THE GIFT AND CALLING OF FELLOWSHIP

1Cor 1:9  God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1.    We are called into fellowship in Christ (His body) by the Father. This is not an invitation to come join a church or any organization. As with all gifts and callings of God, only God's sovereign election applies, i.e. it is a permanent and irrevocable calling.. If he elects you to membership, you are a member whether you seek  to gather with others or not.                Romans 8:28-39; Romans 11:29; 1 Cor 12:12-18

1John 1:
1  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life--
2  the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us--
3  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.
4  And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
5  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.
6  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7  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.

2. God's call to fellowship is established in the accurate and true proclaiming of the Gospel and teaching of his Word. God is light and His Word is light.If we walk in the light that He is, (all else is darkness0 we have fellowship with Him and with one another; the blessing and fruit being forgiveness for all our sins, past, present, and future.

2Cor 13:14  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

3. Paul is in perfect agreement with John. Fellowship is the calling that reveals God's love; by the sufficiency of His grace, made effectual in and through His Son, and made actual in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.   1John 4:4-16; 1John 2:19

Hebrews 10:
24  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
25  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Acts 2:
42  And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
43  And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
44  And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
45  And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
46  And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
47  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

4. We are told not to forsake gathering together. From the first century church to this day there are those who choose not to meet with any of the saints. Of course true fellowship, as previously demonstrated here, is found only in the accurate and true teaching of Christ and His Word.
Therefore, attending a service in a building, consisting of pew and "altar", listening to the "degreed man of God" preach, meeting only on the seventh day, or the sixth day, or Wednesday etc. etc. cannot be defined as true fellowship.
Staying home and watching christian television and/or listening to Christian radio is not fellowship. The church is derelict in its; duty when the saints neglect to visit the elderly and the sick.

Fellowship, as with all callings of God, is a daily walk.

Hebrews 12:
22  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,
23  and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

Solus Christus
Soli Deo Gloria

War On The Saints:Tribulation or Wrath

 Rev 7:

13  Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?"

14  I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The Book of Revelation is not a laundry list of "future" events. It is written in the 1st century to a church undergoing tribulation. It is encouragement to persecuted saints. Futurists make the mistake of defining tribulation/persecution as wrath. We are not children of wrath. (Eph2:2-3)
However, we do not escape the persecution and afflictions wrought by the enemies of God.

John 15:

18  "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

2Thess 1:

4  Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

5  This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering--

6  since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

7  and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels

8  in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Rev 19:15  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the wine-press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

His coming brings the end of all things, not an escape from trials.

Rev 3:10  Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.

tereo = kept my word i.e. hold fast.
tereo = keep you from i.e. keep an eye on/hold you fast
It is a keeping within the hour coming upon the earth;not a taking out.

Rev 13:

5  And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.

6  It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

7  Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,

8  and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

9  If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10  If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.The church has always endured tribulation and persecution.

Wrote this song a month or so ago from Rev 3-12-13:


                  WAR ON THE SAINTS

WE OVERCOME BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB
AND THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY
WE DO NOT LOVE OUR LIVES
EVEN UNTO DEATH
ALL WHO HAVE AN EAR
LET HIM HEAR, LET HIM HEAR
ALL DESTINED TO BE CAPTIVES
TO CAPTIVITY THEY GO
ALL MEANT FOR THE SWORD
BY THE SWORD THEY MUST GO
THE CALL GOES OUT
THE CALL GOES OUT
FOR THE PATIENCE AND FAITH OF THE SAINTS

SO BECAUSE YOU HAVE KEPT MY WORD
I WILL KEEP YOU IN THIS HOUR
FOR BEHOLD I AM COMING SOON
HOLD FAST TO THE CROWN
TO THE ONE WHO CONQUERS
HE SHALL BE A PILLAR IN MY HOUSE
AND THE NAMES OF FATHER, SON, AND CITY
SHALL BE YOURS

THE DRAGON’S BEEN CAST DOWN
THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST IS COME
HIS SALVATION AND POWER
THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD
WOE TO THE EARTH
THE DRAGON’S ENRAGED
HIS TIME IS SHORT
WAGING WAR ON THE CHILDREN OF GOD
HE STANDS ON THE SANDS OF THE SEA
THE SANDS OF THE SEA OF HUMANITY
THE BEAST ARISES FROM THAT SEA
HE IS GIVEN AUTHORITY

TO MAKE WAR ON THE SAINTS
TO MAKE WAR ON THE SAINTS
TO MAKE WAR ON THE SAINTS
AND TO CONQUER

 WAR ON THE SAINTS
WAR ON THE SAINTS
 WAR ON THE SAINTS
WAR ON THE SAINTS

WORDS AND MUSIC BY CHRIS PAJAK
©2012 LATREUO MUSIC

Rev 6:

9  When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.

10  They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

11  Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

Christian or Saint?

Act 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first CALLED Christians.

Acts 26:
28 And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?"
29 And Paul said, "Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me t

his day might become SUCH AS I AM-- except for these chains."

1Peter 4:
14 If you are INSULTED for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
1Pe 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.
16 Yet if anyone SUFFERS AS A CHRISTIAN, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

The only three references to the term "christian" in scripture. The church in Acts never used this word as a self-descriptive moniker.
Christianity is essentially just another religion among many, and was not preached by Christ, the apostles, or the saints of the day.
This is apparent throughout the history of man,and never more apparent than in this day of easy believism. Word of God speak!

Jude 1;3 Contending For The Faith

Jude 1:                                                                                                                               

3  Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

The Greek word translated as ‘contend’ is epagōnizomai, which literally means a struggle, an earnest contending. The faith (pistis; assurance,credence,conviction) spoken of here, has been delivered to the saints “once for all” The word in the Greek being hapax,  most accurately translated as “one time”. Hapax is the root word found in the phrase “once for all” in Hebrews 10:10.

Hebrew 10:                                                                                                                             

10  And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

All facets of salvation are once, for all, for all time; be it election; justification, sanctification, faith etc. All of these flow from God’s grace to man through Christ’s obedient act. (Romans 5:16-19)

So this faith, which is granted by grace, is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8) and is fruit of the common “salvation” which Jude spoke of also in the same verse.

Men do not inherently possess the faith which pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6). It originates with Christ, and finds its end, that is, its perfection in Him. (Hebrews 12:2) It comes by the hearing of the Word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

As previously stated, this is a gift from God to the elect, the saints.

This being said, the contending that Jude speaks of is NOT contending to obtain the faith, nor is it contending to keep it, since it has been delivered once, for all, to all the saints. Then what is this contending that he is referring to?

Jude 1:4  For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Verses 4 through 19 describe that against which we are contending. Verses 20-23 describe how this “contentious warfare” is waged.  (2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 6:10-20)
We are declaring  the true faith against those who bring in another Jesus, another gospel etc. This battle is being fought within the church itself, as all deception, heresy and apostasy, by definition, originate from the wolves in sheep’s clothing. (Acts 20:26-30; Matthew 7:15-20)

(I have touched on this in my previous post on 1John4:4 and the spirit of antichrist)

We do not have to struggle to be saved, nor do we struggle to “stay saved” We do not struggle for health, wealth, and/or prosperity.

We are not contending to obtain or keep any of that, of which God has already blessed us with in Christ. We struggle against the “angels of light” of which Paul speaks. (2 cor 11:3-15)

The super-apostles, originate ministries based on systems of works (which they devise) through which they merchandise books, dvds ,music etc that teach and promote these systems.

As Paul also wrote:

2Cor 2:

15  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

16  to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

17  For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

When we find accusations being raised against as being contentious or divisive, our question to the accusers should be; Do you mean contentious as in Romans 16:17-18 or according to  those whom Jude describes? The true saints of God wage the good warfare of faith, and stand in complete reliance, by faith in Christ and His finished work.(1 Timothy 6:12)

Jude 1:                                                                                                                                

24  Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

25  to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

1 John 4:4

1John 4:

1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2  By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

4  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5  They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

6  We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 

John's letter deals with the heresies of the gnostics. In fact John mentored Polycarp, who mentored Iraeneus. Iraeneus wrote a collection of arguments dealing with the gnostic teachings, entitled "Against Heresies". The battle is a continuing one and God specifically calls those who fight it.

John is addressing the gnostic heresy throughout the letter.

This is the basis of the use of the term "antichrist" That term is used 4 times in the scriptures, and only in 1 John (3 times) and  in 2 John (once). The term antichrist is never used in relation to the end times . Though chapter 2:18 speaks of the last hour, it is obvious to this day, the return of Christ has yet to happen. The scriptures mean the same thing now as they meant then, and John is not writing in ignorance. So we must take care to discern the correct interpretation. (the “end times” is another  discussion altogether)

1 John is carefully laid out by the apostle. Chapters 1 and 2 are an outline, so to speak, for the entirety of the letter. He defines the truth and reality of God as man in Christ Jesus and in His finished work re: forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

He also defines the true saints. They walk in the light. Their sins are forgiven. They love God and the brothers, thus they do not depart from the fellowship.

They know the truth (have the anointing) and recognize the false teachers and prophets for what they are (those that do depart from the fellowship).

Chapters 3-4-5 expound on these themes. The saints walk in righteousness and do not practice sin .The saints know the truth. The saints abide in God and in His love. The saints obey His word. The saints pray according to His will, and have their prayers answered.

1 John 4:

1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2  By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

So we are to test the spirits, (plural), the word pneuma is used. Context determines the meaning, so here pneuma is referring to human spirits or souls.
Ephesians 4 tells us that there is only one Spirit, as well as one God, Father, Lord. faith, baptism, body, etc. Therefore the use of pneuma in the plural is an indicator that the spirits here are men who walk according to  the Spirit of God. or who walk according to  the spirit of antichrist. So test the spirits,,i.e of  those who stay, and of those who depart, ”have gone out into the world”.

In verses 2 and 3 John uses the phrase “every spirit” (again a plural construct). Everyone who confesses the true Christ as John has presented in this letter and as Paul presents in his letters, is of God; and everyone who confesses another Jesus, another gospel, is not of God. (2 Cor11:3-15) They are antichrist, and that antichrist spirit is already loosed in the world, as the false prophets that have left the fellowship have gone out into the world.

1John 2:19  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

The antichrist spirit and teachings are birthed in the church by false converts.

When they are exposed, they leave. 

They are the ones who love the world, 1 John 2; 15.

This is the battle and it is found in the fellowship. (Jude 1:3-4; 2Peter2:1-3)

1John 4:

4  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5  They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

6  We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

“He that is in you” are those who stay in the fellowship, walking in truth and love.
“He that is in the world” are those who have left.

Greater (in number and in importance/pre-eminence; meizōn in the Greek ) are the saints who remain, than are those who have left. Greater are those who walk in the Spirit of God, that is the Spirit of Truth; than those who walk according to the spirit of antichrist, the spirit of error. Those who listen to the saints remain in the fellowship of truth and love. Those who refuse to hear the truth, depart. (Ephesians 4: 11-16)

In John’s second letter he sums it all up wonderfully.

2John 1:

1  The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth,

2  because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

3  Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.

4  I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.

5  And now I ask you, dear lady--not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning--that we love one another.

6  And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

7  For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.

8  Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.

9  Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

10  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting,

11  for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

12  Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

13  The children of your elect sister greet you.