Staying Strong In A Sinful World- Part 3
By Allan E. McNabb

In this brief series of articles, we’re talking about spiritual strength.

In Part I, we talked about the fact that it’s hard to stay strong, as we live around sinful people.  Like Lot, our souls are tormented by their lawless deeds.

In Part II, we talked about the preparation required to become strong, and stay strong.
Spend time with God by studying His word.
Spend time with God by praying.
Spend time with God by singing spiritual songs.

Then we closed the article talking about staying strong by not entangling ourselves with the daily affairs of everyday life.

Now, in Part III, we’ll talk about staying strong by associating with the right people.

Avoid Sinful Situations When Possible
God’s will is for us to live in the world, and not isolate ourselves from people living in sin.  Therefore, it’s impossible to avoid all contact with sin (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

At the same time, though, we’re not bound together with unbelievers.  God commands us to come out of their midst and be separate.
“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness (2 Cor. 6:14)?
“‘Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord . . .” (2 Cor. 6:17).

So we live around sinful people, but we don’t have sinful partnership or fellowship with them.  We do not participate in their unfruitful deeds of darkness, but expose them (Eph. 5:11).

To live this way, and avoid sinful situations, we must put to death our sinful desires, and avoid evil companions.
“I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31).
“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Cor. 15:33).
“Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality . . .” (Col. 3:5).

Avoid Sinful Language
It’s not possible to avoid all sinful language in the world, but we shouldn’t expose ourselves to more than is necessary.  Nor should we use sinful language ourselves.
“But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks” (Eph. 5:3-4).

If we participate in sinful language, it leads to further ungodliness that spreads like gangrene (2 Tim. 2:16-17).

Avoid People Who Oppose the Truth
We should avoid people who oppose the truth because they lead people astray.

These are:
“Lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power . . .” (2 Tim. 3:2-5).

Paul tells us to avoid such people because they oppose the truth, leading people away from God.
“Avoid such men as these.  For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith” (2 Tim. 3:5-8).

We are to avoid sinful situations as much as possible, and make a special effort to avoid people who are leading people away from God, except to preach the word to them (2 Tim. 4:2).

Although we’re loving toward all people, we shouldn’t be companions of religious leaders who lead people into sin through their teachings.  Nor should we be companions with people advocating sin in pop culture, such as advertising executives advocating sin through their commercials.

As a matter of fact, when we act as Christians, exposing darkness as lights to the world, people advocating sin don’t want to be our companions.

Avoid Factious People
A factious person causes division.

Sometimes people like to be factious to destroy friendships for self-serving purposes.  Maybe they want to gain power over a group of people, so they cause strife resulting in division.

In religion, the same thing happens.  The best way to destroy a congregation is to create strife resulting in division, especially by teaching false doctrine.  Unless the congregation is strong enough to reject the factious man, it will be divided.

God’s command, through the apostle Paul, is simple and plain.
“Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned” (Tit. 3:10-11).

Associate with Godly People
Rather than associating with sinful people who influence us negatively, we are to associate with godly people who influence us positively.
Rom. 12:16  Associate with the lowly.
1 Cor. 5:11  Don’t associate with immoral brethren.
Heb. 10:24-25  Assemble with the saints.
2 Tim. 2:22  Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

The most important group of people to associate with is Christians, at the assembly and in day-to-day activities.  These are the people who will help us get to heaven.

Summary
To stay strong in a sinful world, we must:
Keep our hearts right with God.
Spend time with God by studying and meditating on his word, singing, and praying.
Not entangling yourself in the affairs of everyday life.
Avoiding sinful situations as much as possible.
Associate with godly people.