Epistle
of the Church Gathering in Jesus’ Name
602 Oak Knoll
San Antonio, TX 78228
January 2010
Annual World Evangelism Conference
February 7 – 14, 2010
with Brent & Janice Riggs, Robert Vieira, &
Corey Riggs, from Poland
and Mike & Susan Jackson, Jon & Karen Castillo, &
Stephen Kincaid from Mexico
Meetings Sunday at 10 am & every weeknight at 7 pm,
with prayer meetings every morning at 10:30 am.
Also don’t forget:
Women’s Conference
March 27, main speaker Debbie Kincaid
Revival Meeting
August 6 thru 15, with evangelist Jon Castillo
Men’s Meeting
October 15 & 16, hosted by Church at South SA
Sunday Thanksgiving Open Meeting
November 28, dinner on the grounds
Fellowship with God
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
Consider three points brought out by the apostle, the stunning concept of fellowship with God, the curious contingency of walking in the light, and the significance of the if, by which I mean the blissful contempt Christians often show toward the opportunity.
Fellowship with God is an astonishing concept simply because it is with God. Fellowship implies a compatible intellect, similar interests and even an equal footing. Offhand it doesn’t seem appropriate with God because it tends to humanize God and deify man. Remember, fellowship is not inherent in a master-servant, or even a father-child relationship. Fellowship is reciprocal. It denotes mutual comprehension and dialogue. It appears among friends, colleagues, soldiers and others with a mutual viewpoint or experience. Of course it is uniquely possible between spouses, who share commitments, responsibilities and experiences no other can be a part of. But here the apostle speaks of fellowship with God.
Consider the notion that we sinners might ever in the future, after such transformations as are prophesied toward God’s children, have any measure of true fellowship with the infinite Mind, dwelling in light no man can approach unto. If by some humanly incomprehensible technicality God has imputed Christ’s righteousness to us through faith in his blood, so that God sees us as righteous in spite of ourselves, to the abiding consternation of our accuser, by what mysterious extension of logic does such a mercy grant us genuine fellowship with God? In what sort of bizarre new world may forgiven sinners sit at God’s table, as Mephibosheth sat at David’s, not as enemies, nor even subjects, but as friends? God eventually tabernacling with saints is a mystery in itself, and may very well remain a mystery to us long after it is accomplished, but we do, by the sheer daring of faith in the written word, claim it as our promise, albeit only after the redemption of our bodies and the transformation of our minds.
But the fellowship John mentions here is not future. He speaks of genuine fellowship with God in this life. If the notion of fellowship between Creator and creature, even after the resurrection is, and I insist it is, incomprehensible, how much more inconceivable is it between us before? Fellowship means more, but certainly includes real conversation, a two-way exchange, that we speak to God, and God speaks to us. This is more than prayer, asking God for our needs and wants. Apparently, God wants to carry on a conversation with us. He wants us to just talk to him. But what sort of dialogue is possible between the infinitely wise and the astonishingly ignorant? Even in our best state, what do we have to offer God in this relationship? It isn’t a wonder that we might be delighted by God’s presence, of course. But the ultimate implication of such a fellowship, and that which staggers the mind, is that God might be delighted by ours.
Nevertheless, this fellowship is contingent on our walking in the light. This is not to say fellowship with God is a reward for good behavior, even though it sounds like it. But walking in the light isn’t about holiness or sinlessness, because those in fellowship with God are plainly said to be sinners. Walking in the light is simultaneous with sinners confessing their sins and being cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, fellowship, if it is genuine, cannot be granted superficially or arbitrarily. A raffle winner might get to eat out with a celebrity as a prize, but it wouldn’t be true fellowship. Fellowship, by definition, has an underlying foundation in reality, that is, a kindred spirit. And that is what is meant by walking in the light. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Walking in his light is being in agreement with him, even thinking like him. Paul expresses the same idea many times, “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” and, “mind the things of the spirit,” and again, bringing “every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
Every thought? I confess that this seems like a daunting demand. I tend to think fellowship with God would be easier to obtain had it depended upon perfect holiness. But that’s not true. We cannot be completely holy, because every error, every sin continues to affect our lives even long after we have repented. But we can think like God. That is the essence of repentance. Thinking like God is simply agreeing with God. We do it all the time. Someone quotes a verse in the Bible and it blesses us. That is thinking like God. A friend asks for prayer for his child who is not walking with God, so we speak to God with a genuine burden. That is having a kindred spirit with God. A politician pushes a “politically correct” agenda and it disgusts us. This is because disgusting things are especially disgusting in God’s light. A preacher harps on a failure of ours, and we know he is right. We ask God for forgiveness and help to make it right. All of this is the nature of walking in the light.
But consider a believer who when confronted with the opportunity of a conversation with God, chooses some other activity. I don’t mean that after a long conversation with God the believer goes on to other business. I mean he forgoes the fellowship in favor of something else. Of course, this only happens when a believer is walking in darkness. Which is altogether too often, of course. And it is nothing less than brazen contempt for the greatest opportunity of life.
The context clarifies that walking in darkness involves self-deception, denial of guilt, pretense toward others and consequently living with a burdened conscience. It begins with sin, of course, but walking in darkness is not the sin itself. The darkness is when we rationalize the sin and resist God’s spirit. It isn’t necessarily great sin that starts the process, in fact it may be nothing more than a poor attitude. But the result of resisting the light is that our fellowship is broken. It’s like hanging up on God. The text also indicates it is common for believers in the darkness to go along pretending nothing has changed. They claim to still have fellowship with God even while rationalizing their backsliding, wandering heart. But this isn’t possible. Their eyes are simply adjusting to the darkness. Light becomes uncomfortable. Prayer becomes a burden. Fellowship with God fades from memory. They still want to be Christians, of course. They want salvation. They want heaven. They want blessings. But they don’t really want fellowship with God any more. They just don’t like that much light.
Walking in darkness is walking alone spiritually, and it isn’t much of a life. The only solution is stepping into the light, no matter how uncomfortable it is at first. Walking in the light is agreeing with God, and it includes confessing sin, embracing the truth and humbly living in reality. It is as simple as telling the truth, perhaps principally to yourself, but then to God. It is true that walking in the light means constant confessing, correcting our thoughts and “casting down imaginations,” but fellowship follows automatically, in fact confession itself is the first exchange. The most astonishing aspect of all this is how available true fellowship with God is, and how glorious it can be even in this life, and yet how comfortable we think we are without it. Nothing is in the way except our ability to deceive ourselves about how good a time we are having without God. Desire for fellowship with him amounts to the chief requirement of having it again. Amazingly, if we want it, God wants it. If this sounds too good to be true you are almost there. You can begin the conversation right now. Don’t ask for anything, just tell him where you’ve been, what got you sidetracked and how much you’ve missed him. And see where it goes from there.