Communion is defined as “A close relationship with someone in which feelings and thoughts are exchanged” (Cambridge English Dictionary). The Apostle Paul concludes his second letter to the Corinthian Church with this salutation, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:14). An integral part of communion is fellowship. In integral aspect of communion is fellowship, which means friendly association with people sharing one’;s interest and objectives.
Communion of the Holy Spirit means that the Holy Spirit (third Person of the God Head) will always be with us, wherever we are, because our “body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, within you, whom you have from God” (1 Corinthians 6:19). He is our our teacher, counselor, guide, and helper.
Communion is also used interchangeably with the “Lord’s Supper,” or the “Lord’s Table,” as an ordinance instituted on the night when Jesus and His disciples assembled to eat the passover. This practice has been maintained by christians in churches where bread and wine (or grape juice) is eaten and drunk to commemorate the “shed blood and death” of Jesus Christ. on the cross. Paul writes, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ. The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16).
The believer in Jesus Christ has communion with God through prayer because prayer enables us to enjoy a healthy relationship with our heavenly Father. We “connect” with God through our prayers. Little wonder King Solomon declares, “The prayer of the upright is [God’s] delight and He hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:8,29). The fact that prayer is communion with God is that God already knows what we will pray about before we attempt to pray. He said, “Before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24) This clearly means that it is God’s desire that His children communicate with Him through prayer.
There is the “communion of the saints.” The “Apostle’s Creed” states that christians believe in the “communion of the saints.” This means that all past, present, and future believers share in the “common salvation” of God’s grace, which was commonly understood and commonly received through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is available to anyone and every one who repents of their sin and trust Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
Jude, one of the brothers of Jesus, wrote: “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). As saints, we believe in Jesus Christ, who is precious to us beyond compare. He is the essence of all preciousness to all who believe. Communion of the saints is especially precious because “There is one body and one Spirit … one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.