"Fellowship of the Holy Spirit"2 Corinthians 13:12-14
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All God's people here send their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Thoughts for Today:Paul beautifully closes his letter to the Corinthians when he writes, "May the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." However, fellowship with the Spirit is more than a simple awareness of His presence or knowledge of His existence.
In Philippians 2:1-2, Paul wrote: "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind." As you can see, the common and indwelling Spirit is a central part in the concept of unity and fellowship of believers. Ephesians 4:4-6 also addresses this same idea of oneness: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
It is the Holy Spirit who plays a critical role in the unification of believers because we have the one Spirit dwelling in each of us. So just as all believers have one Spirit, we should also have one mind - Christ's -- and loving others as Jesus loved us will help us to be of one mind. (Ephesians 5:2: "Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.") Love and fellowship of the Spirit are constantly working together, and through this process, we ultimately discover that our ability to participate in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with other believers gives us great reason to rejoice!
Questions to Ponder:Are you connected in fellowship with other believers? In many ways, modern Christianity has become too self-focused ("me and Jesus"). However, that is not what God intended. In what ways can you become more involved in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with other believers? Does your vision extend beyond your personal salvation?
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All God's people here send their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Thoughts for Today:Paul beautifully closes his letter to the Corinthians when he writes, "May the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." However, fellowship with the Spirit is more than a simple awareness of His presence or knowledge of His existence.
In Philippians 2:1-2, Paul wrote: "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind." As you can see, the common and indwelling Spirit is a central part in the concept of unity and fellowship of believers. Ephesians 4:4-6 also addresses this same idea of oneness: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
It is the Holy Spirit who plays a critical role in the unification of believers because we have the one Spirit dwelling in each of us. So just as all believers have one Spirit, we should also have one mind - Christ's -- and loving others as Jesus loved us will help us to be of one mind. (Ephesians 5:2: "Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.") Love and fellowship of the Spirit are constantly working together, and through this process, we ultimately discover that our ability to participate in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with other believers gives us great reason to rejoice!
Questions to Ponder:Are you connected in fellowship with other believers? In many ways, modern Christianity has become too self-focused ("me and Jesus"). However, that is not what God intended. In what ways can you become more involved in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with other believers? Does your vision extend beyond your personal salvation?
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