“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:33‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Why does Paul insert this quote into his discussion about the dead being raised? Is it that bad company has influenced the church to believe something that is not the Gospel of God, that is not the Word of God? I would think so. Paul did not preach a message of the dead cannot be raised. Apollos did not preach a message of the dead are not raised. I would be willing to guess it was some Sadducee Jews or someone who has not fully turned from their Greek god and rose to preacher too quickly before knowing God. 

So how have we let someone else influenced our church to believe something that is not the Word of God? I cannot speak for every church, but I can speak for the church as a whole across America. We have let homosexuality, abortion, and many other sins penetrate into our churches. 

The more we let people in who preach or teach this message the more we let our good morals from the gospel become bad morals from the Devil. 

“The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13:20‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/pro.13.20.hcsb

This is not just applicable in our churches but in our personal lives. If we hang around the wrong crowd we will start acting like them. If we have around the right crowd they will influence us for God. Are the people you are around the most influencing you for God? Yes, we all have people in our lives that are part of the wrong crowd, but our time with the right crowd will help us to witness to the individuals in the wrong crowd. 

I heard an interview with someone who has had influence with The President over several presidential terms. And they were asked who the smartest and dumbest presidents were. And their response was the dumbest presidents also had the greatest cabinet members to rely on for good information and the smartest presidents would have the worst cabinet members because they thought they knew it all. In the end, the “dumbest” presidents had great terms because they surrounded themselves with the good crowd in their cabinets. And on the other hand, the “smartest” presidents found themselves in scandals and trouble during their terms because they did not fill their cabinets with good people.  

So whether we are the president or a church or an individual we must surround ourselves with the right crowd that will feed us with the right influences. If we do nothing else let us do one basic thing. Surround ourselves with God. Dive into His word. Listen to it, read it, study it, completely immerse ourselves in it. 

“For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/heb.4.12.hcsb

“This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/jos.1.8.hcsb