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1 Corinthians 5:9-13
We find that the Apostle Paul has turned his attention from the attitudes and actions of the congregation of the church at Corinth to those who are not part of the secular world and refuse to have anything to do with Jesus and the salvation that only He provides. Paul instructs that a fellowship with such a person should not be a part of one’s life as a Christian.
Paul precedes the thought that they might accuse him of judging others, however, he has brought to their attention how they have been in judgment of one another from within the church itself. Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 5:13 (NKJV), “13But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” [Deuteronomy 17:7; 19:19; 22:21, 24; 24:7]
This is a command to not allow those of the secular world to influence your lifestyle or the choices that you make.
The people that are our closest friends are the ones whose lives are molded after one another. The friends that we choose are reflective of our own personality and the lifestyle that we live. The Apostle Paul is teaching in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 that as we are growing and developing our walk with Christ Jesus, so should we pick our friends. We should surround ourselves with those who are also seeking Jesus in their lives as this supplies us with a support group that is trustworthy in helping us in our Christianity as we too can be in support of them. If our support group is leading us and guiding us in the ways of the world, these people are leading and guiding us away from Jesus and our walk with Him.
Dear LORD,
We know that You want us to be an example to the world in hopes that they will see You working in our lives. But please help us to see that as we grow in our relationship with You through our salvation in Christ Jesus that we need support in our friendships that we make to help us make the right decisions in our lives – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray, amen.