The Mind of Luke Budreau

What does Luke think about....why don't you see for yourself!

Relationship Vs. Fellowship

Definitions
Relationship

  1. a connection, association, or involvement.
  2. connection between persons by blood or marriage.
  3. an emotional or other connection between people

Fellowship

  1. the condition or relation of being a fellow
  2. friendly relationship; companionship
  3. friendliness



Relationship

  • Relationship speaks of a connection to someone, and when we initially seek salvation and ask Christ into our hearts we make that connection
  • This connection, if the person truly meant it when they asked Christ into their heart, will always be present no matter what
  • Even if they turn away and live a sinful wife, that initial connection is still there it can not be broken

Fellowship

  • Fellowship is the condition of that relationship
  • It speaks of how you keep up your end of the relationship, if you are not being a good mate or you are doing wrong on your end of the relationship, then you do not have good fellowship
  • 2 of the definitions of fellowship mention a friendly relationship and friendliness, so you can still have that connection and that relationship, but you may not be very friendly towards the other person you are in relationship with, so therefore you are out of fellowship

The difference

Relationship is that connection you have with the other person, that moment you sincerely ask Christ into your heart you make that connection. Fellowship is the condition of that initial connection. Even though you turn away and live in sin and essentially shut God out of your life, you have not voided that connection, it is still there. If you truly believed that Christ is your savior, and that he died for you, when you asked him into your heart then you cannot break that bond or relationship.

So you can be in a relationship with God, and yet be out of fellowship. And if someone truly has lost their salvation, then they were never really saved in the first place. Because when we are washed by the blood of Christ, when we are saved by God’s grace, we shall never turn our backs to him, and when we stray from the path of righteousness he will always bring us back to him. Like a sheep that was once lost, but now is found he will pick us up and bring us back to the safety of his pastures.