Step Three – Fellowship

Living out your faith in isolation is a bad idea.  An essential part of being a Christian is to have fellowship with other believers.  As we look through some of the scripture on fellowship, it will become clear how important it is to support, encourage, and engage other believers in Christian fellowship.

Fellowship in the Early Church

In the earliest days of the church, after a sermon by the apostle Peter, thousands turned to Christ and were baptized.

Acts 2:41-42 (NASB)

So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Essentially, this scripture on fellowship is telling us that Bible study, fellowship, and prayer were central to the development of the early church.

Indeed, the concept of fellowship extends down from God, through His Son Jesus Christ, and by way of the Holy Spirit into all believers.  It is our duty to extend that connection of fellowship to those believers around us, thereby bonding together the body of Christ.  Fellowship with other believers is another step in Serving God.

We can follow the scripture on fellowship and track this progression in these three verses:

1 Corinthians 1:9 (NASB)

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Corinthians 13:14 (NASB)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

1 John 1:3 (NASB)

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.

As we follow Jesus it’s important for us to stay connected with other believers in the way a scuba diver needs to remain connected to his air supply.  The world we live in is full of distraction and we can easily be pulled in the wrong direction, away from our faith, if we neglect our fellowship with other believers.

The Danger of Going Without Fellowship

Some of the scripture on fellowship is, in fact, a warning to us regarding the danger of hanging out with the wrong people.

2 Corinthians 6:14 (NASB)

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

The above passage is not telling us to avoid unbelievers, but not to be “bound together” with them; in other words, don’t let their unbelief cloud your vision of the truth.

1 John 1:6 (NASB)

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;

Again, the above scripture on fellowship is telling us that first and foremost our fellowship is with God.  Having regular fellowship with other believers fuels our fellowship with God, and helps us maintain a steady stream of spirit-filled joy.

1 John 1:7 (NASB)

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.

All scripture references are linked to Bible Gateway so that you can read each verse in context.  Bible Gateway allows you to change the verse to your favorite translation and compare it side-by-side with multiple translations.  In addition, you can select to hear an audio version of any verse by clicking on the speaker icon.  Keep the Bible Gateway App on your phone so that you can visit the Word of God at any time during your day.

Step Four – I Need God