The Fellowship of God 3: Walk In Truth
Part 1 Fellowship is Determined By Truth
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Truth Is The Basis of Fellowship
First John tells us that it is the last time and that the Antichrist will come. Then he tells us that there are already many antichrists and this is how we know it is the last time, the last days.
How did John understand the last days? Remember he was the last apostle and Jesus had made a statement about if He willed it John would remain alive until He returned. The understanding of the last days had changed very rapidly during John’s lifetime. From and expectation of an immediate return of the Lord, they had begun to understand that it was instead an imminent return.
That had gone from believing that Jesus would return in the next few moments to understanding that Jesus could return at any given moment. Immediate meant in a short time but imminent meant at any time.
I’m afraid that many Christians today no longer understand the distinction. We are to live believing that Jesus could come back at any time, but we are not to live, believing in any set time. Jesus warned on the Mount of Olives in Matthew 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. And again on the same mount before his ascension in Acts 1:6-7 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
They were looking for an immediate return instead of an imminent return. It may be a find distinction, but it is important we know that they are distinct. One day as the tribulation begins then the Lord’s return will be immediate, within 7 years but His return has been imminent for over 2000 years. This last epoch of time is all the “last days.” It is the time when God’s program for the ages reaches its last stage and it is also the time with the spirit of antichrist, the opposition of Christ, will rise to power, corrupting the church and the followers of Christ.
But John wants to make sure that the true followers of Christ know that those who went out were never really in. 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Now, John introduces the next aspect of Christian fellowship, truth. 1 John 2:20–21 20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
He tells them that they have an unction, that’s an old KJV word that means anointing. They have an anointing from the Holy One and that this anointing means they know what is true. When John says they know all things, he is saying you all know these things. The true things he has been talking about and especially the next true thing he will talk about, the person of Jesus Christ.
With this verse John has established that Christian fellowship is based on the light of salvation, the love of Jesus, and the truth of who Jesus is.
Fellowship In The Last Days
As Christians we are to love all people, we are to share the gospel with all people because of that love and though we are to love all, we do not have fellowship with all.
Fellowship as understood by a child of God means something very different from the world’s idea of fellowship. To a child of God, it is a precious thing, it is a wonderful gift of God’s love given to God’s family and as such we must guard and protect it, else it becomes worthless and no longer sacred.
John’s epistle shows us that you guard that fellowship in light, love and truth. Those are the three paths you must walk together if you are to enter in or remain in the fellowship of God’s family. Like a highway that combines three roads, you must stay on the highway of light, love and truth to be in fellowship with God and with God’s people. If you say I don’t care for this truth and try and only walk on in light and love then you forfeit fellowship.
This is what John is sharing at the end of his life when he has seen the terrible lies of Gnosticism corrupt the paths that Christians should be walking. They went out from us because they were not of us. Truth is the final element of fellowship perhaps because it is the defining and the refining aspect of fellowship.
Jesus told the woman at the well, when she began to say that worship was whereever or in a sense whatever you made it to be, John 4:23-24 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Truth determines and defines fellowship. I don’t have a choice about who is a believer, a child of God or who I can fellowship with as a member of God’s family. That separation and that definition is made by the truth of God’s word.
