9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment (1 Corinthians 1:9–10, NKJV).
God calls sinners into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” by the gospel (2 Thess. 2:13). As Jesus said, “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me” (John 6:45). We must understand and accept that fellowship with the Lord Jesus is not based on our desire, definitions, and declarations. Nothing less than the writings of Christ’s apostles form the basis of fellowship with God. John declared this in 1 John 1:3-4, “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. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:3-4). Fellowship with God must first exist before God approves fellowship with others (2 John 9-11). Simply put, we do not validate our fellowship with God; God does with His truth. When we practice the truth, we walk in the light in fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-7). God-approved unity exists among Christians when we are in fellowship with God (1 Cor. 1:9-10).
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