My boyfriend and I were talking about some of the people I chose to be friends with, and he was telling me that he thought it a better idea to drift from certain ones. I thought I was doing a good thing, staying friends with people who didn't lead a good life, because I could be a role model to them, and show them how a life of a christian looks like. But he said that I've done my job, telling them about the Truth, and His love, and that now they should make their own choice. I didn't think I forced it on them, I always talked about God though. But he said it hurt him to see that I tried to show them a good thing, and they brushed it off like it was nothing. I want to continue being friends with them, but he gave the the verse above, quoting, Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." NIV. I don't know which is the better path, staying or leaving :(

If we never associated with the lost then we would lock ourselves in little circles and not reach the world around us.
That being said; you must prayerfully seek God for this as well as any other decision.
Does He want you to say and be a witness? Is He using your friendship to impact their lives and win them for His Name sake?
That should be His choice and you should be led if the Holy Spirit.
Seek His face and you will get a deep down knowing of His will.

Yea, that's what I told him. I asked him how would we be able to show God's love if we weren't loving ourselves? I'm confused, he says, we must show them, and then let them make their own choice, and leave it up to them, but I say it's more than that. We have to be loving also.

i strugled with this aswell. i kept trying to be the good shepherd to a lot of people that just did not care about it. however i was wrong and it brought me down and weekened me in a bad way.

hm, it seems like I might have to learn to compromise, and learn to do both, but know when to do one and when to stop another. Thank you for these replies, and your own experience, it helps me a lot. I feel relieved that I know whenever I'm confused, there are people that have been there too. :)

that is one of the great things of the lord. when we need help he sends it to us. we do serve a mighty god.

Hi dannibear,

If you can be the person God wants you to be in the company of your unsaved friends then there is no compromise.

If you feel you need to behave differently when you're with them, then perhaps there is a compromise.

Jesus hung out with "sinners" all the time!!!

jesus ministered to the sinners and the sinners were those that accepted him. those that reject him over and over againg and do not want the truth is only going to hurt us.

Jesus was lead of the Holy Spirit. He did only the works, spoke only the Words He say His Father doing and saying and that only in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Just like Jesus we are to be led of the Spirit (Rom 8:14). We are to hang out with those He would send us to. We are to reject only those who reject Him.
Sometimes He sends you to the most unpleasant of folks for His love for them is great and He sees through the exterior scarring and bondage to a wounded heart. If the worst of people would have Him He would be their sending the right person with the right Word at the right time.
Others who seem pleasant will never make room in the inn of their hearts and God would send you elsewhere.
The whole point of my post is this:
Our judgment and experience have nothing to do with where He would have us go but that is to be determined only by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Paul is quoting the O.T. People reasoned that since they were to die soon, at the hands of the Assyrians, they may as well enjoy life while it lasted. Here the idea of life being short, only made men want to live in sinful pleasure as long as possible.......!s 22: 12-14


Thankfully in Jesus we have a different outlook upon life....that being to reflect the nature, beauty, ambience of Jesus as we go about our business each day. 2Cor 5:17-18