I've struggled with this in the past and I know many brethren do as well. At what point does a child of God have the ability to say that another human being has either failed to reach or has fallen from the salvation in Christ because of his religious beliefs or actions?

     Many believe that any person having some inkling of a belief in Jesus and some rendition of the faith in Him is to be called a Christian and is to be inside the scope of fellowship of fellow Christians, but is this correct?

     We've all heard the normal tests of fellowship - worship, church organization, authority in the Scriptures alone, etc. but are these the only things one must believe and obey in order to be unified in the Spirit? 

     However, being a person who is always yearning to test all things (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:21) we must ask the question, WHY? - I believe the reason is very simple, because the other things are not visible! 

     Take conviction, for instance. There is an aspect in which conviction in Christ (personal belief/faith) is able to be seen outwardly like when Paul wrote that the faith of the Colossian brethren was able to be seen in that he knew that they were "faithful" (Colossians 1:2) and that they had learned of their faith (Colossians 1:4). But, in a very real sense of the word, my faith and conviction is deep within my heart which no man can know save me (1 Corinthians 2:11). 

     My love for the lost and for my brethren is the same. While my teaching the lost shows my love for them and my fellowship with the brethren shows the entire world that I am a follower of Jesus (John 13:35), no one can definitively know whether or not these things are done out of true love or a pretentious love which is bent on getting society's accolades except me. 

     So, why do we use things like whether or not a person worships in spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24) forsaking man-made traditions and worship practices like mechanical-instrumental music or flawed roles in worship as a test of fellowship? I can assure you, it isn't because we just want to feel superior to him (although a minority might have this in mind and it is really impossible to tell definitively). No, the reason is because we can openly see that. 

     That doesn't mean, however, that a person seeking to be a part of the restored church of Jesus Christ can simply stop at the outward signs of faith and be done in his restoration process! Just as it is important to restore the authority of Jesus and the knowledge that the Bible and it alone give the words for eternal life (John 12:48, John 6:68), it is likewise important to have the inner man restored in order to be in fellowship with Christ and walk in His light (1 John 1:7-9) whereby the fellowship between mankind can be defined as "Christian" as well. 

     That's right, Paul said "with all who in EVERY PLACE..." I'm not sure about you, but that is encouraging to me! Throughout my ministry as a preacher I have had the privilege of visiting other places in the Southeast to meet, and even worship with, brethren from other areas. Throughout all of those meetings I have come to learn one thing, we aren't alone!
     
     Sometimes brethren allow themselves to beat themselves up thinking that they are all alone, especially if they are the only congregation in their community, county or even larger region. But the wonderful thing is, we have brethren all over the world with the same mind seeking to follow the Christ and His teachings regardless of their location. 

     Now, how can that really help a small congregation? One word, "RESOURCES"! Never forget that we can call on brethren to help smaller congregations at times in order to fulfill the will of God. Have a meeting/revival coming up? - Call the local congregations and speak to the elders expressing your wish that they come and gather with you to encourage the small congregation in the area, what can it hurt?\

We Are Not "Almost There"

     Jody Apple said, "I am not the means [alone] by which a congregation is going to be pleasing to God." It takes cooperation between the all the brethren at any local church to get the work done. Remember back at the beginning when I said that I preach with a small congregation? That's just it! We are in this together and therefore ought to work together in order to evangelize, worship and live in accordance with the Gospel. It is sometimes difficult for the preacher to realize that he doesn't have to do everything, I'm just now getting to actually figuring out that fact, but it's absolutely necessary. 

     Have a bunch of cards or flyers for an upcoming revival? Work together to pass them out. Have roles that need to be filled in order to make the congregation work effectively? Work together! Remember, we aren't alone in the world but we also aren't alone in the congregation. 

     We all have the same God, same grace, same brethren and same job. - So let's forget about the numbers on the board at the front of the auditorium or the black, or red, numbers on the bank statement and start thinking more about how to effectively work together in order to get the Gospel to the entire area (P.S. - Small churches, in my opinion, ought to focus on their area instead of others. We've got a lot of work to do right here.) and save those lost souls!