Faithful friendships are a wonderful part of life, but even great friendships fall short of the blessedness of quality fellowship. Friendships often carry the vulnerabilities of human selfishness and desires, whereas Spirit filled fellowship exists within a relationship motivated by other mindedness.
While friendships are common, the sweetness of fellowship is less familiar to many of us. Worldly thinking attempts to mimic fellowship through friendships, but inevitably they damage and divide due to the fleshly desires of one or both parties. That’s because earthly minded friendships love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God (John 12:43). At some point friendships are typically willing to put self first, then live with the cost of me-centric attitudes.
The potential for fellowship amongst believers grows from recognising that God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 1:9). It is this intertwining of souls within Christ that creates oneness that survives the rigors of life by removal of selfish desires in preference of imitating God’s faithfulness in the relationship (1Co 10:31; Eph 5:1).
The apostle John wrote of this in 1 John 1:3-4, …you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. Fellowship is built upon, and grows from the beautifully bonded relationship between God the Father and Son, then implemented within believers by the Holy Spirit. It is this “koinōnia partnership” that produces earthly togetherness and joy within Christ. Here, self has no authority and is easily forgotten in preference of Christ within the other.
Although Paul does not use either the words “fellowship or love,” in Romans 1:11-12, he does write of the specific qualities of both. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. This single sentence expresses the heartbeat of authentic Christlike love that manifests best through fellowship. It longs to be in the presence of the other person, but not for selfish reasons only. No, this desire wishes to give, to take something of self, and of Christ, for the purpose of giving to the other party for their strengthening. And in doing so, both parties will be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
You see, it is in the giving of fellowship that faith is strengthened. Taking depletes the relationship, whereas giving builds up. This is the personal yet united sweetness of fellowship. When both parties possess and exercise this Christlike attitude in action, both parties benefit, and often in far greater measure than ever imagined.
God is a giver by nature, and this is seen no clearer than when He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all… (Romans 8:32). When believers in Jesus Christ embrace God’s generous and selfless nature, they will also become generous and selfless in fellowship. This shared giving among Christians transforms ordinary friendships into deep and fulfilling fellowship relationships which more accurately display God’s nature (John 13:34). By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35), and Christlike love must be experienced through fellowship in order to be seen as real. May the grace of God grow us in the best that fellowship offers, for His glory and our blessing.
