Christian Fellowship: When To NOT Associate : Nearly Never Normal

When To NOT Fellowship? — When To Not Fellowship?

Christian fellowship is joyous! Christian living isn’t always easy. Sometimes it really isn’t easy among other professing believers. Can we have fellowship with all who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Is there ever a time to NOT associate with other professing believers?

The Bible clearly tells us that not all who profess Jesus Christ are true believers. Consider the following from Jesus Himself:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…” ~Matthew 7:21a

Major On The Majors In Fellowship

Majoring on the majors, NOT the minors, is a key essential guideline when considering whether or not you should fellowship with others. What I mean by this is considering core doctrines that are essential in orthodox Christianity. So what is the litmus test for us to know when we shouldn’t fellowship with those professing believers? Consider the following:

The Deity of Jesus Christ.

This is essential when considering fellowship with other believers. If you can agree on who Jesus Christ truly is then there is no place to meet in the middle. Understanding the person and work of Jesus Christ is vital for true belief in Him. If you don’t believe Jesus is who He said He is (i.e. God) then there is wrong thinking in how you were particularly ‘saved.’ In Titus 2:13 the Apostle calls refers to Jesus as our “great God AND Savior” (emphasis mine). There are numerous texts that show the deity of Christ but none as more poignant as this found in John 8:58.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'”

The Trinity.

I get it. There is no way to perfectly and completely understand it. However, the Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). Just because we cannot fully explain it or understand it does not mean that the concept of the Trinity is not true. After all God’s ways are far above ours (Isaiah 55:8). The Trinity consists of three Persons (Genesis 1:1, 26). The members of the Trinity are distinct from one another (Psalm 2:7, Numbers 27:18). Each distinct member is God (Romans 1:7, John 1:1, Acts 5:3-4). The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God—but there is only one God. I know….mind blowing! That is the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. To teach, preach, and believe otherwise is to go against the very Word of God. This leads us into the next reason of when we should consider to not associate with a professing believer.
The Bible as the Infallible and Inerrant Word

Infallible means ‘incapable of error.’ Inerrant means “free from error.” The Bible states that all Scripture is God breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). A holy God is incapable of breathing out error. If God is holy and infallible then His Word must also be. The Bible must be an objective basis by which all things are tested. If the canon of Scripture is not sufficient then there is no way to stop the flood of erroneous false prophets claiming that they have ‘heard from God.’ Hearing from God is not necessarily a problem unless the claim is something that is outside of what God has already told us. This is how cults begin. This is how Joseph Smith Jr. duped his followers in to Mormonism. It is how Mary Baker Eddy received her following in Christian Science. Charles Taze Russell with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society which later became the Jehovah’s Witnesses also claimed the same. Ellen G. White in Seventh Day Adventism also claims new revelation from the Lord. The list is endless. Interestingly enough these false teachers that I have just mentioned have also denied the first two points of this article on some level. It is a tidal waive that cannot be stopped once this slippery slope has been taken. God has told us that His revelation is complete and finished and we are not to ad to or take away from. (Revelation 22:18-19).

“We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable. No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit ” ~2 Peter 1:19-21

The Dividing Line In Fellowship

This is certainly not an exhaustive list but are certainly key elements to consider when asking yourself whether to fellowship with another professing believer or not. So while we need not to be overly critical of other professing believers and disassociate ourselves over a minor issue, we also need to be discerning when it comes to these key essential doctrines of Orthodox Christianity.