James 4:4 makes it clear that friendship with the world is enmity with God. Since I need to keep FAR away from being an enemy to my Lord, I need to do a deep dive into the time period, “friendship” and be taught all I can about it so that I stay a pal of God and never His enemy. ❤️
Once I take into consideration a pal, I take into consideration the nice AND the unhealthy of friendship. Some associates have damage me. Some, I’ve identified for years and I belief them utterly. And there are associates at each single stage in between these traces.
Associates who fake they’re your pals for the “goodies”, the stuff, the blessings of being round you.
Associates who say they’re your pal to your face, however behind your again, they’re vicious, imply, and unfold lies about you, who’re now not associates.
Associates who’re candy and type.
Associates who’re daring and difficult.
Associates who’re at all times there for you it doesn’t matter what.
Associates who go away on the slightest signal of bother.
And whereas friendships do carry a certain quantity of bother typically, you possibly can’t steer clear of associates.
Why?
#1 – Isolation is rarely the reply.
Proverbs 18:1, Hebrews 10:25 (in context), and 1 Corinthians 12:14 makes that clear.
#2 – You want associates in your life that can assist you see your blind spots.
All of us, as Christians, sin. And we’re so nice at justifying and hiding from ourselves, our personal sin. We’re ravenous little individuals who suppose we’re not. We at all times suppose we’re higher than we actually are, and it takes associates in our lives to indicate us these errors (Proverbs 27:17), in order that we will shortly repair them and keep away from chastisement from our loving Father.
But, we have to be VERY…and I imply VERY…cautious about WHO we’re associates with.
Check out what Proverbs 1:10-16 says.
Associates can entice us to sin. They’ll make it look so good, so interesting, and since we belief them (or for social graces), we don’t usually query them, we simply associate with it. Then we find yourself on the mistaken aspect of issues.
An instance: one in all your pals and you’re having tea at her home and he or she begins gossiping. We’re to steer clear of gossip (Proverbs 20:19). Do you hear? How do you tactfully and graciously get out of that dialog?
Generally, sin could be so delicate and hit us earlier than we even notice we’re partaking in it.
The Bible is obvious, unhealthy firm corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). We should guard ourselves whereas we stroll this earth!
Guard how we spend our time, who we hang around with, who we date or marry, guard the place we go to church, who we hearken to, what music or TV exhibits we watch. We’re at all times standing guard.
So, what’s a pal? What’s friendship? What ought to we concentrate on in selecting associates? What ought to we cling to or steer clear of?
Let’s discover out collectively in these 30 Bible verses about friendship! After you’re completed studying via the verses, if you need a extremely wonderful image of friendship within the Bible, do a deep-dive research of Jonathan and David! You may be very blessed by it.
30 Bible Verses About Friendship
1) Proverbs 18:24
“A person of many companions might come to destroy, however there’s a pal who sticks nearer than a brother.”
2) John 15:12-15
“That is my commandment, that you just love each other as I’ve beloved you. Higher love has nobody than this, that somebody lay down his life for his associates. You might be my associates in case you do what I command you. Not do I name you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his grasp is doing; however I’ve referred to as you associates, for all that I’ve heard from my Father I’ve made identified to you.”
3) Proverbs 27:9
“Oil and fragrance make the center glad, and the sweetness of a pal comes from his earnest counsel.”
4) Job 6:14
“He who withholds kindness from a pal forsakes the worry of the Almighty.”
5) Proverbs 13:20
“Whoever walks with the smart turns into smart, however the companion of fools will undergo hurt.”
6) Hebrews 10:24-25
“And allow us to take into account how one can fire up each other to like and good works, not neglecting to satisfy collectively, as is the behavior of some, however encouraging each other, and all of the extra as you see the Day drawing close to.”
7) Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
“Two are higher than one, as a result of they’ve a superb reward for his or her toil. For in the event that they fall, one will raise up his fellow. However woe to him who’s alone when he falls and has not one other to raise him up! Once more, if two lie collectively, they hold heat, however how can one hold heat alone? And although a person would possibly prevail towards one who’s alone, two will stand up to him—a threefold twine just isn’t shortly damaged.”
8) James 4:4
“You adulterous folks! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Due to this fact whoever needs to be a pal of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
9) 1 Corinthians 15:33
“Don’t be deceived: “Dangerous firm ruins good morals.”
10) Proverbs 22:24-25
“Make no friendship with a person given to anger, nor go along with a wrathful man, lest you be taught his methods and entangle your self in a snare.”
11) Job 42:10
“And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his associates. And the Lord gave Job twice as a lot as he had earlier than.”
12) Romans 12:10
“Love each other with brotherly affection. Outdo each other in exhibiting honor.”
13) Proverbs 27:5-6
“Higher is open rebuke than hidden love. Devoted are the injuries of a pal; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”
14) Psalm 133:1
“Behold, how good and nice it’s when brothers dwell in unity!”
15) 1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Due to this fact encourage each other and construct each other up, simply as you’re doing.”
16) Proverbs 27:17
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens one other.”
17) Philippians 2:3
“Do nothing from egocentric ambition or conceit, however in humility depend others extra vital than yourselves.”
18) Galatians 6:2
“Bear each other’s burdens, and so fulfill the regulation of Christ.”
19) Proverbs 17:17
“A pal loves always, and a brother is born for adversity.”
20) James 4:11
“Don’t converse evil towards each other, brothers. The one who speaks towards a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil towards the regulation and judges the regulation. However in case you choose the regulation, you aren’t a doer of the regulation however a choose.”
21) 1 Peter 4:8-10
“Above all, hold loving each other earnestly, since love covers a mess of sins. Present hospitality to at least one one other with out grumbling. 10 As every has obtained a present, use it to serve each other, nearly as good stewards of God’s assorted grace:”
22) Luke 6:31
“And as you want that others would do to you, accomplish that to them.”
23) 1 John 4:11-12
“Beloved, if God so beloved us, we additionally ought to like each other. Nobody has ever seen God; if we love each other, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
24) Proverbs 16:28
“A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates shut associates.”
25) Job 16:20-21
“My associates scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God, that he would argue the case of a person with God, as a son of man does along with his neighbor.”
26) Luke 16:9
“And I inform you, make associates for yourselves via unrighteous wealth, in order that when it fails they might obtain you into the everlasting dwellings.”
27) Proverbs 17:9
“Whoever covers an offense seeks love, however he who repeats a matter separates shut associates.”
28) 1 Samuel 18:3-4
“Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, as a result of he beloved him as his personal soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the gown that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.”
29) Proverbs 27:10
“Don’t forsake your pal and your father’s pal, and don’t go to your brother’s home within the day of your calamity. Higher is a neighbor who’s close to than a brother who is much away.”
30) Job 2:11
“Now when Job’s three associates heard of all this evil that had encounter him, they got here every from his personal place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment collectively to come back to indicate him sympathy and luxury him.”
