Bible Reading: Exodus 11-12:21; Job 29; Luke 14; 1 Corinthians 15
1 Corinthians 15:33-34 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
The need for truth is so great! There is much deception in the world and the Bible constantly tells us to be on our guard and not be deceived. One of the great areas of deception is the people that we allow to influence us. Here the Bible warns us against evil communications. Evil communications are the talks that we have with companions that are evil. When you have a lost friend, you need to make sure that you are the one doing the influencing. If you let the evil in the lives of your companions to influence you, you will be deceived and led astray.
What are your friends like? Do you spend time around people that hate God? Do you allow them to influence you? If you do, the Bible says they will corrupt your good manners. Manners here mean habits of life. The King new this well and he warned his young son about the company that we keep.
Proverbs 1:10-16 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
We must awake to righteousness! We must not willing walk in sin and we must know that some people do not know God. They will lead us astray. You must know God and his Word. Then you can discern what a person is like. Are they going to give you wise counsel? If you know the Word, you can tell if their counsel is wise or not. If they do not know God, then you should prayerfully try to introduce them to Jesus Christ. He can change them. But do not let them influence you.
It is a shame that many of God's children have stopped listening to him and listened to a lost world. Be not deceived! Jesus is the Truth!
In Christ,
Rody
