"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." (Psalm 1:1)
The word "stands" in this verse carries the idea of "loitering." The blessed man refuses to hang out with the wrong crowd. We must be careful who we choose to "buddy up" with. Friends exert an influence on us and so we must choose the right kind of friends. We have a Scriptural reason for not being close to someone who is characteristically a "sinner." This means someone who is deliberate in their disobedience towards God. A sinner is someone who totally disregards God. That is not to say that we are to separate ourselves completely from sinners. Rather, we must be a true friend to sinners; it involves lovingly warning them about the results of continued sin, teaching them through the Bible, the path to pleasing God. If that be the case then we are not necessarily loitering with them since we are really not "with" them. (Some verses to consider: John 15:19; 17:6, 14, 15, 16; 1 Cor. 5:9-10)
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