Another great zucchini recipe 😋 Fellowship and Relationship

1 John 1: 1-3

¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Have you ever noticed how some Christians seem to be totally transformed by contact with Jesus Christ, but others are not?

And how some, even those that have been Christians for years and years in many ways, still seem to be conformed to the world around them, even their views and their outlook on life can be somewhat distorted.

Yet they firmly assert that they are Christians, that they too have been born again by faith in Jesus Christ. Why is this? What’s wrong? Or as I would ask my kids, “What’s wrong with this picture?”  The secret, according to John is, fellowship.

What is fellowship?

It’s like minded people with the same purpose and interest… they have something in common.

When you have something in common with another, you can have fellowship with that person. If you have nothing in common, you have no fellowship.

We may have some things in common.

But John is talking about that unique fellowship that’s the possession of only those who share life in Jesus Christ together.

This is what makes us one and it’s this oneness that is the basis of the Scripture that says that we are to live together in tenderness and love toward one another. Not because we are inherently wonderful people or remarkable personalities or that we are naturally gracious, kind, loving, and tender all the time.

I can’t speak for you but I know that there are times that I can be grouchy and irritating.

But we are still to love one another. Why? Because we have something in common. We share the life of the Lord Jesus, and therefore we have fellowship with one another.

It’s vital that we understand the difference between relationship and fellowship.

Relationship is becoming a member of the family of God by faith in Jesus Christ. 

It is established by asking Him to come into your life and heart. John makes that clear at the end of this letter. "He who has the Son has life [that is relationship]; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life [he does not have a relationship]" (that verse is found in 1 John 5:12).

That’s where the Christian life starts… with this matter of relationship.

Relationship is accepting Christ.

However, fellowship is experiencing Him.

You can never have fellowship until you have established relationship.

But you can have relationship without fellowship.

Relationship puts us into the family of God, but fellowship permits the life of that family to shine through us. It permits the life and the life of Jesus Christ to shine through us.

That is what marks the difference between Christians.

Fellowship is the key to vital Christianity. That is why this letter, which calls us back to fundamental issues, focuses first on that. The important question is, as a Christian, are you enjoying fellowship with the Father and with His Son?

I pray that the Father will teach us more and more, the vital necessity of fellowship with Christ…

where everything that you & I are… is made available to Him and that each of us experiences all the wonderful joy of everything that He has made available to His children.