November 23, Morning

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Fellowship with Him." — 1 John 1:6 · KJV

When we were united by faith to Christ, we were brought into such complete fellowship with Him that we were made one with Him, and His interests and ours became mutual and identical. We have fellowship with Christ in His love. What He loves, we love. He loves the saints — so do we. He loves sinners — so do we. He loves the poor perishing race of man, and longs to see earth's deserts turned into the garden of the Lord — so do we. We have fellowship with Him in His desires. He desires the glory of God — we also labor for it. He desires that the saints may be with Him where He is — we desire to be with Him there too. He desires to drive out sin — behold, we fight under His banner. He desires that His Father's name may be loved and adored by all His creatures — we pray daily, "Let Thy kingdom come, and Thy will be done in earth, even as it is in heaven." We have fellowship with Christ in His sufferings. We are not nailed to the cross, nor do we die a cruel death; but when He is reproached, we are reproached; and it is a very sweet thing to be blamed for His sake, to be despised for following the Master, to have the world against us. The disciple should not be above his Lord. In our measure we share His labors, ministering to men by the word of truth and by deeds of love. Our meat and drink, like His, is to do the will of Him who has sent us, and to finish His work. We have fellowship, too, with Christ in His joys. We are happy in His happiness; we rejoice in His exaltation. Have you ever tasted that joy, believer? There is no purer or more thrilling delight to be known this side of heaven than that of having Christ's joy fulfilled in us, that our joy may be full. His glory awaits us, to complete our fellowship, for His church shall sit with Him on His throne, as His well-beloved bride and queen.