Fellowship With God

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~ The Purpose of Divine Fellowship ~

 

Introduction  ~  The Christian who is “walking worthy of his calling” (1 Thessalonians 1:11-12) is in fellowship with all three members of the Godhead and with other believers.

 

Fellowship With The Father (for will and purpose)  ~  “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7).

 

Fellowship With The Son (for walk and practice)  ~  “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:4-9).

 

Fellowship With The Spirit (for witness and power)  ~  “Finally, brethren, farewell.  Become complete.  Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.  Greet one another with a holy kiss.  All the saints greet you.  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:11-14).

 

Fellowship With The Saints (for word and perseverance) ~  Clearly, the obedient Christian is in fellowship with all three members of the Trinity as well as in fellowship with other Christians.  “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’  Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship [with their brothers and sisters in Christ], in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:40-42).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Trinity In Leadership

 ~ Tri-Leadership Team ~

The one true God is a Triune God of three distinct personalities.  All three members of the Triune God are key in leading the Christian.

Father God  ~  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:1-4).

Jesus Christ  ~  “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’” (Matthew 16:24-26).

Holy Spirit  ~  “Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.  I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:7-14).

Comment  ~  ALN has previously published two postings regarding our Lord’s call to follow – “Follow Me” regarding the emblem of the United States Army Infantry Center (June 29, 2010, and “Follow Me, 2” (April 27, 2017).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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The Trinity in Matthew 23

 ~ The Trinity Role’s In Our Lives ~

Introduction  ~  While the English word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible the concept and truth of the Trinity is found throughout Scripture – beginning in the first chapter in the historical account of creation.  In this post we find the Trinity in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 23.

The Passage  ~ “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.  They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.  But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.  They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.  But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.  Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.  But the greatest among you shall be your servant.  Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted’” (Matthew 23:1-12 nasu)

The Holy Spirit  ~  Jesus said, “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi [Bible Teacher] by men.  But do not be called Rabbi [Bible Teacher]; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers” (Matthew 23:6-8 nasu)

While on earth Christ was our Teacher.  After He ascended back to heaven the Holy Spirit is our Teacher.  Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:25-26).  Jesus also said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:12-14).  “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1 John 2:27). 

God the Father  ~  Jesus said, “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven” (Matthew 23: nasu)

The Son of God  ~  Jesus said, “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader [Master], that is, Christ.  But the greatest among you shall be your servant.  Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted’” (Matthew 23:10-12 nasu)

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Spiritual Gifts, 3

 ~ The Role of The Trinity in Spiritual Gifts ~

Opening Comment  ~  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18). 

Scripture  ~  We serve a Triune God and it is not surprising that all three members of the Godhead are involved with our spiritual gifts.  “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit [The Holy Spirit].  There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord [Jesus Christ].  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God [The Father] who works all in all.  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7). 

One could summarize this text, and the whole of Biblical teaching, to say that:

1.      The Holy Spirit bestows the gifts.  

2.      Jesus Christ our Lord administers the gifts – they are under His direction.

3.      God, The Father, supplies the power – He energizes the gifts.  

Closing Comments  ~  “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.  Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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