15:33 Do not be
deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Awake to
righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I
speak this to your shame.
I don't always check the Greek but I'm glad I did today. It
would better read this way:
"Do not be
deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." Return to
righteousness, and not sin; for some have become willfully ignorant of God. I
say this to your shame."
Apparently some in Corinth left their old lives and sinful
habits but have returned. I can tell you from experience that it's easier to
live as a Christian among people who don't know Him at all than it is to live
among those who claim to be His but live as they please.
It's always a danger to slip back into old patterns but far
more likely to happen if those around you are living two-faced lives. The
solution is simple. Consider Jesus. Who did He have to support Him on His
mission and help keep Him on the straight and narrow? His disciples didn't even
know what His mission was and when He tried to tell them they opposed Him.
Jesus didn't ditch them. This passage is not a call to ditch imperfect friends
although there is a time and a place for putting up firm boundaries with people
who are either toxic or determined to make you fail. The book of Proverbs has
some good wisdom on that. However if we tried to root out every person who may
have a negative influence on us we would end up with no friends and then we'd
realize our greatest enemy to success is ourselves.
So what is the answer?
Easy, make Jesus your best friend. Keep Him with you
everywhere you go. It's hard to go from your knees or His Word straight into
sin so don't leave Him behind. Keep Him with you. Jesus with you is a far
greater influence for good than anything else. That's why Jesus when He was
here began every day by Himself with His Father. Otherwise the constant grind
of being with people who had a completely different agenda would have worn Him
down.
The solution was right in the verse. Those turning back to
sin we're willfully leaving God out of their lives. Our hearts and minds are
living and active. They are either growing brighter and better or darker and
worse. God is the Source of good. Satan is the source of evil. Where you choose
to be and Who you choose to be with will determine who wins your heart and
mind. Choose wisely and make the choice anew every day. Remember what Paul
confessed yesterday. "I die every single day..."
Die to sin and self and let Jesus live in and through you.
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