Father and Child

“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another...” 1 John 1:7. “Everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.” 1 John 5:1-2

This morning I am learning about the word ‘koinonia.’ It is the Greek word most frequently translated as fellowship. In my study it is described as ‘the fullest possible partnership and fellowship with God and with other believers. Koinonia with God comes only from a real, personal encounter with the living Christ and surrendering to Him as the absolute Lord of your life.’ Experiencing God, p. 229.

As parents we love and protect our children. We watch out for their best interest and want them to experience every form of love. So what happens when someone doesn’t show love to our children? It blocks our relationship with them. You and I can have an intimate and active relationship but if I treat your child with a lack of love you and I are going to have a problem. We will no longer be able to experience the open flow of a relationship due to the brokenness of the relationship between me and your child.

The same is true of God the Father as we treat His other children less than what we would want for our children. Our relationships with other believers express our true relationship with God. We cannot live in true fellowship with God and out of fellowship with His children. It would be extremely difficult for me to love you if you do not show love to my children. If we are to sincerely and honestly love God we must open our hearts and love other believers. If there is a barrier between you and one of His children, there is a barrier between you and God.

Barriers can provide growth in relational opportunities at the proper time. We cannot know how God works but thankfully He is a patient and loving God. He will allow His children relational license to interact with each other, but at some point He will step in and mediate just as we do with our own children. We learn to love through experience and example and God provides both.

The depth of the love you show to my children will determine the fellowship we will experience. That is the application for love that we must apply to our co-heirs in Christ.