Topical Bible: Communion With God is Communion With the Father

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Topical Encyclopedia

Communion with God is a profound and intimate relationship that believers are invited to experience, characterized by fellowship, communication, and unity with the Father. This communion is foundational to the Christian faith, as it reflects the relationship between God and His children, made possible through Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Biblical Foundation

The concept of communion with God is deeply rooted in Scripture, where the relationship between God and humanity is depicted as one of closeness and intimacy. In the Old Testament, God’s desire for communion with His people is evident in His covenantal relationships, as seen in His interactions with figures like Abraham, Moses, and David. The tabernacle and later the temple served as physical symbols of God's presence among His people, emphasizing His desire to dwell with them.

In the New Testament, this communion is further revealed through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Son of God, came to restore the broken relationship between humanity and the Father. In John 14:6, Jesus declares, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." This statement underscores that communion with the Father is made possible through Christ alone.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in facilitating communion with the Father. In John 14:16-17, Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, saying, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth." The Holy Spirit indwells believers, enabling them to experience the presence of God and to communicate with Him in prayer and worship.

Romans 8:15-16 further illustrates this relationship: "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children." This passage highlights the intimate nature of communion with the Father, where believers are invited to approach God with the confidence and affection of a child to a loving parent.

Prayer and Worship

Prayer and worship are vital expressions of communion with the Father. Through prayer, believers communicate with God, sharing their hearts, seeking guidance, and interceding for others. Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father, as seen in Matthew 6:9: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name." This model prayer emphasizes the personal and reverent relationship believers are to have with God.

Worship, both individual and corporate, is another avenue through which believers experience communion with the Father. In John 4:23-24, Jesus explains, "But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." Worship is a response to God's revelation and an expression of love and devotion to Him.

Living in Communion

Living in communion with the Father involves a daily walk of faith and obedience. In John 15:4, Jesus instructs, "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me." This abiding relationship is marked by a continual dependence on God, resulting in spiritual growth and fruitfulness.

The apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Communion with the Father transforms the believer's life, aligning their will with God's purposes and empowering them to live out their faith in the world.

Conclusion

Communion with God as communion with the Father is a central theme in the Christian life, encompassing prayer, worship, and daily living. Through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, believers are invited into a deep and abiding relationship with the Father, characterized by love, trust, and obedience. This communion is both a present reality and a foretaste of the eternal fellowship believers will enjoy with God in His kingdom.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 John 1:3
That which we have seen and heard declare we to you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek

4637. skenoo -- to have one's tent, dwell
... lived in unbroken communion with the Father during the ... a mansion) or (specially),
to reside (as God did in ... old, a symbol of protection and communion) -- dwell. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4637.htm - 7k

Library

Union and Communion with God the End and Design of the Gospel
... it is certainly the union and communion of God with Christ Jesus as mediator, as
the head of the church which is his body. Therefore seeing the Father is so ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture ii union and communion.htm

The Future Judgment by Christ Communion with and Separation from ...
... not consent to His doctrine; it is manifest that His Father has made ... And to as many
as continue in their love towards God, does He grant communion with Him. ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxvii the future judgment by.htm

The Communion of Saints.
... These thoughts of the Communion of the Christian with God"the Father and the
Son"would be incomplete, did we not also think of our Communion with the Holy ...
/.../burbidge/the kingdom of heaven what is it/chapter x the communion of.htm

"And Truly Our Fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son,"
... and wide, as if it consisted all in these external duties and approaches of men
unto God; for there is nothing capable of communion with the Father of spirits ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon vi and truly our.htm

Why it was the Son of God, and not the Father or the Spirit, that ...
... Son and not Father: the Holy Spirit is Spirit and not Father or Son ... divine image,
and had become evil, we were stripped of our communion with God (for what ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter iv why it was the.htm

The Sinner's Need of Christ
... to reclaim the lost, and bring them back to the Father's house. ... the enjoyment of
heaven, the society of the angels, the communion and love of God and His ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 2 the sinners need.htm

The Communion of Gifts.
... in His cross-merits, lives with the Father in our ... after temporary separation, to
reunite all the saints of God. And as the communion of goods in Jerusalem was ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxvii the communion of gifts.htm

Appendix ii. The Order of the Communion
... Dearly beloved in the Lord, ye, coming to this holy Communion, must consider ... things
you must give most humble and hearty thanks to God, the Father, the Son ...
/.../luckock/studies in the book of common prayer/appendix ii the order of.htm

The Communion of Goods.
... The Father's house is not a fiction, but a real ... day of the Lord, the felicity of
God's children shall be ... other in a harmonious manner, the communion of saints ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxvi the communion of goods.htm

Come Rest Awhile
... the cry of humanity reached the Father of infinite ... a man He supplicated the throne
of God till His ... Through continual communion He received life from God, that ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 38 come rest awhile.htm