Fellowship
God created humans...
... by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. -- 1 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV)
John wrote:
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. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
-- 1 John 1:3-10
This is made possible by the Holy Spirit:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. -- 2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV)
According to Strong's Concordance, the Greek word "koinónia" which is translated as "fellowship" means:
(lit: partnership)
- contributory help, participation,
- sharing in, communion,
- spiritual fellowship, a fellowship in the spirit.
For example:
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Unbelievers
Since fellowship is considered a contributory partnership, we should be careful with whom we have fellowship as Paul warns:
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?
For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make My dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the LORD, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the LORD Almighty.” (Leviticus 26:12)
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
-- 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (ESV)
Love God
Our first love should be God.
Love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. -- Mark 12:33 (ESV)
Seek God
This is the reason why we were created:
And He made from one man every nation of mankind ... that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for
"In him we live and move and have our being" (Job 12:10)
-- Acts 17:26-28 (ESV)
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. -- Hebrews 11:6
God is not impressed by beggars who only want to stuff from Him and as soon as He grants their wishes, they turn their faces away from Him. God is a Father who gave us a free will so that we may choose to love Him back.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God -- 1 John 3:1 (ESV)
And this is eternal life, that they know
- You, the only true God, and
- Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
-- John 17:3 (ESV)
Trust God
Those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. -- Psalm 9:10 (ESV)
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. -- 1 John 4:12-16 (ESV)
Intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus
Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" -- Matthew 7:22-23 (NKJV), Luke 6:46
The Greek word translated as "knew" is ginóskó. This is the same word used to describe Josef and Mary's relationship:
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. -- Matthew 1:24-25 (ESV)
In other words, it is not good enough to simply know about Jesus. Jesus is not impressed with religion. He requires a deep intimate relationship.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And He has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” -- John 5:25-27 (ESV)
"I know my own and my own know me." -- John 10:14 (ESV)