Paul once warned us about the danger of keeping bad company.

1 Corinthians 15:33 (ESV)
³³ Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

If bad company ruins good morals (and we know that it does), what will good company do?  The answer is obvious—it will improve our morals.  What is the best company we can keep?  It is with other Christians.  Christians are citizens of the kingdom of God, and kingdom citizens are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).  Salt enhances flavor and brings out the best in food.  As Christians, we bring out the best in others, including one another.  The more time we spend with other Christians, the stronger we will be and the better lives we will live.

The early Christians understood the value of spending time with each other.  From the beginning, they had a strong association with one another.

Acts 2:44–46 (ESV)
⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

It is important to see the difference between fellowship and association.  As we saw last night, fellowship has to do with participating in the work of the Lord with other Christians, especially acts of worship, while associating with Christians has to do with spending time together and growing our relationships one with another, often in each other’s homes.  Christians should engage in both of these things.

The Hebrews writer commands us to, “let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1).  The Greek word for “brotherly love” is “philadelphia,” and refers to fraternal love.  While agape, the highest form of love, can be practiced under any circumstance, brotherly love has to be cultivated.  It takes time and effort for brotherly love to be present.   Our brotherly love will only increase and get stronger if we spend time together.  This is what the first-century church made a habit of doing.  They were together.  They spent a lot of time in each other’s homes.  They had a strong association with each other.

Let us never forget that as Christians, we are a family.  Once, when our Lord’s mother and brothers were asking for Him,  he responded by saying, ⁴⁸ …“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:48–50 (ESV)

We should all feel the same as our Savior did.  Christians should have an unbreakable bond, and that bond is Christ.  This kind of bond is a development that will continue as long as we live if we purposely spend time with our brethren whenever we can.

The early church was made up of Christians who had a strong connection to each other.  They loved and sacrificed for one another (Acts 4:32-37).  They were a family, and their constant association with each other, breaking bread and getting to know one another, fortified their relationships in Christ.  We should follow in their footsteps.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.