Thursday, September 11, 2008

BAD COMPANY

Peter said, “I swear by God, I don't know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. (Matthew 26:74)

Peter’s denial of Jesus did not happen over a period of seconds or minutes, but over a period of hours. An hour had passed from the time the first person said, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean,” to the time Peter made his second denial. He had ample opportunity to hightail it out of there, but he remained in this situation.

It just reminds us of the fact that no person is safe from temptation except the one who flees from it. Peter, having been warned by Jesus himself, of all people, should have avoided any place where he could be weakened. He definitely should have steered clear of all roosters.

I would have said, “Are there any roosters here? Because I’m leaving if there are. The Lord mentioned a rooster.”

Greater men and women of God than most of us certainly have been compromised by lowering their standards and allowing themselves to be drawn into sin.

People like Solomon. Samson. David. They all found out the hard way. Are we better than they were? Are we more spiritual than they were? I don’t think so.

If someone like Simon Peter was capable of falling, then surely we are. 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, “Bad company corrupts good character. ” Peter was around people who were dragging him down spiritually.

Are you in a similar situation today? Have you entered into relationships where people are dragging you down? Maybe it’s a romance. Maybe it’s a close friendship. Are you finding yourself compromising your principles to fit in and not offend anyone?

My friend Kent Mattox from Word Alive in Alabama said to me that he thought that God worked both through inspiration and association to mature and grow us. I've always heard that if you are the biggest fish in your pond, it will limit how far you can go. Who we associate with does make a difference, it is a bible fact. People without faith can quickly drag you down. I am challenged to flee temptation and associate with those that inspire me to be better.

And NO, that does not mean we should not pursue lost people. I believe that our good associations will compel us to love the lost and hurting while bad associations make us get down in the mud with those that are running. Just something to think about.

Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

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