Jesus was never very happy with the religious people of His day when they were so busy doing their religious duties that they didn’t recognize the living word of God. They had missed the purpose of life and substituted religious form. He is still not impressed with all our efforts and claims of commitment when in fact we neglect the one thing He created us for - fellowship.

When God created Adam and Eve, it is obvious that they were to enjoy Him and He them. They were made by Him for Him. When Jesus (the last Adam) came to redeem man and restore God’s original intent, He made it possible for men to again have personal intimacy with God. Through the shed blood of Jesus, we have access to the presence of God. It is there that we get a proper perspective of life (Psalm 73:17), find fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11) and are released from the pressure to perform (Hebrews 4:3).

Nothing is more important in our existence than to cultivate this precious privilege of intimate fellowship with our Father. His life is so broad and full we will spend an eternity in the freshness of His personality and never grow bored.

This fellowship will include on our part such activities and disciplines as prayer, Bible study, fasting, meditation, etc., but the reality of fellowship is higher and fuller than all of these combined. Many have daily "quiet times" but never really fellowship with Him. It is possible for us to walk in constant consciousness of His presence and to know the spiritual reality of union with Him.

Rather than placing guilt on people to "do the activities of devotional life," true ministry encourages everyone to accept the King’s invitation to come into His chambers and live there. It will be out of actual fellowship with Him that all the issues of truth and grace flow. Without personal intimacy, all work is laborious, and Christian ministry is reduced to religious form.

John 15:1-15

John 17

Philippians 3:7-10