Salvation from Death of Fellowship
In this essay, we will consider another aspect of our timely salvation
which is deliverance from being dead to fellowship with God. One of the
chief joys of a child of God is to have fellowship with God. Fellowship
is defined as “sharing in common.” Amos brings to our attention the
requirement for fellowship when he asked the question in Amos 3:3, “Can
two walk together, except they be agreed?” The answer is implied that
we must be agreed together in order to have fellowship one with
another. In order for us to have fellowship with God we must agree with
God. This agreement is on God’s terms and not on ours. God does not
change (nor does truth) in order that we may have fellowship with him.
Anytime that change is required, it is required of us! This requirement
for fellowship is further set forth in 1 John 1:5‑7, “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. If we say that we have
fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
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.” Thus, to have fellowship with God and to have true
Christian fellowship with one another we must walk in the light of God’s
revealed truth.
Only God’s born-again children can have fellowship with God. According
to Rom. 8:7, 8, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it
is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they
that are in the flesh cannot please God.” A person who has not been
born spiritually is “in the flesh” and thus has only a carnal (fleshy)
mind. This type of individual cannot please God and thus can have no
fellowship with God. Also, this type of person cannot understand
spiritual things (Rom. 3:11; 1 Cor. 2:14), or seek after God (Rom.
3:11), or do good (Rom. 3:12, or know the way of peace (Rom. 3:17), or
fear God (Rom. 3:18). Thus, he is incapable of walking with God. It is
only after we are born spiritually that we can understand spiritual
things, do good, seek after God, know the way of peace, and fear God.
Thus, we who are born again are the only ones capable of having
fellowship with God.
Many times, God’s born again children do not have fellowship with him.
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave, this was not only typical of
the resurrection, but it was also typical of the new birth when we are
quickened from being dead in trespasses and sins. When Lazarus came
forth from the grave he had grave clothes on. Jesus commanded to “loose
him and let him go”. When we are born of the Spirit, we are still
possessors of grave clothes, i.e., our habits and lifestyle. These must
be changed if we are to have fellowship with God. Thus, repentance is
required for God’s children to have fellowship with
God.
With many of God’s children, they experience fellowship with God and
then die to that fellowship. In James 5:19, 20 we are told, “Brethren,
if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know,
that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save
a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James refers to
brethren erring from the truth and if they continue in that error, they
would die. This is a death to fellowship. Luke 15:11‑32 addresses
dying to the fellowship of God and being saved from that death. In this
passage the younger of the two sons had requested that his Father divide
the inheritance. Upon receiving his portion, the younger son took his
journey into a far country and wasted his substance with riotous
living. That youngest son when he was in a far country wasting his
substance with riotous living was dead to the fellowship of his Father
and to his elder brother. After he had repented and come back, he was
restored to fellowship with his Father. His relationship with his
Father never changed. He was his Father’s son before he left, after he
left, and when he returned. Likewise, our relationship with God does not
change. We are his children regardless of our status of fellowship.
When the younger son had returned the Father declared, “For this my son
was dead; and is alive again, he was lost, and is found.” Later he
explained to the elder brother, “for this thy brother was dead, and is
alive again; and was lost, and is found.” The essential requirement for
the younger son who was dead to the fellowship of his Father and elder
brother was to repent. While the providential hand of God was present
in leading him to repent, yet “he” had to repent to be saved from death
to fellowship.
How we live our lives and what we believe are essentials in having
fellowship with God. II Cor. 6:14‑18 declares to us, “Be ye not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with
darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hat
he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hat the temple of
God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath
said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be
ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
In conclusion repentance saves us from the death of fellowship with
God. Living godly lives and believing the truth brings us into
fellowship with God.