Not every believer has the same convictions. There are believers and then there are disciples. There are disobedient believers, and disciples who are always looking to be more obedient.
The Word of God and the Holy Spirit shape us. Associations also aid in shaping and molding us into true disciples. I'm grateful to have had good mentors, teachers and godly friends and fathers in the faith who made a great impact in my life. Your associations can be a huge factor in determining your course in life and in how you run your race and finish your course, or even whether you finish at all.
I watched Christians before I became a serious disciple. For
instance, the young man who led me to Jesus had impeccable character. It was because of his witness that I stopped drinking alcohol, stopped listening to bad rock music and dating unbelievers. Our conduct adorns our doctrine (Titus 2:15). He adorned the gospel he preached to me and made it appealing and attractive. On the other hand, the misconduct of believers blasphemes our doctrine. The church is the pillar and ground of truth (1 Tim. 3:15). If people can't find truth in the church in both doctrine and conduct, we have no true witness.
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Your misconduct as a believer can be a stumbling block to unbelievers and even contribute in sending them to hell. That is serious business. For example, I remember hearing a story about a new convert who walked into a restaurant to witness pastors sitting at a table eating and sipping on wine. She had been recently delivered of alcohol, but when she saw those pastors sipping it, she concluded that it was acceptable.
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