Is our fellowship ever broken with our Father? part 3 of 3

 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  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. 1 John 1:7-9

 To recap the last two posts. We've been studying this passage. We discovered it was not written to believers. We also saw that 1 John 1:9 was written to a specific type of unbeliever. One who did not even acknowledge sin existed. In order to counter this serious error the Apostle John under the guidance of the Spirit addressed this issue. He did not want this error infiltrating the Church. For if we taught there was no sin then what is the motivation for telling others about the need for Christ? It would be an exercise in futility. 

 Thank the Lord the Gnostic view was untrue. We also began to address the secondary doctrine this passage is used to promote. That is that when we miss it we lose fellowship with God. In answering this idea I first brought out the truth that the Church never walks in darkness. I showed from the Word that we as believers are children of the light. 

  Now because some teach that whenever we sin or miss it we are then walking in darkness, this idea of lost fellowship has taken root in the Church. So how do we uproot this tradition? It begins with looking to the Word as the final authority. With the light of the Word shining these man made philosophies fall by the wayside.

  The word fellowship in the original Greek language is the word koinonia. It literally means partnership, participation, communication, communion and fellowship. So if we sin we can no longer communicate with God? What about those teaching 1 John 1:9 is to believers? How can we even confess our sins if, because of sin, we lose fellowship, or communication with God? We wouldn't even be able to "communicate" with Him to confess our faults. You see how law minded folk and tradition bound saints never see their viewpoint taken to its conclusions? 

  Search your Bible. The word fellowship is only found fourteen times in the entire New Covenant. Nowhere does it even come close to teaching this idea we lose fellowship if we miss it. Consider this truth. We have a better Covenant. It is established on better promises.

But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it 

Hebrews 8:6-7

 We have a better Covenant. That means the promises in this Covenant can do all the old one can do but do it better! If God blessed and favored people in the Old Covenant but not so much in the New it wouldn't be a better Covenant. It would be a less than Covenant. So consider this passage from the Old Covenant.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. Psalm 137:7-9

 Under the Old Covenant if one were to go into the depths of Hell God's presence would be with them. Today, though in the New if we mess up He departs from us? Oh, no brother, we leave Him. Well, again it states here, He is always with His people! We thank God He never leaves us. Well, brother what about Psalm 66? It says if we have sin in our hearts He won't hear us. That's proof we are departed from Him, right? Glad you mentioned it.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.  

Psalm 66:18

 The key to understanding this passage is the what the writer actually states here. He says if I regard iniquity in my heart He won't hear me. He is saying if he focuses on his sin he will lack confidence before God. He is disqualifying himself. Now even today sin can create a sense of being unconfident before God. That's why we don't play in sin's "playground" if you will. Now lets read this passage in context now to see how the writer dealt with this mindset.

I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Psalm 66:17-19

 See even under the Law He knew God was a faithful God. He trusted in his covenant, moving past his sin consciousness and received from The Lord. Surely, we can rest knowing today we have a much better Covenant. 

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Hebrews 13:5-6

Then disciple them. Form them in the practices and postures that I have taught you, and show them how to follow the commands I have laid down for you. And I will be with you, day after day, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20

 We see the New Covenant promise here. He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. He will be with us always. It is not only if you don't mess up. He said always, no matter what. Think of this. Why would He depart from us in our worst state? That is the time He is with us the most urging us to walk out who we already are. He is there in our hearts gently stirring. Gently reminding He has so much better for us. This everlasting love is what produces victory, and change from the inside out. 

  You can rest knowing even in your worst day He is not apart from you. He paid a high price to be in relationship with you. He is not throwing it aside because of your unfaithfulness. This is the good news. I pray these truths set you free to love and celebrate Him more and more. 

 I pray this post has answered any questions you've had. I pray this post blessed your walk with the Lord. If this has blessed you consider leaving a comment. Feel free to share this with others. Again thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I pray peace and blessing over your life. In Him.