With Whom to Fellowship

One potential problem that rears it's head in every generation as we struggle to maintain orthodoxy, and not loose the truth in the challenges of our generation is that of misplaced loyalty. As believers our loyalty is first and foremost to the Kingdom of God. When we find ourselves in a place that runs counter to the Kingdom of God, then we must fight for reform (using a variation of the principles found in Mathew 18) and if that fails then we must separate from whatever institutions organizations and relationships we find ourselves a part of.

We cannot lightly disband or create division in the family of God in the visible churches and institutions. We have a secondary but still very high priority to pursue unity and maturity in the visible expressions of the family of God. And in that context we need to think through carefully how and when to disagree. In an attempt to explore that question I propose the following matrix.

In this general matrix, we find at least the beginning steps to decide how to handle the challenges that assault the believer in this age of pluralism.

But we also find these categories in various sets of relationships, in the World, in our denominations or Para-church institutions, and in our own churches, the same type of issue will merit a very different response if it is in your home church rather than in an alternative temple down the street.