Fell-NO-ship - Enter at Your Own Risk

We left the topic of fellowship kind of out in the open. We never talked about fell-NO-ship! What?!?!? What is THAT?

Just as in talking about fellowship, we discussed who we needed to fellowship with; God and believers, we also need to discuss who NOT to fellowship with. Sometimes, you may find that there are certain people, who, based on their practices, behavior and/or faith, you should not be in fellowship with. Sometimes, it will just be a practice or behavior of your own, that needs to cahnge or be 'out of fellowship'.

That being said, you may find that some of which is included in the following list may apply to others and some may apply to yourself. They are all elements of behavior and practice with which believers should not be in fellowship.

Unclean or satanic spirits

But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
1Co 10:20

Those of unrighteousness or darkness

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
2Co 6:14

Let me comment a bit to clarify the last reference. This scripture does not say that you can not associate with unbelievers at all. Indeed if believers did that, I would say very few of us would be saved today. What the scripture refers to is being 'yoked together'. When cattle are yoked together, they are attached without the possibilty of being able to leave one another. They are yoked together for the same purpose. If a farmer yokes two cattle together, he does not expect one to plow the north field while the other is busy in the south field. They are expected to stick it out together, labor together, in the same field, for the same purpose, to achieve the same goal. There is no way an unbeliever can be expected to labor together with a believer. They do not have the same focus. This concept of avoiding an unequal yoking can be applied to marriage as well as business partnerships. In it's simplest form, it can be applied to friendships as well.

As you give some thought to that, we'll be getting the next entry ready.

Are you unequally yoked?

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The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10 KJV

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I Will Not be Moved!

To Fellowship or not to Fellowship? That is the Question - Part Two

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.
1 John 1:7

If we are truly believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have fellowship with each other. Whether or not that fellowship manifests itself in our life is up to us. If you never seek out a church home, if you never assemble yourself with other believers, you will always be missing that very important component of your new walk. There is no other way to have fellowship with believers than to hang out with them. Fellowship with believers is imperative to your walk being successful. You will always struggle through things until you get this right. The fellowship of believers is meant to prosper both the individual and the body; spiritually and practically. Fellowship with believers meets both spiritual and social needs.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 2:46-47

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Romans 12:12-13

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25

God's intent for the church is that every believer be in fellowship with Him and with each other. In this, the believer's lifestyle is in balance and every area of need is met.

Fellowship with God and each other goes together. 1 John 1:6-7 (Look it up!) shows that we must have fellowship with God in order to have fellowship with each other. 1 John 4:20-21 (Look it up!) further illustrates the point that our love for fellow believers must accompany our love for God.

Next Post ---> Fell-NO-ship - Enter at Your Own Risk

To Fellowship or not to Fellowship? That is the Question - Part One

As a believer, there are two kinds of fellowship which are to be desired.

First, you must be in fellowship with God. Say "How does one do that?"

Thanks for asking. Fellowship with God takes place through prayer, praise, worship and obedience to God. Let's look at the Word:

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3

Our fellowship is with the Father.

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:9

We are called unto the fellowship of His Son.

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies...
Philippians 2:1

We have fellowship of the Spirit.

Once fellowship with God is established, you must also be in fellowship with the body of believers. Fellowship must be a part of church life and every believer must be a part of fellowship. Becoming a part of a fellowship is not usually something we would jump at the chance to do. It involves, for a young believer, being vulnerable. No believer is perfect, therefore no church is either. But there are some real good ones out there. A new believer comes into fellowship with most of their baggage still attached. That's alright. There are seasoned believers in the fellowship to help you along the way. They have been down the same path you are on now.

We will look more at the fellowship of believers in the next post. In the meantime, do you have a church home?

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Fellowship

The word 'fellowship' is found many times throughout the Bible. In 1 Cor. 1:9, we are called unto the fellowship of Jesus Christ. The Word also admonishes us to refrain from fellowshipping with those that are not believers and are workers of unrighteousness. There are certain bonds that are formed through fellowship, therefore fellowship among believers is beneficial while a believing person's fellowship with non-believers can be very detrimental.

When I was in recovery, (hey, I wasn't always saved, ya know), one thing that I learned was that in order to truly get free from my addictions, I needed to change people places and things. As a new believer, I also learned that I needed to change my thoughts and ideas also. That was all part of fellowship. You become who you spend time with. Fellowship goes deep; it includes not only physical fellowship, but spiritual fellowship as well.

Now, you are going to have to learn some Greek. I do not need you to learn how to say these words. This is just to understand that in Greek, there are several different kinds of fellowship.

KOINONIA - Close association; communion; close relationship.

This is the word most frequently used in the Bible for fellowship.

METOCHE - partnership; a holding with; a sharing.
SUKGO - to be a joint partaker with.

Next post: "To Fellowship or not to Fellowship? That is teh Question."

Moving Forward - What do I do Now?

We're done discussing baptism. If you feel that you want to be baptized, you can contact us on facebook or ask your pastor. If you do not have a pastor, then this next set of teachings will be beneficial to you.

I want to remind you to really seek God through these teachings. He is able to speak to you in many ways. The Word says that He rewards them that seek Him diligently. If you doubt that, try it out and see what happens.

Anyway, this next set of teachings is about fellowship. Now I know felloewship is "christianese", so let me say it another way - hanging out with God and His people <-that's fellowship, basically. You'll see. Read this post first to get started and I'll see you in the next post.

Here are some other posts if you want to review the topics we've covered so far:

The Word
Repentance and Faith
Water Baptism

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