Each Christian is made up of two persons who are the "real you." One of these is the first Adam. The other is the new man of the heart who has been born again of God.

Who is the "real you"? Both are the real you for now. Before we die, one of the two will conquer. One will be set aside and the other will prevail.

Fellowship is not a time for us to revert to our adamic nature, to let down our spiritual guard, to "be ourselves" as we were before we met the Lord We are certain this is not what the members of the early Church did as they broke bread from house to house. We are to conduct ourselves as saints—all the more because our example of godliness will strengthen the weaker believers.

In true Christian fellowship, there always is an awareness of the Presence of the Lord Jesus, a sense of the awe of God, a feeling of reverence toward the Lord.

And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. (Acts 2:43)

When we are reveling, we are indulging in fleshly pleasure. The mood is one of eat, drink, and be merry. There is no awe of God.

During Christian fellowship, prayer, prophesying, and the Lord's Table are always fitting, always appropriate. We are in the Spirit of God, and the miraculous is at hand.

When we are partying, prayer, prophesying, and the Lord's Table are not appropriate. There may be a token prayer said at the beginning, but this is only a delay of the "fun." What the people really want is to get busy with the food, the games, the revelry.

Such social gatherings are termed Christian fellowship but they are not. They are not found in the Scriptures. They merely are fleshly parties and are dearly loved by worldly Christians and the unsaved. The sincere saints are ill at ease in an atmosphere of joking, unbridled laughter, loose talk, flirtations, feasting, and merrymaking.

But, one may respond, the Lord Jesus went to the marriage at Cana. Yes, He did. But this was not intended to be Christian fellowship. Also He worked an outstanding miracle there. If you can go to a worldly gathering and change water into wine you probably are where God wants you.

During a time of Christian fellowship there always is holiness of thought, word, and deed.

During a party there is no lack of foolishness, jesting, the lust of the eyes, and other behaviors condemned by the Scriptures.

Christian fellowship is for Christians. Ordinarily, outsiders are not present. If the believers bring inquirers or relatives, such visitors should be in the minority. The outsider should be reverent, recognizing he or she is among people who fear and love God and are serving Him. He should be impressed by the sincerity, uprightness, and purity of what he is witnessing. Hopefully he will be moved toward the Lord as a result.

To be continued.