We may not notice it, but the people we spend time around significantly impact us. Before we realize it, we find ourselves talking, dressing, and spending our time similarly to them. Because the people who we most often surround ourselves with have such a strong influence on us, we must take seriously the people we spend our time around. We must surround ourselves with people who point us toward Christ and encourage us to follow His example, teaching our children to live this way as well.
The apostle Paul warns us against spending time with the wrong people who lead us further from Christ in 1 Corinthians 15. In this passage of Scripture, he told readers not to be deceived by people who were teaching things contrary to God's word. You see, during this time, there was a group of people who were falsely teaching that there is no life beyond this life on earth. As a result, they were telling others, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!" (verse 32). In other words, they were spreading the false teaching that because there is no life beyond this earth, it does not matter how we live life today here on this earth. Paul warned readers not to fall astray to this false teaching being spread, saying, "Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character" (verse 33). Indeed, bad company leads us astray, causes us to believe things that are contrary to God's word, and leads us to say and do things we usually would not.
We must take seriously the impact that those around us have, and we must teach the children in our lives to do the same. If we want to grow in our relationships with Christ and honor Him with our lives, each one of us needs to be purposeful regarding whom we allow to influence us. Will you surround yourself with people who point you toward Christ and encourage the children in your life to do the same?
Take some time to evaluate the top five people you spend time around. How are they influencing you? Are they the kind of people you want to be like and model your life after? Are there any people who you need to move out of your sphere of influence? Begin taking steps to move them out of your sphere of influence. Are there any people in your life whom you want to let into your sphere of influence? Reach out to them today, asking them to grab a coffee or a meal. Commit to surround yourself with people who encourage you to become more and more like Christ.
1Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.
3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.
10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 11 So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.
12 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
24 After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28 Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.
29 If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why do it unless the dead will someday rise again?
30 And why should we ourselves risk our lives hour by hour? 31 For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you. 32 And what value was there in fighting wild beasts—those people of Ephesus—if there will be no resurrection from the dead? And if there is no resurrection, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 33 Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.
