Do Not Allow the Pressure of the Culture to Intimidate You

Often believers feel pressured by the culture to remain with unsaved family members with the excuse that we might influence them. God never told us to do this, in fact, He said the opposite, that we were to leave our families to follow Him.

God said "come out from among them and be separate." When we walk with Christ we don't want to be with those who are disobedient, they diminish our walk with Christ and attempt to remove our joy.

God is not only giving us a command to remove ourselves, He is giving us permission so we do not feel the guilt and pressure others place on us to remain with wicked family members.

Luke 14:26-27 "26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

2 Corinthians 6:17

"17 Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you."

There is intense pressure from ungodly family and friends to do the things they do and believe the things they believe. When we remain with ungodly or those who are pretenders we will be beaten into submitting to their way, the only way to remain faithful to Christ is to remove ourselves from those who don't love Him.

1 Corinthians 15:33 "

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”"

If we love Christ those who don't love Him will not want to be around us. The only way to remain with them is to be just like them.

Proverbs 13:20

"He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed."

Proverbs 22:24-25

"Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man, / or you may learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare."

Psalm 1:1

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers."

Proverbs 4:14-15

"Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. / Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by."

Proverbs 12:26

"A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the ways of the wicked lead them astray."

There are many Scripture passages that warn us about keeping constant company with those who do not love Christ. The only time we should be with unbelievers is to speak the gospel to them, if they refuse it then we should no longer associate with them.

The apostles and Christ did not remain with those who rejected Him.

In these last days, we will sense that no one likes us because of the rebellion of the culture around us, and this may be true for some. However, this does not mean something is wrong with us, it means we are living in the end times in which no one wants to hear the truth and most will show some form of aggression against us for not complying with their version of worldly Christianity.

I have had fewer problems with unsaved people than I have with those who say they are Christians. It is because it is easier to talk to someone who knows nothing about the Bible than it is to visit with those who believe in a false form of Christianity and who think they are superior.

I praise and thank the Lord for His wisdom and that He will not allow me to flounder in confusion when in the presence of pretenders. And, we have the Lord's permission to withdraw from those who are resistant to the truth.