Welcome to the For the Gospel Podcast, where we provide sound doctrine for everyday people.

I'm your host, Kosti Hinn, and whether you're listening to this on your favorite podcast platform or watching on our YouTube channel. Thanks for joining me for this episode.

I want to talk about friendship today and a particular angle on it that I think is going to be

very helpful in our New Year's kickoff series. One of the most overlooked influences on our

spiritual growth is not necessarily theology, not just habits or priorities or even discipline,

all things we've talked about. It's relationships,

the company that you keep. The people that you and I allow closest to us are either going to

strengthen our walk with Christ or slowly weaken it, maybe even quickly, and erode what God

is given, and all of a sudden we're looking back thinking,

and how do we get like this? Well, the company that you've kept.

And Scripture doesn't treat this lightly at all.

I'm thinking about 1st Corinthians chapter 15, where Paul's correcting the Corinthians on their,

you know, erroneous view of the resurrection, really rooted in false teaching that has been corrupting the

church. There was sin. There were people in Corinth not doing what they ought to. And Paul does

something very interesting in the midst of correcting the theology. He says, do not be deceived,

verse 33. Bad company corrupts good morals. He goes on to say, become sober-minded as

you ought. Stop sinning. For some have no knowledge of God, and I speak this to your shame.

Very interesting that Paul in the middle of correcting the theology says, and quit being

a fog-brained, polluted Christian.

And you know what the root of this is is who you're hanging around with.

The people talking to you, the people teaching you.

Paul does not say they might corrupt.

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