Do Not be Deceived, Bad Company Corrupts Good Character

If anyone has had the chance to sit down with me and talk about relationships you would be quick to say that I am nothing short of passionate about those we are in relationships with...whether it be friends, dating etc. In fact relationships are so important in our spiritual walk with the Lord. As we see throughout Scripture there is no "lone-ranger" walking around but rather there is a displaying of teamwork. For example look at 2 Corinthians 8:1-6 where verse 4 says, "...they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints". In 1 Corithinians 12 we read about how we are all members of one body and in order to function properly we must work together. Now with that said many of you might be nodding your head in agreement as to the fact that two is better than one. But here comes the twist for the Christian...two is only better than one if that two glorifies the Lord. What I mean to say here is that unless you are partnering in "close" relationships with those who are like-minded and children of God then you are not in the kind of relationships God wants you and designed you to be in.

Now before I explain let me make sure to express the fact that as Christians we are to love non-Christians. In fact our command is to go and make disciples (Matthew 28). We should have interaction of some sort with them. I am not advocating an isolation from the world and from non-Christian interaction, but I am saying that having a close relationship with one a non-Christian (best friend, boyfriend, girlfriend etc.) is not okay. They should not be the ones you turn to for encouragement, advice or consistent fellowship. Let me explain.

2 Corinthians 6:14 says, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" What does that even mean...to be yoked? Well to be yoked means to be joined with, to be bound together. That means that Christ is telling us that we shouldn't have any close relationship with a non-Christian because they are completely different than you...you are not going to grow together and move forward. You see in 1 John we read that those who live in the light are children of God and everyone else is a child of Satan. That means that if you are yoked together with someone who is not a child of God, who has not repented and put their faith in Christ you are in fellowship with a child of the devil. Think about that for a moment. Now you might still not believe what I'm saying, you might try and justify it by saying "but I am being a missionary to this person" or "but how are they supposed to know what a Christian looks like if I don't spend time with them"? Well here is your answer to those and many other justifications: 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." Short sweet and to the point huh?! It does not say that it MIGHT lead to corruption it says it DOES lead to corruption. Therefore think about that for a moment...if you are in a relationship with a non-believer you are slowly being influenced and corrupted day after day. Remember that this corruption is gradual and subtle as we see the warning here of not being mislead or deceived.

Back to this idea of God's kids and Satan's kids. Does God want his kids hanging out with Satan's? Absolutely not! Who do we love more? Do we love God more or do we love the world and all that is in it more? James 4:4 says, "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." If you are friends with this world, and the prince of this world is Satan, then you are enemy of God. If you are thinking right now that you can't give up some relationship with some non-Christian because your heart is so attached to it, you have to ask yourself why is it is so attached to something that is not of God?! Evaluate where you stand...who do you love more? Jeremiah 3:12-15

So what kinds of relationships should we having and looking to have then? This is where the heart of what I want to say begins. There is no such thing as a superficial relationship in Scripture. There is no "well this person is just fun" type of friendship. Every relationship we see that honors God in Scripture is one that spurs on, sharpens, encourages, rebukes, exhorts, and comforts. There is a uniting within Christ in these relationships and because of that God strengthens and blesses them. The kinds of relationships we should be looking for are ones that are ultimately going to point us to Jesus Christ. Friends that are going to make us fall more in love with Him, teach us how to fear him more, teach us how to live lives more set-apart (holy) and more humbly. They are relationships that are going to love us enough to call us out when we are in sin, relationships that are going to hold us up in prayer and love us when we are hurting, and remind us of God's character when we are in the midst of despair. They are the friends that are going to sharpen us with His Word daily, who are going to challenge us to grow in our holiness, and model to us what it means to be a servant and to live as Micah 6:8 says, "To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

We need to realize that as we grow in the Lord and are made more and more into His likeness we are going to need the encouragement and support of those fellow, like-minded believers. We are going to need to unite together in Him to live this counter-cultural life. If our desire is to magnify Him wouldn't we want to be surrounded by those and built up by those whose goal is the same?

We need to evaluate our relationships and see if they are ones that are encouraging or corrupting. We need to stop with our prideful attitudes thinking we somehow are strong enough not to be brought down or discouraged by those in this world and realize that God has commanded us not to be yoked with those in darkness, those who are not saved, because we will be deceived and corrupted...it will happen (think back on any non-Christian friendship that you may have had or have now and think of how you have compromised thoughts, words, actions because of it). You may loose friends because of this but our good God is faithful to encourage us and to bring you alongside those who are running the same race so that you may glorify Him together.

Pray that the Lord would bring you relationships that honor Him!