Christianity in Context:
Understanding First, then Application
Forsaking the Fellowship – Part 1
Question: If someone leaves the church is she/he also leaving God?The short answer is: Yes! The Bible teaches us that we absolutely need each other, that we can’t make it spiritually in this world without significant and consistent involvement in the lives of other Christians (and they in ours!), and that our relationship with God and our relationships with one another are not mutually exclusive but are completely inseparable.
Given all that Jesus and his apostles taught about loving each other, surely one cannot be considered a faithful disciple of Jesus who chooses to forsake, give up, avoid and/or minimize his/her fellowship with other Christians. After all, “he who does not love his brothers whom he has seen, does not love God whom he has not seen” is a truth that is taught so clearly in so many ways throughout the New Testament that it cannot be denied. Surely the contradiction and hypocrisy are evident when someone says, “I do love the Christians” but then barely spends any time with other Christians. Actions speak louder than words. Love is not a “feeling you’re feeling when you’re feeling a feeling like you’ve never felt before.” Love is the act of personally seeking to meet the needs of others. As I’ve always said, “Don’t say you love me, if you don’t want to spend time with me.”
The long answer to the above question will be dealt with in a series of articles to be written and posted on this website over the next few weeks. So, whether you are saying “Amen” to the above answer or, “Now, hang on a minute,” please read through the upcoming articles and study out, on your own, the Biblical passages that will be referenced. We all need to form our convictions based on what the word of God actually says. From my own study, it is absolutely my conviction that forsaking the fellowship of the saints (i.e., the church) absolutely involves the forsaking of your relationship with God. But don’t take my word for it – read and reflect on the scriptures.
