Introduction

[Baptism] is an act of obedience [Baptism] is intended to be, to the

symbolizing the believer's faith in a person baptized, a sign of his
crucified, buried, and risen Savior, fellowship with Christ in His death
the believer's death to sin, the burial and resurrection, and of his being
of the old life, and the resurrection engrafted into Christ, and of the
to walk in newness of life in Christ remission of sins. It also indicates
Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in that the baptized person has given
the final resurrection of the dead. himself up to God, through Jesus
Christ, so that he may live and
conduct himself 'in newness of life'.

Above are doctrines of Baptism as written in two different Baptist statements of faith. One is taken
from the London Baptist Confession and the other from the Southern Baptist Convention’s Baptist Faith
and Message. Without looking up the answer, can you tell which is which? (We’ll touch on this on
Sunday)
 MEANS OF GRACE

Ordained methods, courses of action, or instruments by which God accomplishes his gracious
salvific purposes.

This historic Christian doctrine is teaching that there are specific things that God has ordained for use in
bringing about his purposes. This isn’t saying that God is limited to these means, not at all. The London
Baptist Confession (Ch.5:3) discusses God’s providence like this:

Ordinarily, in His providence, God makes use of means; yet He is free to work without them, to
give them efficacy above what they normally possess, and even to work contrary to them, at His
pleasure.

So, this doctrine does not deny that God can and does work outside of the means, but pay attention to
the wording: “Ordinarily, in His providence, God makes use of means…”

Finding the Means of Grace

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles,
"Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom
the Lord our God calls to himself." And with many other words he bore witness and continued to
exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his
word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted
themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

(Acts 2:37-42)

1. The Scriptures
2. The Gospel faithfully preached
3. Baptism
4. The Lord’s Supper
5. Prayer
6. Fellowship of believers
Scripture

The first thing that the early Christians submitted themselves to after baptism was “the apostles’
teaching.” It may be important to note the position in which the "apostles' teaching" is mentioned. It
makes sense that their teaching would be mentioned first because it would be primary to the rest of the
actions of the first church. The first church fellowshipped because that was the apostles' teaching. They
participated in the Lord's Supper because the apostles' taught that. 

The early church submitted to the teaching of the apostles who were the recipients of Christ’s
authoritative teaching. His teachings were theirs; their teaching was God’s Word. Theologian F.F Bruce
comments, “The apostolic teaching was authoritative because it was the teaching of the Lord
communicated through the apostles. In due course this apostolic teaching took written shape in the NT
scriptures.” Luther, Calvin, and Wesley all taught that God’s Word is a key and primary means of grace.
During and after the Reformation there was discussion about what is a true church. Calvin offered this
definition: “Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, and the sacraments
administered according to Christ’s institution, there, it is not to be doubted, a church of God exists.” 

In fact, it may be safe to say that God's Word is THE primary Means of Grace to the church. In a moment
we will talk about what I call "the foremost" Means of Grace, the Gospel, (through which there is benefit
to both the believer and unbeliever) The Gospel is contained as part of the whole cousel. In fact, the
Gospel is the theme and climax of all of the Word of God. It is in the Word of God that Paul says we find
every doctrine needed for, "teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that
the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

Through the reading, teaching, and study of the word of God we receive a particular benefit. It is in the
word that we grow in accordance to our justification, by being sanctified towards the goal of
glorification. Nowhere in Scripture are we told that there is any other means by which we grow, but the
apostle Peter does tell us that we, the church, need the Word of God to grow.

((Read 1 Peter 1:22 – 2:3))

What is this pure spiritual milk. The answer is in the previous verses, specifically verse 25 of Chapter 1.

The NASB, Young’s Literal Translation, and the KJV render 2:2 this way:

like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect
to salvation

But this growth that we have is not of our own. It is a work of the Holy Spirit in us. It is by the work of
the Holy Spirit that we understand God's word, and by the Holy Spirit's work that we are sanctified unto
glorification through the word, for without the Spirit of God working in us we would have no
understanding. Our Confession teaches that "we acknowledge that inward enlightenment from the
Spirit of God is necessary for the right understanding of what Scripture reveals." Just as Paul told the
church at Corinth

But, as it is written,

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him"—

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even
the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which
is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we
have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might
understand the things freely given us by God.  (1 Corinthians 2:9-12)

And so, it is important that we continually look to God's Word, that we search it and study it, because it
is an ordained Means of Grace by which we know of God what he has revealed to us and by which we
grow with respect to our salvation according to the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
The Gospel Faithfully Preached:
Possibly the foremost Means of Grace is the Gospel faithfully preached. Of all of the Means that we will
study today, this is the only Means that has a salvific benefit to both the believer and the unbeliever.
Although the others may have the benefit to the ubeliever of pointing to the Gospel, it is only the Gospel
that has salvific benefit to the unbeliever. So, let’s dive right in to the Scripture:

Who has Romans 1:16 and Romans 10:14-17? **1:16 READ**

OK, stop there. So what is the Gospel? (Anyone) Right, it is the POWER OF GOD FOR SALVATION TO
EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES. Now before we go any further, obviously we understand this as salvation in
the sense of justification upon regeneration. But, when the NT talks about salvation it never means
ONLY that event, right? Tied up in the word salvation is justification unto sanctification unto
glorification. All of that is salvation. So, this isn’t just conversion, but the Gospel POST CONVERSION
remains the POWER OF GOD for sanctification unto glorification for the believer. Paul tells us that God
calls, he justifies, and he glorifies. This is how he describes salvation. He also tells us to work out our
salvation with fear and trembling, right? That doesn’t mean to work out our justification and be
regenerated again and again, but to work out our salvation in this life, what we call sanctification.

**Romans 10: 14-17 READ**

Rhetorical questions – Add Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to preach the Gospel, and that Paul knew
nothing amongst the Corinthians BUT CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED! This is to believers he was speaking.
And why did he know nothing but Christ and Him crucified? Well, 1 Cor 2, so that their faith didn’t rest
on the wisdom of men but on the POWER OF GOD.

Because of the Power in the sufficiency of the Gospel. Not “Life Application” preaching, not financial
planning seminars from the pulpit on Sunday morning. But to recognize that all the promises of the
Scripture find their YES in Christ, and so we can proclaim Amen when the Gospel – Christ and Him
crucified is faithfully preached.

I would love to go into the Scriptural example of the faithfully preached Gospel, as well as showing the
mystery of the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those who are called, but, for the sake of time, we
can’t. I recommend reading Peter’s Pentecost Sermon. I can also send a link to a longer study that goes
more in depth on this aspect of the Gospel faithfully preached.
BAPTISM
Which is the LBCF?

Sign v. symbol

A sign points to something that is happening or that actually is. Jesus’ ministry on earth was confirmed
by what? Signs and wonders. The signs pointed to his power and his deity. Things that actually were
present. Think of it this way: when you see a warning sign it is letting you know that danger is actually
present.

A symbol represents something that is not actually present. This X on the board represents the
opposing cornerback, this O represents the Ohio State Middle Line Backer.

Now, let’s talk about Baptism as a means of Grace. Firstly, it is ordained:

Jesus commands it at the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:19) Those who follow the Lord in
baptism are showing their faith by their obedience, and are testifying that we have left our old
lives behind. This, we understand, is dying to our old self and living a brand new life just as
Christ resurrected. As Paul describes in Romans 6:4

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ
was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of
life.

And we are being assured and expressing confidence that we have new life and circumcised
hearts because of faith in Christ who is raised - the baptism is our outward mark.

And he [Ananias] said [to Paul], 'The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will,
to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness
for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise
and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.' (Acts 22:14-16)

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting
off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in
baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working
of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:11, 12).

And so we must conclude that baptism is part of God’s ordained means and Christians should
both baptize and be baptized.

Questions so far?

Through Baptism there are a number of benefits that God confers to us by his grace.
 1. Attestation of the forgiveness of our sins.
2. Unity with Christ by virtue of the Holy Spirit's work that we might be sons with The
Son.
3. In baptism our old life is buried with Christ in burial and we are renewed to life with
Christ's resurrection.

Let’s spend a little time on each one of these:

1. Attestation of the forgiveness of our sins:

I’m going to move through this one pretty quickly in order to spend a little more time on the
next two.

So, we read of baptism attesting to the forgiveness of sins at Paul’s conversion in Acts. Paul was
already converted, Christ had already called him as an Apostle, and Paul had already responded
in faith. Paul was regenerate, he was forgiven of his sins - yet Ananias tells him to "Rise and be
baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name." The water doesn't do the washing, God
does. The Baptism attests to this. Peter teaches this also - 1 Peter 3:18-22

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might
bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he
went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when
God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a
few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which
corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an
appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has
gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers
having been subjected to him.

So, God's grace is shown through baptism as an attestation to the forgiveness of sins. It attests
to our fellow Christians - as a sign of initiation into the body of believers; it attests to non-
believers - as a picture of the washing of sins from our lives (that is it is a partial picture of the
Gospel); it attests to God - as a sign of our trust in his forgiveness, our obedience to his sacrifice,
and our thankfulness for his Grace; it is a sign to us of our assured forgiveness, trusting that God
keeps his promise.

2. Unity with Christ by virtue of the Holy Spirit's work that we might be sons with The Son.

Who has Galatians 3:23-27?

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the
coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in
order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer
 under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many
of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

We have put on Christ and we are called God's sons, just as Christ is God's son, and our baptism
shows that. So, baptism teaches us, and is a sign of, our unity to Christ and we are partakers of
all his blessings. We are sons and daughters with him, co-inheritors of his blessing. Not only
are we following the example of Christ in his baptism, we are uniting to him who is the firstfruit
of all creation.

3. In baptism our old life is buried with Christ in burial and we are renewed to life with
Christ's resurrection.

Who has Romans 6:1-7? ***Read Romans 6:1-7***

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no
means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us
who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore
buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from
the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been
united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his
resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of
sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because
anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Now, I’m going to read a quote from John Calvin on this passage:

By these words, he not only exhorts us to imitation of Christ, as if he had said, that we
are admonished by baptism, in like manner as Christ died, to die to our lusts, and as he
rose, to rise to righteousness; but he traces the matter much higher, that Christ by
baptism has made us partakers of his death, ingrafting us into it. And as the twig derives
substance and nourishment from the root to which it is attached, so those who receive
baptism with true faith truly feel the efficacy of Christ’s death in the mortification of
their flesh, and the efficacy of his resurrection in the quickening of the Spirit.

Does this make sense? Paul is saying is that baptism is not merely an "outward act of our
inward change." No, when Paul says, "you are buried with Christ" he means that you actually are
taking part in the burial of Christ.

We know from Scripture that Christ bore our sins upon himself. More than that we are told that
Christ BECAME sin.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
 That sin he became is YOURS and mine, and all the elect. When Paul says, "you are buried with
Christ" he means that your old self – YOUR SIN, AND SINFULNESS is what died on the cross in the
person of our Scapegoat! That sinner (you, me, all the elect) is who went into the grave in the
person of our Scapegoat! Christ actually took the sins to the grave. Conversely, when Paul says
that we are "raised with Christ" he is not saying that coming out of the water is only a symbolic
resurrection, but that we are actually taking part in Christ's resurrection! This is a mystery. This
is one of those things that we can't fully understand. How is that possible? Christ died 2000
years ago! How can I, in some inexplicable way, be part of that? I don't know, but I must. The sin
that Christ became is ours - but we weren't born yet. Still it happened. It must have.

This corresponds to Adam. We were in some way actually present in Adam’s sin. And so
baptism is a sign of this, of us sinners actually being in Christ, buried in the grave, and we saints
actually being in Christ, raised to a newness of life.

(As an aside, it is important that a faithful Christian ought to avail themselves to the obedience and
blessing of baptism if they have not - if they refuse, they ought to seriously examine themselves for
what is keeping them from this blessing and forcing them to disobedience. I believe that it is perfectly
reasonable to a Christian, in love, to directly question the truthfulness of the claim to faith of someone
who refuses baptism or claims they aren’t ready.)
LORD’S SUPPER
We participate in the Lord’s Supper for three basic reasons. Do you know what they are?

1. Act of obedience to Christ – Christ instituted the sacrament and told us to do it.
2. Dedication to the teaching of the Apostles – the Apostles taught to come together for
the breaking of Bread
3. Just as we follow Christ in baptism, we follow Christ in the breaking of bread and receive
benefits through the Lord’s Supper

I contend that through this Means of Grace we receive at least three benefits (of course, this is not an
exhaustive list). These benefits are

 Remembrance
 Hope
 Participation

Firstly, let's discuss remembrance and hope. By partaking of communion in faith, Christians are
remembering and proclaiming. Paul says this:

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in
which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This
is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup
also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you
drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. (1Corinthians 11:23-26).

Jesus proclaimed His body and blood as the true Passover sacrifice that would take away sins. His laid
down life would appease the wrath of God against sin. Jesus said, “For this is My blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28)

The phrase “blood of the covenant” comes from Exodus 24:8:

So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, ‘Behold the blood of the
covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.’

and the phrase “poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” brings to mind this Isaiah 53:12

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
 yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

To the Jews, the Passover meal pointed back to their deliverance by God from Egypt and pointed
forward to the eternal delivery that the Messiah would bring from judgment, sin, and death. Similarly,
the Lord's Supper points back to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross that delivered us, once for all, from
the curses of sin and death and the righteous, angry judgment of God.

But, we also have hope. In taking the Lord's Supper we also hope, with Christ, for his second coming.
Until then, Christ says we are to remember him and he will not drink of the vine until that day. But, on
that day, on that glorious day of final deliverance we will feast with our Lord (Revelation 19:6-9). What
greater hope is there?

Not only do we remember that sacrifice of Christ, but we remember in the bread that He, Jesus, is our
true source of spiritual nourishment. It is he that we must always turn to and he we must always
remember, and he we must always depend upon to be nourished. Even better, to be nourished unto
eternal life. As we read the words of Jesus in John's Gospel

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall
never thirst."

So, we remember and we have hope in the Communion meal. Yet more is going on in the Lord’s Supper
than the remembering of our Savior’s death, as important as that is. For example, 1 Cor. 10:16 speaks of
participation or fellowship in the body and blood of Christ when we come to the Lord’s table.

Who has 1 Corinthians 10:16

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that
we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Something is happening besides the remembrance of the cross, alone. Moreover the fact that many of
those who took the sacrament in Corinth unworthily became ill or died (1 Cor. 11:29–30) proves that
there is much more to the sacrament than mere symbolism and act of mental recollection. When those
that took the Lord’s Supper at Corinth took it unworthily, they were insulting more than an act of
remembrance alone.

The London Baptist Confession in chapter 30, paragraph 7 summarizes the biblical teaching on Christ’s
special presence in the Lord’s Supper, saying that worthy receivers feed on Jesus “not as if feeding upon
the actual flesh and blood of a person's body, but inwardly and by faith.” Christ is spiritually “present to
the faith of believers, not in any actual physical way, but in a way of spiritual apprehension,” and we
feed upon “Christ crucified, and receive all the benefits accruing from His death.”

The confession affirms that in the Supper we commune with Jesus, both in His humanity and in His
divinity, in a way not possible at other times. As we eat the bread and drink the wine, we by faith
commit ourselves anew to Jesus and renew the covenant, showing that we need His physical body and
blood to save us as much as we need food to nourish us. We meet with Jesus as a whole person, and He
strengthens us for the journey from the resources He has both as the Son of God and as a glorified
human being.

This is possible because of our union with Christ by virtue of the Holy Spirit (remember the unity with
Christ in baptism). Again, like our participation in the grave and resurrection of Christ in Baptism, it is a
mystery as to how all this happens. But it is to this mystery we have been called to partake of regularly,
participating in faith, believing that God has accomplished through His Son all that the Passover in Egypt
and the giving of the covenant at Sinai pointed to, namely, the inauguration and consumation of a new
covenant.

Prayer

Prayer is ordained. Just as Christ told the disciples to remember him in the Lord's Supper and to baptize
and be baptized, Jesus instructed the disciple in prayer. (The Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:9-11)

Now, that can be a whole lesson in and of itself, but not for now. Today, What we are going to touch on
is HOW IT IS A MEANS of Grace. There is a lot of theology behind prayer. We read things in the Bible
like, the prayer of a righteous man availeth much. I think that is best understood when we look to
prayer as it is a work of God in us, not as us doing a work. So far, we’ve talked about how the Holy Spirit
works through the means bestowing on us benefits. So, that is where we are going to stay – the Holy
Spirits work in prayer.

Jude exhorts us, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the
Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads
to eternal life." In doing so he has given us instruction for prayer: To pray "in the Holy Spirit." Now, there
are a lot of erroneous doctrines out there about what that means, and we won't spend time on them.
What we will do is study what the Bible says about what the Holy Spirit’s work when we pray.

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches
hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints
according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together
for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:25-28)

As we read, that when we pray, even though we may not know exactly what to pray - that is, exactly
what our desires are when our desires are God's - the Holy Spirit that dwells in us does. And it is the
deep desires of the Spirit that dwells in us, the same Spirit that brings us into maturity as we are being
sanctified - saved from glory to glory - it is that Spirit that prays with and for us.
Fellowship
The last activity we are going to study is fellowship. Though fellowship is not always considered an
Ordinary Means of Grace, it is very much part of how God changes lives. Fellowship is the corporate use
of the means. It is sharing in the Word as a body of believers. The Lord’s Supper by its very nature is a
fellowship meal. We are to pray privately and corporately. Those who forsake fellowship are harming
themselves and the Lord’s body. God saved us to bring us into fellowship with Himself and one another.
The Bible does not envision Christians with no visible fellowship with other Christians. John wrote this:

what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship
with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ”  (1John
1:3).

Should his readers respond, “We want fellowship with Christ but not with you”? ((That is not
acceptable.))

And so, what are the benefits that we receive from God through fellowship. I believe that there are
three main benefits:

1. Fellowshipping is the means by which we take part in the other Means of Grace. As I said
earlier, it is in fellowship that we take part in the Lord's Supper (and receive its benefits). In
fellowship that we hear the Word of God preached (and we receive the benefits of the Word). In
fellowship that we are baptized, and we are baptized into fellowship. And so, in a way, one of
the functions of fellowship is as a secondary means to the primary means.
2. Secondly, in fellowship we benefit by living out what are often referred to as the "one
anothers" of the Christian life. How can we "Live in harmony with one another" (Romans 12:16)
if we are not together? How are we to "with one voice glorify God" and "welcome one another
as Christ has welcomed us" (Romans 15:5-7) if we are not together? How can we "greet one
another with a holy kiss" (Romans 16:16) if we are not together? Can we restore, comfort, and
agree with one another (2 Cor. 13:11) if we are alone? Can we "serve one another" (Galatians
5:13) if we do not come together with the body of believers? How are we to "Bear one another’s
burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) on our own? How can we fulfill the
command of Christ that "you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one
another" (John 13:34) if we are not together? The answer to all of these, of course, is that we
can't. We are called to be a people, not a person. As the author of the book of Hebrews exhorts,

since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new
and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true
 heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope
without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up
one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit
of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing
near. (10:21-25)

3. Third, joined together in the faith, we are joined in Christ in fellowship with God (Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit) by the indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit. It is by Christ's sacrifice, by the
will of the Father, and by the work of the Holy Spirit Jesus' prayer for his people is fulfilled

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their
word, that they may all be one, just 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 have sent me. The glory that
you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in
them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know
that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:20-23)

and together we are one with each other and one with the Triune God. John confirms this in his
first epistle greeting to fellow Christians

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with
our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the
word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and
proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to
us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may
have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son
Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John
1-4)

Today many church activities referred to as “fellowship” are not truly what the New Testament
understands as fellowship. Those Christians in the Acts 2 were fellowshipping around the Means of
Grace. Activities that nominal Christians attend in a building called a “church” may not be fellowship at
all any more than joining a fraternity or civic organization. The Apostles' taught of fellowship together
and with God and their call to fellowship had the Word of God, the Lord's Supper, prayer, and the "one
anothers" as in view. We should, and must, seek the same.