Bad Company - 1 Corinthians 15:33

 

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Galatians 6:7-8

Paul wrote letters to churches in the city of Corinth and Galatia. Believers.

And in both of them he says this: do not be deceived.

So, just in case I wonder, believers can be deceived. Even though He has given us a spirit of sound judgement (2 Timothy 1:7), in my pride, I can ignore that divine power and be deceived.

To the Corinthian church he warned them about what? Bad company.

Bad company is a huge problem for believers today. Huge. It’s a huge problem for me.

Follow me here. Almost every believer I know has an endless supply of bad company right in their pocket.

All of those things that the book of Proverbs warns young men about are on my “smart” phone. Right?

There are mischievous minstrels and sultry singers offering all kinds of sin “free” for the taking.

They sing about getting high, getting drunk, fighting with the police, sleeping around, and more.

And that’s just the music.

Praise the Lord there are many who lift up the name of Jesus on that smart phone.

There’s also the movies and tv shows. How many shows offer all kinds of temptations right on the screen? Countless.

There’s lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life. And these are the norm. It’s hard to find a show for a believer to watch.

There are also fictional books with all kinds of debauchery in both the villains and the heroes.

So, if I spend leisure time with this kind of company, who am I going to want to be? Am I going to want to be like Jesus or am I going to be like the world? The more time I spend with bad company, the more I want to be like them.

And I wrestle with the issue of bad company entertainment. I do.

And don’t get me wrong. I’m not telling others what to do. But I know that when I stew in these juices, it affects the way I think. And for me it entices me to sin.

See, I have good morals. But if I spend my time with those guys, it will corrupt me. And even addict me.

I have to keep an arms distance away.

I have to spend my time with good company. Good books, good songs, and good movies. And better yet, good people who love the Lord.

And by the way, social media can create the same kind of problem. Big huge problems. Especially with greed. I see all the great lives others lead and I want stuff like that too.

I’m not saying that it can’t be done wisely; it can. But it must be done WISELY. I can’t just tell myself I’m being smart about it; I actually must be.

Also, the Galatians passage talks about reaping what we sow. A lot of entertainment sows to the flesh. If we sow to the flesh, we reap destruction. That’s what the verse says.

If I sow to the Spirit, I reap eternal life.

I’m not saying that we work for our salvation. That’s a gift from God. The same one who wrote Galatians, also makes it clear that salvation is a free gift from God. Not of works (Ephesians 2).

But I can bring on destruction by sowing to the flesh.

And here’s the thing: if I don’t depend upon the Lord, I will absolutely sow to the flesh; I will spend my time with bad company. I will become a destroyer.

But I am a child of God. He has given me a Spirit of power (to not sin), s Spirit of love, and and a Spirit of sound judgement.

I can confess my sin. I can yield to the Spirit. I can seek Him. I can crucify the flesh. By His power.

I can, right now, declare that in my life, and continue (or begin) to give glory to God. Today.

Lord, I do NOT want to be deceived. I want to live for you. I want to spend my time with good company. Lord teach me to sow to the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit, to walk in the light. Walk. Regularly. Daily. Over and over again. Thank you for your powerful work in me. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.