Union And Fellowship
If the Doctrine of Eternal Security is so clear then why all the disagreement about it?
I’ve found two reasons.
The first is the two-sided nature of our relationship with the Lord.
I call one side Union. It’s eternal and unconditional, based only on our belief.
Ephesians 1:13-14 describes our Union with God, sealed and guaranteed.
Once we’re born again, we can’t become unborn.
It’s good forever. The Holy Spirit is sealed within us from our first moment of belief until the day of redemption.
I call the other side Fellowship and it’s a bit more complicated.
Fellowship is that state of continual closeness to God that enables Him to bless us in our daily lives, by making things happen for us and protecting us from attack.
It’s like He’s teamed up with us to give us a supernatural advantage.
Fellowship is defined by 1 John 1:8-9 as being both Earthly and conditional upon our behavior.
Even as believers, as long as we’re here on
Earth we’ll continue to sin.
Since God can’t abide in the presence of sin, our unconfessed sins interrupt our Earthly relationship with Him and may deprive us of blessings we might have otherwise received.
We’re still saved in the eternal sense, but
out of Fellowship here on Earth.
When we’re out of Fellowship, we’re legitimate targets for our enemy’s mischief, just
like Job was.
From Job 9:21, 10:3,7, 12:4, 27:7, and all 41 verses of Job 31 we know his sin was self-righteousness.
Because he wouldn’t confess his sin, he was out of fellowship.
Therefore, when asked to do so, God had to let Satan afflict him in order to bring him to his senses.
Once Job confessed (Job 42:1-6), he was restored (Job 42:10-17).
Even though he was the most righteous man on Earth, Job still had to confess to be restored to fellowship with God.
For a New Testament illustration, read the parable of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32)
During the time he was off on his own, the prodigal son still belonged to his father’s
family, but he didn’t receive any of its blessings.
He was out of Fellowship with his father. But as soon as he returned and confessed his sins he was immediately restored as if nothing had happened.
It’s the same with us.
When we refuse to confess our sins, it’s like we’ve moved away from our Father. We still belong to His family, but we won’t receive any of its blessings.
Like both Job and the Prodigal, when we return to Him and confess our sins, we’re immediately purified from all unrighteousness and restored to Fellowship.
One reason that many Christians live such defeated lives is that having only learned about the Union part of being a believer, they only know that God has forgiven their sins and that they’ll go to be with Him when they die or are Raptured.
They don’t realize that they still need to confess every time they sin to stay in Fellowship.
And so, being deprived of God’s providence, they may become discouraged and even stop praying
and attending church.
Other believers, who don’t understand the dual relationship either, look at the mess they’re in and think they must have lost their salvation.
Union and Fellowship are not just New Testament ideas.
In the Old Testament, even when Israel was being obedient in thought and action, doing their best to please God, the priests still had to sacrifice a lamb on the altar every morning and every evening for
the sins of the people.
1 John 1:9 is the New Testament equivalent of those daily sacrifices for sin:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
This verse was written for believers who are already saved, but are in danger of being out of Fellowship because of their sins.
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