From "Focus on Separation" - John Ritchie Publications
Unconverted companions have been the means of leading many young believers back to the world. Make a clean cut with all your worldly companions and associates if you want to go on with God. You cannot possibly have communion with God and with the world too. "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God (James 4.4). "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 Jn 2.15).
This is very clear and definite. If you get into friendship with the world, your friendship with God ceases. You join hands with those who disown His authority, reject His Son, and resist His Spirit. How could you expect the smile of God upon your soul? How could you ask for His eye to guide you, or His arm to defend you? When the believer joins the ranks of the world, he virtually takes himself from under the shadow of the Almighty (Ps 91.1).
By nature man is a social being and it is so easy to form friendships based on common interests in quite legitimate things in work, study, recreation, and community responsibility, all of which have their place in a well-balanced life. What hope have we of introducing others to Christ if we do not get near enough to make them know the gospel? But we are never to allow such associations to bind us in such a way that we are not free to opt out of practices and customs which our commitments to Christ would not allow.
This sort of association can easily arise when believers are away from home for the purposes of study or in the pursuit of employment. They can then be lonely for human companionship, and may even feel that Christian fellowship is lacking in their new location.
It is important in such circumstances to cherish all the more communion with the Lord Jesus Christ. We must never put ourselves in a situation where we are unable to say "No" to a course of action that challenges or disturbs our communion with Him. The beginning of companionship with the world is to be guarded against. It is often very attractive, but insidiously takes away our communion with Christ.
The safest and best course of action is to take a decided stand for God at all times, in all places. Where you are at work, where you live, and in fact anywhere, let it be distinctly understood that you belong to Jesus Christ. Do not allow the devil to shut your mouth or lower your colours at the beginning. When you go for the first time into a new situation let your testimony be clear. It will save you much trouble later, and keep you from being sucked into compromising associations.
Do not be blind to the dangers of entertainments, amusements and clubs, even religious ones. Evening parties or day outings, where believers and unbelievers are associated, are not really for those who wish to walk with God. Loose language, social drinking, carelessness, frivolity, and flirting all take place under the guise of outings and amusements in the world. It should be obvious to the Christian that such things are harmful to the soul, and need to be avoided. Unbelievers may think it strange that you avoid these things (1 Pet 4.4), but we cannot forget that "Christ gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age)" (Gal 1.4).
Concluded.
