Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
Galatians 6:1
The Bible’s full of verses (especially the book of Proverbs) that warn us to keep company with those who are strong in their faith and to stay away from those who would lead us astray, even other “Christians.”
Boy, I can relate to the following youtube story. Even though I (Mark) was a Christian, it happened to me in the late 60s. I began hanging out with people (They were the more popular kids and I thought God was blessing me by having them take an interest in me. Not good.) The devil had a well-devised, camouflaged plan that caught me off guard. I wanted to be accepted and that desire kept me from guarding my heart with all diligence. The result was costly…
I listened to a youtube video about a man who’d been saved, been filled with the Spirit, and had been given many incredible Heavenly visions. The program’s host then asked the man how he came to backslide after all that.
The program host: “After having so many encounters with God, how did you come to fall back? How did you backslide?”
The man: “Well, it happens little by little. You don’t get up in the morning saying you’re going to turn your back on God today. Instead, you find yourself hanging out with people who don’t have the same fire and passion for God that you had. You find yourself compromising, and hanging out with people who go to church but who live with some church and some of the world, and little by little – the devil’s so sneaky – you find yourself in things you said you’d never do or go back to. And that’s what happens to many.”
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Proverbs 4:23
God bless,
Mark