Pastor John, what balance or boundaries should we have regarding our friendships with non-Christians?

We have to find the line between ignoring two seemingly opposite commands.

One is, do not be deceived, bad company ruins good morals, 1 Corinthians 15, 33, or your

boasting is not good.

Do you not know a little leaven, leavens the whole lump, Paul is talking about tolerating

people in the church that you should excommunicate.

Now on the other side, whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.

But the companion of fools will suffer harm, Proverbs 13.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, stands not in the way of

sinners, sits not in the seats of scoffers.

So you got all these commands and wisdom Proverbs on the one side that say, watch out,

hanging out with corrupt people can lead to your corruption.

Now on the other side, of course, you got Jesus who not only ate with text collectors

and sinners, but he was called the friend of text collectors and sinners because that's

in fact what he did so often.

And you got Paul saying, if you take me as me, when I say don't hang out or separate

yourself from sexually immoral people, if you think I mean the world, then that won't

work because then you'd have to go out of the world for Corinthians 5.9.

He doesn't mean don't associate with greedy, swindlers, idolaters.

Since then you would need to go out of the world, he says in 1 Corinthians 5.9.

So Paul is with Jesus and saying, no, you're going to be thrown together with these people,

you should take opportunities, you've become all things to all people in a biblical way.

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