A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray (Prov 12:26).
Here we have a truth repeatedly found in both OT and NT scriptures, yet ignored by a multitude of believers in Christ Jesus. The righteous must choose friends very carefully as it’s one of Satan’s common schemes for sidetracking the zeal of those committed to the lordship of Christ. It is why Proverbs 13:20 warns a companion of fools will be destroyed. The Hebrew translated as fools literally means to deny (the truth) or be deceived. It is precisely the same as Paul’s warning bad company corrupts good character (1 Corinthians 15:33). The apostle is not inspired by the Holy Spirit to write that bad company might or could corrupt good character. Rather Paul warns such will happen. It is a truth of which we are warned regarding friendship with an angry man, lest we learn his ways and it become a snare to our soul (Proverbs 22: 24,25). Opening a door for snares to one’s soul is exactly what happened to the Hebrews following deliverance from Egypt which is a type of the world. Redeemed by God’s undeserved favor (Exodus 15:13) and even healed of all diseases (Psalm 105:37), God’s chosen people were told to avoid association with the heathen nations they would encounter in the promised land of Canaan. But unfortunately the Hebrews did not abide by God’s warning given through Moses. Eventually the gods of heathen nations became a snare to the Israelites such that they even worshipped Molech which involved the sacrifice of their children. Even Solomon whom God used to write proverbs fell to the same snare by his marrying women from foreign lands which God had forbidden. And there’s no indication he ever repented of his misdeeds. The consequences were severe for disobedience of the Israelites and Paul explicitly warns that we not repeat their mistakes, lest we fall from our position in Christ (1 Corinthians 10). Christians obviously can never avoid all contact with unbelievers. Such would require living as hermits and then the light of Christ could never shine through our lives as a witness to God’s love, grace and mercy. But here it is that a distinction must be recognized. Fellowship implies close communion and that is an entirely different matter. So it is we must take the warning of God most seriously as penned by the apostle Paul:
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Satan? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said, ‘I will live with them and walk among them; and I will be their God and they will be my people.’Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
Such is the command of the Creator, not the words or wisdom of man. They are to be obeyed, not speculated upon. It has been my repeated personal experience that what God exhorts in telling us to be cautious in our friendships is one of the most abused commands we are given. It is to our peril that we refuse to submit to the Word of God, for it is telling God to mind His own business and that we are able to make our own rules for righteous living. I am reminded of words spoken through a serpent in the garden of Eden, “Did God really say…..?” We are all too familiar with the disastrous consequences of Adam’s disobedience. So let us be cautious with our friendships and avoid testing God with reverential fear.
