Three questions …
Romans 16:17-27
17 And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. 18 Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. 19 But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.
22 I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.
23 Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.
25 Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. 26 But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. 27 All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.
As I read through verses 17-18 of this passage that wraps up the book of Romans, I can almost feel like a teenager again, with my Catholic mother telling me “don’t spend time with those people, they are a bad influence on you!”
It’s so true that the people around us do have a formational effect on our behaviour. It has been proposed in modern psychology and business publications that for most people, they are the average of the five people that they spend the most time with!
So this makes me ask the question – Who are the people that I need to be careful about spending time with?
Then the scarier question – Is there someone who I am being a bad influence on!?! How do I need to change my interactions with others to make sure that my own shortcomings don’t rub off on them negatively?
Thirdly, a question is raised here for me – If Paul is calling us as believers to stay away from those who cause divisions and those who teach things contrary to the Gospel, I wonder how they are to be reached? Are we meant to just isolate ourselves from anyone who might have a negative influence on us, or, is there a way that we can learn to spiritually protect our faith while we engage with anyone who might cause us problems?
Father, thank you that you love to see us continually growing in Christ’s likeness and it is your heart to see us do well in life. Lord I pray that I can be a positive influence on other people and that I might reach those who are truly lost, regardless of the way they conduct their lives.
Written by Ps Justin Ware