People are Infectious

People are infectious; they will influence those they spend the most time with, either for good or for evil. This includes us; we affect the thinking of others, too. Because righteousness is rare in our day, the greater influence over people will be attitudes that dishonor and disgust God.

 
This is why God said:

1 Corinthians 15:33 "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."

2 Timothy 3:1-5 " 1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."

We are living in the end times when we are going to have to avoid more people because the culture as a whole is infected with bad manners and rude misinterpretations for a sense of control over others.

 
If someone's general demeanor is crass and rude, then we cannot associate with them. They will either cause us to become like them or they will silence our righteous mentality.

 
We must choose friends who love the ways of God and will walk the path we have chosen with us. The path of love for God and a desire to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Most people in our day mock at this, even gossiping against it just as those did in the days when Christ walked the earth.

 
Matthew 24:12
"Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold."

Romans 1:29-31
"They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless."

Often, these ways are so subtle and common that we miss them, thinking what God detests is normal. If we follow the culture, we will not be following Christ. If we follow Christ, the culture will despise us.

 
Even those who claim to be Christian are religious but they are not born-again. They follow the ways of cultural Christianity while denying more of God's Word than they obey.

2 Timothy 4:3
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"

If we keep company with those who are in rebellion against God's Word we will either go silent to keep the peace or we will begin to think like those who dishonor God.

 
God said, "Two cannot walk together who are not agreed. If we go silent to be liked by people, we will not honor God but will support what God hates by our censoring of the truth.

 
Being alone is far better than walking with those who hate our God and silence our Truth.