{"id":850,"date":"2009-08-14T04:01:21","date_gmt":"2009-08-14T04:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/08\/intimate-fellowship-impacts-our-whole-life.html"},"modified":"2009-08-14T04:01:21","modified_gmt":"2009-08-14T04:01:21","slug":"intimate-fellowship-impacts-our-whole-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/08\/intimate-fellowship-impacts-our-whole-life.html","title":{"rendered":"Intimate Fellowship Impacts Our Whole Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 8 of series: What is the Christian Life?
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nA couple of weeks ago I was working away on a series entitled \u201cWhat is the Christian Life?\u201d I got about two-thirds through that series when I was distracted by other things, including my most recent series on \u201cGrief and the Christian Life.\u201d I\u2019d like to circle back and finish up my series on the Christian life before moving on to other issues.
\nLet me briefly review what I had explained before. Based on the opening verses of the first letter of John, the Christian life is koinonia<\/em>, a Greek word often translated as \u201cfellowship.\u201d Yet \u201cfellowship\u201d misses the depth of koinonia<\/em>, which is related etymologically to our word \u201ccommunion.\u201d I suggested that we translate koinonia<\/em> as \u201cintimate fellowship.\u201d
\nAccording to 1 John, the Christian life is first and foremost intimate fellowship with God. But when we enjoy this kind of relationship with God, we are also drawn into intimate fellowship with God\u2019s people. We are adopted as children into the family of God, where we have lots of brothers and sisters. Thus, the Christian life can be seen as intimate fellowship with God and God\u2019s people<\/em>.
\nIn today\u2019s post, and in the others that will finish this blog series, I want to show how this kind of intimate fellowship impacts every part of life.
\nWalking in Darkness<\/strong>
\nSometimes I like to walk in darkness. I’m speaking literally here, not confessing my sin. There’s nothing quite like the quiet peace of a late night ramble. When I’m in the woods at midday, I can race along to achieve my hiking goals. But at night, when the light is limited, safety demands a slower, calmer, more soothing pace \u2013 a ramble rather than a race.
\nOne of the things I love about my new life in Texas is living on the edge of the country. On my street there are no street lights. And my town has very few. Thus, when my wife and I walk our dog at night, we enjoy ambling along, with our path lit only by the moon or stars.
\nSometimes, however, safety suggests that it just isn’t good to walk in darkness. Many years ago I was enjoying one of my nighttime strolls while staying at a camp in the mountains above San Bernardino, California. The path was paved and the moon provided just enough light to keep me from going astray. All of a sudden the tranquil quiet of the forest was interrupted by a faint rumble, then a grunt, then the distinct sound of a curious nose sniffing the air. Squinting in the darkness, I could just make out the distinct outline of a large black bear. I knew that forest rangers recommend calm, not panic, in a situation like this. They encourage us not to run, but rather to seem unimpressed. I also knew that black bears, the only kind remaining in California, rarely killed humans. (Photo: A black bear at night, like the one I met on the road.)
\nAs the bear and I scrutinized each other, I felt glad that I hadn\u2019t tried to smuggle some food from the camp dining hall to my dorm. The bear’s acute sense of smell confirmed the absence of snacks hidden somewhere on my person, so the beast moseyed off to find more a promising source for a midnight meal. Finally, when the bear had disappeared, I allowed myself to feel the fear that had been hiding in my heart.
\n\u201cSometimes,\u201d I thought, \u201cit isn’t good to walk in darkness.\u201d
\nJohn would certainly agree. 1 John 1:6 speaks literally of “walking in darkness.” “Darkness” is a common metaphor for evil, found throughout ancient literature, including the Bible (for example, Ps 23:4; Prov 4:19). The verb “to walk” refers to the cumulative actions of a person’s life. How we walk is how we live, what we do day after day (for example, Ps 15:2; Prov 4:14). When John mentions “walking in darkness,” he’s not envisioning a late night ramble, but a lifestyle of sin.
\nFor John, therefore, the implications of walking in darkness are much more life-threatening than an encounter with a bear:<\/p>\n

This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth (1 John 1:5-6).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Since God is pure light, living in darkness, which is to say, living a lifestyle of sin, will never follow from intimate fellowship with God. In fact, if we claim to have fellowship with God while continuing in sin, we lie, deceiving ourselves and any who would believe our claim. Our words and our actions are inconsistent with true relationship with God.
\nIn my next post in this series I’ll finish looking at what it means to walk in darkness . . . and light.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 8 of series: What is the Christian Life? Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series A couple of weeks ago I was working away on a series entitled \u201cWhat is the Christian Life?\u201d I got about two-thirds through that series when I was distracted by other things, including my most recent series…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-life"],"yoast_head":"\nIntimate Fellowship Impacts Our Whole Life - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=850"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/850\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}