In 1:5—2:11 we have the conditions of the divine fellowship. The first condition is the confessing of our sins, and the second condition is loving God and the brothers. In order to confess our sins, we need to realize that we still have sin dwelling in our flesh and that it is always possible for us to sin. Whenever we sin, we need to confess our sin. Our confession is based on God’s provisions: the blood of Jesus, the faithfulness and righteousness of our faithful and righteous God, the Advocate, and Christ as our propitiation. Through these provisions we may enjoy the restoration of our fellowship. This restoration of fellowship is wholly based on propitiation. Actually, propitiation is itself the restored fellowship. With propitiation as the basis, we may converse with God, and He with us. We then have two-way traffic for a mutual enjoyment between us and God. This is the first condition for maintaining the divine fellowship.
We have emphasized the fact that the second condition is loving God and the brothers. In order to fulfill this condition, we need to know God continuously and experientially. It is not sufficient to know God once in a while, and we do not know Him once for all. We need to know Him experientially by continuously living in the divine life. Our daily life should be a life of knowing God constantly, for our life should be a life of living God. As long as we live God, we shall constantly know Him.
I can testify from experience that whenever I speak, I have the opportunity to know God. In giving a message my desire is to speak in God and with God. Sometimes, however, a certain word may be about to come out of my mouth. Then I realize that I need to swallow it, for the very God in whom and with whom I speak regulates what I say. I do not want to speak in myself but in God. I cannot tell you how much I have come to know God in the matter of my speaking. Whenever I speak, I know God. Speaking is always a golden opportunity for me to experience Him.
If we would experience and enjoy the divine love and have it become the love by which we love God and others, we need to know God experientially. This is the basic requirement for having the love of God become our love.
If we continually know God in an experiential way, we shall automatically keep the commandments of the Lord. When we know God, we keep the Lord’s commandment. To keep the Lord’s commandment means that we take His word. We have pointed out that the Lord’s word is not merely a command or injunction; it is also a supply of life to us. The Lord’s word always supplies life in our spirit. This can be proved by our experience. Whenever we receive the Lord’s word and put it into practice, immediately we have the life supply within us.
The Lord’s word is different from the Mosaic law. The Mosaic law is an injunction with demands and requirements, but without any supply. However, whatever the Lord commands us in the New Testament is a supplying word. His life supply backs up His commandment. His commandment is not merely an injunction requiring us to do something; it is also a word that always supplies whatever it demands. The Lord’s word even supplies us with the Lord Himself as life and as the Spirit. Therefore, we may experience Him and enjoy Him. If we know Him, we shall keep His word. By keeping His word we enjoy His supply.
When we keep the Lord’s word and receive His supply, the love of God will be perfected within us. This means that as we receive the supply of the Lord’s word, the love of God becomes our enjoyment, and this enjoyment issues in a love for God and the brothers.
If we would fulfill the second condition of the divine fellowship—the requirement that we love God and the brothers—we must know God. If we know Him, we shall keep His word. If we keep His word, we shall receive His supply of life. Then the love of God will be perfected in us. Our experience and enjoyment of God’s love will issue in a love for God and the brothers. This is the fulfillment of the second requirement for maintaining the divine fellowship.
The two conditions of the divine fellowship involve sin on the negative side and love on the positive side. On the negative side, we need to deal with sin; on the positive side, we need to exercise ourselves to love God and the brothers. Therefore, sin must be dealt with, and love must be perfected. If we deal with sin and exercise ourselves to love God and the brothers, we shall fulfill the conditions of keeping ourselves in the fellowship of the divine life.