Brethren, what does fellowship mean in its fullest sense? Is it just the grasping of the hand of our brothers and sisters, at the ecclesial gatherings? Is it just the act of receiving in a newly baptised member? NO! It is the full participation of all men, with GOD, and their fellow men. It is the involvement in the affairs of ALL men, not just a select company. It means the broadening out of one’s heart and mind, to understand the problems of ALL men.
Does it not mean pity, mercy, compassion, love, aid, consolation, and above all, the capacity for understanding the weaknesses that beset the human race? Where we do not understand, have we the right to condemn? Remember the words of Jesus, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive and ye shall be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37). We have sweet fellowship one with the other, within the confines of the Brotherhood, but GOD extends His love and mercy to all men, and requires of us that we do the same. If we would be like Him, then we must follow His example.
Between GOD and ADAM there existed an almost perfect fellowship, the ALMIGHTY Creator talked with ADAM in the Garden of Eden as one talks to a friend, and ADAM’s act in IMMEDIATELY trying to conceal himself after sinning indicates that this was a daily occurence, not just an isolated occasion.
ADAM forfeited this perfect fellowship with his Maker, but GOD did not forsake him. In His love and mercy, He provided ADAM with a way in which to approach Him. He did not cast him off, or leave him comfortless. The Almighty God, the Great Creator, who could have destroyed ADAM with a word, still held out to him the right hand of fellowship and accepted him, with all his weaknesses. Are we prepared to do the same to our brethren?
Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, lists those who are outside the Kingdom and not partakers of its grace (1 Cor. 6:9-10), and from such we do well to withdraw, but God sends His rain on the Just and the Unjust. He is willing to accept into fellowship ALL men. He is not willing that any should perish, so must not we try to exhibit in our lives this same compassion, and fellowship, with our fellow men? This does not mean that we condone or accept wrong-doing, but that we are prepared, by our example, to witness to the fact that the love of God dwells within us and that, like the Father, we are concerned for the welfare of all men, and not willing that any should perish or be lost.
And what a great example we were given, when God manifested Himself through Jesus Christ, that He might reconcile all men to Himself. This commission He passed on to us, when we accepted Christ as our Lord. For we read (1 Cor. 5:18-19) “All things are of God who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath GIVEN TO US the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath COMMITTED UNTO US the word of reconciliation”.
When one considers the patience, tolerance, love and compassion as exhibited by Christ, should we not cast ourselves at the feet of Him who made us, humbly recognising the infinite love that still offers to us, puny mortals though we be, fellowship with the Father and Son?
But how can we say we love God and hate our brother? How can we love our fellow men if we do not love our brothers? So let us begin first of all at our own household and take stock of our own shortcomings and put our house in order, so that men may respect what we claim to be, “Brethren of Christ”. How can we be in fellowship with the Father, and the Son, and yet be out of fellowship with our spiritual bretren? God and Christ are not divided. Each dwells in the other, and they are become as one (John 14:10).
This problem is not a new one. Remember Paul’s outburst to the Corinthian believers (1 Cor. 12:13). He soundly condemned those who asserted they were followers of various Apostles. There is only ONE standard, Christ! and Christ is not divided. Are we not told that a house divided against itself must fall, and if our house falls, do we not despise the Lord who founded it? If then, we, by our actions, despise the Lord who has bought us with His blood, are we not guilty of the Body, and Blood of the Lord, not discerning the Lord’s Body?
God will not hold guiltless those who despise His Son and put Him to shame. How can we claim to be of the “household of faith” when the members of this household have no faith in each other, and so tread the love and sacrifice of Christ underfoot. Is our self-righteousness and self-opinion, more to be desired than the righteousness of Christ? Have any of us shed our blood, suffered shame and agony, lived a so-perfect sinless life, that it gives us the right to destroy the household of Christ and substitute one of our own?
Who among us can say “I am more righteous than thou, 0 Lord, therefore, I can turn aside your commandment, “Love one another” (John 13:34) and substitute my own version which is, ‘love only those who agree with you’, and those who accept my theories are no longer bound by the direction of the Apostle Paul’. ‘In love, serve one another’. (Gal. 5:12) but must love and serve, only those who are joined with us”?
If we reject the all-embracing love and fellowship of God and Christ among those of our own household, how can we offer, or partake of, this loving communion with our fellow men? All fellowship must be on the basis of mutual love and respect. It must be the result of the outpouring of the bondless love of God in our hearts.
Brethren, if we cannot have true fellowship among ourselves, then the love of God is not in us, and we are as empty vessels, producing a lot of sound but nothing else.
The love of God cannot be hidden. It exudes from every pore of the true Christian. It has a quality that draws the eyes of all men, and so the Father and Son are given honour because of our witness. Must our Lord be grieved in spirit as was his ancestor David, when betrayed by his friends? Must He also say of us, “For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then could I have borne it. Neither was it he that hated me, that did magnify himself against me; then could I have hid myself from him, but it was THOU . . . We took sweet council together and walked unto the House of God in company”. (Ps. 55: 12-14).
What greater indictment could we have than this? How can we claim fellowship with Christ when we refuse fellowship to our brethren? Do we not fit into the same category as the Pharisees condemned by Christ in Matthew’s gospel? “Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel” (Matt. 23:24). Yet Christ, the altogether lovely one, loved us, and gave his life for us, while we were yet sinners.
Even the Almighty God deigned to dialogue with the creatures of His creation. “Come, let us reason together”, saith the Lord. (Is. 1-18) Are we arrogant enough to claim to be greater than our God?
Brethren, let us put aside all high-mindedness, conceit, and false pride, and faithfully follow the example and teaching of Christ our Lord. Refrain from ill-advised and injudicious judgements and meet our brethren of the household with love and joy, so that together in the unity of strength we can embrace all mankind, in the love and fellowship of Christ, witnessing to all men that God and His beloved Son, have made their abode in our hearts, and we become a light to the world. “For,” said Jesus, “ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid, so let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”. (Matt. 5:14-16)
Let us put ourselves into the position where it can be said of us, “For both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one. For which cause He is NOT ASHAMED
TO CALL THEM BRETHREN, saying, ‘I
will declare thy name unto my brethren, in
the midst of the Church, will I sing praise unto thee’.” (Heb. 2:11-12)
Forty years in the wilderness (Part 20) – Diversity in unity