In the last few articles we have looked at various Bible verses and what they teach us about Christian fellowship. The definition of fellowship is “a relationship you have with God, that you also have with others who have that same relationship with God.” This relationship is seen as a sharing together, it is seen as a participation together, and it is seen as something that Christians devote themselves to. But what are the limitations of Christian fellowship? I’ve heard of some people who will open arms in fellowship to anyone no matter what they believe, and I’ve also heard of some who won’t open their arms in fellowship to hardly anyone. But what limitations does the Bible actually place on Christian fellowship? There are 2 main ones that we will highlight in the next 2 articles.
First...
Those who refuse to repent of sin cannot be in Christian fellowship.
This point is clear simply by the definition of fellowship. Fellowship is a relationship we have with God, that we also have with others who have that same relationship with God. But if a persons relationship with God is not what it should be, then they are out of fellowship with Him, and therefore also with us.
In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus gave instructions on how to talk to those who are in sin. At the end of the 3-step process Jesus gives, he tells us that if this brother/sister refuses to repent and acknowledge their sin, they should not be in fellowship with God’s people anymore. He even uses the the strong language “let them be to you as a gentle or a tax collector.”
Paul outlined a specific situation in Corinth where this needed to be done (1 Corinthians 5). The reality is that fellowship cannot be opened up to those who refuse to repent of their sins. In fact, Paul said, “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one” (1 Corinthians 5:11).
The difficult reality about Christian fellowship is that it can be lost. If a person can lose fellowship with God, they can also lose fellowship with His people. This is one limitation of fellowship: Those who refuse to repent of sin cannot be in Christian fellowship.
— Kolton Ballance