Fellowship is the sweetest thing we as Christians can share while here on earth.  The Psalmist paited a beautiful picture of fellowship when he wrote, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore"  (Psalm 133).  Jesus further explains, "....every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life"  (Matthew 19:29).  The way we receive this hundredfold is within this thing called fellowship with our brethren in Christ.
     There is a time, however, when a Christian must step back and take a look at just exactly who he or she is joined to in fellowship.  The Bible plainly teaches us "that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us"  (2 Thess. 3:6).  We cannot be in fellowship with God while in fellowship with those who walk disorderly.  John wrote, "...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"  (1 John 1:7).  However, not all people, even of our brethren, walk in the light.  Therefore, we must distance ourselves from a brother who is not walking in the light and walking disorderly.  If we refuse to do this we break the comand of God (2 Thess. 3:6), and we give that person's pernicious ways credibility (2 John 10-11).
     There is a problem, however.  There are some Christians who are practicing something that I am terming "the secret withdrawal."  They understand that withdrawal is comanded of God.  They understand that they must not bid god speed to those in error.  However, there is something wrong with they way they go about withdrawing from people:  ei. they withdraw from their brethren and never tell them they have withdrawn from them nor why.  I suspect that this is something that is not limited to, but happens more often within a congregation.  A brother or sister learns that someone else teaches something they disagree with and simply quit having anything to do with that person.  In effect, they have withdrawn from that person.  There are several possible reasons for this happening.  Some may simply not know what the Bible says on the subject.  Others may be too afraid to do things Bible ways, and find the secret withdrawal easier.  Still others may lack the love for their brethren which should cause them to go to their brethren and point out where they think they are wrong.
     The answer to the problem lies within the pages of God's Holy Bible.  First of all, if we love our brethren we will care if they are saved or lost.  If we think they are doing or teaching something that is a sin, we need to go to them and discuss these things.  Paul told us that, ".....if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted"  (Gal. 6:1).  By doing this we show our brethren that we love them enough that we don't want to see them lost.  Second, don't give brethren a reason for thinking you have secretly withdrawn from them.  Do you greet all your brethren with "a holy handshake?"  Do you go out of your way to share time with those of like precious faith?  Or, do you rarely even see your brethren outside the four walls of the church building?  Third, we need to try not to imagine such has happened to us as individuals.  When we see things happening in the lives of our brethren our imaginations can run wild.  It seems as though it is human nature to think the worst instead of the best.  But Paul tells us to, ".....do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10).  How can this be accomplished unless we think the best of our brethren and give them the benifit of the doubt?
     If you are not happy with the brethren here on earth, why do you think you are going to be happy in Heaven?  God paints a wonderful picture of fellowship both here and in Heaven.  Why would we want to do anything to destroy such a masterpiece?