Ronald Weinland

From the time the writing on this subject first began, I believed that this would be a short series of two or three parts. As I continued writing, I consistently believed we were near the completion, but God kept revealing more and more. This has continued in that same manner until we have finally come to this ending summary of “Part 14” in this series.

In addition, this series had begun with the primary focus being on the subject of “disfellowshipment.” As I began writing, it quickly became clear that the way God was going to address this negative, unpleasant, and often very hurtful subject of those who become disfellowshipped, was to instead address this in the context of the positive, exciting, inspiring, and incredibly awesome focus of what it means to have “true fellowship” with God, His Son, and His Church. Once a person “sees” more fully the magnitude of what a blessing it is to have such fellowship, then the purpose (need) and deeper shame of disfellowshipment can become clearer.

As we have progressed through this series, it is important to grasp just how much God has been revealing that we have not known or fully understood in the past. If we are not careful, we can begin to take for granted what God is giving us and then fail to be deeply moved, inspired, and truly thankful for the riches He is pouring out upon us in order to more fully strengthen and encourage (give courage to) us. If we are not watchful and alert, we can begin to drift, become spiritually sluggish, and blind to the power of God that is at work right before our eyes, right in front of us.

It is only the Church of God – PKG that is experiencing such a fast pace of revelation (or any revelation) of truth being given, which is for the very purpose of more rapidly preparing (for those who will receive it) His people for the Millennium, which is still fast approaching. Now is the time to wisely use this opportunity to grow and prepare, because as the inset post, “Christ’s Coming,” indicates, we will not have the same continuing process of truth being revealed (as it is now) once this world is plunged into the time in which the Trumpets will become manifest.

Newly Revealed Knowledge
It is good to pause here and more sharply focus on what has been given in this series alone. Even as new knowledge and understanding is going to be reviewed, the large volume of clarifications that have been given will not be mentioned, as it would require far, far too much quoting from the previous 13 parts of this series.

1. First Commandment
God magnified understanding of the First Commandment by showing that when the commandment is quoted, often a phrase from those verses is omitted. That missing phrase speaks of the Lord your God “who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” The importance and deeper meaning of the term “house of bondage” has been shown to mean “household” or “family” of bondage. God’s plan and purpose for mankind is to deliver people from the “family of bondage” into His Family – Elohim.

Greater understanding was also given about this commandment in that we are not to place a value on any other human relationship, fellowship, friendship at a level of “god” (elohim), when such a relationship takes precedence over a relationship (fellowship) in God’s Family (Elohim). As it is stated, “You shall have no other gods (elohim) before me” (Ex. 20:3).

2. Antichrist – Working Against Christ
More understanding was given concerning why John made the kind of statement he did in 1 John 2:18. “Little children (speaking to the Church), it is the last time, and as you have heard that antichrist (singular) shall come, even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know it is the last time.”

After the death of the other apostles, John continued leading the Church as both an apostle and prophet of God. Even in his time, the Church was looking for the return of Jesus Christ. In this verse, John makes a statement that hasn’t been fully understood, as he stated that the Church had heard (had been taught) that in “the last time” (in reference to the end-time just preceding Christ’s coming) that “antichrist shall come.” We had not seen the obvious in this statement even though the Church has come to understand that antichrist is a term that describes anyone in the Church who turns against the truth, against God, and works in opposition to the very purpose Christ died for them – they become antichrist.

John was referring to an event that had to first occur in the Church that would reveal that Christ’s coming was now eminent. It was the coming of “the antichrist” (singular) which was a reference to Paul’s revelation in 2 Thessalonians 2 about the “man of sin” who would also be known as the “son of perdition” who would sit in authority over the Church and betray Christ by leading the Body of Christ into an apostasy – thus becoming the ultimate antichrist.

3. Spirit Saved In the Day of the Lord Jesus
One of the most important reasons God has revealed about the purpose of disfellowshipment is recorded in 1 Corinthians 5:5. It is “to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh (to suffer again in the world without God’s help), so that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

God has a future purpose concerning many who become spiritually weak and as a result become doctrinally deceived, pulled into sin without repentance, and/or simply give up the battle against self and thereby go by the wayside. That future purpose is to resurrect these people (if they have not committed the unpardonable sin) into the final hundred years for salvation – in the day of the Lord Jesus, so that they might be saved in that final age of salvation for mankind.

The reason for disfellowshipment, of being cut off from the continuing flow of God’s spirit, is because once a person begins working against (contrary to) the flow of God’s spirit, they can become more quickly “set against” God’s ways permanently so (commit the unpardonable sin). Once a person has become impregnated with the holy spirit and then they cease to yield to God’s spirit coming into them, it is better that they enter a kind of spiritual sleep (totally cut off from the holy spirit). Otherwise, if they actively “continue resisting” the holy spirit when it is available to them, their mind will more quickly become “spiritually hardened” against God – set against God so that they cannot be saved.

4. Spirit in Man Set Against God
The human mind can become “set against” God even when it has never been begotten of God. Spiritual begettal will not be granted to every human being. There will be people even when shown what God has done with the earth and mankind after the 1,000 year of the reign of His Kingdom and after seeing the actual manifestation of the God Family, who still will not want to live God’s ways. Even once they are given ability to see what is true in God’s purpose and the truth of His one way of life to be lived, they will not want it. Their minds became “set against” God in their first lifetime. Such people have so perverted their thinking and have chosen such evil in life that they are “set” in that choice of life, and that kind of set mind cannot be transformed, for it is set in the evil, pride, and lust of life.

5. Judgment Beyond the Final Hundred Years
God has revealed that there is a period of time for a final execution of judgment that is beyond the period of the Great White Throne. There will be those at the end of the 100 years who will live on into that “little season.” There will also be others who have committed the unpardonable sin, who died during the 7,000 years of mankind, who will be resurrected to live in this “little season.” Their minds are “set against” God and they have no desire to repent of their ways.

These people comprise Gog and Magog who are the great army Satan gathers together once he and the demons are released after the final 1,100 years of salvation for mankind. Gog and Magog are not about a particular race or nation of people, but it describes those who have a spiritual mindset that is set against God. There are other such racial or national terms that we understand reveal a spiritual meaning, as with Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, and even Israel.

Gog is simply a reference on a spiritual plane of those in the world who became “set against” God in their first physical life. Magog is simply a reference to those who are “of” Gog, who had been called out of the world then begotten of God, but who then became “set against” God – they then became Magog.

6. Physical Sanctification
We now understand that when one person in a marriage and/or a parent is called into the Church, the other mate and/or children of the begotten parent are sanctified to participate in a “physical relationship” within the Church, and that they have not been called into a spiritual relationship. Such individuals do not simply have an automatic choice of a calling at any time they so choose. In addition, if only one mate has been called and baptized into the Church, then the other unbelieving mate and any children can only be sanctified if they are not against God.

There is a “physical sanctification,” as the sanctification of ancient Israel, which allows such individuals to come into God’s presence within the environs of the Church. There is a separate “spiritual sanctification” that is given to those who are in the Body of Christ. Those sanctified spiritually are able to come before God on a spiritual plane and have a spiritual fellowship with Him, His Son, and His Church.

7. Most Never Called to Be In the 144,000
The Church has been given greater understanding of Christ’s words that “many are called, but few are chosen.” We more clearly see that the result of “free choice” following a calling has resulted in only a “few” who have been chosen to be in God’s government of the 144,000. The “many” are among those who were described in the Parable of the Tares, and the larger group who comprised those of the Parable of the Sower where seed fell by the wayside, upon stony areas, and amongst thorns (weeds).

There are many from the seven eras of the Church who will be resurrected in the Great White Throne who will help comprise the beginning foundation of the Church from the very beginning of that 100-year period.

Fellowship and the 63,000
There are yet two primary areas of concern and importance that need to be addressed about fellowship as this subject of true fellowship is brought to a close.

The first area involves the eventual awakening and gathering of the 63,000 who were once part of the Worldwide Church of God, although we don’t know exactly who will be chosen to be part of that group.

So how do you judge whether or not you have any fellowship with them? First, no one should seek out such individuals. If there is any purpose in their coming into contact with you, then God will see to it – He will work it out. If any such individual contacts you or you come across them in some chance manner, then there are certain criteria for judgment.

If the conversation is one of friendship based upon the past, then fellowship may certainly be good, but always understand that it will only be on a physical plane until they are fully awakened by God. They should be treated with a spirit of acceptance and genuine kindness, with the inner hope of their potentially becoming one who is part of this great group, being soon awakened just as we were.

However, if they were a minister (ordained) in the past, they should be acknowledged with kindness, but not with any purpose of continuing fellowship. They should be considered as those disfellowshipped, as they largely have a judgment upon them as spoken of in the Thunders.

In addition, one last area for judgment where some would also be seen as disfellowshipped is if an individual is against the Church of God – PKG, and also if they are teaching and pushing their own ideas or that of some other group.

Those Against God
The other area of concern and importance to be addressed here at this conclusion on true fellowship is one that carries the strongest warning and precaution of all. This concerns those who are actively engaged in a pursuit to hurt God’s Church, the Church of God – PKG. Such people fit into one of the most heinous groups of all. This is a great betrayal to God as many of these experienced being mercifully awakened from a spiritual stupor and given far greater truth than when they were first called, yet they have turned against all those truths and against God’s Church as they live as “active” antichrists.

These are those who after disfellowshipment do not simply “get on with their lives.” They do not simply leave behind that which they say they no longer are in agreement with. Instead, they become consumed with evil thoughts, hatred, disdain, and even torment concerning the activities of God’s Church (of His people).

These are those who feed upon God’s Church and who as vultures seek to pick at anything they can tear away in order to consume in a perverted, foul, and stinking manner. “For where ever the carcass (Gk.- corpse or body, as they see it) is, there will the birds of prey (as vultures) be gathered together” (Mat. 24:28). Such seek to perversely “feed” upon anything they can in order to pass it along to others in a twisted, slanderous, and negative manner. Through such actions and practice, these have unwittingly joined together to give support to the great slanderer and accuser of the brethren.

In Closing
With all that has been covered in this series on true fellowship, it bears repeating what was stated in the very beginning. It would now be good to focus more fully on what is actually stated, and not just read over it quickly.

Relationships reveal what is the heart, desire, and true convictions of one who has entered the Body of Christ. Jesus Christ plainly stated how important it is that God be FIRST in a person’s life, above all other relationships, if a person desires to remain “in” true fellowship with Him (Lk. 14:26).