Brothers-in-Arms: Christian Fellowship Isn’t Optional

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I remember growing up and not always being outgoing or wanting to associate with people. I would—and, at times, still do—prefer to spend some time away from people. While this is a testament to the beauty of diversity and a display of God’s wisdom in His creation, it is not an excuse to avoid intimate fellowship with God’s people. In fact, I would argue that it is all the more reason to enjoy fellowship. Can you imagine how life would be if everyone were like me?   

Today, some believers almost consider it a flex to withdraw from fellowship with God’s people. They often feel they have genuine reasons for doing so. Some say that it is better to keep their distance so they are not hurt again, while others simply want to come to church, serve, worship God “in peace”, and go home. But this is not the spirit of brotherhood, nor is it the spirit of fellowship that Christ desires His people to have with one another.

Charles Spurgeon, in his sermon Communion with Christ and His People, said, “I am afraid that Christian brotherhood in many cases begins and ends inside the place of worship. Let it not be so among us. Let it be our delight to find our society in the circle of which Jesus is the centre and let us make them our friends who are friends of Jesus”.

Genuine Christian fellowship is one of the means of grace God has provided for His saints. The journey to Zion can be rigorous and tedious, and we need brothers-in-arms with whom we can walk and labour together along the way. There is strength in the intimate bonds of Christian fellowship that enables us to persevere, even in the face of difficult challenges. In 2 Corinthians 7:5-7, Paul says: 

“For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,..” 

There are times when the journey becomes difficult, and the road ahead seems bleak. It is precisely for such times that God gives us godly friends. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). 

There is a refreshing of the soul that God often brings through genuine Christian fellowship. Imagine the comfort that Paul received through the coming of Titus after suffering terrible affliction at every turn. Even God’s greatest messengers need fellowship. 

Yet the devil has always sought to undermine fellowship. One of the subtle ways he has done this is through the prevalence of false teachers and false gospels. As a result, many believers have given up on the church because of their experiences with false teachers and unhealthy expressions of Christianity. But while such experiences may explain our wounds, they do not excuse us from fulfilling the command of Hebrews 10:24-25. So, find a biblical, gospel-centred, and faithful church where you can enjoy communion and fellowship with God’s people, bearing in mind that there are no perfect churches or perfect people.

So what?

Are you a member of a local church? Do you make it a point of duty to enjoy fellowship with God’s people? Make it a point of duty to cultivate friends among God’s people. Do not give in to the lie that you must isolate yourself to avoid being hurt. As Ray Ortlund writes in his book Proverbs: Wisdom That Works:

“When iron sharpens iron, it creates friction. When a friend wounds you, it hurts. So, do you see? There’s a difference between hurting someone and harming someone. There is a difference between someone being loved and someone feeling loved. Jesus loved everyone well, and some people felt hurt. So, they crucified him. If we don’t understand this, then every time we feel hurt, we will look for someone to blame and punish. We will make our emotional state someone else’s fault.”

God does not desire that we journey through life alone. Christian fellowship may sometimes bring bruises, disagreements, disappointments, and even hurt, but isolation brings its own dangers. More importantly, isolation from God’s people can become a breeding ground for sin to thrive and for spiritual decline to take place. So, let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24-25) 

We were not made to journey to Zion alone. We need brothers-in-arms.