One of the things that Paul teaches in chapter 8 of his letter to
the Romans is that those who are in Christ are adopted with Him as sons and
daughters of God. Christians are heirs
with Christ and participants in all that is His. The text doesn't directly speak of fellowship,
but fellowship is something that comes naturally between a parent and child are
in a relationship that is healthy and whole, as a saving relationship with God
through Christ must be.
Last night I read some examples of what it means to have
fellowship with Christ. According to John Owen fellowship
with Christ includes these things:
- “fellowship in name; we are (as he is) sons and
daughters of God”
- “fellowship in title and right; we are heirs, co-heirs
with Christ”
- “fellowship in likeness and conformity; we are
predestined to be like the firstborn
of the family”
- “fellowship in honor; he is not ashamed to call us
brethren”
- “fellowship in sufferings; he learned obedience by
what he suffered, and every son is to be scourged that is received”
- “fellowship in his kingdom; we shall reign with him”[1]
I said above that a saving relationship with God through
Christ must be healthy and whole, but
there are often times when it may not look that way on our end. We struggle in our families. We see injustice in the world. We wonder when God is going to answer our
prayers.
But our circumstances don’t change God’s eternal promises,
or His ability to fulfill those promises, which He surely will do. So I invite you to read Romans 8:14-17 below,
and re-read the promises above, and know that these remarkable blessings are
yours and mine because you and I have fellowship with Christ.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did
not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received
the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit
himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if
children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we
suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
Scripture quotations
are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by
Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
[1] These thoughts
on fellowship, including the use of italics, are original to John Owen and are
found in his book Communion with God,
which is cited in: Beeke, Joel R. and Mark Jones, A
Puritan Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2012)
111.
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