1. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7).
Our fellowship of life with God is based on our life relationship with God. This life relationship cannot be broken, but the fellowship of life can be and is broken very easily because of our sins and disobedience. The life relationship between a child and his mother can never be broken, but it is very easy for their fellowship to be broken. When a child does something wrong, he does not want to see his mother. For example, a mother may say to her child, “I am going out for a while. Do not eat any candy while I am away.” But after she leaves, he may take some candy and eat it. Normally, when he obeys his mother, he is happy to see her, but when his mother returns, he will run away from her if he has eaten some candy. When she comes into the living room, he will run into the kitchen, and when she comes into the kitchen, he will run into the living room. An experienced mother will realize that he has eaten some candy.
If we walk in the Lord’s light, we are living in the fellowship of the Lord’s life. However, we often fail to live in the Lord’s light. Often we are disobedient and sin; therefore, we lose the fellowship of the Lord’s life. As soon as we stop living in the Lord’s light, being disobedient or sinful, our fellowship in the Lord’s life is broken. We will not be able to fellowship with the Lord, and we will not want to fellowship with the brothers and sisters. Nevertheless, this does not mean that our life relationship with the Lord has been broken. It can never be broken. Nothing can break our life relationship with the Lord. However, even a small problem with God, a little argument with God, a small amount of disobedience, or a tiny sin can break our fellowship in the Lord’s life.
1. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, see also v. 7).
Thank God! Although our life fellowship with Him can be broken, it can also be recovered. Since it is broken by our sin, it must be recovered through confessing our sins. If we are willing to confess our sins to God according to the Lord’s enlightening, He is faithful and righteous according to His Word to forgive and cleanse us from our sins because of the Lord’s blood. Thus, our fellowship with Him in life can be recovered. As soon as we confess our sins to God, He immediately forgives and cleanses us so that our conscience has peace and does not condemn us. Thus, our fellowship in life with Him is recovered. As soon as the child tells his mother that he is sorry for taking some candy, she will forgive him, and his fellowship with his mother will be recovered. We can recover our broken fellowship with God at any time. This recovery is based on the eternal efficacy of the Lord’s precious blood, and it is accomplished through the confession of our sins.
Once a believer neglects the sense of life, he immediately loses the fellowship of life. The fellowship of life is maintained in the sense of life, so once we neglect the sense of life, the fellowship of life is broken and lost.
Once a believer loses the fellowship of life, the sense of life is dulled. The fellowship of life is maintained through the sense of life, and the sense of life is sharpened by the fellowship of life. Thus, once the fellowship of life is lost, the sense of life is dulled.
Once a believer obeys even a fading sense of life, the fellowship of life is recovered. We lose the fellowship of life because we do not obey the sense of life. Therefore, if we obey even a fading sense of life, we will immediately recover the fellowship of life.
Once a believer recovers the fellowship of life, the sense of life becomes keener. The sense of life becomes dull when we lose the fellowship of life, but when we recover the fellowship of life, the sense of life is sharpened spontaneously.
The keener the sense of life is in a believer, the deeper is his fellowship. The deeper the fellowship of life is, the keener the sense of life is. These two are mutually related, forming a continuous cycle that causes the believers to grow in life. The sense of life depends upon the fellowship of life; the fellowship of life increases the sense of life. The more we have the sense of life, the more we have the fellowship of life, and the more we have the fellowship of life, the more we have the sense of life. As these two move in an ever-increasing cycle, the Lord’s life within us grows.
1. “If one does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is dried up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6).
The Lord said that if a saved one does not abide in Him—does not live in the fellowship of His life—“he is cast out as a branch and is dried up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” The function of a branch is to bear fruit. In order for a branch to bear fruit, it must abide in the vine. Otherwise, it will lose the fruit-bearing function and suffer loss. If we do not abide in the Lord and fellowship with Him, it will be the same with us. However, this verse does not say that we will perish if we do not abide in the Lord. It says that we will lose the function of life and not be able to bear fruit to glorify God if we do not fellowship with the Lord. Thus, we will suffer loss. The Lord is not speaking of the requirements for salvation in this verse. He is speaking of the requirements for bearing fruit. If we do not fulfill these requirements, we will not lose our salvation. However, we will lose our ability to bear fruit and glorify God, so we will suffer loss (cf. 1 Cor. 3:15).
1. “Abide in Him, so that if He is manifested, we may have boldness and not be put to shame from Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28).
If we abide in the Lord and fellowship with Him, we most certainly will walk before the Lord and live in His heart’s desire. Thus, when He is manifested, we will have boldness and not be put to shame from Him. If we do not live like this, we will be afraid and ashamed when we see the Lord. This should be a warning for to us to live in the fellowship of the Lord.