In Communion with God

Communion or fellowship is the act of sharing: it is the condition of things held in common with others. God’s desire for humanity is that they can share with Him His divine nature.

From the creation of Man God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness,” so God created man in His own image. In the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26, 27).

Unfortunately, the fellowship became tainted because of sin, and man became separated from God (Isaiah 59:1- 2; Romans 3: 23).

But because of the great love with which He loved us, it pleased the Lord to bruise His only begotten Son by whom all things were created, and in whom all things consist, to put Him to grief, by making His soul an offering for sin, so that the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. (Ephesians 2:4; Isaiah 53:10-11; John 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17).

And now, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these, He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4).

However, for man to have communion or fellowship with God, four (4) things are of paramount importance. They are the prerequisites for communion with God, and to share the Life of God.

1. Reconciliation

Which is to renew the relationship man had with God before the fall of man? A huge sacrifice had to be made to pay the wages of sin, which is death. God in His manifold wisdom and love for humanity sent His Son in the form of sinful flesh, on account of sin, so as to condemn sin in the flesh, knowing that His death was sufficient to pay for all humanity’s sins, and reconciled them to Himself. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Hebrews 2:14-15; Romans 8:1-4).

God reconciled humanity to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing or reckoning their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

We therefore, have both the ministry and the word of reconciliation.

The ministry of reconciliation

This is the act of service by which we are reconciled to God. It is the actual sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and the actual partaking of the bread and wine which Christ left to represent His broken body, and His shed blood. According to the Apostle Paul, “I speak as to wise men; judge for your-selves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many, are one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:15-17).

It is the ministry or service of reconciliation that reconciles and unites the body of Christ and this fellowship of the saints is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3).

The word of reconciliation

This is the word Jesus spoke to His disciples saying, “I tell you the truth, unless you can eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For, my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him” (John 6:53-56).

Then the night before He was crucified He took Bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body” Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26: 26-28).

On Christ’s behalf we implore you; “Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)..

2. Acceptance of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

There is only one mediator between God and man, the Man Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:5). He was taken from among men, and is appointed as High Priest to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins (Hebrews 5:1; 8:3).

If we say that 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. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8, 10).

Therefore, our boldness and confidence to enter the Most Holy Place is by the way, the truth and the life which is represented by:

The body of Christ represented by the bread is the new and living Way to the Father

Jesus Christ the Great High Priest, the Word of God, making intercession for us before the throne of grace is the Truth.

The blood of Christ, represented by the wine as the life, for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and God has given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.' (Leviticus 17:11).

It is only when these prerequisites are in place, then and only then can we draw near to God with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

The crux of the matter is; God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all: Therefore, if we claim to have fellowship/communion with Him yet walk in thedarkness (sin), we lie and do not live by the truth.” in the same token, “If we claim to be without sin, or have not sinned, we deceive ourselves: Therefore, before coming to God, sin has to be confessed, forgiven, and cleansed. Only by the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God can we be purified from all sin. (1 John 1:7, 9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1; 14; Matthew 26: 28).

3 Obedience

Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). He said again, “If you love Me keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

Now the test by which we know that we love God is by keeping His commandments. For, “He who says, “I know Him” and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-5). It is important to note also that “The Holy Spirit (the medium by which we have access to the Father) is given only to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32).

4. Holiness.

We are admonished by the Apostle Paul saying, “Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

To have communion with God, one has to separate him/herself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Righteousness has no fellowship with lawlessness, light has no communion with darkness, Christ has no harmony with Belial (useless things without worth); and the temple of God has no agreement with idols” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

As a matter of fact, the main objective for receiving the gift of life is to be holy. for we have been instructed saying; "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

The good and exhilarating news is that, Jesus Christ has made all the provisions for man to have communion with the Father. Alienation or separation from the life of God is only as a result of “Ignorance, and hardening of the heart. (Ephesians 4:18).

But truly, in the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, I therefore, urge everyone to have daily communion with God, because as a royal priesthood our main calling is to offer the Lord the food for His offering at His appointed times.

With brotherly love in Jesus’ name

Lucius Joseph