Jungle

 

Think of fellowship as being inside a bubble of protection. In some of these outer space movies, the spaceship has a shield, or a defense shield that protects the ship from enemy fire. So when you are in fellowship, your shields are in effect, up and you are protected from all outside forces. Those forces being the jungle we have been covering.

When you are out of fellowship then your shields are down and you are at great risk from enemy fire. You have no protection. Zero. If the jungle attacks you then you are injured since you lack protection.

So the safety from the jungle, that we have available to us, is that sphere or bubble of fellowship. We cannot see it. We cannot feel it, but it is there when we comply with Gods commands to be washed, to be cleaned and so forth. This is a ritual or habit which needs to be practiced daily - confession that is. 'If we judge ourselves, then we should not be judged.' The principles of fellowship are discussed in Leviticus, and the mechanics of confession and fellowship are discussed in 1 John.

Summary. We are all born into this world. We are therefore exposed to the rules that exist in this world. We can be abused by our own flawed thoughts. We can be taken advantage of by other people. We can be burned by the bureaucratic systems that exist in the world. We can be hurt by the various disasters that can occur in life. Anyone who ventures into the jungle should not go there without protection, and God gives us that protection. We are free to use it or not. That choice is of course ours to make.

The fellowship is a concept of obedience to God. It is not a license to sin and then try to escape the repercussions of our actions. If you rob a bank, then you will most likely get caught and do the time. Confessing to God will not let you off the hook.

But there are many advantages in life to having fellowship as a part of our life. Out of fellowship we are in effect steering our own course through life. As humans we cannot see into the future, so our course is followed in complete darkness. In fellowship, God is at the controls, and He steers us around problems and to solutions, even when we might not be aware that problems are nearby.

We still make our own choices in life. But as we grow up spiritually from our daily Bible study, then we will have better information and wisdom to make better choices in life. We do not give up our right to decide for ourselves, but when in the jungle, it is far better to have a guide who knows the safe paths, than to venture out on our own, without even a clue as to what is ahead.

The jungle is ruthless. Good examples of this are the atrocities of World War II. Even closer to home an example may be the gossip which may be directed against you, and even behind your back. Lesser attacks, but attacks all the same. Choosing to live in the jungle and on your own, is a bad decision. Many bad things can happen to you and you family or business, etc., such as marital problems, employment problems, family problems, social problems, medical problems, legal problems, financial problems, and so forth. If you can imagine anything bad happening to you, then it is possible.

Choosing to live inside that bubble of protection which we refer to as fellowship, then all these problems might still be there, but with God at the controls, there will be a way out of them, a solution, an easier course to follow through them. Your life will be far better and happier.

The choice to live a better life is a daily choice. You have the power to make that decision.

Now is the time to post a prayer.

End Of Lesson

Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.