My Dear friends there is an English phrase which says- “A man is known by the company he keeps.”
Bible is very clear about a believer or an Anointed one’s life style while living in this world.Believers/Christians may think it doesn’t matter even if we associate with any kind of people.It is our Moral duty being a child of God to walk in Love but it doesn’t mean that we cannot be affected by the world(if we are not vigilant).Bible says in the epistle of Jude:-
Jude 1:22,23
And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire,hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
We must preach and teach with fear of God in our hearts(even though with bold authority of the Lord),selflessly plundering hell and populating Heaven by God’s Grace and The Anointing of the Holy Spirit.The garment that is defiled by flesh by others should not effect us by any means.
Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
The above verses clearly teach us that any man of God in order to receive God’s blessings we must not be partakers of the scornful people or even counsel of the ungodly.
The picture attached(recently taken by our group member) with this article seems to be of a lizard.The uniqueness of the image lies in the fact that the impression of the lizard on the seat cover even after moving from that place.This clicked photograph teaches us many things for our personal lives also.This speaks of a person’s life who allows those people in life who can cause harm but even if they move away from our life,they leave an indelible impact or impression that is not easily wiped off.Many people’s prayers are hindered and when they are praying their mind is effected by the negative words and expressions of others.Sometimes it may take time to focus in Prayers because the mind is so much impacted by others that their thoughts are all the time in our sub-conscious mind.There can also be negative soul ties with people that affect any believer’s life unknowingly.The negative impressions can be give an entry to the spirit of fear unknowingly.Some people take it casually,but it really can disturb and impact the Spiritual life and health of the people in long run.So my friends it is better to have fellowship with the Light(Lord JESUS CHRIST) being the children of Light.
1 John 1:7
but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
We might think it won’t affect our Spiritual life to eat and commune with anyone constantly but Bible clearly warns us in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 about the kind of fellowship or company a believer must keep
2 Corinthians 6:14 says
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
It is one thing to Love others but it is another thing to be impacted by the world.We are not here to be infected by the world but to affect the world.The Anointing on our life will teach us everything(1 John 2:20).The Anointing will break and destroy the yoke on others life who come in touch with you or it will sanctify you and separate God’s Sheep(the chosen ones) from the goats.
2 Corinthians 6:17 says
Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
Lord wants us to sanctify HIS people.
James 4:4
Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
The Word of God in the above verses clearly states that friendship with the world is enmity with God.God is a Loving God but jealous too for HIS people.We cannot please God and man both.There are basically three enemies of a Believer/followers of CHRIST i.e the world,the flesh and the devil.My friends we have to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.We need the Gift of Discerning of Spirits to walk under the will of God in this world.
Colossians 3:5-10
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
My friends we must sanctify ourselves from the above works of the flesh that make us unclean and we must separate from such people who in-spite of knowing the Truth,practice the above traits.
1 Corinthians 5:9-11
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.
The above verse is clear about the mention of believers who are involved in the works of the flesh.My friends even though we may be going to the church or various prayer meetings but if we are not delivered even after reading Bible and attending Prayer meetings then eventually the Spiritual life or zeal for the Lord will diminish and sometimes people may backslide.The renewal of mind can only take place if we get the Revelation of Lord JESUS CHRIST and get delivered from the works of the flesh and the demonic forces.People may get together in the name of the Lord but mostly spend time to gossip.The following verse makes it clear,Ephesians 5:3-7
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.Therefore do not be partakers with them.
People may enjoy foolish talks,criticisms,mocking others,interested to discuss immorality,trying to defame others etc,all these things are unpleasant in the site of The Lord.The verse commands us not to be partakers with such people,who love to indulge in such kind of talks.
1 Timothy 6:20-21
O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.Grace be with You.Amen.
Yes my friends the Word of God says that we have to guard what was committed to our trust.We must not argue with people who contradict the sound teaching from the Word of God.There are so many false doctrines these days,they try to prove from the Word of God their so called sound doctrine,but St Paul teaches Timothy to avoid discussion regarding false knowledge as it may lead many astray from Faith.The false doctrine seems to be very loving,easy going and enticing but the Truth is by far away from such people.We should rather watch and pray and seek the Holy Spirit for everything.
Our job is to pray for others,to counsel them and teach them from the Word,protecting ourselves from the corruption of the world.Otherwise it may impact or influence our Spiritual life,our mind,our emotions etc.
