Thursday 3 May 2018

Friendship with unbelievers

Friendship with unbelievers


James 4:4 ESV
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Wiki definition: Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people.

The "world" references its inhabitance and the lifestyles and philosophies of its people.

John 17: 13-14 NIV
13 “... I [Jesus] say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them Your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

Are you of the world? Who do you keep as friends? We speak of people you enjoy spending time with. Not acquaintances or people you are trying to evangelize. We are commanded to only take close friendships from the ranks of God's children (and that doesn't include heretics and `carnal christians').

2 Cor 6:14-17 NKJV
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial (Satan)? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” 17 Therefore, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean,

Jesus said to follow HIm. This is His counsel. If you do not follow it, you do not follow HIm.

Abraham was a friend of God. Who did Abraham keep as his friends? People of the sinful nations around him? Or fellow followers of the Covenant?

1 Corinthians 5:9 NIV
I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. (those who are unrepentant and okay with it)

1 John 1:6 NIV
If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

If you are friends with this world you walk in the darkness. If your friends are of this world (unbelievers and false Christians) you are attracted to the darkness. If you grew defensive reading this, you need to repent. I lay out a principle found in Scripture (everywhere!!!). There can be some nuance in it, but the principle is sound. Weigh your fellowship

Samson, inversely, did take friends from this world.

No comments:

Post a Comment