But suppose a person has obeyed, and come out from among these vessels to dishonor, separating himself from that which is contrary to the nature and character of God, what is he next to do? This comes still more closely to our subject, the path of the faithful. The first thing he is to do then is to seek out those who have acted likewise before him, and to walk in company with them. So we read in verse 22 of this chapter. Not only is he to be personally pure, but also he is to “follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Isolation for a saint is never desirable, though it may be sometimes physically unavoidable because of circumstances, as, for instance, when there are no others acting truly for God in this respect in the place where one is. But the spirit of independence is wholly opposed to God. There are two things that, above all others, I believe Scripture condemns, indifference on the one hand, and independence on the other. Now, if a person separates himself from the confusion around, and the evil with which all are mixed up who have not separated themselves, and yet refuses to identify himself with those who have equally separated to the name of the Lord in truth and honesty, he is worse than if he had remained where he was. Why? Because he is only perpetuating, and increasing moreover, the very evil that he has professed to judge by his separation. Independence, I repeat, in the things of God is most obnoxious to Him, and to every one who has His thoughts. A saint is not only bound to separate from evil, but he is equally bound, in subjection to the Word of God, to walk in fellowship with those who also have so separated.
In Israel the testimony was either national on the one hand, or individual on the other. The testimony now is neither national nor individual. It is that of a collective body, separated from among all the nations, where there is no distinction of race or nationality, but all are one in Christ Jesus. How can this testimony be maintained? Not individually, nor independently, in any way. For what I have said with regard to a person, is equally true with regard to a company. So that independent companies are no more in harmony with the present mind of God than independent persons. I say this without hesitation, because the Word of God will bear me out in it fully, as I hope to show. We have it plainly in this Scripture. The first duty urged upon the person who has separated himself, is to walk in company with those who are themselves personally clean. The simple duty of the Christian who has separated from the confusion of the great house is, when he finds such company where the Word of God is obeyed, to walk in fellowship with them. There are always those who are to walk in company with each other: our duty is to find them out.