“Now here is a command, dear brothers, given in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ by his authority: Stay away from any Christian who spends his days in laziness and does not follow the ideal of hard work we set up for you” (2 Thessalonians 3:6 TLB).
In addition to staying away from those who exhibit the disorderly characteristics of idleness, negligence, laziness, and/or irresponsibility, the Scriptures counsel us to withdraw from several other negative practices as well…
“Brothers and sisters, I urge you to watch out for those people who create divisions and who make others fall away from the Christian faith by teaching doctrine that is not the same as you have learned. Stay away from them” (Romans 16:17 GW).
“Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts…” (1 John 5:21 TLB).
“Dear friends, your real home is not here on earth. You are strangers here. I ask you to keep away from all the sinful desires of the flesh. These things fight to get hold of your soul. When you are around people who do not know God, be careful how you act. Even if they talk against you as wrong-doers, in the end they will give thanks to God for your good works when Christ comes again” (1 Peter 2:11-12 NLV).
“Keep away from angry, short-tempered men, lest you learn to be like them and endanger your soul” (Proverbs 22:24 TLB).
“Keep away from every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22 GW).
“For this is God’s will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3 NET).
“Keep away from worthless and useless talk. It only leads people farther away from God” (2 Timothy 2:16 CEV).
“But keep away from those godless legends, which are not worth telling. Keep yourself in training for a godly life” (1 Timothy 4:7 GNB)
“But have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations [useless disputes over unedifying, stupid controversies], since you know that they produce strife and give birth to quarrels” (2 Timothy 2:23 AMP).
“But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person” (1 Corinthians 5:11 NKJV).
Instead of engaging in such practices, 1 Timothy 6:11 provides us with a far better suggestion: “…flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”