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"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
Does our fellowship in the body look like this? Because if it doesn’t then it’s not true fellowship; it’s
flesh. It’s seditions!
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, SEDITIONS, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
Seditions <1370> from Strong's: dicostasia dichostasia dee-khos-tas-ee’-ah: derivative of 1364 and 4714; AV-division 2, sedition, dissension, division.
We choose who we will associate with and close ourselves off from others. That’s not fellowship. In order to have true corporate fellowship with one another we have to have TRUE fellowship with Christ first. "That I may know him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"
"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
When we choose whom we will or will not fellowship with based on what we think we like about another it’s not true fellowship and there is absolutely no healing in the association whatsoever.
"Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, NOT DISCERNING THE LORD’S BODY. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world."
We choose only that which tickles our ears. We choose only those people who seem attractive to us, to our flesh. Hence we prevent God from bringing healing to us and to others and to the body as a whole. "For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?"
Before we imagine we are having true fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ let’s learn to have true fellowship with Christ. "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" Then we’ll see healing in the body as we have never before seen or known.
Acts 2:42; Gal.5:19; Php 3:10; 1Jo 1:6; I Co 11:27; James 2:2; Php 3:10
All scripture from Online Bible Edition 2.00.04
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