{"id":388,"date":"2012-12-09T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-12-09T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/?p=388"},"modified":"2012-12-08T15:22:02","modified_gmt":"2012-12-08T20:22:02","slug":"what-does-the-bible-say-about-having-significant-friends-and-being-a-significant-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/2012\/what-does-the-bible-say-about-having-significant-friends-and-being-a-significant-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"What does the Bible say about having significant friends and being a significant friend?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20—NKJV)<\/cite> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Most of us travel through life happy for the good friends we happen to find along the way. But did you ever take the time to discern the qualities that make for good friendships? God uses biblical friendships. Friendship is elevated by our Lord\u2019s use of the word friend. John 15:13\u201315 reads, \u201cGreater love has no one than this, than to lay down one\u2019s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.\u201d <\/p>\n

Friendships are powerful relationships for either good or bad. Warnings of choosing friendships poorly are peppered throughout the Scriptures. Proverbs 22:24–25 states, \u201cMake no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.\u201d Psalm 1:1 admonishes, \u201cBlessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.\u201d Sinful behavior of those highly regarded by you and within your \u201cinner circle\u201d can do you no good. 1 Corinthians 15:33\u201334 weighs in with these words, \u201cDo not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits [moral virtues of character and custom]. Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.\u201d (Related verses include: Proverbs 4:14–15, 24:1, Exodus 23:2, 1 Corinthians 5:9–11, 2 Thessalonians 3:14, etc.) <\/p>\n

These verses impress upon the listening heart the importance of judiciously choosing close friends. Keeping the \u201cpaths of the righteous\u201d (Proverbs 2:20) infers fellowship with brothers along the way. While the saint is to \u201clive in the world, but not of it,\u201d he is to also befriend fellow travelers. Proverbs 17:17 says, \u201cA friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.\u201d Good friendships are a great blessing. Proverbs 27:10 reminds, \u201cDo not forsake your own friend or your father\u2019s friend, nor go to your brother\u2019s house in the day of your calamity; better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.\u201d Verse six states, \u201cFaithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.\u201d Verse 17 rounds out the advice concerning friendship with these words, \u201cAs iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.\u201d Good prospects for friends are not found among those who are purely \u201cgood-timers,\u201d gossipers, advantage takers, liars, or those with bad habits. Instead real friends are found among those who are good listeners, selfless, and trustworthy. <\/p>\n

No friendship is immune from trouble. Whisperers can separate quality friends if believers are not careful (Proverbs 16:28 and 17:9, not to mention Proverbs 6:19). Believers are to be careful not to form alliances with the unsaved as 2 Corinthians 6:14–15 so aptly instructs, \u201cDo not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?\u201d Remember, however, that the converse is equally true—believers are<\/i> to be yoked together, have fellowship (partnership in the work), communion, and accord with one another. Believers need to cultivate such productive friendships. <\/p>\n

Believers are uniquely suited to gauge the effectiveness of their friendships by three tests: the Spiritual Match, the Character Match, and the Principle Match. Test the quality of your friendships by the Spiritual Match<\/b>: Is there a vibrant walk with Christ that both of you are pursuing on your own? This is the only basis of real trust available to sinners saved by Grace! Then, test the quality of your friendships by the Character Match<\/b>: Is there a healthy selflessness, high toned morality, and undeniable commitment of love for one another? This is the only basis of progressing in maturity and real advancement for Christ. Finally, test the quality of your friendships by the Principle Match<\/b>: Is there a fervent honoring of truth in all things? This is the only basis of effective sharpening, freely sharing thoughts, and receiving constructive criticism that speaks the truth in love. <\/p>\n

Come to think of it, this sounds like the kind of \u201cfriendship\u201d with Him the Lord offered in John 15. There will always be many friendships we have that are \u201ca mile wide and an inch deep,\u201d but the friendships that endure into eternity are the ones that are chosen wisely, nurtured, and treasured. Build biblical friendships. Trust and obey. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20—NKJV) Most of us travel through life happy for the good friends we happen to find along the way. But did you ever take the time to discern the qualities that make for good friendships? God uses biblical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}