Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals. 1 Corinthians 15:33
Warren Buffet is credited with saying, “if you want to soar like an eagle in life, you can’t be flocking around with the turkeys.” There have been numerous books written by various authors with a similar title. We all want to strive, not just survive, right? We want to soar like eagles.
We are told in Isaiah 40:31 that those who trust in the Lord will soar on wings like eagles.
If we trust in the Lord, we must be careful about with whom we associate.
God promised Abraham that his offspring would be as numerous as grains of sand on the seashore. He also promised him that they would be enslaved for many years, but after this He would give them a land to possess or what we refer to as the Promised Land. This Promised Land was a land filled with milk and honey and fertile for growing crops and providing all they needed. There was one problem however, the people who inhabited this land worshipped false gods. They were pagans.
In Deuteronomy 7:3-4, the Israelites are cautioned against marrying into these families who worshipped false gods. They were told not to intermarry with them because they would turn them away from God and kindle God’s anger against them. In many cases, God would tell them to kill everyone in these towns they were invading. Even the children raised in these pagan religions could not be trusted not to corrupt the Israelites.
In 2 Corinthians 6:14 it says, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
My friend, if you have dedicated your life to Christ, why would you want to associate with someone who is an unbeliever? You have nothing in common with this person.
When I rededicated my life to Christ, I had friends who didn’t want to hear anything about my new life in Christ. They accused me of being a snob for declining their invite to go out drinking and responding by inviting them to church. They didn’t want to come to church, they didn’t want to hear about Jesus or the joy I had found in Him.
But God also did something beautiful. He worked it so that some of my dearest friends were discovering or re-discovering Jesus, just as I had, and we have been able to grow together. In addition to this, He saved my soon to be husband so that we could grow together as well.
God also sent me some wonderful friends who were much farther along in their journey with Jesus to mentor me and help me to grow.
Yes, we are to go out and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). We must remember, however, that we are told not to be unequally yoked. When I share the gospel with someone, I am not yoked with them. I am sharing with them. Jesus clearly told the disciples that if they encountered someone who rejected what they had to say to shake the dust off their feet as they left that home or town in Matthew 10:14.
In Matthew 7:6, Jesus warns us not to cast our pearls before swine. Before that He says don’t give to dogs what is holy. His word is holy. When we try to share the gospel, if our audience rejects it, we must move on.
This world and all that is in it is temporary. I am working to get to my forever home. I am not going to be stopped by someone who has chosen a fiery hell as their forever home. As for me, I choose a mansion in a city with streets paved of gold, gates made of pearl and walls made of fine gemstones.
There are friends and relatives that I would die for, but I will not go to hell with them. If you want to get to heaven, start by taking a stand here on earth. Let go of any bad company. You are truly deceiving yourself, if you think they won’t corrupt your good morals.
Have a great day!