“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.“ 1 John 1:3-4

John wrote these words, under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, for people who have already received the Lord Jesus as  Saviour. So if you’ve done that, this is for you. John wrote this so that saved people could enjoy fellowship with each other, and with God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Which means that even as one who’s received Christ, you may not enjoy your Christian life because you don‘t have fellowship with Jesus.   

When you receive Jesus as Saviour, you enter into a relationship with Him. He becomes your personal Saviour, and you become one of His people: “And ye are Christ’s;…” 1 Corinthians 3:23 That relationship never ends, because once the Lord gives eternal life, He doesn’t take it back. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” John 10:28 That’s why it’s called “eternal” life.

But even as a Christian, you can lose fellowship with Jesus, so that you‘re not really close to Him and don’t enjoy your Christian life as you should. No doubt you’ve met people who are related but aren’t close. They could be siblings or even spouses, but they aren’t close and their relationship isn’t really happy. That’s the way it can be with a Christian and Jesus, but it shouldn’t be. Being a Christian is supposed to be about being close to Christ and joyful.

James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh [close] to God, and he will draw nigh to you…” This verse was written to Christians. So, Christian, it’s really your choice if you want to be joyful and close to God or not. But God wants you to be close with Him and joyful. That‘s why He inspired James to write this verse. We’ll see more specifics about drawing close to Christ later. But if you’ve not received Jesus as Saviour but want to know more, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org and click, “How do I go to Heaven?” And if you’re looking for a church that preaches God’s word, please visit.
 

                                                                                                                                Brian Miller 1/10/2011


Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Rd, Brooklyn, Oh 44144 216/671-2822