7 Fellowships

~ Are You Enjoying Them All? ~   

There are seven significant fellowships the Christian enjoys. Three are direct fellowship with each member of our Triune God.  The other four involve indirect fellowship with members of the Trinity.    

Fellowship with the Father ~ “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father…” (1 John 1:3).

Fellowship of the Son ~ “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).

Fellowship of the Spirit ~ “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy” (Philippians 2:1). “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Fellowship in the Light ~ “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 of Suffering ~ “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings…” (Philippians 3:10). 

Fellowship in Service ~ “Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here” (Colossians 4:7-9).

Fellowship in the Gospel ~ “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:3-6).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

The Tabernacle

~ Special Guest Blog ~

My wife, and the mother of two wonderful daughters, is also an accomplished Bible Study Leader. Recently as a group she was leading came to their final lesson on a Beth Moore video series, she wrote the following poem. Enjoy! 

“In your tabernacle, Lord, you are there.

“Months ago we came together, a group of ladies of different backgrounds, different ages, different personalities, different strengths, weaknesses, and gifts. We prayed, ‘Lord, we want to see you. We want to know you more. Show us your glory. Teach us from your Word.’

“You gently guided us into your tabernacle and we found you there.

“We first approach the high curtained outer walls, made of fine white linen. You are there in the radiant, righteous covering of your salvation.

“You draw us toward the gate, on the eastern side, hung with curtains embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. In the blue we see your heavenly character, in the purple your royalty, and in the scarlet your precious blood shed in sacrifice for us. You are there.

“Just inside the gate, we stand before the imposing altar of sacrifice, acacia wood covered in bronze. You are there, in the consuming fire lit by your holy hand and in the sacrifices made there as payment for sin, a foreshadow of you, the precious Lamb of God whose sacrifice for us was once and for all.

“Moving past the altar, we see the bronze basin. Gazing into the mirrored basin, we see our own unrighteousness reflected back to us.  We take off our sandals and wash our hands and feet.  You teach us that this cleansing symbolizes the perfect cleansing provided by your pure water, which purifies us and makes us holy. You are there.

“Cleansed by the pure water, we now enter the Holy Place, where our eyes are drawn to the left, to the light of the lampstand made of one solid piece of pure hammered gold. We smell the pure oil of pressed olives that fuels the seven flames, and we think of the you, the Light of the World. You are there.

“To our right, illuminated by the golden lampstand, stands the table of showbread. You teach us that the twelve loaves represent the twelve tribes of Israel, a continual reminder of your covenant with your children and a memorial of your provision of food. We think about the Bread of Life, and we know you are there.

“Passing between the golden lampstand on our left and the table of showbread on our right, we move towards the far end of the Holy Place, where we find the altar of incense. The sweet-smelling incense, burned every morning and every evening, speaks of our prayers, rising as sweet vapor to you.

“Now, just beyond the altar of our prayers, we find before us the veil, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, embroidered with designs of cherubim. Dare we pass through the veil, to the place only the high priest is allowed? On what grounds are we worthy? You remind us of your Word, Christ Jesus, who gave His life as the final, perfect, complete sacrifice, when the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom! And we understand it clearly – we enter through the veil not on our own merit, but through the blood sacrifice of our Lord and Savior. We praise you, Lord. You are there!

“Beyond the veil, we find ourselves in the most precious place, the Holy of Holies. In your presence, we fall on our faces before the Ark of the Testimony and the Mercy Seat. Your Word tells us, ‘And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the testimony’ (Exodus 25:22). Your promise is sure – we find you there.

“We think back to our prayer, ‘Lord, we want to see you. We want to know you more. Show us your glory. Teach us from your Word.’ Thank you, our dear Lord, for answering that prayer in a mighty way!

“Thank you for leading us through your tabernacle, and for being there every step of the way. Thank you for your great love for us and your sacrifice for us. Thank you for your precious Word, which teaches us that we are your tabernacle, and you dwell with us (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

“ ‘The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us’ (John 1:14). In your tabernacle, Lord, you are here.”    

3 Person God-Head, 3 Roles

~ The Trinity in Salvation ~   

The opening chapters of both Ephesians and 1 Peter provide three great aspects of salvation through the Trinity. It was God, the Father, who developed the plan. It was the Son of God who revealed the plan. Continuing today, it is the Spirit of God who empowers the plan. 

Chosen by God the Father ~ God the Father was the initiator—it was the Father who sent His only Son. He was the prime initiator of our salvation. “Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes” (Ephesians 1:4).

Redeemed by God the Son ~ Jesus Christ is the redeemer—it was the Son of God who came to earth as a man, lived a perfect life while on earth, and then paid the penalty for sin for those who place their trust in Him. “He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins” (Ephesians 1:7).

Sealed by God the Spirit ~ The Holy Spirit is our helper—it is the Spirit of God who empowers us to live a life worthy of our calling (2 Thessalonians 1:11). “It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

The Trinity at work in our salvation is also found in the first chapter of 1 Peter.

Redemption by power – work of the Father ~ “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:20-21).

Redemption by blood – work of the Son ~ “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Redemption through the Word – work of the Holy Spirit ~ “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:22-23).   

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Propitiation

~ An Interesting New Testament Term ~   

Propitiation is one of those six-dollar theological terms. It is a complex term full of interesting and sometimes difficult concepts. We are told that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sin (Romans 3:22-26; 1 John 2:1-2, 4:9-11). Since it is a good Biblical term, it is worth exploring and explaining in a straightforward manner. 

Propitiation has a lot to do with the divine aspect of the Cross. The word propitiation in our English Bibles has its roots in an old English word, propitiate, which has a base meaning of appeasement.  One definition which New Testament scholars use is, “the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross by which He satisfied God's Holiness so God could extend mercy to lost sinners.”

It is also related to the Old Testament concept of atonement and the covering of sin. In the Old Testament the Mercy Seat was a way of covering sin or appeasing the Judge. Christ’s death covers the penalty of our sin and provides satisfaction to the Judge of all mankind. It includes the judicial concept of satisfying all legal requirements and gaining a judgment of complete satisfaction in a courtroom.

The death of the sinless One, Jesus Christ, is the only possible remedy for sin—the only way for forgiveness or satisfying the requirements of the judgment for those who have sinned. As we read our Bibles we must recognize that not everyone will be saved (2 Corinthians 5:14-19), but the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient for all to be saved (Hebrews 2:9). 

This propitiatory sacrifice of Christ removes our estrangement or separation from God by appeasing or satisfying God’s right of judgment against us. The Father’s righteous judgment has been satisfied by the death of the only sinless One. Only Jesus Christ who lived a sinless life could satisfy a righteous and holy God. This is the Gospel message in a nutshell! God sent His only beloved Son—the only righteous One—to take our place of judgment in order to satisfy the righteous and just wrath of God against sinners. God’s wrath was put on Christ as our substitute. 

There are many complexities to this concept of propitiation as we see active grace, active mercy, and active love being showered upon those who could do nothing for themselves—those who would otherwise stand before God in total guilt. But an option has been provided: accept the Son’s gift of propitiation for your sins and they are covered with His robe of righteousness. Then when the Judge looks at you He sees the righteousness of His Son. 

There are two critical components of propitiation. The Judge must have a valid reason for the pardon and the Judge must have the motivation to act upon and admit the presented evidence.

In the case of our salvation the death of the sinless Lamb of God is a valid payment of sin. As the only truly righteous Judge God, the Father, acts upon the evidence and renders that our sins have been paid in full. Fellowship between God and the sinner is restored because the penalty for their sin has been paid in full by Jesus Christ.

With this background carefully read the following three portions of Scripture.

“For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-26 emphasis added). 

  

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:9-11 emphasis added).

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2, emphasis added).

How great a God! How great a salvation! 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: 

Redemption  is the aspect of the Cross that deals directly with the penalty of sin.

Reconciliation is the aspect of the Cross which restores fellowship with mankind.

Propitiation is the aspect of the Cross that satisfies a holy and righteous God.

The following is from an unknown source: “Then God chose to send His Son by His own Will and He willed that Christ should die and become a propitiation for our sins ( Romans 3:21-26).  What is propitiation?  Propitiation is where the wrath of God goes out as a missile and its destination is you but then Christ stands in the way of the missile.  He doesn't disarm it, He takes the blow.  The full wrath of God is displayed upon Him instead of you.  This is propitiation.”

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

6 Major Creative Acts

~ Mornings in Scripture ~  

The God of all is also the Creator of all. Consider some of His major creative acts.

The Creation ~ This is the morning of time—when the seasons began. It is not the start of eternity for eternity includes not only our eternal future but also God’s eternal past! Creation was a joyous time, “How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, while the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise?” (Job 38:6-7).

The Great Exodus ~ The birth, or the morning of Israel.  A nation was born in a resurrection morning as the Song of Moses was sung on the banks of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-18). This was not just the birth of any nation but the birth of God’s chosen people. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son” (Hosea 11:1). 

The Incarnation ~ The morning of promised salvation was heralded by the light of a bright star. Israel’s plight had been dark and dreary for a long time. The prophets had been silent for centuries. Until now, nothing distinguished the city of peace. The angels which had been gone from Israel for so long now reappeared. God-given promises to Abraham and David, which anticipated the new birth of the people and of the kingdom, now have new meaning. “Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God's Sunrise has broken upon us” (Luke 1:78). 

The Resurrection ~ The morning of victory came following the darkest day in history. It was like a deposit of earnest money as a pledge of a future eternal day. Now the first day of the week had special significance. “Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb” (Matthew 28:1). He was not there—death had been defeated and it was the dawn of a new day.

Today we are sandwiched between great mornings.

The Kingdom ~ The next great beginning will be the morning of divine rule. This will be a great dawning of day following a long night. Christ will rule the world righteously after man has failed to rule wisely. “And He shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain” (2 Samuel 23:4). 

The New Creation ~ The great morning of timelessness. It is the dawn of a second birth—a new heaven and a new earth. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone” (Revelation 21:1). It will be a place of righteousness where God supplies all our needs. “When everything and everyone is finally under God's rule, the Son will step down, taking His place with everyone else, showing that God's rule is absolutely comprehensive—a perfect ending! (1 Corinthians 15:28). 

Summary ~ (1) Soon after creation when God placed man in the Garden of Eden mankind turned God’s good gifts into evil. Creation which came with such beauty was turned into a cursed ground of weeds, thistles, and thorns. (2) God’s people soon forgot their resurrection on the banks of the Red Sea and became captives of their oppressors. (3) The babe of Bethlehem was crucified on Calvary’s Cross. (4) The glorious resurrection from the dead of the very Son of God has largely been forgotten by the masses. Even the Christian community is spiraling into the Laodicean church (see Revelation 3:14-21).

Today, you and I are fast approaching the next great morning. Are you prepared, expectant, and truly ready? (5) Soon the government of a new administration will break forth like a bright morning without a cloud in the sky. “Like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain” (2 Samuel 23:4).  (6) With the dawn of the new creation God will maintain its beauty and vitality forever. There will never again be rebellion by mankind or any of sin’s corruption. Our sun will be extinguished—God Himself will be the source of unending light—His brilliance will shine forever. “And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light”(Revelation 21:23). It will be the final morning—of one eternal day. “There shall be no night there” (Revelation 22:5). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW