Bad Company, Unequally Yoked, Unbelievers in Church

What does the bible say about keeping bad company?  What about being unequally yoked?  What about unbelievers in the Church?

What does the bible say about keeping bad company?

 

“Do not be led astray: Evil company corrupts good character.”  1^st Corinthians 15:33

 

Who do we believe, our own wisdom or the wisdom of God?  Do we call God a liar by not believing what He has instructed us through His Word?  Facts are facts and any of us who have not followed this advice can clearly state that indeed this is true.  I’ve mentioned before that when one of my friends who is worldly came up here and I hung out with him I was not well behaved.  What if he lived here and wanted to hang out frequently?  What if I had several friends like that who live liked the world and I hung out with them on a regular basis?

 

“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.  Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.  But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; not even to eat with such a person.”  1^st Corinthians 5:9-11

 

Now there is a big difference between hanging out with people doing certain things.  The question becomes as to what you are doing, what you are discussing or how you are behaving.  You might as well go fishing or hunting with someone you work with.  You might shoot some hoops or go sledding.  There are many things you could and should do, if you so choose, with those who are of the world.  After all if we always keep to ourselves how are we to be a witness to those who need Christ.  However there is a fine line hanging out with those of the world and participating with them in sin, whether laughing at there crude jokes.  We all know very well what we should and shouldn’t be doing and who we should and shouldn’t be hanging out with.  Regardless do not forsake following and obeying Christ in whatever it is you do.

 

There is a second thing to this.  When it comes to those who call themselves Christians we must be very, very careful not to associate with them.  Who am I talking about?  I’m talking about those who cause divisions in the Church, or Christian life.  Though you might think that you cannot become convinced of their false doctrine the opening verse says otherwise.  Listening to the testimony of David Cloud he talks about how some who were well founded in the doctrine have fallen away from considering some things from others that was false.  Look at Dave Hunt, someone who at least appears to have been truly Saved but yet he now denies hell and other doctrines.  Or look at Jeff Godwin who wrote excellent books on exposing rock music.  Where is he?  Did he get caught back up into it?  Take this warning very seriously and do not consider it…

 

“…hold fast what is good.”  1^st Thessalonians 5:21

 

What about being unequally yoked?

 

What about unbelievers in the Church?

 

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”  2^nd Corinthians 6:14

 

Both of these kinda go hand and hand.  We have talked about this many times before so I will not be detailed here but the Church is for Christians, not the unsaved.  Thought the unsaved might show up or be there they should not be purposely invited unless the Holy Spirit has told the person who invited them otherwise.  The same is true about Christians marrying unbelievers.  This can happen if one presumes that their wife is Saved when indeed she is not.  However take this warning seriously because ‘bad company corrupts’ and more than not very bad things will happen.