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Human Fellowship
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.
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