Fellowship, with God

God’s fellowship with his people is shown by his presence

God’s presence with Israel

Leviticus 26:12 ESV

And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

See also Ex 33:14; Is 63:9; Hag 1:13

God’s presence in the tabernacle

Exodus 25:8 ESV

And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.

See also Ex 29:45–46; Ex 40:34–36; Le 26:11; Dt 12:11

God’s presence in the temple

1 Kings 6:12–13 ESV

“Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”

See also 1 Ki 8:29; 2 Ch 7:1–2; Is 6:1

God’s presence in the new Jerusalem

Zechariah 2:10–13 ESV

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

See also Eze 37:26–28; Eze 43:4–7; Eze 48:35; Re 21:3

The church’s fellowship with God

Fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

John 14:23 ESV

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

See also Jn 14:7; Jn 14:16–17 fellowship with the Spirit

Fellowship is made possible through Jesus Christ

Ephesians 2:18–19 ESV

For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

See also Ro 5:10; 2 Co 5:18–19; Col 1:20–22; Heb 10:19–22

Fellowship with Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

See also Mt 28:20 Jesus Christ’s presence with his disciples; Jn 15:4–5 abiding in Christ; Ro 6:4–5 united with Christ in his death and resurrection; 1 Co 10:15–16 communion with Christ at the Lord’s Supper; Php 3:10 sharing in Christ’s sufferings

Fellowship with God is inseparable from fellowship with one another

1 John 1:3 ESV

that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

See also Mt 18:20; Mk 9:37; Jn 17:21; 2 Co 13:11

The demands of fellowship with God

Holiness

Le 20:26; 2 Co 6:14–18

See also Ex 34:12–14; Ezr 6:21; 1 Co 5:11; Eph 5:8–11; Jas 4:4

Obedience to God’s will

1 John 3:24 ESV

Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

See also Is 57:15; Mt 12:49–50; Jn 14:21

Sin separates people from fellowship with God

Is 59:2; 1 Jn 1:5–6

See also Ge 3:8; Eze 39:23

Examples of fellowship with God

Ge 5:22 Enoch; Ge 6:9 Noah; 2 Ch 20:7 Abraham

Moses:

Ex 33:11; Nu 12:3

Jos 1:9 Joshua; Mal 2:6 Levi