To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons, grace to you and peace from God, or Father, and the LORD Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:1,2  continued from yesterday.     

Fellowship is the unity we have wit people through Christ Jesus. Paul expresses this fellowship when he writes to the saints in Christ Jesus, who have accepted the goodness of Jesus Christ. His forgiveness covers their sins and reunites them with God.    

Even in his dungeon Paul finds joy in the Christian fellowship of real saints. He knows Lydia the businesswoman, and the jailer of Philippi. Paul had served as the instrument of the Spirit in leading them to Christ. He thinks of real people as he writes. If you read Philippians 4:1, you will read he calls them "joy and crown."    

We can lose this personal touch in our depersonalized world. We have made machines which act like people, but we also have people who behave like machines. People become just things who can be controlled for gain. Example: The person in the traffic lane next to us becomes just a wheeled vehicle. The store clerk becomes just a voice with answers. The injured man on the highway becomes just a statistic on the fatality list.    

In Christ, who loved us as real people, we have true fellowship with the saints of God.  

Blest be the tie that binds                                                                                                     Our hearts in Christian love                                                                                              The fellowship of kindred minds                                                                                       Is like to that above.  

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - To have harmony with other believers, we must be in tune with Christ.