Associate with sanctified persons

Let me say to young people—and to parents—today how important Christian friendship is to you. A friend of mine has been a youth pastor for over ten years in the same church, and he did a longitudinal study in a conservative Reformed church with good Bible teaching, committed Christian families. And he said, What’s the factor that determines, most likely, the common denominator about youth in the church from middle school through college—who is a strong Christian and who kind of wanders away? You know what? In that particular study, the number one determinant was—well, they were all hearing good preaching, they were all in strong families—it was not homeschool, public school, private school. It was participation in the youth group—Christian peers who were friends, a social group in which the faith was being reinforced and was attractive. Many surveys show how powerful it is.

Young people, that is why when you are going to college, we are going to keep a watch on you. What are your parents and your pastors going to say? Have you socially identified with the Christians there? It is hugely important. You go to a strange situation, there are going to be threats, there are going to be challenges. You need Christian fellowship. It is a team sport, folks. You are not as strong as you think you are. Neither am I, and we need to be together. You go to a new workplace—you need to find who the Christians are there. Not in an obnoxious way, but you need Christian fellowship. And it is true for everybody, not just true for the young or the new. Thomas Watson urges the value of Christian fellowship for all believers: Associate with sanctified persons. They may, by their counsel, prayers, and holy examples, be a means to make you holy. As the communion of saints is in our creed—we believe in the communion of saints—so should it be in our company. He that walketh with the wise shall become wise (Proverbs 13:20).¹

Richard D. Phillips