We know that God fellowships baptized, penitent believers. This is true whether they are strong or weak. It is true regardless of their views on matters of indifference. God even fellowships individuals who begin to drift from the truth. Let's now explore the other side of the coin, so to speak: With whom does God not have spiritual fellowship? This question is important because if God does not have fellowship with someone, then we must not either. We must respect the lines of fellowship that God has drawn. There are five general groups that God does not fellowship. The first one is rather obvious.

1. GOD DOES NOT FELLOWSHIP THE DEVIL OR HIS ANGELS.
Acts 10:38 states - "...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." God was with Jesus and He healed those who were being oppressed by Satan. Jesus worked against Satan! Clearly, God is not in fellowship with the devil or his wicked angels. Also, briefly consider I John 3:8 - "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." Jesus came to destroy Satan's works. If God was in fellowship with Satan, then there would have been no need to destroy his works. But, the devil has been sinning from the beginning; he does not walk in the light. God is not in fellowship with him and we must not be either. We must not share or participate in his wicked works.

2. GOD DOES NOT FELLOWSHIP THE IMMORAL IN THE WORLD.
Please remember as we consider the remaining points that God loves every human being and doesn't want any to perish eternally (cf. I Tim. 2:4; II Pet. 3:9). He desires that the people in these groups turn from their sins and obey Him to be saved. However, in the meantime, He does not approve or encourage their illicit behavior. He demands that they come to Him in repentance and obedience before He will have spiritual fellowship with them.

James 4:4 declares - "Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." Those who are enemies of God are obviously not in fellowship with Him. There is no sharing, participation, or companionship between enemies. Being friends with the world and its wicked ways does not endear one to God. Furthermore, consider Ephesians 2:1,2 - "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." When one lives immorally, he is spiritually dead in sin and not in God's fellowship. Such a one should not be in our fellowship either. "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" (Eph. 5:11). Though we are surrounded by sin in our world today, we are not to share or participate in that which is wicked. We must instead stand against it and show it for what it really is!

We will continue this study in our next lesson.