The Importance of Christian Fellowship

It should go without saying that fellowship within the body of Christ is an essential element in the Christian’s progress toward maturity. And circular reasoning would conclude that the process of maturing as a true Christ-follower reveals to us the necessity, and the value, of fellowship. Fellowship drives us to maturity and maturity drives us to fellowship.

A true conversion inevitably plants within us a desire to know Christ more intimately. And that desire stimulates us to seek the company of mature believers who can disciple, motivate, and encourage us. As Paul often said “follow me,” with an assurance that any who followed would grow in their understanding of the Gospel, so we should recognize and seek those to follow. Fellowship ensues as a byproduct of our discipleship.

Why is fellowship important?

1. Pursuing Fellowship is an Act of Obedience.

Christian fellowship is important for many reasons, but first and foremost it is important simply because scripture teaches it. Hebrews 10:24-25 has long been quoted to encourage, if not command, the Christ-follower to grasp the importance and necessity of fellowship with like minded believers….”And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV

2. The Body of Christ Needs You

When we further consider this exhortation in Hebrews, we come to understand that “stirring up to love and good works” is the purpose behind the exhortation. This is the Christian’s responsibility. We’re implored to minister to one another in love. Someone or some body of believers needs your encouragement and your spiritual gifts. We can be certain that no one who has been gifted by the Holy Spirit, should consider his gift inconsequential or unnecessary. And no one should keep their gift to themselves.

Scripture expands on this in 1 Corinthians 12:21-25- “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you, On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Greg Morse, in an article written for Desiring God drove home this point, reflecting on verse 22: “…be comforted by one word: indispensable. No one whom the Father has chosen before the foundation of the world, no one whom Christ has shed his precious blood for, no one filled by the Holy Spirit of God is dispensable or unnecessary to the body.” (“The Indispensable Lives of Ordinary Christians” by Greg Morse, Desiring God article.)

Whether you feel like it or not, if you are a true disciple of Christ, you are needed. And others need you. To thrive and be healthy, we must be attached, intimately, to the whole body, and every other part needs to be attached. The fact is, we not only need each other but we were designed by our creator for each other. Without the fellowship of other believers, we’re incomplete.

3. Safety in Numbers

1 Peter 5:8 teaches us that, as believers in Christ we have a most worthy adversary who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” And like a lion, or any other animal of prey, rest assured that Satan knows that the easiest prey is the loaner, the potential victim who lingers outside the safe boundaries of the larger group.

Satan is not only likened to a roaring lion, but he is the enemy in a battle for souls. In Ephesians 6 we are commanded to “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” We are at war, a great war, and we need to surround ourselves with like-minded soldiers, who are willing and able to guard our back, to pick us up when we fall, and spur us on to “love and good works.”

C.S. Lewis paints a more vivid picture: “You will not find the warrior, the poet, the philosopher, or the Christian by staring into his eyes as if he were your mistress: better to fight beside him, read with him, argue with him, pray with him.”

Scripture teaches us that in this life we’ll have trials (John 16:33), and doubtless there will be periods of discouragement, and possibly even seasons of doubt. These are the times when we need the encouragement of a dear Christian friend if not a larger close knit group of believers. Fellowship within the body of Christ offers the protection we’ll need as pilgrims passing through this life “like a stranger in a foreign country” (Heb. 11:9)

In Conclusion

According to John Piper, when Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:9, “You were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” it probably means both (1) sharing vertically in the union each of us has in Christ, and (2) sharing together with other believers the common union we have with Christ and each other. Fellowship is a mutual bond that Christians have with Christ that puts us in a deep, eternal relationship with one another.” (John Piper, online article, We Need Each Other.)

Fellowship isn’t optional to Christianity; it is vital to Christianity. To live the Christian life, and live it to its fullest, you need other Christians and other Christians need you.

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Furthermore

“All people should be loved equally. But you cannot do good to all people equally, so you should take particular thought for those who, as if by lot, happen to be particularly close to you in terms of place, time, or any other circumstances” Augustine