Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3.

Fellowship with Christ does not maintain itself. It disappears very soon from the life that does not pray. Prayer is the opening of our whole lives to God each day. Study of His Word is opening our lives to His voice. Life with Christ is a life of love, joy, and peace. It must be maintained by prayer and the study of His Word. Otherwise we are operating under our own steam. The difference is like turning our washing machine by hand instead of plugging it in to the power line. It is like rowing our boat in a storm instead of turning on the motor.

The trouble with most of us is that we operate on our own so much of the time. But our dependence and trust must be in God alone. Nothing is too small or inconsequential to commit to Him. In this way we live by faith. Full commitment and a dynamic faith will not bring freedom from temptation. On the contrary, it may be the occasion for the devil's increased attack.

The Christian life is not without conflict. Christ is our victory. He alone can keep us from sinning. We do not direct all our energies to resist temptation. We direct them to Christ. This is spiritual reliance, dependence on God. Victory over temptation and sin is not an achieving, but a receiving. The more we rely on Christ, look to Christ, the less we depend on ourselves. The living Christ is greater than any power of our own, or any power of the enemy.

Only within this personal fellowship with God are we free from the fear of falling and sinning. If we fear we are going to fall, we are half way there. "Perfect love casts out fear." Life with Christ is an assurance of victory. We are delivered from the futility of trying to live the Christian life without His help. The responsibility belongs to our Lord. Divine guidance becomes a new and vital thing to us.

This awareness of Christ in our lives becomes a reality to us, constant and all-controlling. This is no irksome effort on our part. We live in the love of God. This is the life to which Christ calls us.