Daily Devotions
January 15th, 2014 by Pastor Solley1 John 1:1-7 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.
The word fellowship is found 17 times in the Bible, 4 of those times here in the first chapter of I John. The word occurs only two times in the Old Testament, the rest, 15 times, in the New Testament. A good friend of mine who is now with the Lord used to say fellowship was best seen as “Two fellows in the same ship”. The meaning being that two were going in the same direction, doing the same things, thinking the same things, two fellows in the same ship. Yesterday I was able to speak at a Bible college for their chapel service and then to have a good afternoon with the President of that college and pastor of the church. What a good day we had, my wife and I, with some good friends, what a good day of fellowship. I was and am reminded of the fellowship God would have us enjoy among fellows believers in Christ, and the foundation upon which that fellowship is to rest. We find that foundation here in I John chapter one, the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly when our fellowship is with the Father, through His Son, and based on the true and pure Word of God, that fellowship can be sweet. Every child of God should seek out that fellowship is a true independent, Bible believing, local church. To rob oneself of that fellowship is to rob oneself of what God would have us enjoy. How many professing believers do I know that do not go to church, saying it is not needed, or they have picked apart a church trying to make it suit them instead of them the Bible, and they cut themselves off from what God wants us to have. Fellowship founded on Christ, based in the Word of God is a sweet thing.