Socializing is great, but fellowship is much better, and without fellowship then socializing leads to a dead-end. If socializing leads to fellowship, that’s great. Fellowship is Koinonia in the Greek and it means a sharing of what we have in common, and what we have in common is not a thing but a Person and His name is Jesus. When we share with each other of the LIFE we have in Christ Jesus and share what He is teaching us in His Word then we are fellowshipping.
Fellowship is a meeting of hearts, whether it is fellowship with God or fellowship with man. It’s not an external thing. See 1 Corinthians 14: The Church assembling together was a time of fellowship, of sharing the things received from the LORD. Not going to hear a sermon or watch a performance. Let’s not miss this: Fellowship means to share Jesus, to share what He is speaking to you and teaching you. And it also means to listen and receive what others share with you – giving and receiving. Fellowship means to share. Where there is no spiritual sharing there is no fellowship, it may just be mere socializing.
Of course, fellowship is more than in word only, but in deed: it extends to sharing our goods and our help as our brothers and sisters have need. In fact it is impossible to separate love and fellowship; they are really the same thing. If we purposely withdraw from fellowship it’s due to a lack of love. Many Christians want to socialize but they don’t want to fellowship. Socializing fulfills my own interests or needs, but fellowshipping touches on the interests of God – building His Kingdom. Love equals Fellowship. Love for God is expressed in fellowship with God. Love for God’s people is expressed in fellowship with them.
By Ian Vincent