Be Careful Who You Associate With

Many times we are told that as Christians, we should overlook false doctrines as a means of showing our love.  Paul was quite emphatic that we should withdraw fellowship from them in II Thessalonians 3:6.  “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”  In Titus 3:10-11 he commanded, “A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” 

Jude 1:12-16 explains why it is critical that we withdraw from them.  “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.  

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.”

These false teachers are like a smear of grease on clean white shirt, completely destroying its appearance, when they participate in the church’s activities without concern.  They contribute nothing of real value to the church, but as Paul said in Titus, the condemn themselves.  They face God’s judgment when Christ returns, along with all those who have gone along with them.  They are like the Israelites who rebelled against God in the wilderness, always complaining about what God supplied and wanting something more or different and insisting on doing as they pleased and choosing leaders who would do what they wanted. 

We need to remember that the apostles warned us repeatedly that there would be false prophets, as Jude 1:17-19 reminds us.  “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.   These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.”   By their teachings, they separate themselves from the church, because they do not have the Holy Spirit leading them.   I John 2:19 tells us, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”  The separation is by their choice, rather than ours.  We are not obligated to meet them half way.   Our love for God takes precedence over our love for them. 

We have the responsibility to stay true to God and his word.  Jude 1:20-23 tells us, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.  And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”  We have a responsibility to try to get them to turn to God, but in order to do so, we must make sure we are firmly grounded in the truth ourselves, realizing we have to give an account to God.  We should deal with them as if we were pulling someone out of the fire, while making sure we don’t get burned ourselves.  We mustn’t just walk into the fire with them.

We are trying to bring them to God, not to take God to them.   We need to realize it is God who is protecting us, and stay within his protection, as Jude 1:24-25 reminds us. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.”