Because the Bible assumes we will be subject to influence from others, everywhere in the Scriptures we discover God's concern that we avoid unhealthy influences and consciously strive to imitate those who set an example for righteous living. When the warnings have been heeded, when the exhortations to follow that which is good have been obeyed, and when we have ourselves become a good example that influences others, then all of the biblical conditions will have been met.
Influence is the first way a child learns; indeed, all of the basic, elementary skills of early life, even our original speech patterns, are learned by imitation. Whether one speaks with a Southern accent, a general American dialect, or an eastern American speech pattern is largely a matter of influence.
Influence is so powerful that even after a Christian has advanced very far in Christian living, wrong associations can lead to the tearing down of all that was built up: "Don't be misled; 'bad companions corrupt good habits' " (I Cor. 15:33). The double warning in that verse should not be missed. There is not only a warning about the doleful effects of bad companions, but also another about the ease of self-deception. That deception may take several forms. For instance, one may think he is able to withstand the influence of another ("I don't have to be like him to like him"), or he may think he is doing the other person good by becoming his companion ("How else can I influence him for good?"). But Paul warns that in bad doctrine as well as in bad living one will be adversely affected by making friends and being found regularly in the company of those who are "bad companions. "
This same emphasis runs throughout the Book of Proverbs, a book written especially to young men, perhaps the ones most strongly affected by bad companions in Christian homes today. For instance, in Proverbs 13:20b he is told, "The companion of fools will suffer harm. " And in Proverbs 14:7 he is ordered, "Leave the presence of a man who is a fool. . . . " Yet, the idea of choosing the right companions and avoiding the wrong ones is seldom emphasized in the church today. Little is done by the church to structure the friendships of a young person, even though they probably have more influence on his life than almost any other force.
In counseling, it is not unusual to discover that a complete turnabout can be effected in the life of a young person by eliminating one group of companions and bringing in an entirely different one. We are strongly affected by those who are continually around us; we are sheep, and sheep follow. That is why it is important for them to stay in the presence of good leaders. As John put it in his third letter, "Don't imitate evil, but imitate good" (v. 11). John assumes we will imitate. He does not say, "If you happen to be imitating, then be sure you imitate good." He wants our imitation to be a conscious choice for good, not, as so often is the case, an unconscious drift into evil.
How does one know whom to imitate, and in what? The answer to that one is found in Paul's powerful statement on imitation found in I Corinthians 11:1, ''Be imitators of me as I am of Christ. " The standard is not what others say is good or what may even look good to us in others. The standard is Christ. What does He say about the matter, and how did He act in the situation? His precept and example set the final standard by which to judge the lives of others. Of course, Paul could urge, "Whatever you have learned and received and heard and seen in me practice . . . " (Phil. 4:9), because he himself practiced and said those things that were in accord with Christ's will. Today, therefore, we follow the precepts of Christ and His apostles set forth for us in the inerrant Word of God. And, as we see this same behavior in the lives of saints today, they too become a help to us. But the practice of any contemporary must always be subject to the Bible.
Imitation, because it is a holistic thing, is a powerful way of learning. Perhaps it is the most powerful way of all. Just being with another will, in time, have an influence.' A careful comparison of Mark 3:14, Luke 6:40, and Acts 4:13 makes this evident. Jesus chose the twelve to be "with Him" so that they would become "like Him. " And that is precisely what happened. How important, then, it is to be sure that the teachers under whom your children study day by day, in Sunday school and in youth meetings, will have the right sort of influence over them.
Imitation leads to influence. The word influence means "to flow in.'' As in the process of osmosis, there is a silent but real, transfer that takes place when two persons remain in any significant relationship for very long. Christian, if you are not influencing, then you are being influenced. Influence flows. How is it with you? Are you being deceived? "Don't be misled; bad companions corrupt good habits.''
Article ©Copyright by Jay E. Adams. All rights reserved.