Fellowship With Christians, But Help Out Any Who Are In Need
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?’ (2 Corinthians 6:14); ‘(42) <The early Followers of Christ> devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (43) Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. (44) All the believers were together and had everything in common.’ (Acts 2:42-44)
Fellowship was very important to the early Church, and it is as important today for the ‘modern’ Church (which, except for the modern conveniences, should be very similar in function). Just as those who just had the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost we should also be devoted to Scriptural studies, the sharing of burdens, praises, and needs through fellowship, and the collective outreach to those outside the body of the Church.
Luke (the author of Acts) describes what a functioning circle of fellowship should look like: a group of individuals with individual needs but who come together for the common goal to worship Jesus, in the ‘wonderment’ of what Jesus provides and accomplishes through His people. We are individually different yet have that ‘uncanny’ commonality of living for Jesus. It does not always have to be for a meal, but as in the times of the Apostles it gives us a common ‘excuse’ to get together; we all have to eat, and of course the Lord’s provisions for us is always a cause of celebration, praise, and thanksgiving – whether it is a steak dinner or a can of ravioli, the Lord provides you something to eat, and thus provides you something that can be shared.
Why is it important to fellowship with believers? Paul answers that in his 2nd letter to the ‘1st Baptist Church of Corinth’; hanging out with believers have the commonality of Jesus which (should) breed Righteous behavior and thought. Can you fellowship with non-believers? You can, and sometimes you have to due to family commitments, or due to the work site. However, if this is the only fellowship that is ever engaged, how can one gauge or determine Righteous behavior? What will one learn with the example of a non-believer?
Obviously, we cannot avoid the secular world as we live smack dab in the middle of it, and we also have to engage the secular world in order to perform the Great Commission, but there must be a balance – or ‘over-balance’, of having Righteous discussions and thought. Paul understood this for the Corinthians; if they simply fell back into the Corinth ‘routine’, they would also likely fall back into the pagan beliefs of their society. They needed to become a ‘Righteous society within a secular society’; we Christians need to be a Righteous society of Christian fellowship within the greater society that comprises living in SW Florida to avoid falling into the pitfalls secular living has.
This does not mean when non-believers need help, perhaps after a storm or if a personal catastrophe strikes them, that we ignore them or shun them from providing the help they need, to keep our help ‘inside the doors’ of the church or our circles of Christian fellowship. We should do the opposite; we need to show the love of Christ to those who are outside of the church, so that they can experience Him and His love, hear the Gospel message, and be won over to accept His gift of Salvation. The blessing of Hurricane Ian was the number of non-believers who were freely aided by Florida Baptist Disaster Relief and in receiving help to patch roofs or clear debris they were given the Gospel and accepted Christ.
Be willing to help those both inside and outside of your circle; maintain your circles of Christian fellowship, to sharpen your Righteousness and to help sharpen and shape the Righteousness of others in the family of Christ.
