Why do we need salvation? Pt 8: Fellowship
1 John 1:6-7 6If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Galatians 6:2-5 2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5for each one should carry their own load.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 9Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Hebrews 10:24-25 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Proverbs 27:17 17As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
The Christian faith is not just about being reconciled with God; it is also about being reconciled with one another. The cross doesn’t only restore the vertical relationship between us and our Creator—it also restores the horizontal bonds between us and our neighbors. When Jesus prayed that His followers would be one (John 17:21), He was asking for a reconciliation so profound that the world would see in us a reflection of God’s unity.
If we walk in the light we have fellowship,
John’s words in 1 John 1:6–7 are simple but challenging: “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
This verse sets the tone for Christian reconciliation. Fellowship is not merely being friendly or attending church together. It is a spiritual reality rooted in walking in God’s light. The early church used the Greek word koinonia to describe this fellowship—a deep sharing of life that goes far beyond casual friendship. It means sharing joys, struggles, possessions, prayers, and ultimately, our very lives.
Walking in the light means honesty. Reconciliation cannot happen in secrecy or pretense. For example, when a believer hides resentment or bitterness, fellowship is blocked. But when we bring those struggles into the light—through confession to God and sometimes to one another—healing begins. James 5:16 echoes this: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Fellowship flourishes in the soil of openness.
We also see that reconciliation is inseparable from Christ’s sacrifice. Without the cleansing blood of Jesus, reconciliation would constantly break down under the weight of human pride. The cross takes away the sin that divides us. Paul emphasizes this in Ephesians 2:14, where he says Christ Himself is our peace, destroying the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles. A practical picture of this is found in Acts 2:42–47, where the believers devoted themselves to fellowship, shared everything they had, and ate together with glad hearts. They didn’t just attend meetings; they lived reconciled lives. Walking in the light enabled them to trust each other and grow as one family.
In our modern context, walking in the light is about being transparent about struggles with temptation (with a person we trust), seeking accountability in relationships, and making forgiveness a habit. Fellowship is not built on perfection but on shared grace. When we walk in the light, reconciliation isn’t fragile—it’s resilient.
Carry each other’s burdens,
Galatians 6:2 tells us plainly: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The image here is of someone staggering under a heavy weight, unable to keep going without help. To be reconciled with one another means refusing to let our brothers or sisters carry unbearable loads alone.
This truth has practical implications. A reconciled community doesn’t just share worship services; it shares hospital visits, financial needs, late-night phone calls, and tears at funerals. In the early church, believers sold property to meet the needs of others (Acts 4:34–35). Today, carrying each other’s burdens might look like helping a single parent with childcare, supporting a struggling family with groceries, or simply being present when someone is overwhelmed. But Paul also gives a balance: “Each one should carry their own load” (Galatians 6:5). He distinguishes between “burdens” (the crushing weights of life) and “loads” (the personal responsibilities we each must bear). Reconciliation doesn’t mean enabling irresponsibility; it means coming alongside one another in seasons of genuine weakness.
The ultimate model for this is Jesus Himself. He carried our greatest burden—sin—on the cross (Isaiah 53:4–6). Because He bore our iniquities, we are free to bear each other’s daily struggles. To reconcile with each other is to imitate Christ’s self-giving love. Think about how communities are transformed by this principle. In a self-centered culture that says, “Mind your own business,” the church stands out when it says, “Your burdens are mine too.” This is reconciliation lived out—unity that costs something.
Imagine a church where no one faces hardship alone. Where illnesses are met with meals, where grief is met with presence, and where temptations are met with accountability. That kind of burden-bearing fulfills the law of Christ and demonstrates to the world that reconciliation is real.
Support and encourage each other,
Reconciliation is not only about removing hostility but also about cultivating encouragement. Hebrews 10:24–25 calls us to think creatively about how we can stir one another up toward love and good works. It adds: “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Encouragement is more than flattery; it is reminding people of God’s truth when they forget. Sometimes it is as simple as saying, “God is with you—you’re not alone.” Other times it is challenging someone who is discouraged to keep pressing forward. The writer of Hebrews links encouragement with gathering together. Reconciliation can’t thrive in isolation. The believing life was never meant to be lived alone, and the church is the primary place where support happens. The early believers risked their lives to meet together (Acts 20:7–12). They knew encouragement was oxygen for their faith.
Encouragement also has a forward-looking dimension: We encourage “as we see the Day approaching.” The closer we get to Christ’s return, the more vital encouragement becomes. In a world of hostility and increasing pressure, reconciled believers sustain one another by pointing to hope. In practice, this might look like a small group praying weekly for each other, friends texting Bible verses during tough times, or mentors guiding younger believers. Every act of encouragement strengthens the bond of reconciliation.
Without encouragement, faith withers. But with it, reconciliation grows roots. A reconciled church becomes a place where people are built up, not torn down—a place where even the weary find strength to keep going.
And help each other grow.
Proverbs 27:17 gives a vivid picture: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Reconciliation is not merely about peace but about growth. We don’t just live side by side—we help each other become more like Christ. This sharpening process is not always easy. Sparks can fly when two pieces of iron strike together. Honest conversations may sting. Accountability may feel uncomfortable. But true reconciliation doesn’t avoid challenge; it embraces it in love. Paul captures this in Ephesians 4:15: “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 expands this: “Two are better than one…If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” Growth happens in community. A reconciled life is one where we refuse to let one another fall without extending a hand. The early church lived this sharpening through discipleship. Paul mentored Timothy and Titus, guiding them toward maturity. Barnabas encouraged John Mark after he stumbled (Acts 15:37–39). Growth was communal, not individualistic. Today, helping each other grow may look like mentoring relationships, Bible studies, or simply asking hard but loving questions like, “How’s your walk with Christ?” Reconciliation means we care enough to invest in one another’s spiritual health.
The end goal is maturity in Christ. Colossians 1:28 describes Paul’s mission: “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” Reconciliation is not finished until we are all moving together toward that maturity.
What about me?
To say “We have been reconciled with each other” is to declare that the gospel is not only vertical but horizontal. Walking in the light creates true fellowship. Carrying each other’s burdens fulfills the law of Christ. Supporting and encouraging one another sustains us in the journey. And helping each other grow ensures that reconciliation leads to maturity. The church is not simply a crowd of individual believers. It is a reconciled family. We are bound not by preference or convenience but by Christ’s blood. And in living reconciled lives, we bear witness to the world that the Kingdom of God has already broken in.
As Paul writes in Colossians 3:14, “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” That is reconciliation in action—love that holds us together as one body in Christ.