BY GREG CRUM
“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” I Corinthians 15:33-34
Here in I Corinthians we read an admonition and an encouragement. The encouragement? To spread the personal knowledge of God! The admonition? To avoid the counsel of the ungodly! Why? Because negative influences influence us negatively!
Friends, some things in this life really are that simple. Who we hang around, physically, and, in our day, virtually, has an impact on our lives. We need to beware of the sources of influence knocking at the door of our hearts, and be mindful to choose who and what we allow in the “houses” of our minds. If you’re a mom or dad, grandma or grandpa, no doubt this is wisdom that you’ve tried to relay to the children you love, but have you been as careful to apply it to your own life? Evil influences don’t quit knocking once we reach a certain age, and we can be just as impressionable at 65 as we are at 15. I Corinthians 15:33 wasn’t just written for the young, it was written for us all.
“Bad company corrupts good character.” That’s how the NIV translates I Corinthians 15:33, and words were never more apt for a generation such as this than those. We live in a day in which we don’t have to be next door to or work with “bad company” in order to be influenced by them. Bad company is preaching its form of “gospel” all the time through its music, TV, and social media. As followers of Jesus, it’s our job to keep ourselves clear of these influences and refuse the counsel of the ungodly.
Do you remember God’s directions to us from Psalm 1:1? There the Lord tells us “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” We are not to live by the “wisdom” of the world. Sadly, so many Christians today are not following this directive. Instead, they give ear to who they perceive to be the “experts in the field” and entertain the advice of sinners over God and His Word. I can’t overemphasize how big of a mistake this is! Proverbs 21:30 states, “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.” I don’t care what kind of degree they have or what the “science” says, if it is contrary to God’s Word, I’m not following their advice.
Brothers and sisters, God has our answer. It’s the only answer we need! Psalm 33:10-11 reads, “The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” It’s when we reject this good advice of the Lord that we get ourselves in trouble.
With that said, most Christians I know wouldn’t blatantly embrace the counsel of Satan and reject the counsel of God, but many today don’t realize Satan’s counsel can masquerade as “wisdom.” I’ve heard it way too many times over these last five years, “Well, the Lord expects us to use ‘wisdom.’” This, of course, was code for go along with the world, hide in fear, evade opposition for our faith, etc. When the “wisdom” you are speaking of runs the same track as the mindset of the world, is that really wisdom? It’s not.
Friends, we should be getting good and tired of being duped by the devil. I want to embrace God’s counsel moving forward. How about you? Sure, it may be difficult at times to discern real wisdom, but with the Lord’s help we can. With that in mind, I’ll leave off with a tip that has helped me to rightly divide the source of influence in my life. When in doubt, I take a listen to the tenor of the influence. Does it attempt to produce fear in my life? Fear is not a tactic God uses—ever! He has nothing to do with dread or harm. I think to myself, “Is this ‘wisdom’ trying to move me to an action because I’m scared of harm?” If it’s a “Yes,” then I know it’s not of God. I’ve found that James 3:17-18 is true, God’s counsel always brings His peace.
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.