Week 13, Day 5: Evil Companions
Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Corinthians 1:24
Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…
1 Corinthians 15:33 is a passage that is often taken out of context to make a broader point than the immediate context indicates. Paul was discussing in this chapter the resurrection, and making an argument proving the resurrection was indeed going to happen. In the midst of this argument, Paul warned that “Evil company corrupts good habits.” It seems that his warning is focused on those who let the influence of those who did not believe in the resurrection influence their faith and belief. Paul’s warning was against those who would teach something contrary to the revealed word of God, and how their influence could corrupt the actions of those who believed. Consider how much it would change a person’s actions to not believe in the resurrection! What reason would there be to continue living a faithful life, and continue being obedient to God?
This verse does, however, have a much greater application. We can certainly consider how associating with the wrong crowd could lead to corrupted morals. Those that we associate with have a tremendous influence on our actions. If we allow worldly, sinful people to be an influence on us, then we will soon start to act like they act. I know that many Christians believe that they are the strong Christians who will be able to withstand the influence of the wicked, but that is never the case. Remember, just a couple of days ago, we looked at 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 which warned of the need to be careful, and not think too highly of ourselves. There is a famous saying, “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch.” Unfortunately the opposite of that is not true. One good person will not turn a whole group of worldly people away from their sinful ways.
We have a responsibility to be in this world, but not be a part of it. We need to come out from the world and be separate. That is not something we do physically, but certainly spiritually we should be separate from the rest of the world. When we make worldly people our closest friends, and allow them to have great influence on us, we endanger ourselves. We set ourselves up for “corrupt morals” because we will be tempted by those that we have such close relationships with. We as Christians should do our best to teach the gospel to others. If our “friends” are not interested in spiritual things, and don’t want anything to do with studying with us, then we need to separate ourselves from them. Do not allow those who are “of the world” to be so intertwined with you that they influence you to sin!
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Laura said :
April 11, 2009 at 8:31 pm
I was struck by 1 Cor. 15:24-26. It describes what will happen when our battle is finally won. Anything and everything that is not God’s will be destroyed, including all sin and even death. Then we will see the perfect kingdom of God in all His glory.
So many people today seem to be looking for a perfect world, a Utopia. They try to legislate everything to force people to strive for the same thing. But no matter how good their intentions may be, they are always thwarted by human nature and their own limitations.
But we’re not looking for a perfect earthly kingdom, because there will never be one. We are looking forward to our perfect heavenly country, which we know that God has prepared for us (Heb. 11:16).