During World War II, the enemy conducted experiments to find the most effective type of punishment for eliciting information from prisoners. They found that solitary confinement was the most effective. After a few days of solitary confinement, most men would tell all. That is why we need fellowship—without it, we too become easy prey for temptation and abandonment of our values.¹ Fellowship is what we are going to look at today. What is fellowship? The word is one of those ingrained Christian words. It ranks up there with the word prayer, faith, grace, and righteousness. But what is real fellowship with God?

[Tweet “Fellowship is not a one-way street. Joint participation is a better way of looking at the word fellowship.”]

1 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV) — 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

What Is Fellowship?

• As we indicated in the opening paragraph, fellowship is one of those ingrained Christian words.
• It ranks up there with all kinds of Christian-ease.
• As with any actively used term, it runs into the danger of the familiar.
• That is we link familiarity with meaning.
• We think we understand all about it just because the word is part of everyday vocabulary.
• Let’s not fall into that trap.
• Let’s define the word and look at some ways the word is used in the New Testament.

Defining the Word

• Let’s start out by looking at the Greek definition of this word.
• The word ‘fellowship’ means participation.
• It means the act of sharing in the activities or privileges of an intimate association or group.
• But here in 1 Corinthians 1:9, the sharing spoken of is not with an association or a group.
• The sharing is with God.
• Believers in Jesus can fellowship God.
• We can participate with Him.
• Our sharing our problem, our situation, our need, our question, with God and the Lord sharing His power, His strength, His grace, and His wisdom with me is what fellowship with God means.
• It is not a one-way street.
• Joint participation is a better way of looking at the word fellowship.
• This is great news.
• It means God is invested in your life.
• He wants you to help you to do life and to do it well.

Qualifications for Fellowship

• There are some qualifications you want to be aware of in order to have a vibrant sharing with the Trinity.

1 John 1:6–7 (ESV) — 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 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 cleanses us from all sin.

• In order to have participation with God and with other believers, we must first walk in the light.
• What does the scripture mean when it says that?
• It means we must walk in all the light from the Word of God that we have.
• We must practice truth.
• We must put the Bible into operation.
• We must lean on the Word.
• The Lord expects you to walk in every Bible truth that His Spirit has illuminated in your heart.
• Two cannot walk together unless they agree.

Amos 3:3 (KJV) — 3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

• When you don’t walk in a truth you know you should walk, your fellowship with God becomes weaker.

James 4:17 (KJV) — 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

• Sin always puts the light out.

Fellowship and God In You

Romans 8:9 (ESV) — 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

• The Spirit of God dwells in you.
• His house is your house.
• The Spirit’s place of residence is your body.
• That makes fellowship easy.
• God is in you.
• That means you are inseparable.
• He has identified Himself with you in your earth walk.
• There can never be a separation from now on.
• You would not give Him up and He would not give you up.
• You have His life.
• He has your life.
• He gives you His ability.
• We labor together with Him, you and your Lord.

Psalm 25:14 (KJV) — 14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; And he will shew them his covenant.

• The secrets of the Lord are with those who fellowship with Him.
• He is always whispering in your heart by His Spirit within you.
• Relationship is different than fellowship.
• You didn’t establish the relationship, Jesus did.
• You said yes to Jesus and He said yes to you.
• Since you didn’t establish the relationship, that means you can’t break the relationship.
• Fellowship is another story.
• You can break fellowship.
• Sin does the trick every time.
• When you sin, the light goes out.
• Fellowship is broken.
• Your heart cringes in the shadow of broken fellowship.
• Your mind argues with your heart trying to justify the action which led to the divide.
• It’s better to just repent and let the Blood of Jesus do it’s work.
• Always run to Jesus when you sin.
• Never run from Him.
• Relationship is by the free grace of God.
• But fellowship you have to work at.
• Jesus had to work at it.
• It was not automatic between He and God.

Luke 2:52 (KJV) — 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

• If Jesus had to work at it, so do you and I.