The Lord Jesus said that we need to be born again. In John 3:3, it says: “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The Apostle Peter taught that we were born again by the incorruptible word of God: 1 Peter 1:23 “Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” So, according to the Scriptures, we now have a new nature. We no longer live according to the dictates of the flesh. Our new nature and DNA comes from God’s Holy Spirit. Galations 5:25 says: “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives”. Paul gave us a snapshot of the difference between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Galations 5: 19-26 (NLT) says: “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.” It’s very clear and simple. The above verses clearly outline whether or not you are following the Spirit’s leading, or still allowing the old nature to control you. The more time you spend with God’s word and His Holy Spirit, the more the fruits of the Spirit will shine through you! We have a Spanish saying that translated to English is: “Tell me who you spend the majority of your time with, and I’ll tell you who you are”!
A Spanish proverb says: Tell me who you walk with, and I’ll tell you who you are. That is actually very close to what the scriptures say. Proverbs 13:20 (ERV) says: “Be friends with those who are wise, and you will become wise. Choose fools to be your friends, and you will have trouble.” We do not have the power to choose our biological family, but we have the power to chose our friends. I remember when I first became a pastor, I realized that I needed to learn a lot more than just theory. So I began to gather with established pastors and bishops. I went to where they were. I even went to closed meetings without permission, but since I was really hungry to spend time with wise, experienced pastors, I took the chance of being rejected and thrown out. To my surprise, they allowed me to be part of their gatherings. I have to tell you that it was one of the best decisions that I ever made. I learned so much in those years, just by spending time with wise men and women. Are you purposely seeking out “wise” friends? Do your friend make you wiser, or are you the smartest one in the room? If you are the smartest one in the room, you need to change that. You can’t learn anything if you don’t challenge yourself by purposely gathering with those that are already living and serving successfully in the place where you desire to be one day be. Make an assessment today of your “friends and associates,” and if you are in the company of fools, run out of there and get new friends and associates. Remember, hanging out with fools will get you in trouble, but spending time with those who are wise, will cause you to become wise yourself.
Proverbs 13:20 (ERV) says: Be friends with those who are wise, and you will become wise. Choose fools to be your friends, and you will have trouble.
