The 4 C’s of Fellowship with God are as follows:

1. Conditions for Fellowship

2. Conduct for Fellowship

3. Characteristics of Fellowship

4. Consequences of Fellowship

Read 1 John 1:3-7

As we discussed in our previous Lessons The Conditions for Fellowship with God:

• Lesson 1
• Lesson 2

We have seen that having Fellowship with GOD is the only way to experience true Joy in our lives; Therefore fostering that Fellowship is of the up-most importance for the Christian.  In Lesson 2 we started to look at what the Conditions for Fellowship are:

1. We must Conform to his Standard (Romans 12:1-2)

2. We must Walk in the Light (1 John 1:7)

Next, we will turn our focus to the final Condition of Fellowship with God that we will discuss in this series.  Confession of Sins.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. – 1 John 1:8-2:2 

Your Nagging Sinful Nature

You may be thinking to yourself about now… I thought that my sins were forgiven when I asked Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Saviour…

That is correct.  Remember If you put all of your faith and trust in the LORD Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, then they are forgiven. 1 John 1:9 gives us that promise.

But I would like for you to remember what this passage in 1 John is about…It is NOT about salvation but instead about maintaining fellowship with God, once we are saved.

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.  – 1 John 1:3

Unfortunately, once we are saved, we do not lose our sin nature.  We are still in this “body of sin” as the Apostle Paul puts it.

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  – Romans 6:6

Who Wrote First John?

Don’t be fooled by forgetting who is writing 1 John.  It is none other than the Apostle John “the beloved disciple.” There is no doubt whatsoever that the Apostle John was a saved man; however, we see here in 1 John 1:8-9, that he states that he has sin in his life that must be confessed.

This is because we are still in this sinful world, stuck in these bodies of sin.  And even though our Sins are forgiven, and we know that we have heaven as our home,(1 John 5:13) we still need to deal with the sins that we commit; until that time arrives that we receive our new bodies in heaven

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.  – Romans 8:23

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.  – Philippians 3:20-21

Lost Fellowship

If we don’t deal with our sins, they will come between God and us and will result in lost fellowship with Him.

Think back to when you were younger; maybe you did something that you knew that you shouldn’t have and you knew that when your father returned home, you would have to answer for the wrong that you did.

On more that one occasion I can remember a time like that in my life. On one occasion that comes to mind. I was in the Eighth Grade and had this crazy idea that after the school took attendance in my first class, that a friend and I would sneak out of the school, and skip the rest of our classes.

This was a terrible idea for multiple reasons, one of which being that neither of us had any transportation, or anywhere that we could go for the day.

The short version of the story is that the school caught us; when a bus driver saw us walking down the street, and reported it to the principle.  The only thing the school needed to do; is run attendance and see who was there for the first class, but not at any other class all day.

The penalty for skipping school was that we each received a three-day suspension from school; which never did make any sense to me.  The punishment for not wanting to be in school was that we were able to spend three more days away from school.

My Concern Was With What My Dad Would Do

But that is not the point of the story.  The point is.. I wasn’t concerned with what the school was going to do; My concern was with what my Dad was going to do.  You could probably guess that I wasn’t too excited for my Dad to get home from work on that day!

You see, I wasn’t at risk of losing him as my father, or getting kicked out of the family or anything like that, but I knew that I was a disappointment to him, and didn’t want to face him after that.

That is what it’s like when we don’t confess our sins to God.  We don’t lose our salvation or our place in the Body of Christ, but it will hurt our fellowship with Him.  If we have sin hanging over our heads, then we won’t likely be looking forward to spending time with him in fellowship.  You see how that works?

Two Natures

Once we put our Faith and Trust in Jesus, we are “Born Again.” The first time that we are born we are born of the “flesh” this is our old nature or “old man,” and when we are “born again” we receive a new nature or the “new man.”  This is why the Apostle Paul tells us that he finds himself doing the things that he doesn’t want to do, and the things he does want to do, are so hard to do.

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  – Romans 7:15-22

 Jekyll and Hyde

We have an internal war going on inside of us every day.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  – Romans 7:23

We are like our very own version of Jekyll and Hyde.  Read Ephesians 4:17-32:

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto0 the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.  

You will notice that in verses 17-22 that the actions and desires of the “old man” are in contrast to the actions of the new man in verses 24-32.

According to Galatians 5:17 our flesh and our spirit (Two Natures) are contrary one to another. Again in 2 Corinthians 4:16 Paul tells us that our outward (flesh) man perish, but our inward (spirit) man is renewed day by day.

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.  – Clossians 3:5-15

Put Off The Old Man

Did you notice that in verse 9 he told us to Put off the old man, and in verse 10 we are told to Put on the new man?  Think about this…If we no longer have a sin nature present within us, then why would the Apostle Paul, when speaking to believers need to tell them to put off the old man, and put on the new man?

It’s Your Choice

We wouldn’t need this list if it weren’t possible to continue living under the old man.  He gave us this information because it is a daily choice that we must make.  Are you going to live with the old man today, or will you choose to live under the new man?

Confess Your Sin Daily

This is why John is telling us in 1 John 1:8-2:2 that we must deal with the sin issue.  We need to confess our sins daily so that they will not affect our Fellowship with God.

He told us in 1 John 1:8,10 that if we deny our sins, then we deceive ourselves.

 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. – Proverbs 28:13

To deny that you have sin in your life, will make you miserable:

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.  – Psalms 32:1-5

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  – Galatians 6:7

 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. – Proverbs 15:3

1 John 1:9 promises us that If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

The War Within

We are fighting a war within ourselves on a daily basis. The war is between the two natures; the old man versus the new man; that is why we must self-judge on a regular basis:

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  – 1 Corinthians 11:31 

Not self-judging can cause the LORD to chasten us, just as we would to our earthly children

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  – Hebrews 12:6-7

Confess Your Sin To Only Him

This is a Condition of Fellowship with Him.  We must confess our sins to Him daily.  

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; – 1 Timothy 2:5 

Next, we will discuss the second of the 4 C’s; The Conduct for Fellowship with God

My hope is that this article provided some encouragement and help for your Christian walk.