Real Fellowship
The word fellowship in the Bible comes from the Greek word Koinonia.
It is defined as partnership, (literally) participation, communication, and communion.
Too often, this very rich Greek word is given only one application, which merely involves getting together at some sort of gathering. When this word is treated in such a way, the whole idea of what fellowship is meant to be is diminished, and a lesser version of what it is meant to be for the believer is settled for.
More often than not, this word is given a nostalgic treatment where it is considered that one has experienced this rich promise of fellowship when things are superficial but pleasant nonetheless. Real fellowship involves humility, vulnerability, and trust. Something religion can never bring to the table.
Even the rich promise of fellowship with Jesus involves something beyond the superficial and merely pretending in a moment and requires humility, vulnerability, and trust.
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
True rich, deep fellowship involves honesty on a whole other level. This is true in our desire to experience a rich, full relationship with Jesus, and it includes it when we desire it with one another. Light as it is used here involves honesty, nothing fake, nothing that involves pretending.
Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
The best way to avoid being hooked by the enemy’s attempts to snare you is to bring his activities into the light. There was a time when we hid what was going on in our lives from others and sought to do some things under the cover of darkness, but that is no longer who we are. Once we come to Jesus, we are made children of light; we are meant to lose our fondness for the darkness. We are also meant to lose our appetite for the unfruitful works of darkness.
That phrase, “but rather expose them,” is telling us to bring them into the light of the truth where they can be seen for what they really are. They are false representations of what it takes to be truly happy and satisfied. Darkness is a culture of lies and pretending. It is the place where the enemy seeks to draw believers so he can have the opportunity to do them harm and keep them from the rich and wonderful deeper levels of fellowship with Jesus and with one another that is promised in the word. We were created in Christ to walk in the light.
Real fellowship will sometimes be unpleasantly honest and go against our flesh and the schemes of the enemy being used to entice our flesh. But when we bring it all into the light by being honest, knowing we stand in His grace and mercy, forgiven and cleansed by His blood, the enemy cannot get his hook in us. We know we are accepted and loved in a real way by those we are called to journey with, and our fellowship becomes rich and full and satisfying as it is meant to be. Real fellowship is your promise and a tremendous blessing in all of its forms.
