It's Cold Outside: Wear a Coat

Photo by Lucas Ludwig on Unsplash

On what I've learned in switching gyms.

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In 1 Corinthians, Paul quotes a line from Ancient Greek poetry and adapts it to make a point. He says, "If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.' Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning." (1 Cor. 15:32-34, ESV)

He's just outlined the importance of the resurrection for the Christian faith and the insanity of someone denying the resurrection while also maintaining some kind of allegiance to Christ. In verse 32, he's sarcastic to make a point: "If you reject the resurrection, you might as well live headlong for the flesh."

Then, in verses 33-34, he cleverly wraps up his argument with this line that scholars believe to be from a poem called Thais. "Bad company ruins good morals." Paul shifts his focus from bad theology to the influence of false teachers. He tells the Corinthians to be careful of their associations—for one's character will see the impact.

Bad company ruins good morals. This is certainly true for us today.

Associations, Environments, and Influence

I recently switched gyms.

For the past year, I've been a member of Max Fitness. It's similar to Gold's Gym (and coincidentally followed Gold's in the same building). It's a place for serious exercisers and meatheads. I embarassingly admit, that was once me.

Of course, the average man or woman is also welcome at Max. This is now me.

About a month ago, a new gym opened across the street from Max. This one, Planet Fitness.

My decision to switch was purely to save a buck, but I've been pleased with Planet so far. Yet, there are trade-offs with most changes.

Planet is cleaner; Max was open 24/7.

Planet has a large selection of the basic machines I enjoy, so I'll likely never have to wait in a queue; Max seemed to have at least one of every machine or piece of equipment known to man.

But the most significant difference I've noticed speaks to the kind of people that prefer one gym over the other.

Planet seems to be a place where people are concerned with health. By contrast, Max draws a lot of people concerned with vanity.

Planet boasts a "Judgement Free" environment where you can sound the "Lunk alarm" if someone "drops weights, grunts, or judges." At Max, there is a lot of grunting and weight dropping—and not necessarily because everyone is crunk on creatine, but because Max caters to patrons who want a more intense workout.

And that probably speaks to my biggest observation: the change in me.

We Become Like the Company We Keep

Since switching, I've noticed a slight drop in my "intensity."

Sure, there is an acclimation period to adapt to any new place. But I think I'm gradually aligning with Planet's culture.

While neither gym is morally superior to the other, nor are their patrons, I've found I have to work that much harder to drive myself at Planet rather than allowing the atmosphere of Max to drive me.

If I may paraphrase Paul, "We become like the company we keep."

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As Christians, we must be intentional with our environments.

We face two dual truths as we consider where we spend our time and with whom.

1. The Bible calls Christians to walk cautiously self-aware as we spend time in the world.

1 John 1:5–10, ESV.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

We must acknowledge the natural tendency to acclimate to a climate and properly address it.

Suppose I walk outside in the freezing cold. In that case, my body requires much more internal effort to maintain a healthy operating temperature—and this is ultimately a battle I’ll lose without external help. Our bodies, in and of themselves, can't muster the power to stay sufficiently warm.

Carry the analogy over to the Christian life. This is where the church is a blessing. We find our home in the body of Christ and cling to the tether as we launch out into the world each week for work, school, and basic life.

2. The Bible calls Christians to walk compassionately as ambassadors in a spiritually foreign land.

John 17:15–18, ESV.
¹⁵ I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

Does the danger of being captivated by the world outweigh our Matthew 28 commissioning to offer Christ's rescue? In one sense, no. But we must each consider individual prudence.

Perhaps you're not suited to evangelize on the strip in Las Vegas. In other words, in what environments are you most weather-resistant? God is gracious in showing us our personal weaknesses and also empowering us with His divine strength.

Jesus modeled the kind of lifestyle ministry we should hope to emulate. We use the word "incarnation" to describe his time on the earth as a human, but, in one sense, he gave us the incarnation as a template for the Christian life.

Living incarnationally means living among people—genuinely befriending and loving them. To be like Jesus means to be among the lost and to maintain our identity as we proclaim the good news of the kingdom.

Jesus calls us toward sober wisdom, not fearful retreat.

Don't acclimate to your environment. Let the aroma of Christ penetrate wherever you journey.