Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | May 19, 2010

Fellowship

Today’s devotion is Luke 9:46-48.
 
46  An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.
                                                         

 47  But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,

 48  and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me;  for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”  Luke 9:46-48.

Are you a child in His name?  You are a child in His name if, through God’s grace of being born of God, you received Jesus.  “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”  John 1:12-13.

If you are a child in His name, then you are received by true believers of Christ.  You also receive other true believers of Christ, and you are received by God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Spirit.  This is called fellowship, and there is nothing sweeter or more important

Psalm 55:14
“We who had sweet fellowship together Walked in the house of God in the throng.”
 
Acts 2:42
“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
 
1 Corinthians 1:9
“God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
 
2 Corinthians 6:14
“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”
 
2 Corinthians 13:14
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”
 
Philemon 1:4-7
“I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;  and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake.  For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.”
 
1 John 1:3
“what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
 
1 John 1:6-7
“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;  but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
 
In conclusion, a good summary is Philippians 2:1-4:  “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;  do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Categories