Since we believe that God has always existed as a triune being, this also means that we believe that He has always existed in relationship. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always dwelt in a circle of life, a relationship of self-giving, other-centered, love. When they created man in their own image and likeness, they were creating them with this relationship in mind. They wanted to share their life with us. Continually inviting humanity to walk in fellowship. Of course, we know that the first son (Adam) chose independence over relationship. Choosing to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil plunged humanity into darkness. They traded the image of the invisible God (to use a phrase from Paul) for the best images they could come up with. Relationship was replaced with ritual, tradition, and sacrifice. The voice of God reduced to commands. Liberty overtaken by legal requirements. It was until the Father sent another Son, whom Paul referred to as the Last Adam, that we could begin to see the true nature of our Heavenly Father and understand the beauty of relationship. Determined to rescue humanity from a life of missing the mark of their own creation, Jesus submitted Himself to our violence, cruelty, and misunderstanding of the nature of God. He gave His life to redeem, to reconcile, and to restore us back to the image and likeness we carried in the beginning.
Humanity has continued to struggle. We continue to find ourselves looking for a means to regain what was lost. We haven't completely dismissed what Jesus accomplished through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. However, we haven't fully appropriated it. We may not live under The Law anymore, but we still carry this image of God as the Great Rule Giver. Ritual, tradition, and sacrifice still play an important role in this. The voice of God has been reduced to a book, and our liberty as sons overtaken by legalism. Although humanity has been set free from this type of life, we have quickly reverted back to the darkened mindset of becoming like God through our own actions. Often falling short of the mark of genuine relationship.
If history has proven anything, it has proven that we like our systems. We like our way of seeing and doing. We easily replace the image of God with the best images we can come up with. And even though we are free to enjoy relationship with our Father, we find ourselves running and hiding from His voice. How do we break free from this vicious cycle? How do we keep from placing God within the confines of our own systems? I mean...we talk about relationship, but are we really experiencing the koinonia of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
John's words to the Early Church need to reverberate within our own spirits. We need our focus to be upon the relationship that God carries within Himself so that we may experience this relationship within ourselves. What does it mean to participate in this koinonia? The Amplified Version says that this is "the distinguishing mark" among us. Our fellowship. Our joint-participation. Our shared life with one another. This seemingly insignificant word carries so much weight. It's more than hanging out or having a potluck dinner. This type of fellowship carries with it the very essence of life that the Father enjoys within Himself. A life that we are invited to participate in fully.
It almost sounds too fantastic to be believed, yet it is the very thing that Jesus prayed would come to pass in our lives. "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." This fellowship, this koinonia, that John speaks of is the very thing that speaks volumes to an unbelieving world. It is the distinguishing mark that sets us apart. A way of life that invites people to experience self-giving, other-centered, love. The one thing that Jesus said would prove to the world that we really are His disciples.
How can we neglect this and expect the world to trust in the goodness of God? How can we continue to build our systems and structures and hope that they will be good enough? When we begin to experience the authentic life of relationship, share it with those around us, then we will begin to understand what we were created to enjoy all along. A life of unconditional love, unbridled joy, and unbelievable security. It doesn't mean we don't experience problems. It is not void of trials. And there are still a lot of growing pains. However, it is in this relationship with the Father and one another that we are learning the beauty of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It is here where we discover the work of the Holy Spirit within us. Continually being conformed to the image of the Son. Discovering who He is and who we are in Him. Inviting others to participate with us.
It is my hope, my prayer, that the Church will once again discover the beauty and simplicity of this way of life. That we would rediscover the faith that was centered upon a table where we gather to share in the flesh and blood of Jesus. To know Him, to learn of Him, and to make Him known. That we would stop trying to build our own kingdoms and simply focus upon His. To extend the rule and reign of His dominion. To be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. That we would recapture the security of this relationship. That we would learn to enjoy life in Him once again. In Jesus I pray...
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