Our Fellowship Complete

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with
our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touchedthis we proclaim
concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and
we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to
us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have
fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus
Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard
from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we
claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not
live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
I John
1:1-7
In his old age, John the apostle writes this letter about 90 years after Jesus walked in
fellowship with him on earth. Yet, here he writes in the present tense our
fellowship is with the Father and with His Son! Can we assume that this fellowship
was sub-par to that which he had already experienced in person with Christ? I think
not. The Holy Spirit had been given, and the fellowship that he and other believers
now experienced was through the Spirit of Christ. We might ask ourselves was it
full and complete?
Like many people these days, I have a retirement plan; its a 401-K account named
Benefits Complete. Thats an intriguing name, dont you think? Although this
message has nothing to do with retirement, plans, or anything remotely related to
them, this plan name serves as a reminder of what benefits are afforded me and
you, and Christ also, through fellowship with Him, His Father and ours, and His
church. I must admit that I am not very familiar with the benefits afforded me
through this plan. I have no idea just how complete they are, or could be. In
comparison, consider benefits brought out in the Psalms:
Psalm 68:19
of our salvation!

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God

Psalm 103:2

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

Psalm 116:12

What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me?

When we were united with Christ by faith, cleansed of our sins and washed in
rebirth by the Holy Spirit, there was a new door of incredible opportunity opened for
us. There was a benefit ensured, then laid to our soul account, of which we need to
be made aware. We were brought into opportunity for such complete fellowship with
Him & we were made one with Him, and His interests & will and ours can, and
should, become mutual and identical over time. These are but a few of the benefits
of that fellowship:

Our Fellowship Complete

We have fellowship with Christ in His love:
1. We become so familiar with His love that we remain in it and obey Him. (John
15:9-10)
2. What He loves, we love - period. Christ loves the Father, and to be with Him
so do we.
3. He loves the saints unconditionally so do we. He loves sinners with
compassion so do we.
4. He loves the fallen and perishing race of man, and yearns to see these
spiritually barren deserts transformed into gardens of the Lord so do we.
We have fellowship with Him in His desires:
1. He desires the glory of God be echoed continually we want the same. (John
17:5)
2. He desires that the saints be with him where he is. We desire to be with him
too. (John 17:24)
3. He desires to drive out sin and free people from it. We endeavor to fight the
good fight also.
4. He desires that His Fathers name be esteemed and adored by His people. We
therefore pray as we have been taught and desire the same Your kingdom
come; your will be done on earth
We have fellowship with Christ in His sufferings:
1. We are not nailed to the cross ourselves, nor did we have to die a cruel death,
but when He is reproached, we are also.
(Philippians 3:10)
2. It is a privilege; even a sweet thing to be blamed for His sake, to be despised
for following our Lord, and in every sense, to have the world against us.
(John 15:18-21)
We have fellowship with Him in His work:
1. We minister to men by the word of truth and with deeds motivated by love.
He did the same.
2. Our food and drink, like His, is to do the will of Him who sent us, and to finish
His work.
3. Like Him, we must be about our Fathers business. By His word, greater things
shall we do.
We have fellowship with Christ in His joys:
1. We are happy in his happiness, and we rejoice in his exaltation. When we are
joyful, He is too!
2. When He and the host of heaven rejoice at the repentance of but one sinner,
we rejoice also.

Our Fellowship Complete

3. This joy we share as believers is completed (full) when our fellowship with
Him and each other is according to His Word. Think of it His joy is to be
made complete in us! (John 15:11 & 17:13)
His glory awaits us to complete our fellowship. His church; His Bride will sit with
Him upon His throne. Our fellowship will see its greatest fulfillment then. But we
need not wait for deep fellowship until then.
As we consider the benefits of His fellowship with us, and ours with Him in these
matters, we see that although the benefits may not yet be completed, they must
certainly be well on their way. In that regard, may our fellowship with Him and each
other grow. It may help to ask ourselves these questions:
1. Do I enjoy fellowship with Christ in His love? Have I remained in it? Do I
cherish it? (Jude 21)
2. Do I experience fellowship with Him in His desires? Are these desires truly
mine also?
3. Have the fellowships of His sufferings been evident in my life? Do I see this as
a privilege?
4. Is doing the will of God my daily food? Is fellowship in His work something
special to me?
5. Is the fellowship with Christ in His joys a reality in my life? Do I experience joy
unspeakable and full of glory? Moreover, is this joy a shared joy with Christ
and other believers?
6. Do I walk in the light, as He is in the light? Can my fellowship with Christ be
witnessed by others and explained this way? He(she) walks with God.
Fellowship with The Father and with Christ Jesus, and with His people oh what
benefits are ours in it! Paul, in his parting words to the Corinthian church says this May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit be with you all. Indeed, may it be with you today!