1 Corinthians 15:33 - Do not be Deceived (11-13-11)

1 Corinthians 15:33 - "Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

Many Christians will keep company with bad company, and their excuse is that we need to be a witness to them, and there is an amount of truth to that. Jesus said that we are to be in the world but not of the world, and Paul talked about becoming all things to all men in order to win some. But that doesn't mean we become a drug dealer in order to reach the drug addicts, or an alcoholic to reach the drunks. He simply meant that he would not consider his own interests or rights in order to reach people with the gospel.
God is interested in the company that we keep, and He doesn't want us to be deceived about the impact that our friends have on us. We're told in Proverbs 13:20 - "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." You've heard the phrase 'birds of a feather flock together', and that's the idea that's being communicated here. Whatever kind of people you hang out with, that's the kind of person you become. Our friends have a great influence on us. Even if we have been raised in the Word of God and have good morals ingrained in us, if we keep bad company those good morals will be corrupted. Paul put it this way in Galatians 5:9 - "A little leaven leavens the whole lump."
We're given several examples of this in the Bible, I'll only mention a few of them. When the children of Israel entered the promised land God told them to drive out the inhabitants of the land, but they didn't do it. They compromised on the commands of God and began dwelling with the inhabitants of the land. Although these were Gods people and had been given instruction by Him, and had been led by His hand they thought that they would be able to live with the people of the land and not be affected by them, but they were terribly wrong. By Judges chapter 3 we see them intermarrying with the people of the land and worshiping their gods. Bad company corrupts good morals. I'm sure that if you had asked them beforehand, they would say that they would never turn from the one true God, but they did simply because you become like the people that you dwell with. 
Another example is given in the life and family of David. In Second Samuel chapter 13 we're told this - "Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her. Amnon was so frustrated because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man." Isn't that interesting? It seemed hard for Amnon to do anything to Tamar, BUT he had a friend, a cousin named Jonadab who convinced him to take action. Amnon had a desire to do wrong, but he held himself back. But because of the company that he kept his good morals were corrupted and he committed a horrible sin which turned his brother Absalom against him and ultimately cost him his life.  
Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals. If we keep company with immoral people we become immoral. If we keep company with lukewarm Christians we will become lukewarm. Even among professing Christians we need to be careful to chose our friends wisely. Because just as bad company corrupts good morals, "He who walks with wise men will be wise."