"Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1Corinthians15:33.
The Bible has a lot to say about real Christians having close ongoing relationships with unbelievers. Those who read their Bibles know God is not in favor of it. You read about this throughout the Old Testament where God tells His people not to associate with people who walk contrary to Him. We also see this warning repeated in the New Testament.
To the non-believer or nominal Christian this may seem harsh and unkind. I would quickly add that I am NOT saying we shouldn't be polite, friendly,helpful and have casual conversations with co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances.
No, what I mean is that our closest friends,people we spend alot of time with and socialize with, should not be unbelievers.
Why? It's because we have been called out from this world. Although we are in the world, we are not to be "of this world."
We read in Romans12:2--"Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."
This naturally raises the question, have you as a Christian gradually been "conformed to this world?" Are your interests and conversations basically no different from non-Christians?
If they aren't, then it is time for some serious changes on your part.
I think of something a high school teacher told me one time. He said: "In my many years of teaching I have seen plenty of good kids, good students, fall in with the wrong crowd and go right down the "tubes". You know, they start hanging with the delinquents and the next thing you see is they're doing drugs, skipping school, grades go down, really sad. But here's what gets me; I've hardly ever seen a 'bad' kid be elevated by his contact with a good student."
Now what was that quote at the top?
"Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
The Bible has a lot to say about real Christians having close ongoing relationships with unbelievers. Those who read their Bibles know God is not in favor of it. You read about this throughout the Old Testament where God tells His people not to associate with people who walk contrary to Him. We also see this warning repeated in the New Testament.
To the non-believer or nominal Christian this may seem harsh and unkind. I would quickly add that I am NOT saying we shouldn't be polite, friendly,helpful and have casual conversations with co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances.
No, what I mean is that our closest friends,people we spend alot of time with and socialize with, should not be unbelievers.
Why? It's because we have been called out from this world. Although we are in the world, we are not to be "of this world."
We read in Romans12:2--"Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."
This naturally raises the question, have you as a Christian gradually been "conformed to this world?" Are your interests and conversations basically no different from non-Christians?
If they aren't, then it is time for some serious changes on your part.
I think of something a high school teacher told me one time. He said: "In my many years of teaching I have seen plenty of good kids, good students, fall in with the wrong crowd and go right down the "tubes". You know, they start hanging with the delinquents and the next thing you see is they're doing drugs, skipping school, grades go down, really sad. But here's what gets me; I've hardly ever seen a 'bad' kid be elevated by his contact with a good student."
Now what was that quote at the top?
"Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Try this one from James4:4--"Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity (hostile or opposed) with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
There are similar quotes I could give about Christians and separation but you get the picture as they say.
In closing, I believe God has set this rule of separation because He knows our human frailty and our original sin nature.
Look at this as a loving Father trying to protect His children.
There are similar quotes I could give about Christians and separation but you get the picture as they say.
In closing, I believe God has set this rule of separation because He knows our human frailty and our original sin nature.
Look at this as a loving Father trying to protect His children.
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