Communion with God is the intimate, personal sharing of life and fellowship between the believer and the triune God.
It is the privilege of knowing Him, walking with Him, and enjoying His presence through the finished work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
This communion is both a present reality and a relationship to be cultivated daily in prayer, the Word, worship, and obedience.
It is the heart of eternal life and the deepest satisfaction of the human soul.
God created human beings for relationship with Himself. Sin broke that communion, leaving humanity alienated and alone. Through the gospel the barrier is removed: those who trust in Christ are reconciled to God, adopted as children, and invited into the fellowship of the Father and the Son by the Spirit. Communion with God is more than formal religion or distant respect; it is the shared life of love, trust, and conversation between the redeemed and their Redeemer. The psalmists longed for it, Jesus promised it, and the apostles described it as the normal privilege of every believer. It is experienced in prayer, in the reading and hearing of Scripture, in worship, in the Lord’s Supper, and in the quiet awareness of God’s presence throughout the day. This communion will be perfected in the age to come when we see Him face to face, but it is real and life-giving even now.
- Communion with God is made possible only through Jesus Christ; His blood opens the way and His Spirit makes it real.
- It is personal and intimate — knowing God, not merely knowing about Him.
- The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all share in this communion with the believer.
- Sin disrupts the enjoyment of communion; confession and repentance restore it.
- Communion is cultivated through the ordinary means of grace: the Word, prayer, worship, and obedience.
- It produces joy, peace, assurance, holiness, and strength for daily life.
- Eternal life itself is defined as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent — a relationship of communion.
- Foundation in Christ – Reconciled by His death and given access by His blood and intercession.
- Work of the Spirit – The Spirit indwells, testifies, teaches, and makes the presence of God real.
- Means of Communion – Scripture, prayer, worship, the Lord’s Supper, and a life of walking in the light.
- Honesty and Confession – Openness about sin restores and deepens communion rather than hiding.
- Mutual Indwelling – Christ abides in the believer and the believer in Christ; the Father and Son make their home with those who love Him.
- Progressive Depth – Communion grows as we know God more fully and respond with greater trust and love.
- Future Perfection – Full, unbroken communion when we see Him as He is and dwell with Him forever.
- 1 John 1:3 – “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
- John 17:3 – “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
- John 14:23 – “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
- John 15:4-5 – “Abide in me, and I in you… I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:9 – “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
- 2 Corinthians 13:14 – “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
- Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
- Psalm 27:4 – “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”
- Psalm 42:1-2 – “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
- James 4:8 – “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
- Hebrews 10:19-22 – “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…”
- Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
- Genesis 3:8 – The Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day — the original communion that was lost through sin.
- 1 John 1:6-7 – “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie… But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Communion with God is the great privilege recovered by the gospel. What was lost in the garden is restored through the cross: the living God makes His home with those who trust His Son. This communion is not reserved for a spiritual elite; it is the birthright of every believer. It is enjoyed in the quiet of prayer, the pages of Scripture, the gathered worship of the church, and the ordinary moments of a life lived before His face. When sin interrupts the enjoyment of it, confession restores the fellowship. When the heart grows cold, the invitation still stands: Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. One day the communion will be unbroken and face to face. Until then, the Spirit makes the presence of the Father and the Son real, and the soul finds its deepest rest in Him.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.