Don’t withdraw from the world. It’s fine to have non-Christian friends. We need to build relationships for others to get saved.
However, you shouldn’t do all the things the world does. There is no reason to be telling vulgar jokes, just because the world does; remember Philippians 4:8. Certain types of humor, entertainment, and so on show a disregard for others. It’s important to recall that other people matter. Not as much as God, but enough that Jesus left His throne in Heaven to come to this earth in human form and suffer al thing terrible thigns we do. He didn’t have to do that. The fact that He did says a lot.
One reason entertainment and hobbies were mentioned earlier is to show just how many things there are that are clean and wholesome. The world’s system tries to act like you can do anything if it doesn’t hurt others, but that’s false. First, the things you do can have a huge impact on others later. As Doc Brown says in “Back to the Future,” you’ve got to think fourth dimensionally. You’ve got to think of the future. Second, some things that you do hurt your relationship with Christ.
So, by all means, keep those friendships if they don’t drag you down, but don’t do things just because those unsaved friends do them. Before you go someplace, think, would Jesus be happy with you to do that?
Sometimes He would. My friend Rick and I were in Green Bay for a game once. One day while we were there, a casino was hosting a charity auction. Before the auction, we were hungry. We never gambled, but we did go in to eat. And, at the same time, we handed the cashier a tract. He got saved that day!
Our testimony was part of it, though. He could tell there was a difference between us and the people he saw wasting their money, with no hope. Had we done what the world did and gambled, we’d have hurt that testimony. Because we didn’t do what the world did, the angels rejoiced over a sinner who had come home to Christ!
