We are considering the manifold benefits of being called into the fellowship of God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Part of the joy we receive in the fellowship of God’s Son is His blessing and favor. We notice that every day with the Lord is filled with His benefits and blessing.
Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Walking in fellowship with God’s Son incorporates His blessing and benefits in our lives. In His fellowship, we enjoy the benefit of His power, covering, and presence. The blessing and favor the Father has on His Son is shared with those who have been called into this fellowship. The Word of God demonstrates what He does for us. Each of these things are part of the blessing of being in fellowship with Jesus Christ.
Your Bible is full of examples about the blessings of being in fellowship with Jesus Christ of the Son of God. We have only started considering His multifold blessing. We need to revisit the many wonderful things that Jesus did while people walked in fellowship with Christ. The benefits of His favor is exciting.
Listen to what Jesus said He came to do.
Luke 4:18-19 NIV “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Some people have a very negative impact on other people. They are like poison and drag you down. They are toxic to your mind, spirit and soul. They are full of rebellion, doubt and fear. What is in them negatively impacts the body, mind, and spirit.
The fellowship with Jesus has a positive impact on body, mind and spirit. He said the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him to accomplish these things. His words bring encouragement and good news to those who are poor in spirit. When anyone fellowships with the Lord Jesus Christ, their broken heart is healed. In His fellowship, captives are released and made free. In His fellowship, people recover from sickness, disease, and physical problems. In His fellowship, the oppressed are released and the bound are set free. When anyone fellowships with Jesus, He proclaims the day when the free favors of God abound.
We want to enjoy the full benefit of the fellowship of Jesus Christ.
Psalms 103 gives insight into the benefits of this fellowship. There is no wonder the Psalmist said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” This fellowship with God is as old as the Bible. It is as fresh as the breaking of a new day. It is good to remember all His benefits. We make the most of all His benefits when we remember what they are.
Watch what happened when Jesus passed by.
- The blind received sight and the lame stood up and walked.
- The sick and the dying were healed.
- Jesus gave food to the hungry and relief to the oppressed.
- Jesus raised the dead and gave them new life.
- He confronted demons and released captives.
Those who walked in fellowship with Jesus, saw the many miracles that He did. Jesus’ power and wonderful works are still available for each of us today. You should take into account all the benefits He has provided for you. We are guilty of forgetting the benefits that are available in the fellowship of Jesus Christ the Son of God. When we fail to walk in the Fellowship of Jesus, we begin losing the benefits that are available.
Israel was guilty of forgetting God.
Isaiah 1:2-3 NKJV Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.”
We need to say that another way. Israel failed to stay in the fellowship of the Son of God.
The Psalmist David said, “Do not forget His benefits.” Psalms 103 gives us a good start on recognizing the benefits of staying in fellowship with God.
Psalm 103:3-5 NKJV Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
I don’t want to lose any of the blessings of His grace, mercy, and favor.
He forgives all your iniquities.
Ephesians 1:7 NKJV In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
I don’t want to walk around haunted by all of my iniquities. We can run to the Rock of our salvation.
He heals all your diseases.
Jesus is the healer. He heals the soul that is sick with sin. He heals the body that is ravished with disease. Isaiah said, “By His stripes we are healed.”
He redeems your life from destruction
1 Peter 1:18-19 NKJV … you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Jesus is able to pick you up from a downward spiral and set your feet on solid ground.
He crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies.
Jesus does not set us free and leave us. He does not forgive and forget. He crowns us with His favor and clothes us with His love and mercies. His loving-kindness and tender mercies have been placed on our head like a crown.
He satisfies your mouth with good things.
The Palmist said: “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake. Even if I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Even when the enemy of our body, mind and soul wants to destroy, the Lord anoints, feeds, and gives us joy.
You should rejoice in these benefits.
The blessing of God’s benefits are demonstrated in the lives of individuals who walked in His fellowship. The early church knew the stories of God’s grace very well. When Jesus came to this earth, He demonstrated the same nature and character that God had revealed throughout time.
John 1:14 NKJV And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
- Abraham and Isaac found that the Lord will provide for Himself the lamb for the sacrifice, (Genesis 22:8). Throughout his life, God always made a way when there seemed to be no way. Abraham and Sarah were able to have a son, because God is faithful, by whom he was called.
- Joseph found God’s promise had a remedy for every negative thing that he faced in life. When we are led by God, His blessing and favor can conquer all. Neither slavery nor prison could stop God’s blessing or favor. Joseph learned that he could trust God’s purposes. God is always able to fulfill the plan that He has for our lives.
- Even after 400 years in Egypt, God was able to bring His people out of bondage, suffering and death. When there was nothing they could do, God could make a way.
Throughout the history of mankind, God has proven Himself to be faithful.
They went into Egypt a handful in number, but God brought them out by the millions. When they went into Egypt, they were starving but they came out with the wealth of Egypt.
- The story of Israel’s return from exile is a story of God’s grace. When God’s chosen people rebelled against God, they ended up in slavery and exile in Babylon for over 800 years. When they refused to walk in fellowship with God, their rebellion brought them down. Their own sinfulness and rebellion took them away from God, but God in mercy did not abandon His people.
Listen to what God said to His people through the prophet Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 36:24-28 NKJV For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
This same grace and favor has been multiplied to us through the redemptive blood of Christ.
1 Peter 2:9-10 NKJV But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
The benefits and favor of the fellowship of the Son are many.
- Trust Him with your life, because He gave it to you…out of love.
- Trust Him with your purpose, because you did not choose Him, but He chose you.
- Trust Him in all circumstances, because even when others intend to do evil, God can use it for good.
- Trust Him to free you from your chains, because God has acted in history to deliver you from bondage, and set you free.
- Trust Him to bring you home, because you belong to Him, and He will be your God.
- Trust Him, because He is indeed full of grace and truth.
- You can trust Him to forgive all your iniquities and heal all your diseases, because He was wounded and bruised and bore stripes on His back for your healing.
- You can trust Him to redeem your life from destruction, because He conquered death and hell.
- You can trust Him to crown you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, because He is King and Lord.
- You can trust Him to satisfy your mouth with good things.
Proverbs 3:5-8 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
God has made adequate provision for the supply of your need in Jesus Christ. You can trust Him. He knows what to do to make things right.
