The lost paragraph

My brain is a messy place. The following was in my script for my talk at RUCU tomorrow on 1 John 1:1-4, about fellowship with the Father and the Son. Following advice to 'say less and say it slower' i took it out and rewrote it. Anyway, here it is sslightly more broken down and readable, an insight into my head:

And look at what this fellowship of believers looks like from a different perspective.

Those who believe the apostolic proclamation share in their fellowship with the Father and the Son. This is the fulfilment of John 17:3 ‘and this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.’

You see, Christian fellowship is impossible except on the basis of fellowship between and with the Father and with the Son. There can be no deep, real Christian fellowship apart from belief in the apostolic Gospel. Because it’s faith in God through the God-man Jesus, that secures Christian community

It’s because, importantly in the context of the letter, that the Father and Son exist in eternal fellowship that we can have fellowship with each other at all. We have fellowship with God through our shared purposes borne by belief in the Son and expressed in prayer and enjoyment of Jesus. This is a staggering thing for John to be able to say, but it’s true. Faith in the Biblical Gospel brings us into fellowship with God the Father, and with His Son and with the Holy Spirit.

Us! This is amazing. Salvation isn’t mainly about forgiveness of sins or God’s wrath being propitiated, those things are infinitely necessary but they are not ultimate. Eternal fellowship with God, that is what salvation brings us.

In other news, Latin Link who own the building that we have our office in are having their selection day today. All morning a steady flow of young potential missionaries have been walking across the carpark. it's pretty thrilling stuff!