1 John 1:6-7

“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

By now, you are probably realizing that you have run into another Biblical word that equates to “relationship.” The subtleties and nuances of koinonia certainly carry the idea of “having things in common” and thus the natural relationship that occurs when that happens. All of us have experienced this—you meet someone wearing a t-shirt with your favorite team or hobby in a public place, and next thing you know you’re in a conversation with a complete stranger as it they’re your best friend. Biblical koinonia certainly works this way, but at a much deeper level. I’ve been in other countries, met believers whose language and culture was completely different from mine, and had VERY meaningful and fulfilling fellowship with that individual (through a translator) simply because we both have a relationship with Christ in common!

In 1 John 1:6-7, what one state of being can cancel out good fellowship with God and with others?

‍What implication does this have on a local church when I, you, or someone else in our fellowship has a chronic, habitual, blatant sin in their life that they are unwilling to part with?

‍Look at the context of 1 John 1, and develop a solution for this problem.

‍o you think “sin” is the big Christian fellowship killer? If so, why? If not, what IS the biggest fellowship killer in the Body of Christ?