The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit
by Pastor Shannon Pinto
Following is a primary blessing we’ve all received:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. – 2 Corinthians 13: 14
The last verse of 2 Corinthians is a powerful one:
Everything in this verse points to a 3-fold companionship with God. Remember one of His names is Emmanuel which means “God with us.” All three Persons in the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are active in providing this companionship with us. The Lord Jesus brings grace and our Father brings love. Both, grace and love are so potent they can only originate from God. “By grace we are saved. . .” (Eph. 2:8) and “For God so loved the world. . .” (John 3:16). His grace allows us entry into companionship with God. His love keeps this companionship alive and vibrant.
The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in ensuring our companionship with the Godhead, and His contribution is what I want us to focus on in this study: The fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
The Greek word for fellowship here is “koinonia”. It literally means communion, communication, distribution, sharing, joint participation, intimacy. Koinonia can therefore refer in some contexts to a jointly contributed gift. The word appears 19 times in most editions of the Greek New Testament. In the New American Standard Bible, it is translated "fellowship" twelve times, "sharing" three times, and "participation" and "contribution" twice each.
Koinonia has three wonderful applications:
Active Participation
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is not a one-way traffic. It is a sharing of wills, feelings, and knowledge. You share what you have and know with Him and He shares what He has and knows with you! Remember what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit?
“He will tell you whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. He will honour and glorify Me because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. (John 16:13b-14)
Compared to our knowledge His is infinitely greater! He knows the secrets of Heaven. He has access to the heart of the Father. Whatever the Father speaks, He hears and will communicate it to you! That means that you can be up to date with whatever is current in the throne room of heaven. The Holy Spirit prepares your heart for what is to come. You’ll be able to anticipate and prepare your heart for future events. He is heaven’s Distributor! Through Him you are well equipped to face any challenge. You are resourced for whatever life throws at you! Not only that, but within the fellowship of the Holy Spirit you can communicate your needs, desires and heart with the Lord. His fellowship is not a dictatorship. It is not a monologue. We should welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives. We should appreciate Him, adore Him and recognize Him.
Partnership
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit represents a potent partnership. Partnerships are formed in the business world to enhance growth, productivity and profit. Partners strategize together and share in all successes and failures. When we consider the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, He will always be the Senior Partner and we the junior partners because He brings so much more to the table than us. His resources are infinite, His knowledge Divine, His strategies perfect, His methods above reproach. He outranks everyone but always secures a place at the table for us! We will do well to allow Him to strategize, plan and plot directions and determine destinies. We should follow and listen and be prudent to execute His plans with precision and passion. As partners we will share in all His victories. He never fails. We will see our lives grow into all the heaven intended. The Holy Spirit specializes to transform the written instructions of the Word of God into practical applications and demonstrations of success. Partner with Him on every level. Get His input, advice and suggestions before making decisions. Remember the door to His “office” is always open to you. Not only do we share in the victories and successes the Holy Spirit generates in us as a result of our obedience to His instructions, He also shares in our failures and challenges we face in real life situations. (Romans 8:26 “So too the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness”) He is our Comforter. He brings joy in the place of sorrow and gives beauty for ashes. In this amazing fellowship with Him all things work together for good for those who love God. In fact, one of the greatest chapters in the Bible describing this tremendous partnership we have with the Holy Spirit is Romans 8. Go ahead and read the entire chapter today!
Transportation
Another translation of the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is “moving together with”. It makes me think of transportation. Did you know that the progress of a civilization has always been marked by their transportation system? The Egyptians integrated land and water ways, the Romans had their roads and chariots and modern society have excelled in transportation development. Spiritually have the fellowship of the Holy Spirit! Remember, He excels in distribution. Did you know He “transports” our prayers from our hearts to the heart of the Father? (Romans 8:26b “. . .we do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleats in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.”) Another “Holy Spirit transportation system” example is tongues. This amazing gift available to all who are baptized in the Holy Spirit provides us with a safe and secure way to communicate with the Lord. Eliminating any fleshly or evil interference, we can pray effectively by utilizing the heavenly language the Lord gave us.
Thank God for koinonia! The greatest honour and privilege we have is companionship, relationship and intimacy with Almighty God. To know Him is to love Him! So, the next time you read or hear 2 Corinthians 13:14 thank Him for His grace, love and fellowship in your life!