The
Fellowship of the Spirit
If any man have
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his. Romans 8:9. The Bible nowhere
qualifies this arresting statement. It offers
no alternatives, no exceptions. The presence
of the Spirit of Christ in the heart is the
test of discipleship. Without Christs
Spirit the soul is empty, void, and waste. If
we know Jesus as our Savior, we shall have
the presence of His Spirit. The presence of
the Holy Spirit in our hearts is to be a
joyful assurance that we belong to Him. The
sequence is, After that ye believed, ye
were sealed with that Holy Spirit of
promise. Ephesians 1:13.
The Bible offers no
substitute for the fellowship of the
Spirit. (Philippians 2:1.) Fellowship
involves more than a touch-and-go
relationship. There should never be a time
day or night when we act or think without an
awareness of the Spirits presence. And
when we heed the promptings of the Holy
Spirit, this awareness awakens new and holy
motivations.
The unity between the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit may be
illustrated by a candle: The wax represents
the Father, the Source of all blessings; the
wick represents the Son, the One through whom
and by whom all heavenly blessings are
brought to us; the fire on the candle
represents the Holy Spirit, who flashes the
light of truth into the soul.
The light of truth
shining within our hearts provides evidence
of the presence of the Holy Three. (1 John
1:3.) As the Father sent the Son into the
world that every man might become acquainted
with the Godhead, so together they have sent
the Holy Spirit into the hearts of all who
believe that every disciple might have light
and enjoy spiritual fellowship with all
members of the Godhead. (Galatians 4:4-6)
God wants to come
into our lives by His Spirit. He will meet us
just where we are. The Holy Spirit wants us
to have the fellowship blessings of mutual
understanding, warmth of affection, and
communion. Every response to the Spirit makes
this blessed fellowship more real. On the
other hand, the irresponsive soul grows cold
to the prompting of the Spirit. To resist
light is to resist the fellowship of the
Spirit, and such a course can only eventuate
in a frigid and painful aloneness.
Many look back to
when the Spirit led them to accept Jesus.
However, they remain strangely silent about
their daily walk with Jesus. They lack that
something more which the abiding
presence of the Spirit will furnish.
Doctrines, theories, and activities are not
enough. To become apostles of Christ, the
disciples themselves needed something
more-the fellowship of the Spirit. (Acts
1:2.)
Learning that the
Samaritans, under the ministry of Philip, had
accepted Jesus as the Christ, the church at
Jerusalem sent Peter and John to minister to
the new converts that something
more the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8.)
Cornelius and his household also needed
something more. They were living up to all
the light they had. However, they needed
more. Not only did they need to know of
Jesus, but also they needed to receive the
infilling of His Spirit. (Acts 10.) Moreover,
when Paul found disciples at Ephesus who had
not even heard of the Holy Spirit, he
immediately instructed them so they might
receive the Spirit. (Acts 19.) All who simply
know of Jesus stand in need of something
more-the presence of a Person, a divine
Person, and the Holy Spirit. The daily
infilling of the Spirit keeps the experience
fresh, new, and growing.
Memory Verse:
1 John 1:3.
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.
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