The following is a quote by Daniel S. Warner:
“If it were not such a solemn thing, it were really amusing to see how many are floundering about on the question of organized divisions in Christendom. They admit them evil, predict their downfall, and then, shrinking from the result of their own admissions, they fly to their protection and raise the hue and cry against those who bring the Gospel of God to bear upon these ramparts of sin” (Byers, Pg. 281).
Considering the conditions existing in Warner’s time and considering the existing conditions of this time, striking similarities are found. If souls understood the spirit of sectarianism, then they would tremble at the thought of associating with any fellowship. Unfortunately, the evils of fellowships have been underestimated, and for the sake of convenience, many justify their existence. Most are sold on believing that their particular fellowship is the exclusive remnant. Sure, they will recognize that they are not “it,” but in reality, this is what they believe, and unless one comes under the rule of their system, they will never be given the right hand of fellowship. Also, this is not to say that there is not an exclusive Church of God, because there is indeed, but it is time to understand the message of the seventh seal, which is the same message as the sixth seal’s - come out of Babylon. Any justification for fellowships is now rapidly reaching its expiration date. God is raising up a ministry whose message will sound the clarion call and will bring people to a decision - to lose their souls in the Babylonian rubble or take a clear stand on Mount Zion.
While many may not blatantly call fellowships evil, many will speak critically of them. The common brother or sister recognizes the problems and inconsistencies that exist among their group. They know that there are many operating in various positions within their fellowships in whom they have little genuine confidence. Additionally, some are so bold as to declare the evils that exist within their group. They are painfully aware that outright sin is left unchecked and will express their deep discontent and strong disagreements with the system that proves to be a mere machination of men. Yet in all of this, when it comes time to stand unflinchingly in the face of the devilish institutions, they cower to the whims of hirelings and succumb to the pressure of what it might cost to burn the little chaff they are trying to secure. O dear soul, if you intend to be part of the Church of God at this time, and if you intend to go to heaven, then it will cost you everything. Sadly, countless souls will look at this steep price and choose to remain in Babylon, closing their eyes to fall into a perpetual sleep; and the next awakening will be in hell.
The downfall of all fellowships is inevitable although many seem to prosper while under mortgage to Satan. First, the only reason to believe their impending destruction is that the Bible says it will occur. Scripture passages such as Isaiah 13 and Jeremiah 51 beautifully illustrate the total annihilation of Babylon. God never approved of sectarianism, and he has never approved of fellowships. Fellowships build an organization to make people dependent on them, while God builds a Church that brings people to complete dependence on Christ. Again, this is not to say that God has not instituted order in the church, but people have traded dependence on and allegiance to Christ for men. As long as one does not offend the men in control (ministers), they are deemed acceptable, usable, and spiritual. If they compromise on standards it will be overlooked. If they have talent that is considered essential to various functions in the church, then exceptions will be made. Anyone who poses a threat to the control and operation of the system will be pushed to the fringes so the religio-political citadel of hell is not jeopardized. Of course, none among them will admit to these sorts of occurrences. They will even emphatically deny them, but the spirit of this system only seeks to promote those who bear their mark.
Admitting to the wrongs of fellowships leaves an individual dangerously responsible. It is not enough to correctly label the wrongs and inconsistencies within these earthly organizations. However, many will clearly see the evils of their fellowship but will shrink “from the results of their own admissions.“ When the time comes to take a definite stand against false religion (fellowships called Church of God), they will flee to their respective groups for protection, comfort, and security. They will justify their fellowship by claiming that the time is not right, it is not yet clear enough, and essentially, it is not “bad” enough. Sadly, this is a trick of the enemy. A great spirit of deception will then blind that once honest heart, and that soul will then oppose those who bring the “Gospel of God to bear on the ramparts of sin.”
Dear soul, if you are honestly seeking the mind of God, do not be deceived. Do not judge your fellowship by the messages they preach but by the message they live. Do not listen to the prophet that promises much but delivers little. Do not listen to the one who is rattling the bones of the glory of decades ago. Do not fall prey to the political jockeying of the strangers who now call themselves Church of God but are nothing more than brute beasts - systems of religion run by men. Finally, do not be the one who can see the wrong in fellowships - will even boldly admit to wrongs within fellowships - but refuse to take part in the threshing of Babylon (Jeremiah 51:33). When the message of Unity was preached in the sixth seal, many saw that message and the evils of belonging to a sect, but due to fleshly inconveniences (family ties, sentiment, persecution), they died in Babylon. It will be no different in this time to those who remain in Babylon - you will lose your soul.
Byers, A. L. (n.d.). The Crisis. In Birth of A Reformation (p. 282).