“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16).
There can be no greater fellowship than that which we experience with the Living God. He has promised to dwell with those who walk in His truth … “And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people” (Leviticus 26:12) … “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD” (Isaiah 52:11). The apostle John reminds us, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). In this study we will look at three aspects of what this fellowship between God and ourselves means.
Paul makes it clear that we belong to God and that God belongs to us. What more do we need in our lives other than His abiding presence? The Psalmist wrote, “Whom have I in Heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (Psalm 73:25-26). Therefore the Lord ought to be our only treasure, and upon Him we should set our highest affection, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3). The Lord Jesus Christ said much the same thing in Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all His righteousness.” We need to be concerned about the work of God on earth too. The Lord Jesus Christ has left us with the great responsibility of taking the message of saving grace to a lost world (see Matthew 28:19-20).
Since God promises to “dwell”
and “walk” in us, does this not mean that He
thinks about us all the time? He is watching over us as a shepherd does his
sheep (see Psalm 23 and John 10:11-14). He watches over His own every moment of
every day … “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and
known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my
thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted
with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, Thou
knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand
upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain
unto it. Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy
presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell,
behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the
uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right
hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night
shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night
shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee. For Thou
hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise
Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and
that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was
made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine
eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members
were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of
them. How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of
them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I
awake, I am still with thee” (Psalm 139:1-18). Can we not believe in
that oft quoted promise found in Hebrews 13:5? … “I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Our thoughts should always be upon the Lord too … “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:1-3). How can we spiritually grow unless we consider the Lord? “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Hebrews 12:2-3). Solomon’s wise advice reveals some ways in which we ought to be considering the Lord, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
The amazing fact is that we have the ultimate privilege of walking with God. Adam lost this on behalf of all mankind the moment he fell through disobedience. He once walked with God (Genesis 3:8), but was prohibited from doing so again because of sin (Genesis 3:24). The Old Testament records that a few men had this wonderful experience … “Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24) … “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Isn’t this what Jesus mean when He said, “Follow me”? (Matthew 4:19; 16:24). This fellowship [companionship] has been denied the Lord by the very church He redeemed through His blood, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne” (Revelation 3:20-21). It is this true form of companionship He has always desired, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you” (John 15:14-15).
We should trust God as we ought. We should serve Him as He deserves. We should love, worship and obey Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This ought to be our heart’s desire, that is, to have pure fellowship with Almighty God. “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple … When Thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek … I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:4,8,13).
Page created 25 February 2006