April 3, 2020 Who are we associating with?

Reading: Numbers 13-14, Psalm 81, and 1 Corinthians 45

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 5:9-11, I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

Thoughts: How often do we judge people for things we have issues with? I don’t know how many times this passage or others like it are used to do just that. When our brothers and sisters in Christ have fallen or returned to their sins, we are placed in a hard spot. Here it says not to associate with them, yet we are also told to love on them. My thoughts on this is if they are our brothers and sisters then we need to be encouraging them and trying to help them grow, but we are not to be their best friends. Those we spend time with are those we become. If we are spending time in the word and in prayer we are going to become more like God, if we are spending time in areas or with people that are encouraging things that are counter to the Father then we are going to become more like them. Whom are we becoming more like?

Prayer: Father, I thank you that you are here with us and that you take care of all things, I thank you that you long to be apart of our lives. I thank you for your provisions and blessings that you pour out every day. I thank you for my family and the directions that we have seen so far. I ask that you help me to not judge but to encourage and lead those around me to the place where they can come back into fellowship with you.