I’ll be honest… I’m not a huge fan of writing, let alone… writing blog posts. But, if there is something that gets me fired up the most, it’s the things that Jesus has put on my heart which I believe He has called me to address. Before I begin, if you are reading this and don’t yet consider yourself a follower of Jesus*- I strongly encourage you get to know Him by reading the Bible. Really, it’s that simple. Read it with an open heart and mind, expectant to receive blessings as you read, study, and get to know Jesus through it. Then come back here and read this. Aside from everything else I’m about to say- I want to remind you that the terms ‘follower of Jesus’, ‘Christian’, and ‘perfect’ are not synonymous.
Welcome to the Family! Even though we may have never met before, you are part of the family. This isn’t some kind of gimmick; what you are a part of is worth more than you think. You are part of the family. The one and only body/family of Jesus Christ. In Mark 3:35, Jesus declares: “Whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.” Granted you are a follower of Jesus, then you are a part of the family. So what does it look like to actually be a part of this family, and what is your role as a brother or sister?
You’ve probably been reading this, saying to yourself… “Tom, I get that. What you are saying is true, but what’s your point?” Well, I’m glad you asked. I believe that the church as a whole needs to be closer together than it is. In some of our churches, we’ve boxed ourselves out of genuine, John 17:21 fellowship, for a fake, watered-down idea of fellowship. You see- Jesus didn’t pray that we would be ‘ok’ with and simply tolerate one another. He prayed that we would be one as Him and the Father are one. He prayed that we would be so close together, that people would notice something about our relationships together as brothers and sisters and it would freak them out. Okay, the “freak them out” part might be an exaggeration… or is it? But He did pray that through our unity, the world would know God sent Him. That kind of noticeability takes more than being just friends.
Consider this: Paul outlines the mission of leaders in the church as: “attain[ing] to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God… to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13) Simply put, the primary goals for leaders in the church are to lead brothers and sisters toward the unity (or oneness) of the faith (that is, the oneness our Father desires) and for all members of the body to know Jesus intimately.
Brothers and sisters- have you felt restricted in experiencing the oneness Jesus desires with your brothers and sisters? I’m not talking about having a few close friends. I’m talking about being close with all of the people in our family.
Walk in the light. Have genuine fellowship (no “fake ID’s”). Confess your sins to brothers and sisters. Expose your faults. We need to be closer together. Paul tells us to “speak the truth with… [your] neighbor, for we are members of one another.” (Ephesians 4:25) We are members of the same body. There was no deceit in the fellowship that Jesus had with the Father and there should be no deceit in the same fellowship we have as members of the same body.
One of my sisters recently asked me the question: “Who are you closest with from the fellowship?” (Referencing the Christian fellowship on campus) I struggled to come up with a response, not because my relationships are flourishing and it’s hard to choose a few people, but because I didn’t even know how to define ‘close’. “Close in what way?” Do we hangout aside from at weekly meetings? Do we talk often? Do we know each other that well? If there’s something that negates genuine fellowship, it’s the fake kind.
If you’ve made it this far, then I commend you. I know there are still many points I haven’t touched in this post, but my goal in writing this wasn’t to create a guide on genuine fellowship either. I pray that through the things I have mentioned, God will open your eyes to the desperate need for unity as brothers and sisters in Him and we will make a point to experience it.
Feel free to email me or leave a comment below to open a discussion.
* Some people use the terms ‘follower of Jesus’ and ‘Christian’ interchangeably. I specifically chose to use the former to emphasize the point that what makes you a Christian is not your claim to Christianity but your choice to believe in the works of Jesus and follow Him.