Keeping The Fellowship Of Saint
Keeping The Fellowship Of Saint
“Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging] one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.” Heb 10:25AMP
One of the greatest lies the Devil has successfully built in the heart of [many] Christians, in successive times, is a deception that a believer can run the race alone- without necessarily committing to the fellowship of saints. I shall endeavor to acknowledge that, while indeed there are times that extant circumstances may sometimes engender constraint to keep the fellowship- like a believer who is bedridden or far from a holy gathering; however, in situations where there is no such constraint, to abstain from the saints’ gathering with a plan to ‘grow alone’ is to choose a path that makes the Devil glad.
Corrie T. B. once said, “When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the Devil smiles…” He smiles for he knows how easy such can be preyed on; while a single hyena will take off at the sight a lion, they take their stand when they are in pack. Similarly, the Lord placed a deposit of power in the gathering of believers for “a three-fold cord is not quickly broken”. If we are sufficient in ourselves, the writer of Hebrew would have no need to adjure believers to adhere to the saints gathering.
Many a time in our journey towards the celestial city, no doubt, we often get to the junction of discouragement and perhaps, on extreme situations, one may even be despondent, keeping the fellowship of saints helps to encourage a weary hand and a feeble knee; the gathering does the work of warning to humble believer who may be growing haughty, admonishing us towards leading a more faithful life especially as we see the day approaching.
To be close to the Lord, one must learn to be close to the Lord’s gathering, and while the journey is individual, it is not run in isolation. The command given to believers to be learn to keep the gathering, for a single believer never makes a church, but the power of the church is resident in the gathering of believers.
1 Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
2 Before our Father’s throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.
3 We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.
4 When we are called to part,
it gives us inward pain;
but we shall still be joined in heart,
and hope to meet again.
5 This glorious hope revives
our courage by the way;
while each in expectation lives
and waits to see the day.
6 From sorrow, toil, and pain,
and sin, we shall be free;
and perfect love and friendship reign
through all eternity.
