Morning Meditations 11/2/14
THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
2Cor 13:14
This morning lets look at the truth of “Communion of the Holy Ghost.” 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 14 says: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
The word “communion” (koinonia) means according to Strong: “fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse.” The word Paul uses here teaches that these believers in Corinth have a fellowship or participation which comes from the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we wonder if we are really in touch with God. We pray but we feel that God is far off. Just remember as we study, we walk by faith and not by feeling (sight). Sight is the sense in the Scripture that is used to stand for the five senses.
Lets notice the reality of our communion (fellowship is synonymous with communion) with Him.
Reconciliation is the ground of our communion. Eph 2:12-16: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”
The word “aliens” (apallotrioo) means “to be shut out from one’s fellowship and intimacy.” This is a verb form and is a perfect passive participle. The perfect tense is completed action in the past that completed action having present results. This means that Paul was writing to those and about those who had been alienated from God in the past with the result that they continued in that condition at the time of this writing. The passive voice is where the subject is acted upon. The human race is alienated from God because of the sin of another. It is inherited. It happens to us in conception and birth. Our alienation does not take place the first time we sin. We sin because we were born alienated from God.
Verse 13 says: “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” The words “afar off” means a great distance. There was a barrier. We see this in the Garden of Eden after man sinned. God drove Adam and Eve from the garden. At that time man became an alien. But the blood has brought us near. It is the ground of restored fellowship.
Verse 14 says: “For he is our peace.” Peace is what an alien does not have. But when the alien is restore there is peace.
Verse 16 says: “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:” The word “reconcile” (apokatallasso) means “to reconcile completely, to bring back a former state of harmony.” This is restored communion. God did it through the work of the Cross and the shedding of Christ’s blood.
The New Birth is the capacity for communion. The new birth is not the rebirth of the natural man. It is creating a new man within the body of the old man. 2Cor 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The word “new” (kainos) means, “of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of.” Do you notice that Paul talks about the inner man, the inward man, etc.? A person does not have an inward man until he is saved. God has created a new man out of the old. The old will perish but the new will never perish. Col. 3:10 says: “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” The new man is created after the image of Him that created him. God has recreated man in the inner man after His own image and this fives man the capacity to commune with Him. The flesh cannot commune with God. A man spiritually cannot commune with God. But a man who has been recreated spiritually can. The new birth give man the capacity to fellowship or commune with God.
The Holy Spirit in man is the Link between God and man now that he has been reconciled and has the capacity for fellowship.. Reconciliation by the blood makes us friends with God; the New Birth gives us the capacity for fellowship; the Holy Spirit is an unbreakable LINK between us and God.
Devotionally, how do we enter into communion? Hebrews 10:19-22: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” We enter by the blood of Jesus. While the New Birth gives us the capacity for communion, it does not give us the merit for communion. We are not and never will be “independent” from Jesus and His work for us on the Cross. It is grace along that provides fellowship. There is no grace apart from the blood. So each time we enter into the “holiest” it is by the blood. The Holy Spirit is the Link that joins us to God f or fellowship through the blood. Glory to God and the Lamb forever.
I feel I am writing this from the holiest (no claim of inspiration). The truths of God’s word constantly leave me in ecstatic praise.
May God bless these truths to our hearts.
In Christ
Earl White
