Union And Communion

by J. DORRICOTT | Category: Union And Communion | Nov 1952

It has been our privilege to write to you on our union with Christ, our risen Head, at the Father's right hand. Our standing in Christ is such that we are accepted in the Beloved, One with Him, with the same perfect acceptance that He has before God. This is all of His wondrous grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, and the exceeding greatness of God's power to us-ward who believe. Well may we sing

With Christ Jesus,

By eternal union one."

Our union then with Christ can never be severed, but our communion with the Father and with the Son-how quickly can this be severed and lost! Union with Christ tells of our unalterable standing before God; but communion is related to our state, our spiritual condition, and raises the question of our life and conduct. The former is a matter of relationship and brings us into the family of God (Galatians 3.26), but the latter expresses the joy of the Father with the child, and the child's confidence and joy with the Father. John, in bringing this precious truth of communion (or fellowship) before the saints in his first letter and first chapter, does so with this object, that their "joy may be full". Therefore He brings before them the glorious Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father's joy, the Father's delight.

"That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen - with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life (and the Life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the Life, the Eternal Life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us; YEA, AND OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER, AND WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST."

John brings before these saints the blessed Person of the Lord Jesus-the object of the Father's affection, the ONE who was with the Father and was manifested unto us, and we share in the Father's Joy concerning Him. We know that ere the world was, He "was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him." But when He came in humiliation He was manifested in flesh, and John delights to show out Christ. When He was on earth John leaned on the bosom of the Lord Jesus. Who better than he could talk of communion? He knew it, he knew it experimentally in his place of nearness to Him. "The disciple whom Jesus loved" wants us to share in the joy that he shared with others who heard Him, saw Him with their eyes, and gazed upon Him; but John gets closer still, and says, "Our hands handled Him". Blessed closeness! hallowed nearness! holy privilege to nestle so close to the Incarnate One to handle! Love will never be satisfied with a place of distance nearer and yet nearer, closer, and yet closer are the longings of the heart that desires communion. "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth for His love is better than wine Draw me we will run after Thee is the yearning of the heart after the Beloved in Solomon's Song chapter 1.

We would earnestly ask ourselves, do we know anything of this blessed nearness to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ ? Do we really know what fellowship or communion is in the experience of our souls ? Is the very expression of our hearts "Let Him kiss me" ? We have kissed the Son in reconciliation and His anger is turned away (Psalm 2.16). This we did,. when as lost sinners we yielded ourselves to Him. But now He is waiting, waiting for affectionate hearts to know Him, waiting for the words from our lips, Let Him kiss me, with the kisses of His mouth. Here is communion indeed here is fellowship, here is nothing between. When the Lord has the heart, he will soon have the mouth and our all. His love is better than wine." 0 yes, better than all the false stimulants of earthly joy is His love. Is this your experience " Is this mine ?

You say, I long to know what true communion with the Father and the Son really means, how can I experimentally enjoy this? We can only know this by walking in the light. "If we walk in the light" (1 John 1.7). Here lies the secret of communion. But what does walking in the light mean? There are two things presented in this chapter by way of contrast, "walking in darkness" (verse 6), and "walking in the light" (verse 7). Walking in darkness is walking in ways of evil, and if we are walking in such ways and say, "we have fellowship with Him, we lie and do not the truth." But to walk in the light, is to walk before Him in the light of His presence, it is to walk in the light of His Sacred Word. There can be no walking in the light where there is walking in any evil way. The light of God's Word shows us wherein we fail and sin, it sheds its unerring beams upon our secret sins. As we read the Word it searches us, shows us our unrighteousness, our sins, our failures. It makes us almost say, like Peter, "Depart from me for I am a sinful man, 0 Lord." And yet we would not shun this divine light. We would get nearer and cry out yet more, and say, "Search me, 0 God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any way of wickedness in me." For if we long for communion we shall know real exercise of soul, and learn the way of cleansing and blessing.

As evil ways are revealed, we learn the value and efficacy of the precious blood. As sin after sin rises before us - yes, our sins as believers we mean), and as we draw nearer to the awful light of His Presence, we should despair, but the blood, the precious blood answers for all, and our Advocate with the Father is there, and if we confess our sins God both forgives our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Not only, therefore, does the precious blood give to us our standing before His throne, but it cleanses us from our defilement as believers, and our moral state becomes suited to fellowship with Him. This is the only way to have fellowship or communion with Him, and then what joy will be ours! Ah, yes, His love will be better to us than wine. Better than any earthly joy is fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. This is one of our greatest needs to-day, and the youngest and feeblest of God's children may enter into it, for there is a welcome to the very throne

of God for us.

J. DORRICOTT | Nov 1952
Union And Communion