What truly binds us together as brothers and sisters in Christ? It isn’t shared background, similar personalities, or identical preferences. The tie that unites us is far stronger: the gospel itself.
John writes, “What we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Fellowship begins with a shared message and a shared Savior. The apostles proclaimed the gospel, and those who believed entered into fellowship with God and, therefore, with one another.
Paul felt a deep bond with the Philippians: “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you… because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:3-5). Their unity was not built on convenience, but on a common mission: advancing the good news of Christ.
The gospel is also the foundation of our ongoing fellowship. John explains, “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Notice that fellowship is not merely horizontal; it is vertical. We share fellowship with God through Christ’s blood, and that automatically links us together with all others walking in the light.
This perspective is vital. Our unity is not based on perfect agreement in every opinion but on a shared faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Paul said it plainly: “Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you… that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). That message is the foundation of our salvation and our fellowship.
Paul reminded the Corinthians that he came to them not with lofty words but with one central truth: “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The cross was enough to bind together Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, slave and free. When the Corinthians began dividing over teachers and personalities, Paul asked, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name?” (1 Corinthians 1:13). His point was clear: the gospel, not human allegiance, is the center of fellowship.
The gospel itself tears down dividing walls. Paul wrote, “For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace” (Ephesians 2:14-15). Christ’s death unites us into one body, reconciling us to God and to one another (Ephesians 2:16).
This is why Paul told the Galatians, “For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28). Earthly distinctions remain, but they no longer divide us. What unites us is stronger: faith in the crucified and risen Lord.
Even when Christians differ in matters of judgment or conscience, fellowship is preserved when the gospel remains at the center. Paul urged believers in Rome, “Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters” (Romans 14:1). Later he added, “Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7). Notice the basis: we welcome because Christ welcomed us through the gospel.
John made the same connection: “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Every disagreement does not destroy fellowship; it endures because the blood of Christ keeps cleansing those who walk in the light.
Unity grounded in the gospel is resilient. It endures cultural differences, personal preferences, and even disagreements in matters of conscience. What it cannot endure is moving away from the gospel itself. Paul warned the Galatians, “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!” (Galatians 1:9). Our fellowship is wide enough to embrace all who belong to Christ, but narrow enough to exclude any message that denies the gospel’s core truth.
So, who is my brother? It is the one who has believed and obeyed the gospel and continues to walk in its light. Social ties don’t create fellowship, nor do differences in background destroy it. It is rooted in the saving work of Christ and the truth of His message.
And if the gospel has bound us together, then we must guard that unity carefully. Paul pleaded, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). To let pride, opinion, or division weaken our fellowship is to forget the cross that brought us together in the first place.
The bottom line: We are not bound by preference, but by the gospel. And that bond is strong enough to hold us until the day we stand together before the throne of God.
Amen. Horizontal fellowship is an organic product of vertical fellowship.