(This is the last
post in a series regarding the importance of biblical
relationships/fellowship. You can
find the other articles here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3)
And let us consider how to stir up one another
to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of
some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing
near. (Hebrew 10:24-25)
We have looked at biblical imperatives regarding fellowship with one another. We’ve also considered what it might
look like to engage in these relationships in a biblical way. Now let’s think about why this is so
important (in addition to the fact that God says it is.) There are at least a couple of practical
reasons that we must engage in biblical fellowship.
First, it is essential for our own spiritual
growth. As we attempt to put
off sin and put on godliness, biblical fellowship serves to keep us on
track. Without it, we will
inevitably return to old habits and fail.
Remember, God has designed sanctification so that it cannot happen
without coming together with other believers to stir one another up to love and
good deeds. If we are going to
attempt to grow without fellowship, we might as well be trying to grow without the
Bible or prayer.
I’ve seen it
numerous times while counseling
people who are struggling terribly in their walk with the Lord. No passion. No growth. No
vibrancy. The drudgery of their
spiritual walk is so bad that they wonder if they are even saved. Yet, they are in the Word. They are spending time in prayer. And it seems inexplicable to them why
their walk with the Lord seems so dead.
But when by God’s
grace they are persuaded to plug in that third component – meaningful
relationships with believers – they begin to grow like crazy, they have joy,
they have vibrancy, and they grow in their love for God. In other words, they are stirred up to love and good works.
You may be in that
situation right now. You’re in the
Word and you’re praying, and yet it seems that walking with the Lord is an all uphill
battle. There is no joy, no love,
no vibrancy. Ask yourself this
question: Do I have relationships with other believers with whom I meet regularly
for the purpose of stirring one another up to love and good deeds? If the answer is “no,” that’s your
problem.
Second, it is essential for the spiritual
health of those around you. If
you don’t do this, not only will you not grow, but you will be unavailable to
help others grow. Remember that
Ephesians 4 tells us that we have all been gifted by God to serve the body and
that the body only builds itself up in love “when each part is working
properly.” In other words, we are
responsible not only engage in meaningful relationships for our own spiritual
growth, but also so that others may grow due to our service in their
lives. So my spiritual health will
directly affect yours and vice versa.
We must treat
biblical fellowship as essential, not
optional. We must view gathering
with other believers for the purpose of stirring one another up as an
indispensable component of our own spiritual health and the spiritual health of
the believers around us.
If we leave this
piece out of the equation, the rest of our efforts to grow in godliness will be
in vain. We cannot live the
Christian life alone. We must walk
alongside others in some meaningful capacity, not just by showing up at
church. We need others stirring us
up to love and good deeds and we need to be doing it for others. There is no other way.
“But what if I’m
too busy.” This is a super common
objection. Perhaps, you’ve got too
much going on to imagine adding this discipline to your schedule. Remember that this is a matter of
obedience to the Scriptures. If
you are too busy to obey the Scriptures, then you are literally too busy, and
something needs to go in order to make room for what is essential. Some of us have kids who are in sports
eight nights a week. If that is
what’s in the way, cut it back to five or six nights a week. Whatever it is that is not biblically
essential, cut it back to make room for what is biblically essential.
Don’t think of biblical
fellowship as a drain on your time or another burden to bear. It is a God-given opportunity to be
used by Him in the life of another.
It is a blessing. Meaningful
relationships are practical conduits through which we love one another by
stirring one another up to love and good deeds. Clearly we’ve been called to this. Let’s obey Him for His glory and our own good!
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