With Whom Are We To Be In Fellowship?

            Last week we answered the question, “Who is my Brother?” And we saw that if a person is a Christian, then that person is our spiritual brother or sister. Who do the Scriptures teach us a Christian is? He is someone who has been baptized for the remission of sins (cf. Acts 2:38; Mk. 16:16; Gal. 3:27, etc.).

            Do you realize that there are people who worship at a place where there is not a sign out front that says, “Church of Christ” who are our brethren? Sure we do. They have obeyed the same plan of salvation that we have, according to the teachings of the Bible. We have brethren who are all the way over in the one extreme in liberalism and others who are all the way over to the other extreme, binding where God has not bound. So, why do we have these brethren worshiping over in this place by themselves, these brethren over in that place worshiping by themselves, while we worship and fellowship by our selves and those who believe as we do? There is a difference between being brethren, and being in fellowship. We can be brethren, but not be in fellowship with one another.

            Let’s say a person hears a sermon on TV and the preacher says that all he has to do to be saved is accept Christ as the Lord of his life and maybe say a short prayer. So this person does that. There are many people who will say that that person is a Christian, but that is not how the Bible tells us we are to become a Christian. He is not really a Christian, not a brother in Christ, and we are not in fellowship.

            Let’s say that there is another person. This person hears the gospel, he believes it, he repents, he confesses his faith in Christ, and he is baptized for the remission of his sins. Later, though, he joins a denomination of some type. He is a Christian, and a brother in Christ, but he is in error and needs to repent; he has left the church! 

            Compare that to a person who has done the very same thing, but instead of joining a denomination, he worships in some way that God has not said to worship, or binds where God has not said to bind. He is a Christian and a brother in Christ, but we are still not in fellowship with that person or the group that he is a part of.

            Being brethren and being in fellowship are two separate things. This week we want to answer the question, “With Whom are We in Fellowship?” The quick and simple answer to that question is: with those who are doing the will of God, but let’s see if we can’t give a more complete answer to this question this morning.

(I) Christian Fellowship Is Grounded In The Truth

            To be in fellowship with someone means that we see eye-to-eye on certain things, we are in agreement, or that we are united in our goals and beliefs. It is not limited to religion or just the relationship that one member of the church may or may not have with some other. According to the book, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, it is an “Association”, “fellowship”, or “close relationship” as in a “marital relationship”, “with or to someone”, “with Deity”, “with Christian brethren”, and “with the Gospel”.[i] Of course the way we are using it in this lesson has to do with our close relationship that we should have with each other as Christians. Thayer tells us that it is an “intimate bond of fellowship which unites believers in Christ.”[ii] Also, “according to John’s teaching, it consists in the fact that Christians are partakers in common of the same mind as God and Christ, and the blessings arising from there.”[iii] Simply put, if you and I are in fellowship with each other from a Christian standpoint, then we are in agreement and in one accord so far as our beliefs and practices of our beliefs is concerned. We are walking along in the same direction, working and striving toward the same goals.

            If we ever hope to accomplish what we are to be accomplishing as a church of Jesus Christ, then we must have this close fellowship, this close bond and common agreement with each other or we will never be able to do it. In Amos 3:1-3 we find these words:

Hear this word that Jehovah hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities. Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?

The answer is so obvious that it is more of a statement than a question, really. Two cannot walk together except they have agreed. We must be in agreement as a church body if we are ever going to get anywhere. Says who? Says God. Fellowship is important, but not just any fellowship.

            There are literally thousands of religious fellowships! One is not as good as another. Just drive down the road and every time you pass a church building with a different brand-name on the sign out front, that is a different fellowship. What they are in agreement on and working toward is not the same as the others. Each one has their own set of beliefs and practices that distinguishes them from those of other beliefs and practices. But, there is only one group that is in fellowship with God. The group that is obedient to His word is the group that is in one accord with Him and has that special relationship with Him. If we read Gods word and obey it, if we have the mind of Christ, then we are in fellowship with God and His Son. And, not only are we in fellowship with God, but we are also in fellowship with everyone else who is in fellowship with God. We are in fellowship with those who are doing the will of God; a body of like-minded people all worshiping in the same way, believing the same thing, and working toward the same goals, and that is only going to happen if we will all be obedient to the same gospel.

That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life (and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ: and these things we write, that our joy may be made full. And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 Jn. 1:1-7)

That message is the gospel message and it is singular, “message.” There is only one gospel message.

            Let’s go back, though, to Old Testament times, to the time of David, the great king of Israel. Let’s ask him, David, with whom do you fellowship? Psalm 119:63-64 says,

I am a companion of all them that fear thee, And of them that observe thy precepts. The earth, O Jehovah, is full of thy lovingkindness: Teach me thy statutes.

            With whom did James, Peter, and John extend the right hands of fellowship? With Paul and Barnabas. But, not until after they had, “perceived the grace that was given unto” Paul (Gal. 2:9). It wasn’t until they had determined that they were in one accord in the Gospel that they considered themselves to be in fellowship with each other.

            Why did Paul thank “God upon all” remembrance of the Philippians?  He says in Philippians 1:5 that is was because of their “fellowship in the furtherance of the gospel.” Where was their fellowship? It was in the gospel.

            Our fellowship with each other must be based on the gospel. Paul said in Galatians that if anyone preached any other gospel than that which they had preached, “let him be anathema.” If someone is not obedient to and teaching the truth we cannot be in fellowship with that person or group. We just cannot be!

(II) Our Desire Is To Be In Fellowship

            At no point should we ever become comfortable with disharmony among Bible believers. We should not be content with the “church of your choice” spiritual landscape of America. When Jesus considered the spiritual mess of the people of Jerusalem in His day, He didn’t shrug His shoulders and say, “well, at least there are some who have followed me.” He lamented over them because He knew that the judgment of God was coming upon that city in just a few short years and His desire was to save them from destruction, but “they would not.”

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Mt. 23:37)

Those who will not hear the voice of their Lord calling out to them through the gospel and follow Him will endure a far sorer punishment than the city of Jerusalem. As bad as that was, there is a far worse day coming for those who will not obey God. That should unsettle us to think of our friends and neighbors who are on that course and we should not be okay with that. We must be working toward and desiring unity in the faith of the New Testament.

            We must desire unity because God desires unity. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, only a short time before He went off by Himself to pray in the Garden, He looked down through the centuries and prayed for us, you, me, and others, that we would all be one.

Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me. And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me. (Jn.17:20-23)

He didn’t pray for a union, but unity. He didn’t pray that we would all just agree to disagree; you believe what you want to believe and I’ll believe what I want to believe. That’s not unity. Unity only exists where we are united in a common faith. There is only one Scriptural faith after all: “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:5). The only way that that will ever happen is if we do and teach only what the Bible says, no more and no less, just God’s word.

            We must desire unity because God has commanded it through the Holy Spirit. About the closest thing we have to denominationalism in the New Testament church is found in the Corinthian church and it was severely condemned! “…Each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?” (1 Cor. 1:12-13).

Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Cor. 1:10)

            We must desire unity, or a close fellowship with one another because we are brethren. Not every division over doctrinal matters, sometimes it is because of things like personal pride and arrogance, one person not willing to bend in the direction of any other. That ought never to happen in the church. We should be quick to look for a solution to whatever there may be that stands between us. Why? We are brethren. There was a time when the land was not able to hold both Lot and Abram with all that they had together at the same place; they had too much and their herdsman began to fight with each other.

And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me. If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if thou take the right hand, then I will go to the left. (Gen. 13:6-9)

Nobody is perfect and there will be differences. When it is a doctrinal matter, we must stand our ground, but if it is nothing more than a personal matter, we must be quick to back down, be patient and longsuffering, be willing to over-look or forgive, whatever the case may require.

(III) We Cannot Be In Fellowship With Everyone

            No matter how desirous of fellowship we may be, it is not always possible. We cannot compromise the truth just to get along; we can’t afford to. When someone will not accept the teaching of the Scriptures or decides to modify them in some way to fit their own biases and opinions, we cannot be in spiritual fellowship with those people.

For ye were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord: walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), proving what is well-pleasing unto the Lord; and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them. (Eph. 5:8-11)

Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Cor. 6:14-16)

We cannot be in fellowship with those who are in error! It would be a little bit like trying to yoke a lion and a lamb together; it just wouldn’t work. They aren’t going to be trying to accomplish the same thing.

If someone comes along and he’s not teaching what the Bible teaches, we’re not in fellowship with that person.

Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son. If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting: for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works. (2 Jn. 1:9-11)

            What if one of our own members starts acting up and doing things contrary to the will of God and goes on acting like nothing’s wrong? That’s what happened at Corinth and the other brethren were giving him a “pat on the back” for it. Paul said, “don’t you do that, you separate yourselves from that person and his influence.” 

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened. For our passover also hath been sacrificed, even Christ: wherefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote unto you in my epistle to have no company with fornicators; not at all meaning with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world: but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat. For what have I to do with judging them that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Put away the wicked man from among yourselves. (1 Cor. 5:6-13)

If we have a disobedient brother or sister we are commanded to practice church discipline and withdraw fellowship from that person. Yes, it’s a hard thing to do. Yes, it may hurt that person’s feelings, but it is better to hurt a person’s feelings for a short time than for that person to go into eternity in a lost condition. “Deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Cor. 5:5). If nothing is done, not only will that person not be motivated to repent, but he is likely to influence others for the worse; “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

            Most of the religious world seems to just kind of ignore passages like that today. They try to find ways around them and persecute those who actually practice and preach what the Bible teaches us on these things. Few preachers seem to be willing to preach it. Sadly, many of these are our own brethren. I can see why these passages are unpleasant to think about and study. After all, our desire is for fellowship, not the withdrawing of fellowship, but all the sidestepping, ignoring, and criticizing will never change the fact that that’s still what the Bible teaches us. No matter what we do, we cannot make it go away. We cannot be in fellowship with everybody and still do God’s will.

Conclusion

            With whom are we in fellowship? I wish, spiritually speaking, it were possible to be in fellowship with everyone. I wish that we could all get along and teach and practice the same things. What a force for good the church would be! The fact of the matter, though, is that we can’t be in fellowship with error. We are in fellowship with those who are obedient to the word of God.

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ….if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 Jn. 1:3, 7)