Unity Series, Ch.1: Purity, part 2

When we believed in and received Christ, we were made righteous, made pure; we were justified (Romans 5:1). That was our start. We were made one with all other justified people. We became part of the body of Christ, the church (1 Corinthians 12:13). All of our sins were forgiven (Romans 10:43). We received a new nature (Colossians 3:10). We were born of the Spirit (John 3:5). We had eternal life (John 3:16).

We had fellowship with all other justified people. We had the fruit of the Spirit. All at once, we had purity, unity and fellowship.

Before this happened, we had received the proclamation of the good news.

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:3, 4 (NIV)

Notice the fellowship is with other believers and with the Father and the Son. It was not fun, food and inane conversation. It was deeper; it was fullness of joy, not pleasure and games. It was based upon receiving the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12, 13 (NIV)

(Taken from Day & Night: Unity Series, 2003)

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