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In the NIV Bible, Proverbs 13:20 warns, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” In other words, “choose your friends wisely.” You may be wondering what this means for us as Christians? Are we called to associate ourselves only with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? While I know that God blesses and requires this time spent with fellow believers (Matthew 18:20), I think it’s important for us not to forget that Jesus, Himself, kept tax collectors, prostitutes, and other “sinners” in His company. As a result of these associations, the Pharisees and other teachers of the law shot numerous accusations at Jesus (Luke 15:1-2). Why would Jesus have risked associating Himself with this sort of company? Why would He have risked ruining His reputation?
To explain Himself, Jesus offered three parables: The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin, and The Parable of the Lost Son. Jesus associated Himself with the “sinners” because he was going after the “lost sheep,” “lost coins,” and “lost sons” of the world, just as we are called to do today. In fact, that is evangelism in a nutshell. So, while the world’s view may say you are “guilty by association,” I would argue you are guiltier by not associating at all. I will leave you with one warning, though. Be sure you are doing God’s work in these relationships. First Peter 2:12 suggests, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
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