LINKS TO MALICE
READ: 1 Corinthians 5:6-11
Woe unto the world because of offences (Skandalon)! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
Matthew 18:7
Satan’s main aim is to push you out of your race of ministry. People who have a close relationship with an offender can fall out of the race easily.
An offender is someone who is into various forms of sin and evil. His life and practices offend the Holy Spirit. He practices malice and wickedness. You cannot be faithful if you are closely connected to people who practice malice and wickedness.
Once you are happy in the company of an evil person, his evil ideas and wicked thoughts will pass like a leaven into your life. In the Bible, malice and wickedness are described as leaven. Malice and wickedness are things that spread.
I once encountered someone who loved me but made friends with someone who hated me. With time, the hatred of the person who hated me seeped into the life of the person who loved me and the person who loved me became as hateful, wicked and ungrateful as the one who hated me.
Anyone who has malicious and evil friends is a candidate for Skandalon. You will soon trip and fall very low because of your bad friendships. As you can see from this scripture, offence – Skandalon, comes through somebody. That is why Jesus says: woe to him through whom offences come. If you have a friend who is a dangerous person, you will be infected with his evil. There are people who will connect you to immorality. They will sin with you or they will cause you to sin.
By associating with disloyal people, you will be infected with their evil way of speaking. You will be infected with the evil of disloyalty and treachery. You will not be able to remain faithful unto death because of your evil associations and friendships.