Stand Alone, 1 Timothy 5:22b

Stand Alone

1 Timothy 5:22b and do not share in the sins of others

Here is one of the major problems why good people have gone bad; they yield to peer pressure. It is not that they do not want to be good, it is just hard to not be like everyone else. It is true with speech, clothing, habits, partying, dancing, well, it true in every context. It is just difficult to be different. This, I believe, is why one of the major themes of the Bible is separation from the world. Take the second sin committed... Adam yielded to the pressures of Eve, his closest friend. He must have been convinced that if she could partake of the fruit and live so could he. She gave it to him, and he gave in to the pressure to conform.

K and A, it matters who you work with, who you hang out with and certainly who you marry. It is not that you cannot be around these people after all, Jesus said to his father that he didn't want us to be taken out of the world but to protect us from the evil one. The evil one possesses many people around you and if you do not stand alone, you will stand with them.

I know a man from work, he is fun to work around. I have learned much about painting from him. He is a good man... but he is not very godly. He cannot keep from swearing. Once he told me that he didn't used to swear, but he can't keep from doing it. He worked too long around guys that swore all the time and he picked it up. That is just one illustration, I've saw a guy at college that never drank before he got to college, but his new friends pressured him, and he could not stand. I know people who wouldn't dance, but friends did and they eventually played right along. Smoking, drugs, sex, music, drinking (oh, that reminds me of someone who never drank but joined a group and they used to go drink so he began to go with them and now so does he, so sad). Clothing like jeggings and wearing underwear on top and calling it style... it so easy to get caught when we choose not to take a stand

Daughters, there are so many ways that Satan uses to suck you in and join in the sins of others. It seems so innocent at first, but then you are caught and end up wondering how you got there or you start making excuses why it's not so bad. So when you have done all to stand, continue to stand and alone if necessary!

~Dad