Help me please

[Mountain_Climber]

I don't think avoiding bad associations means labeling people as good or bad. I think is has to do with recognizing the effect certain people and/or situations are likely to have on oneself/one's family -- and choosing wisely.

Excellent point.

We also want to remember that Paul is addressing the church (the congregation of God) whom God's spirit is grooming to be married to His Son and so this is teaching spiritual fidelity. God desires a wife for His Son who knows how to be and remain faithful in a spiritual sense, avoiding spiritual fornication with the falsities held in those vessels that are of dishonor due to their lack of appreciation of holiness.

2 Timothy 2:19-21
19 "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

This spiritual principle is one any serious christian who claims to have dedicated their life to Christ and the work of Christ in promoting the will of His Father, (whether as Christ's bride or as his child), can benefit from.

OK. That might be why it was acceptable and is acceptable to believe that bad associations are people.

What about the leaven then? Is your opinion that the leaven which can ferment the whole batch are people too?

Luke 12:1 "In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trod one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."

 

[TheInfiniteLight]

People say God says "bad associations spoil useful habits". If bad associations are people then God saying it means God sees bad people. What are people who are not bad? I think the opposite of bad is good. Am I right?

I need help believing God sees good people and bad people.

We are all sinners before the Lord and have fallen short of His Glory. The Lord has Mercy upon us because we are sinners. The Lord shines His Light upon the good and the unjust because we are all sinners. There is not one man exalted above another. We must humble ourselves. The Lord has mercy upon us all.

 

[Flat Earth Kyle]

I believe there are those who are diligently trying to do what is right and those who are not. Good associations are those who strive to do what is right and bad associations are those who don't.
Of course God is aware of the righteous and the unrighteous, as well as good and bad, if he wasn't he wouldn't say repent, go and sin no more.

 

[savagewind]

I believe there are those who are diligently trying to do what is right and those who are not. Good associations are those who strive to do what is right and bad associations are those who don't.
Of course God is aware of the righteous and the unrighteous, as well as good and bad, if he wasn't he wouldn't say repent, go and sin no more.

No person knows that another person "strives to do what it right". You would need to be able to see hearts. I can not see hearts. In fact, the Bible warns of wolves in sheep cover. If I associate with those kinds of people will I be spoiled in your opinion?

I believe doing good is for The Father in heaven. I might meet people who do much better than I am doing regarding good works. But I think that if they are doing it for the heavenly reward and therefore not for The Heavenly Father I should view that person as a bad association. How am I to know why people are doing good?

Also, are you not aware that what some things society views as bad might turn out for the good?

 

[Brickjectivity]

I believe there are those who are diligently trying to do what is right and those who are not. Good associations are those who strive to do what is right and bad associations are those who don't.

Hi. That is a matter of appearances. You may know if you are diligently trying to do right, but its hard to tell about other people. There is skill required and intelligence to appear to be diligent. With good associations its hard to say. For example you can marry someone and not know them for the first year.

Of course God is aware of the righteous and the unrighteous, as well as good and bad, if he wasn't he wouldn't say repent, go and sin no more.

Very good. In the passage referenced its appears that the sin was the woman's issue of blood. Her problem was that she couldn't stop menstruating which was the sin he was likely referring to, so when Jesus said go and sin no more it was not talking about a matter of conscience at least in that instance. So he would say go and sin no more in that situation, and its confusing because in the gospel her ritual uncleanness is referred to as sin.

 

[djhwoodwerks]

Rom 3:9-12 (ESVST) 9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:
" None is righteous, no, not one;11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."

Rom 7:14-20 (ESVST) . 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

I apologize if someone has posted these verses already. I have read the posts on the first page and this page only!

 

[djhwoodwerks]

1Co 15:32-33 (ESVST) ." 33 Do not be deceived: " Bad company ruins good morals."

(STRONG) g3657. ὁμιλία homilia; from 3658; companionship ("homily"), i. e. (by implication) intercourse:— communication.
AV (1)- communication 1; companionship, intercourse, communion.

Looks to me like it is people and words.

 

[Brickjectivity]

My understanding of this verse in 1 Cor is that these are naughty Christians who have been selfishly avoiding fellowship with other Christians or perhaps have been pretending to not be Christians. Look at his 1Cor 15:30 "And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?" and then verse 34 he says "Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame." So he's blaming them that so many people are ignorant of God, and says it is their fault since they've only been looking after themselves. They themselves are the bad company that he is talking about.

 

[savagewind]

My understanding of this verse in 1 Cor is that these are naughty Christians who have been selfishly avoiding fellowship with other Christians or perhaps have been pretending to not be Christians. Look at his 1Cor 15:30 "And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?" and then verse 34 he says "Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame." So he's blaming them that so many people are ignorant of God, and says it is their fault since they've only been looking after themselves. They themselves are the bad company that he is talking about.

They have been trusting in their own understanding.

 

[Brickjectivity]

They have been trusting in their own understanding.

Its hard not to do that though.

 

[savagewind]

Its hard not to do that though.

It is easy if you will trust only ONE.

 

[savagewind]

I have learned not to trust myself, believing that I will do or won't do something that I believe that I will or won't do. Wisdom has taught me not to say I will do something when I know sometimes I don't. And I learned not to trust in my own understanding but that I should trust the Helper whom Jesus promised to send.

 

[Muffled]

Who, in your opinion, is acting "in a manner worthy of God'?

I believe it to be a person who has Jesus as Lord and Savior.

To give you an example of this I had a neighbor who insisted I go to a bar with him. He would have encouraged me to hustle pool with him but I was not interested because it smacks of stealing. He wanted me to drink with him but I was not into drinking. He thought I should take up with other women than my wife but that would be adultery. In other words bad company does its best to corrupt people and those who are not strong in their beliefs could be corrupted.

 

[Muffled]

Hi. That is a matter of appearances. You may know if you are diligently trying to do right, but its hard to tell about other people. There is skill required and intelligence to appear to be diligent. With good associations its hard to say. For example you can marry someone and not know them for the first year.

Very good. In the passage referenced its appears that the sin was the woman's issue of blood. Her problem was that she couldn't stop menstruating which was the sin he was likely referring to, so when Jesus said go and sin no more it was not talking about a matter of conscience at least in that instance. So he would say go and sin no more in that situation, and its confusing because in the gospel her ritual uncleanness is referred to as sin.

I believe you are confused the statement was given in reference to a woman caught in adultery.

 

[Muffled]

No person knows that another person "strives to do what it right". You would need to be able to see hearts. I can not see hearts. In fact, the Bible warns of wolves in sheep cover. If I associate with those kinds of people will I be spoiled in your opinion?

I believe doing good is for The Father in heaven. I might meet people who do much better than I am doing regarding good works. But I think that if they are doing it for the heavenly reward and therefore not for The Heavenly Father I should view that person as a bad association. How am I to know why people are doing good?

Also, are you not aware that what some things society views as bad might turn out for the good?

I believe this is majoring in minors. I don't believe seeking good for any reason can be considered evil.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I believe you are confused the statement was given in reference to a woman caught in adultery.

My post was a reply to Yaddoe. I quoted him and replied to his quotes, so I am not really talking about a woman caught in anything in reference to the passage of scripture he quoted which was about the woman with an issue of blood. Remember Jesus said to her 'Go your way and sin no more' which is not a convicting and reproaching sentence but something that means 'Be healed' in this case. Her 'Sin' was ritual sin not a sin of conscience. It would have brought her criticism at the Temple from certain hardliners. The story isn't about what Yaddoe was talking about and is also not really related to what you are talking about either, so the quote 'Go your way and sin no more' is not useful in the conversation.

 

[Muffled]

My post was a reply to Yaddoe. I quoted him and replied to his quotes, so I am not really talking about a woman caught in anything in reference to the passage of scripture he quoted which was about the woman with an issue of blood. Remember Jesus said to her 'Go your way and sin no more' which is not a convicting and reproaching sentence but something that means 'Be healed' in this case. Her 'Sin' was ritual sin not a sin of conscience. It would have brought her criticism at the Temple from certain hardliners. The story isn't about what Yaddoe was talking about and is also not really related to what you are talking about either, so the quote 'Go your way and sin no more' is not useful in the conversation.

I believe the quote is not from the woman having an issue of blood but is from the woman caught in adultery which would have meant that she was a sinful person. The quote from the woman with the issue of blood is:
Mark 5:34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
I believe Jesus would not have viewed a health problem as a sin problem unless there was sin causing the health problem and no indication is given to that affect. The issue of impurity for entering the temple does not arise because it is not in the context.

 

[savagewind]

I believe it to be a person who has Jesus as Lord and Savior.

To give you an example of this I had a neighbor who insisted I go to a bar with him. He would have encouraged me to hustle pool with him but I was not interested because it smacks of stealing. He wanted me to drink with him but I was not into drinking. He thought I should take up with other women than my wife but that would be adultery. In other words bad company does its best to corrupt people and those who are not strong in their beliefs could be corrupted.

What is the difference between "having Jesus as Lord and Saviour" and being wise?

 

[ChristineES]

People say God says "bad associations spoil useful habits". If bad associations are people then God saying it means God sees bad people. What are people who are not bad? I think the opposite of bad is good. Am I right?

I need help believing God sees good people and bad people.

I'm late on this one. If you "hang around" with people who might cause you to do things that you would find wrong, then maybe you should rethink hanging around them. That is all it means, in my view.

 

[savagewind]

Jesus says, "the truth will set you free". But if there exist people who are able to cause a spoiling, you are not free. You must be bound by the decision each day to stay away from certain people.

I understand what you all are saying. And it is true that to be among criminals is to be an accessory to their bad deeds so of course, there are Bible warnings about it.

I am sure it is of benefit to be around wise persons and they can teach wisdom. And to be around unwise ones can get you in trouble.

What I am talking about is the part which says "WILL spoil character". OK?

I understand that if I make bad associations it will spoil my search for the truth. ALWAYS and FOREVER.

What about Mother Theresa? She chose to be among the lowest people on the planet. WAS her character spoiled? I think not.