Picking Our Friends Wisely

-

Who we associate with is who we will become.

2 Thess. 3:6-15

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the traditions which you received from us.”

                  Throughout the scriptures, we are warned about the kind of people we associate with and the type of friends surrounding us.  The people we associate with and spend all our time with will influence how we act, think, and live our lives.  In this passage Paul is not forbidding any association with those who do not follow Christ.  This would not only be impossible, but it would also be counterproductive to our mission.  We are called to reach people with the gospel, which requires building relationships with others.  Paul warning us to be intentional and careful about who influences us and shapes our lives, values, and beliefs. In 2 Corinthians 6:17, Paul commands the church at Corinth, a city that is known for its immorality and corruption, to avoid relationships with unbelievers.  As he writes to the church at Thessalonica, he warns them to disassociate with those within the church who are not walking in obedience to Christ.  There are several individuals he mentions explicitly.  First, some lead unruly lives and reject the teachings of the apostles. These individuals reject the moral standards and conduct outlined in scripture and encourage others to do the same.  Instead of promoting obedience to God’s word, they justify their disobedience.  

                  Second, they are to avoid those who are not willing to work.  This is not a destitute person in need of help.  God requires us to help people who are in desperate need. Rather, this individual has the capacity and opportunity to work but refuses to do so.  They are lazy and abuse the generosity of the church.  Paul states that such a person should not receive any help.  

                  Third, Paul warns about associating with people who refuse to obey the Bible.  They willfully and blatantly disregard the moral and spiritual teachings of the Bible and continue to live in sin.  These are individuals we are not only to avoid but to discipline (see Matthew 18:15-20).  We should never treat sin with complacency or lightly.  All sin, even those trivial in our eyesight, is an affront to God, for it is a rejection of God’s holiness and His authority over our lives.  Even the most trivial sin is an act of defiance and rebellion against God.  Therefore, we are to avoid the individuals who refuse to obey the scriptures.

                  The point that Paul is making in all this is that we are to be aware of who influences our lives.  Who do we look to for advice regarding morality and spirituality?  Are they upholding the truth of Scripture or undermining and rejecting what God states?  This includes the people we spend time with, the books we read, the podcasts we listen to, and the individuals we follow on the internet.  We must examine their life and teachings and ensure they conform to God’s word and moral law.  If not, then we are to avoid them.  We become who we associate ourselves with.  We will be led astray if we associate with people who reject God’s word.  However, if we follow those faithful to both teach and live according to the Scripture, we will grow in our faith and become more like Christ.  In our age of mass information, we must be prudent and careful regarding those influencing us. 

                  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A New Way of Life

-
A New Way of Life Hebrews 10:19-25 “Therefore, brethren, since we have the confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”                   The book of Hebrews is centered on the redemptive work of Christ and how His sacrifice is sufficient for paying the penalty of our sins so that we now have free access to God.   By comparing the Old Testament sacrificial system and the sacrifice on the day of atonement with the sacrifice of Christ, the writer points out that the Old Testament sacrificial system and the Day of the Atonement provided only temporary and partial forgiveness for our sins.  Every year, the High Priest would take the blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement and enter into the Holy of...
Read more

When Injustice Reigns

-
When Injustice Reigns Eccl. 8:10-14 “There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.” Traditional wisdom informs us that God blesses the righteous, and the wicked will suffer calamity because of their sin. In Proverbs 10, we find a discourse on the contrast between the righteous and the wicked. Traditional wisdom informs us that “Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot” (Prov. 10:6-8). In the moral order established by God, we obtain blessing and prosperity when we walk in obedience to God, for this is the promise of the law given to Moses (see the blessings and curses of the law in Deut. 28). However, Solomon takes a closer examination o...
Read more

The Prayer God Answers

-
The Prayer that God Loves to Answer Phil. 1:7-11 “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”               When we pray, what is the focus of our requests?  James points out that one of the reasons we are powerless in prayer is because we ask with the wrong motives. Our prayers focus on what we want for our pleasure and happiness rather than spiritual transformation (James 4:3). Effective prayer starts with the proper focus.  This is not to say that God does not desire us to pray about our personal needs.  He invites us to pray about all things and issues in our lives.  However, prayer is not al...
Read more