The issue of how closely we are to associate with the world keeps being brought up to me of late. I've had a couple of conversations with believing friends, who brought the subject up. One of them sort of debated aloud to herself and wagged a finger at me to emphasize her Biblical point of view, evidently to make sure I, "got it."

While the Bible tells us to keep ourselves separate from the world, it also directs us to take God's Word out into it. This isn't a contradiction. Not being part of the world does not mean total isolation from it. Jesus devoted enough time with sinners to be condemned for it by the Pharisees. The whole point of say, Paul for example quoting Isaiah in 2nd Corinthians 6:17, is that we're not to be thinking or acting like the world or, the unsaved. We aren't supposed to be "yoked" unequally with them so that such relationships cannot encumber us in or even derail our walk with the Lord. We are to follow and obey Him and Him only.

In other words, we are to give God's Word to anyone who is willing to hear it and share the Lord whenever an opportunity is presented to us, but anything or anyone that restricts our freedom to follow and obey the Lord is a worldly thing and should be avoided.