|
If
we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another" (I John 1:7).
Fellowship does not mean the acknowledgment of
others as being Christians or the approving of
their conduct. Sometimes we hear it said, "I
just cannot fellowship that person." By this the
speaker means that he cannot approve the
person's conduct or feel that he is a true
Christian. This is not, however, the true
meaning of the word "fellowship." Acknowledgment
or approval is not fellowship at all. Fellowship
is an internal, not an external, thing. It is
the harmonious blending of kindred spirits.
Fellowship can exist only among those who stand
upon common ground, or those who are of a
similar spirit. Fellowship can exist only where
there is a likeness, a similarity, where the
same elements exist in the different persons.
We
can have fellowship with people in anything
where there is a common tie or common interest;
for example, those engaged in the same work,
members of the same organization, or persons
interested in the same cause, etc. Wherever
these common interests exist, people will be
drawn together and will have a fellow-feeling
for each other. Good people find each other and
seek each other's society. Evil men do the same.
One sportsman is attracted toward another; one
business man, to another man engaged in the same
business. A member of an organization is drawn
to other members of it whether it be a
political, religious, business, social, or other
form of organization. All this is fellowship.
There are many kinds of
fellowship, but we are interested here only in
spiritual fellowship, or fellowship in the
spiritual life. When Christians are associated
in a church, they have two kinds of fellowship.
There is, first, associational fellowship, or
the fellowship that comes from being associated
in the same organization. This tie of
association that binds them together is often
mistaken for the fellowship of the Spirit. It is
not, however, this fellowship, but something
quite distinct from it. Spiritual fellowship is
the blending of kindred spirits, whether these
be good or bad. Christian fellowship is the
blending of the Spirit of God in the hearts of
God's people. It is the heart-tie that unites
them one to another. It has its origin in God.
It can not be made; it cannot be forced. It is
spontaneous. It is the affinity of like
elements. We cannot make ourselves have
fellowship with some one. If it exists at all,
it exists naturally, simply because both parties
are possessed of the same spirit.
Sometimes a congregation
will seem to be in fellowship with one another,
and each will have confidence in all the others.
A stranger may come in and may discern at once
that some of those in the congregation do not
really posses the Spirit of Christ; in fact,
they may possess quite a different spirit. The
congregation has fellowship with them, but it is
associational fellowship, not fellowship of the
Spirit. The one coming in from the outside does
not have this associational fellowship, and so
he can readily recognize that no spiritual
fellowship exists. Sometimes the mistaking of
this associational fellowship for spiritual
fellowship allows things in a congregation to
come to a bad state before the members are
aware. A pastor will often detect in certain
members of his congregation things that the body
of the congregation cannot discern. Such cases
are very hard to deal with, because the
congregation or a part of it are liable to
mistake the associational fellowship they have
with those members for real spiritual
fellowship, and to think that such persons are
all right and that the pastor is wrong in his
judgment. They are likely, therefore, to take a
stand against the pastor and for the individuals
with whom he would deal, for whose souls he
labors.
Fellowship is not always a
safe test of the spiritual condition of others.
They may be all right, and they may not be all
right. If we are right and have spiritual
fellowship with them, then, of course, they have
the Spirit of God; but we may have associational
fellowship with them, and yet they may not
possess the Spirit at all. Let us, therefore,
make our judgments carefully. Let us not render
our decision in haste. Let us prove all things.
Again, there may come
among us persons who are real Christians and
with whom we would have fellowship in the Spirit
were it not that we realize that we have not
this associational fellowship; but, realizing
that we have not such fellowship, we are apt
entirely to overlook the spiritual phase. This
may prevent us from giving acknowledgment to
some of those who are really God's people. We
ought, therefore, to be careful to distinguish
between these two different kinds of fellowship.
Fellowship is something
that is sensitive and easily influenced by
circumstances. A number of different things will
prevent us from having fellowship with people,
even if both we and they have the Spirit of
Christ. Fellowship cannot exist where there is a
lack of confidence. No matter what the cause of
that lack of confidence, it will prevent the
operation of fellowship. Whatever destroys our
confidence in people destroys our fellowship
with them. If our confidence is based upon
fellowship and anything happens to hinder that
fellowship, then our confidence in the person is
immediately weakened; after confidence is
weakened, fellowship is still more decreased;
and as fellowship is decreased, it still further
weakens confidence. Thus, the two things react
upon one another to the destruction of both.
Suspicion will destroy
fellowship. As soon as we begin to question a
person, at once fellowship begins to decline.
Any wrong attitude that we may hold toward a
fellow Christian will hinder fellowship with
him, no matter what that attitude may involve.
If we find fault with and criticize others, it
will break our fellowship with them. If we in
any way do them a wrong, the fellowship is
broken. Let us beware, therefore, how we judge
people from the standpoint of fellowship alone.
Fellowship is a tender
plant. It will grow nowhere but in the sunshine;
therefore anything that casts a shade will
destroy it. The thing that causes the shadow may
be a real thing, or it may be only a thing of
the imagination or supposition, but the result
is the same in both cases.
How
sweet is true Christian fellowship! How glorious
to have our hearts bound together by its ties!
How we should cherish and nourish it! With what
care we should protect it from harm! We can have
this fellowship with people that we have never
seen, yes, even with those in the remotest part
of the globe. Our love goes out to our brethren
and sisters in the heathen lands. Those of
another race and another color and another
language than ours become very dear to our
hearts. The Christian ties become stronger than
the ties of relationship. Our brethren in the
Lord become dearer to us than our flesh and
blood kin. The ties that bind us are sweeter and
stronger. How precious is the communion of
saints when we all drink in of one Spirit, when
fellowship flows from heart to heart and God is
in all and through all! Let us treasure it,
therefore, and watch it carefully lest harm come
to this tender plant.
|
