The Test of Christian Fellowship

Our speaker during Family Bible Hour was Greg Carlson, Chairman, Department of Christian Ministries at Trinity International University. He is pictured with his lovely wife, Donna. Professor Carlson's message was based on 1 John 1:5 through 1 John 2: 11 --

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
 ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
 ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
 ⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
 ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
 ¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 John 2
 ¹My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
 ²And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
 ³And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
 ⁴He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
 ⁵But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
 ⁶He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
 ⁷Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
 ⁸Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
 ⁹He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
 ¹⁰He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
 ¹¹But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Prof Carlson's message discusses tests of fellowship as Christians figure out truth; and how to tell if a person is spiritually "dangerous".  As a quick summary, the three tests are ---

• What a person says about sin (1 John 1:5 -1 John 2:2)
• The test of obedience (1 John 2:3-6)
• The test of love (1 John 2:7-11)

Professor Carlson's message, in full and in context, is available on DVD. Please see Romy