📖 I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate [closely and habitually] with unchaste (impure) people—
Not [meaning of course that you must] altogether shun the immoral people of this world, or the greedy graspers and cheats and thieves or idolaters, since otherwise you would need to get out of the world and human society altogether!
But now I write to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of [Christian] brother if he is known to be guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater [whose soul is devoted to any object that usurps the place of God], or is a person with a foul tongue [railing, abusing, reviling, slandering], or is a drunkard or a swindler or a robber. [No] you must not so much as eat with such a person.
—I Corinthians 5:9-11 AMPC
Your associations can determine your destiny. If you hang around losers, you might become one. If you hang around winners, you might become one as well. We don’t want to associate closely and habitually with immoral and impure people. Their ways may rub off on you. We know that no matter where we look, we will see the ungodly, but we don’t have to make them our best friends. Paul goes as far as to say don’t even eat with those types of people. Galatians 5:9 tells us that, “A little leaven (a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers) leavens the whole lump [it perverts the whole conception of faith or misleads the whole church]”. The Bible also tells us that “evil communication corrupts good manners”. Let’s stay free from the influence of the world. Let’s do what the Word tells us to do: So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor. (2 Corinthians 6:17)
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