“THE LITMUS TEST OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP”

“that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

1 John 1:3

In the first two verses of John’s first epistle, he affirmed his personal experience with the Lord Jesus, emphasizing His humanity and deity. Here, he recaps his message and gives several reasons for doing so. In verse 3, John offers the first reason: “so that you too may have fellowship with us.”

The word “fellowship” comes from the Greek word “koinonia,” which means “to have [something] in common.” By default, we don’t have anything in common with God—He is holy; we are sinful. We are light-years apart. But when God sent His Son Jesus to take on human form, He became the God-man. He died on the cross to pay for our sins, making a way for us to be reconciled with God and have spiritual fellowship with Him. When we repent of our sins and put our saving faith in Christ, we become “partakers” in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

John is not writing to unbelievers. In Chapter 2, he addresses them as “children,” which means they are Christians. But he wants them to have the joy of having fellowship with those who are close to the Apostle. Further, John affirms that their fellowship is with the Father and the Lord Jesus, pointing us to the Great Commandment of loving God and people.

Fellowship is an integral part of the Christian life. But Christian fellowship should be grounded on the proper foundation. Christians are like-minded individuals who believe in the essential teachings of the Christian faith. They are being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, leading them to connect with others with selfless love. True Christians love spending time with one another and sharing their life with fellow believers.

The residence of the Holy Spirit in each believer is the litmus test of genuine Christian fellowship.

Pursue the Savior!