiving his portion the younger son took his journey
into a far country and wasted his substance with riotous
living. That youngest son when he was in a far country
wasting his substance with riotous living was dead to the
fellowship of his Father and to his elder brother. After he
had repented and come back he was restored to fellowship
with his Father. His relationship with his Father never
changed. He was his Father's son before he left, after he
left, and when he returned. Likewise our relationship with
God does not change. We are his children regardless of our
status of fellowship. When the younger son had returned the
Father declared, "For this my son was dead; and is alive
again, he was lost, and is found." Later he explained to
the elder brother, "for this thy brother was dead, and is
alive again; and was lost, and is found." The essential
requirement for the younger son who was dead to the
fellowship of his Father and elder brother was to repent.
While the providential hand of God was present in leading
him to repent, yet "he" had to repent to be saved from death
to fellowship.
How we live our lives and
what we believe are essentials in having fellowship with
God. II Cor. 6:14‑18 declares to us, "Be ye not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And
what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord
hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that
believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the
temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk
in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye
separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and
ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty."
In conclusion repentance
saves us from the death of fellowship with God. Living
godly lives and believing the truth brings us into
fellowship with God.
NEXT -
Salvation
from an Untoward Generation
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