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SEPTEMBER: Life in Christ

September 23

FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER--FROM OUR SIDE

...and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3

"Our fellowship is with the Father." We have communion with God. This can be looked at from our side. What does this wondrous thing that has been made possible for us in Christ mean from our side? It means, obviously and of necessity, that we have come to know God. God is no longer a stranger somewhere away in the heavens; He is no longer some stray force or power somewhere, some supreme energy. God is no longer some potentate or lawgiver far removed and faraway from us; God now is someone we know.

Consider the apostle Paul especially as he deals with this. You will find that in writing to the Galatians he talks about their knowing God; "but now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God..." (Galatians 4:9). That is the idea. God is now a reality--we know Him; that is the very essence of this matter. You cannot have communion, you cannot have conversation with a person without knowing that person; there is nothing distant"there is an intimacy and a knowledge.

The Christian, says John, is one who has come to know God, but it is not only that. God not only is a great person--I speak with reverence--the Christian is one who has come to know God as Father. That is why John uses his terms so carefully--"our fellowship is with the Father." The Christian is one who turns to God and addresses Him as "Abba, Father." That is how Paul puts it in Romans 8:15"we have the spirit of adoption, the result of which is that we know God in an intimate way so that we address Him as "Abba, Father" because we are His children. This also means that we delight in God and that we have joy in His presence. We know God in that way.

A Thought to Ponder
It means, obviously and of necessity, that we have come to know God.

From Fellowship with God, p. 83.







Today’s devo is taken from Walking with God Day by Day © 2003 by Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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