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Read 1 Corinthians 5:9-13.

“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” (v 11)

Much has been written in recent years about the Amish practice of “shunning,” the Meidung. But few who rail against it understand the concept and the purpose.

The shun is instituted in a situation where a person who has become an avowed member of the church disobeys one of the church’s ordinances and will not repent. And the purpose is to cause the shunned individual to want to return. Facing isolation from the wonderful social life of the Amish community is designed to cause the prodigal to see that the price for such beautiful gifts is small indeed. And it seems that the Amish draw some of their ideas for it from this passage or ones like it. Those being shunned must eat at a separate table even from their own families.

In these verses, the Apostle Paul was zeroing in on the idea of being cozy with those who are in deliberate and unabashed rebellion to God’s Word. The Amish would hold up their rulebook, the Ordnung. But New Testament believers must give the greatest reverence to the Bible. It is the Book that demands our first allegiance. And keeping regular company with those who lightly esteem it will infect our own souls sooner or later. (Valerie Quesenberry)

Shun evil companions, Bad language disdain;
God’s name hold in rev’rence, Nor take it in vain;
— H. R. Palmer

You will become like your companions.

Read Galatians 2:16-20.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (v. 20)

Automobile accidents are often avoidable. Focusing away from the road will get the driver and vehicle straight into the ditch. The painted lines, arrows, guardrails, and reflectors are there to keep us on the highway. Good deeds done for show and self-centeredness may quickly divert one from the road to heaven. Keep your eyes on Jesus, Who is the true way. You will avoid difficulty, trouble, and dismay.
We live by faith in Christ and not in our human abilities. Faith in intellect, religious attentiveness, or on the law will not help us to succeed spiritually. Even religious impulses fail to save us. Allowing Christ to have clear and free course in our lives (which are not our own) is the only path of holy living. (Dale Chapman)

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
-- Edward Mote

Faith without a Christ-focus is insufficient.

Read Matthew 22:34-40.

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (v. 37).

Man was made to love God. Instead, we are twisted by the selfishness of sin to love ourselves. Love degenerated from a principle of life to a passion. Love as a primary word in defining/describing Christianity goes beyond an emotion that may change with circumstances. It is a purposeful seeking the best interest of another. It is the conquering of all contrary dispositions involving the total person. Emotion may at times accompany the purpose of the heart but it is not the primary distinguishing characteristic. We do not “fall in love” with God, but we set our hearts to love him through an exercise of the will. It is the greatest commandment because we are the most like God and his love for us in fulfilling it. It is the greatest commandment because it demands the mind and the will. This resolve to love positions us to love him more as we know Him because it provides the moral foundation that supports greater love. It is well to remember that the giving and repeating of this commandment precedes both Calvary and Pentecost. With Calvary in view and Pentecost empowering, fulfilling this greatest commandment should be within the reach of all who purpose to find its realization in their lives. (William E. Snider)

“Christian love is not merely an emotional experience
which comes unbidden and unsought;
it is a deliberate principle of the mind and
a deliberate conquest and achievement of the will.”
— William Barclay