Cutting Fellowship

By Rose Rogers

Persons With an Evil Eye

I posted the following verse on Facebook and asked what friends thought it might mean:
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 7 For as he
thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 8 The morsel
which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. (Pr 23:6-8 AV)
AT said: I think it means not to be beguiled by charm and flattery... Because even though everything
looks good and desirable in the end they do not have your best interests at heart and you will end up
beaten down and hurt. Then everything they said that sounded so good you will end up hating seeing
that in the end they were just sweet but horrible lies. Someone who wants to pull you in to only control
or hurt and destroy you. Until you become nothing but a possession instead of a human being. That to
me... Is the evil eye. They look at you with nothing but evil intent and evil desires.
I totally agree with AT. There are a few other verses in the Bible about people with an evil eye.
Deuteronomy 15:7-11 describes a person with an evil eye is one that will not give or lend to the poor
according to their needs. We are called to give to the poor and not to grieve over having to do so. God
loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7).
Deuteronomy 28:49-58 describes people starving in a siege turning into cannibals and eating their own
children. This is the ultimate extreme end of self centeredness and using and abusing others to sustain
oneself. A self-sacrificing person in the same situation, would give themselves to save their children. This
is the test of true love. A person with an evil eye will always put self first at the expense of everyone
else, even the ones they profess to love the most.
Proverbs 28:22 says He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye. The idolatry of riches can cause people
to have an evil eye. This would include people that are stingy, grasping, and doing underhanded deals in
order to make a quick buck at the expense of others. How few and blessed are those who will swear to
their own hurt and change not, who will live by principles of integrity regardless of the cost to
themselves.
Matthew 6:22-23 and Luke 11:34-36 warn us that if our eye is evil, our whole body is full of darkness. If
therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! Verse 23. There is very little
hope for a person in this situation. 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put
darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto
them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (Isa 5:20-21 AV)
In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus tells a parable of a man hiring men to work in his vineyard. He hired more and
more labourers throughout the day. At the end of the day he paid each one a penny, regardless how
many hours they had worked. The ones that had worked the longest were offended and jealous and
protested that the boss was unjust in his wages. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do
thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will

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give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine
eye evil, because I am good? (Mt 20:10-15 AV)
In Mark 7:20-23 Jesus listed an evil eye as one of the sins which defile the heart right alongside many
others: evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
God calls us to be very wary of people who pretend to be good on the outside but are evil on the inside.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even
so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree
cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know
them. (Mt 7:15-20 AV)
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the
platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is
within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward,
but are within full of dead mens bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear
righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (Mt 23:25-28 AV)
Jesus really had no good things to say about these hypocrites, Pharisees and scribes. In fact, He
describes these as the sins which God hates the most. They condemned the publicans and prostitutes,
but in reality, God condemns the false professing religious people more. The problem is not so much
that they commit bad sins, but that they refuse to admit that they commit bad sins. Those who do not
believe they need help, will not ask for help. Those who do not ask, will not receive.

Can our Fellowship Convert Them?

How often do we cling to fellowship with Pharisees and justify our association with them because we
believe we can help them to stop being Pharisees. We defend them and sympathize with them. We
refuse to confront them, reprove them, or require them to bear the consequences of their bad heart
sins. We try to protect them from abuse instead of protecting the vulnerable people that they are
hurting by their selfishness and sins.
We forget that the first step to victory over sin is to admit that we are in bondage to sin! As long as we
defend and protect the Pharisees from feeling the consequences of their sins, the Holy Spirit will not be
able to reach them with conviction that they need help.
So step back, cut the ties of fellowship, let their true character be exposed. Let them suffer the
consequences of their sins. Let voice of reproof be heard. Let the calls for repentance be felt by the
heart. Some will repent and be converted. Some bring their broken hearts to Jesus for healing. But most
will not. Most will take offence and continue to defend their innocence and shift the blame and point
the finger of accusation as much as possible back to the victims and the vulnerable. These people get
defensive and aggressively offensive.

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Circles of Fellowship
How often do people draw lines in the sand and look down with disdain on the wretched, miserable, and
poor of society. And how often do many of the most vulnerable in society keep chasing after the
Pharisees, living by all their petty rules and doing all they can to please them and appease their wrath
and earn acceptance into their society. Its as if all are craving the same popularity, acclaim, prestige,
wealth, and power.
God sweeps all that aside and declares whom He craves fellowship with:
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for
they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for
they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the
peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you,
and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be
exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were
before you. (Mt 5:3-12 AV)
1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house
that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2 For all those things hath mine hand made,
and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and
of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (Isa 66:1-2 AV)
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Ps
34:18 AV)

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
(Ps 51:17 AV)

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. (Ps 147:3 AV)
God is calling us to re-draw the lines of fellowship. If we are going to follow the Scriptures, we will cut
ties of familiarity, association, and fellowship with any person who does not demonstrate meekness,
humility, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, a broken heart and a contrite spirit. No matter what
the physical or blood relation, we are called to cut those ties.
Abraham was called to leave his idolatrous family and go to another country to live and work as a
missionary. Genesis 12:1-9.
Jesus refused audience with his mother and brethren and declared that those who hear the word of God
and do it actually take the place of his mother and his brethren. Luke 8:19-21; Mark 3:31-35; Matthew
12:46-50.
Jesus offers a hundredfold reward to those who forsake family members for His sake. Matthew 19:29;
Mark 10:29, 30; Luke 14:26-27.

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Tests of Fellowship
Right in the context of the most well-known verse of Scripture, we learn the reasons for Gods tests of
fellowship:
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned:
but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the
light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (Joh 3:16-21 AV)
Those who hate the light and love the darkness are those whom we are to cut fellowship with:
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with
Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of
God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in
them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be
a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2Co 6:14-18 AV)
But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I
would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. (1Co 10:20 AV)
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. (Eph 5:11 AV)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us:
and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we
unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship
with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all
sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say
that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1Jo 1:3-10 AV)
God does not draw lines of fellowship based on any ones race, social status, class, education, age,
gender, ability, or even words or deeds.
God draws the lines of fellowship based on the motives of the heart, the goals and desires of eye of the
mind. Those who love the light are accepted and those who love the darkness are rejected. Of course we
cannot read the heart to draw the lines accurately. But time and opportunity will always expose the
contents of the heart by what words and actions come out of it. We are called to judge the fruit and
draw our lines of fellowship based on that.

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Can good fruit and bad fruit grow on the same tree?
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able
also to bridle the whole body. 3 Behold, we put bits in the horses mouths, that they may obey us; and
we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven
of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 5
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire
kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it
defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every
kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of
mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless
we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my
brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. (Jas
3:2-12 AV)

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will
hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Lu 16:13 AV)
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he
hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1Jo 4:20 AV)
God says it is not possible for the same tree to produce both good and bad fruit. If someone is spewing
hatred for someone, speaking evil and spreading an evil report and working to destroy other peoples
sympathy, affection, and support for that person, this is evil fruit. If they seek revenge and continually
blame, accuse, and others as a means of defending their own innocence, this is evil fruit.
If someone has done you wrong, follow Matthew 18. If someone has trespassed against you, bring it to
their attention and ask them to make it right according to Leviticus 5 and 6. If they refuse to make it
right, do what the Lord calls you to do. But most of all, choose to forgive in your heart. If you are called
to comment on it, do not expound on your pain and try to draw sympathy. Do not go on in graphic
descriptions of all that you have suffered.
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive
him. (Lu 17:3 AV)
Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst
not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. (Jude 1:9 AV)
Do not get down in the muck hole with them to sling mud. Simply say, The Lord rebuke thee and let it
go.
If called by God to give testimony of your personal experience, always keep the point as to what will
glorify the Lord and edify others and let not your words be tainted by any selfish motive for selfjustification, sympathy, or pity parties.

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On a side note, remember that Matthew 18 is only applicable to personal trespasses. It is not giving
counsel in how to handle the problem of false teachers, Pharisees, or persons involved in criminal
activity. Search the Scriptures and apply the counsel correctly to each situation.
And remember the counsel of Paul that it is OK for a believer to stay in a marriage with an unbeliever.
But that is only if you can safely put God first in your life. If the spouse is willing to accept second place
to God in your heart, then certainly continue to dwell with them. But if they will not accept second place
and you or your children are at any safety risk, or are required to compromise religious principle to
appease them, then no. Do whatever you must do. 1 Cor 7:12-16; Col 3:18-21; Eph 6:1-4; Eph 5:21-31.

Decision
Will you decide to take up your cross and follow Jesus? Will you forsake all persons who love darkness
and hate the light, those who hate reproof and correction and who continually defend themselves and
blame and accuse others? Pray that God will grant you the discernment of His Spirit to judge the fruit
correctly. It is only by connecting with God in fellowship that we will know who else is connecting to God
and who is connecting to the world. The Bible is our best guide. Search it. Know it. Live it. Give it. Preach
it. Teach it. Be the sermon in shoes.
Dont worry about making mistakes in cutting ties. The act of cutting ties with them will demonstrate
their true character. If they meekly let you go, repent of their misdeeds, make full restitution, and
demonstrate unconditional love and respect over an extended period of time, you will eventually know
that they are safe to reconnect with. If they are offended by your departure and return evil for evil and
attempt to destroy you or your reputation, then you know you made the right decision to cut them.
Dont let them bully you or sweet-talk you into taking them back. Their tongue will eventually expose
what is in their hearts. Take no risks with back stabbers.
I have decided to cut fellowship with all Pharisees regardless of what it costs me. I believe that it will
cost me everything earthly but win me everything heavenly.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and
the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already
perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Php 3:7-14 AV)

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