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What Does A Personal Relationship Leave Out?

Fellowship vs. Personal Relationship Series

            As we have seen in our study we have learned a great deal about Fellowship. That being said Fellowship is inclusive while a personal relationship is exclusive. A personal relationship leaves out a great deal. It carries grievous effects on our walk. A personal relationship leaves out the body (Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Cor. 12:12). It leaves out the key, Christ and His Word (Matt. 28:18-20). It fails to give you all things in common (Eph. 5:8-14; Acts 4:32; Rm. 6:1-4).  It removes what holds us together (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 2:42; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). A personal relationship forsakes unity and doesn’t support the concept that we are all one in Christ (John 17:23; Eph. 4:1-5; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 5:23; Eph. 1:22-23). It leaves out God, Christ and the Holy Spirit (1 John 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:9; Phil. 2:1-2).  All the while it gives the white washed appearance that it does.  We must be mindful of what some teachings and phrases really do mean. Let’s take a look at some areas that a “personal relationship” leaves out.
 

Leaves out The Body

 This personal relationship also leaves out the body’s role in your faith. Eph. 4:4-6 and 1 Cor. 12:12 lets us know we are a part of one body. We are submissive to Christ (Eph. 5: 22-24). Christ is the head. There is not a personal relationship there. We are all individuals but we are all one body. A personal relationship would mean that each of us has our own relationship with Christ that no one else can be a part of. Then how can we be one body? How can we all walk in the Light? How can we have all things in common?


The Key

That having all things in common is key. As one body, we are unified in Christ. Let’s look at how we have all things in common, for that is a description or understanding of fellowship. After those had heard, believed, confessed, repented, were immersed into Christ and lived faithfully they stayed together. Not just for that moment, we know that form Acts 2:42. Here we read they devoted themselves to the Apostle’s doctrine (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark. 16:15-16; 2 Tim. 3:16-17), to fellowship, to the breaking of bread (1 Cor. 10:17, 11: 23-26), and to prayer (1 Thess. 5:13). Fellowship is something they continued in.


All Things in Common

 They were doing these things and continued in them? Yes, after they were baptized. We read all about that fellowship in 1 John 1:1-10. That’s where we find the definition of what that is meant there in Acts 2:42; just like we looked elsewhere to define the other words used in that verse. We know it was a strong fellowship for we see it mentioned often.  That is how they had all things in common (Acts 2:44-45). Acts 4:32 goes as far as to say they were of one heart and one soul. They didn’t consider anything their own but had all things in common. In Acts 5:12 they were in one accord in Solomon’s Porch. Here we are talking about a large number of people. According to Acts 2:41, they started with 3,000 and the Lord added to their number those being saved (Acts 2:47). The multitude grew, as shown in Acts 4:4. They grew up to 5,000 and it continued to increase there in Jerusalem (Acts 5:14). This is a large group of people that everything in common. In fact after they were scattered (Acts 8:1-3). They continued to preach the word (Acts 8:4). We see that when they preached the word, people were still being added (Acts 11:19-26). The body talked about were Christians. No matter where they were when they assembled or lived, walking in the light, they did it as obedient children. They were in fellowship with each other (Eph. 5:8-14).

 

What Holds Us Together


You may be thinking “I see this lesson on being one body but what does this have to do with fellowship and the relationship question.” Well we are trying to understand “having all things in common.”  Think for a moment; that which held the body together was the inspired word which they obeyed (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2; Acts 2:37-47). That is what created the fellowship they had (1 John 1:1-10). Their unity was bound in the fact they were in one accord by the word and Christ, and they were one body (1 Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 4:4-6). They walked in by that word. So our binding tie is Christ and His word (1 John 2:5-6; 1 John 5:2-3). The perfect God inspired word (2 Tim. 3:16-17); the same word those in Jerusalem heard and obeyed.  So what can we say then? Unity is crucial. Unity is that having all things in common.

 

Unity

Unity is an inherent effect of being immersed into Christ’s authority by the waters of baptism (Acts 2:37-41; Rom. 6:1-6; 1 Pet. 3:12; Rev 1:5; Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Cor. 12:12-14). Christ unifies us, if we keep His commandments (Matt. 28:18-20; 1 John 2:3-6).  He wants us to be united in Him (John 17:20-26). This is only if we do all He commanded (Heb. 5:8-9; Matt. 18:20). We were baptized into one body, Christ’s (1 Cor. 12:12-14, Acts 2:37-41).  Please, also note that in John 17:23 this unity shows the world who and what we are.

 

We Are All One in Christ

So we are all one? Yes, so when we look at John’s statements about fellowship we can understand this unity in word and commonality, as children of God. God makes no distinction between the fellowship we have with each other and the fellowship we have with Christ. This is what Christ prayed for in John 17:20-26; “that we may all be in him”.  We are one with Christ, we are the body and He is the head (Eph. 5:23; Eph. 1:22-23). What do we have in common with Christ? He was obedient and follow God’s commands, and so must we (Heb. 5:8-9; 1 John 5:2-3, 2:5-6; Phil. 2:12).

 

Questions

What unifies us, and puts us in that fellowship? Christ. As there is no distinction, do you have a personal relationship with each individual Christian on earth? No, we can’t. That’s is physiologically and physically impossible. Then, how can you have one with Christ if it is presented as the same fellowship?  We can’t.

 

These scriptures exemplify our definition and leave no room for a personal relationship. I don’t know about but after all this study, I would much rather fellowship with the Godhead and the body. How about you?

 

"The Partnership"

 

 

 

 

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