Fellowship of Faith

No one likes to be alone, especially when times get tough.  It is at these times when we are under pressure that we need Christian fellowship.  Life is full of pressure.  Pressure can come from any of a number of sources: work, relationships, finances, stressful situations, etc.   The most important thing when facing pressure is to maintain the security and assurance of our faith on Jesus.  This kind of steadfast faith requires fellowship, particularly fellowship within the body of Christ.

Fellowship, simply put, refers to doing life together.  There are many biblical stories of the power of fellowship.  In the Old Testament, there is the fellowship between of Moses and Aaron, or Jonathan and David.  In the New Testament, there is the fellowship of Jesus and the disciples, of Peter and Paul, or Paul and Timothy.  These are examples that particularly express the theme of fellowship.  Godly fellowship involves accountability, growth, confession, and challenging each other to growth in the Lord.

Fellowship is a required aspect of life as a Christian (John 13:34-35; Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:25, 13:2; 1 Pet. 4:9).  More than that, it is necessary for logical coherency.  If we are the body of Christ, made up of individual parts that each perform a specific function, then, we need to have fellowship.  An ear cannot be a foot just like a finger cannot be a lung; we need fellowship to actually be a body.

Additionally, we are to be on fire for Christ.  This can be understood more if we think of our lives in Christ akin to the coals of a bonfire.  We are the individual coals.  If you take a single hot ember out of the glow of the fire, not soon after the coal is taken out of the fire will it cease to burn.  Similarly, apart from consistent fellowship, a Christian will inevitably falter without the community of fellowship.

Fellowship pushes believers to work harder to grow in their Christian lives.  It motivates people through accountability and synergy.  Inevitably, this means that drama will come.  Drama is to be expected.  God uses the drama that occurs within the body as a catalyst to growth.  The church is medium that God has chosen to refine His people through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The friction that fellowship brings is the necessary element in the growth of individuals with the body.  It is important to note that the Church is made up of churches.  The churches that make up the Church are full of believers.  Those believers are, hopefully, being sanctified and refined into the fully-redeemed people of God.  The church is the Holy Spirit's sanctifier for His glory and for the good of the Church.  Consistency is key.

This, among many reasons, is why leaving a church over relational issues should be the absolute last resort of action.  If at the first sniff of relational issues, we leave the church for the next one, we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us.  Also, because of this, apart from extenuating circumstances, it is nearly impossible to be a growing Christian apart from regular, consistent fellowship.  In summation, fellowship is not optional, it is required.  Additionally, fellowship is the medium by which God grows His children.  We need to be a people of fellowship in Christ if we are to be a people of faith in Christ.