“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” — 1 John 1:6-7
We were created by God for relationship. Adam, the first man, had a relationship with God first, then with the animals. His relationship with God was different than his relationship with the animals. What he experienced with God had a greater depth of intimacy.
That greater depth of relationship is what the Bible calls “fellowship,” which is defined as “a friendly relationship marked by ready communication and mutual understanding.” Synonyms for fellowship are agreement, harmony, communion, unity and oneness. With God by his side, Adam named all the living creatures and was united with Eve. There was harmony, communion, unity and oneness.
It was a great beginning and I believe they experienced incredible fellowship until sin entered their world. Sin broke that fellowship with God and with one another. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s authority and command, thus breaking the harmony, communion and oneness.
First John 1:6-7 reminds us that our fellowship is with the Father first and then with others. To “walk in the light” means that we honor God with our thoughts, our words and our actions. We learn what He desires for our lives through the Bible and live accordingly. When we disobey what we know is the right thing to do, we must confess or agree with the Father that it is sin, and seek His forgiveness through Jesus.
Sin breaks fellowship, but confession restores it. Harmony, communion and oneness are only possible if we walk in the light with our great God and others.
— Mickey Weston, Chicago White Sox chaplain
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