Avoid Such People

Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, 

says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you.

—2 Corinthians 6:17—

Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the 

appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

—2 Timothy 3:5—

Following Jesus means that we’re living in this world, but our citizenship is not of this world: the apostle Paul said so, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). Part of what this means is that we live here, but our thoughts and ways should not remain here—we’re looking to the eternal as we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 4:16—5:7; also read Isaiah 55:8–11).

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ [a contextual reference to baptism (Col. 2:12)], keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1–3).

The title of this brief article comes from the larger context of 2 Timothy 3:1–5:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Paul warns us about who our friends and acquaintances are—“Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupt good morals. Awake to soberness righteously, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God: I say this to move you to shame” (1 Cor. 15:33–34).

In a different context, the same apostle Paul urged Christ’s followers:

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 6:14—7:1).

How do we go about cleansing ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit?
My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life. Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you. Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established. Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil (Proverbs 4:20–27 WEB).

Also, our entertainment—what we read and watch—truly affects how we think and act. We believe differently because we will read and watch what we want and act as if it won’t influence us at all. We need to be discerning and then do what we know is right and pleasing to the Lord who made and saved us (Romans 12:1–2; Philippians 4:8–9), including avoiding such people who are not helping us get closer to God, but pushing us further away.