What is True Christian Friendship? Part 3

Intimate Relationship with God

 

The meaning of intimacy is a close familiarity or friendship, closeness. Intimacy generally refers to the feeling of being in a close personal association and belonging together. The verb "intimate" means "to state or make known". Three significant factors make the formation of a friendship possible: time, communication, and trust. 

To be in a close intimate relationship with God, you have to know Him, know who you are in Him, and know whose are. True intimacy begins with drawing near to God, it is much deeper than emotion, down to our very souls and reflected by our actions (Proverbs 3:32). To have a deeper and meaningful relationship with God, Jesus must be our personal savior, He takes first place in all we do, our first love has to be God because He first loved us. To show and to prove our love to Him we have to be in obedience (John 14:15) and we have to live in holiness (Hebrews 12:14). 

Focusing on Jesus

Putting Christ first in our lives is reading and studying the bible, memorizing and meditate on His Word, witnessing, and praying and talking to Him, our main purpose in life is to worship Him a surrendered life and full trust in Christ. 

Focusing on Jesus involves giving Him your time, in a friendship in order to know the person well you need to spend time with them. Make Jesus your main priority in the morning and in evening and give Him your time in between through out each day. Be in the word, take the time to worship, sing songs and hymns (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 150), set your mind on things that are spiritual and eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Jesus wants your time, He loves to spend time with you, scripture is from God as our guide to live a Christian life, His word is living proof and powerful.

Focusing on Jesus involves communication with Him, communicating with a friend is listening, hearing, and talking. Prayer is our way to communicate with Him, to reconnect take the time to pray to God in Jesus name, reflex on these biblical prayers (1 Samuel 1, Daniel 9:1-19, Habakkuk 3, 2 Chronicles 20:5-12, Matthew 6:9–13) if you need help to pray, pray about big and little things, wait and listen to what the Holy Spirit (John 16:13) is saying. 

Focusing on Jesus involves complete trust (Jeremiah 17:7 ), in a friendship there has to be honesty and trust between you. Jesus asks for your complete trust in Him, learn to trust Him no matter whats going on in life. God allows all types of problems to test our patience and trust, than in the middle of our trials He demonstrates His love. Trusting God means to know that He has the power to help you, He wants to help you, and He will help you in any situation, you don't have to feel you have all the answers. John 15:5, says we need to lean on Jesus for everything in our lives, without Him we can't do anything, if we do it on our own we fail. He wants us to put Him first in our lives, all of the time our confidence and trust need to be in Him. Learning to trust God and not yourself (Proverbs 3:5-6).

So I would like to end this friendship lesson with this prayer of salvation if you don't know Jesus as your personal savior, "Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

If you prayed this prayer and believe that you are saved, continue on following Jesus and go deeper in your relationship with Him. Find a bible based church, study God's written word, pray, and live Christ-like. (Romans 10:9)

What is True Christian Friendship? Part 2

The subject of friendship has been on my heart lately, so I asked the Lord, What is true friendship? How should we treat our friends? How can I get a faithful friend? Through praying and seeking His Word, He said in order to have friends, first you have to be a friend. As I experienced true friendship is not always that obvious people you thought were your friends may turn out to be disloyal, and those that you thought didn't care as much for you as you did for them, may turn out to be your closest allies. The bible has many verses on friendship and good examples of close friendship, in the first part of this subject I exampled types of true christian friendship and traits of true christian friendship. So this part of the subject is about knowing who your friends are and the gift of friendship.

True and Lasting Friendship Can Occur Suddenly (1 Samuel 18:1-3)

The friendship of David and Jonathan was the effect of divine grace, God united them of one heart and one soul, it was not carnal, their souls connected instantly and had respect and honor for each other and for God.

Faithful Friends are a Rare Treasure (Proverbs 18:24)

We must show ourselves to be friendly, meaning being free with each other always being truthful, do things pleasing, making time and spending the time finding out whats going on in their lives, visiting them when sick, poor, or needy, serving and enjoying each others company. The way to be loved is to be lovely, the bond between friends can be stronger than that of relatives, Christ is a friend to all believers and so we must follow His example to be a better friend. 

The Value of a Friend (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Everyone needs to be encouraged, without a friend, accomplishments are vain. Having someone to lean on is better than being alone, it's a stronger union for success and safety, must importantly having that union with Christ. Having like minded people around you for advice, comfort, and praise fellowship with Christ is true friendship. Weather if it's in a marriage, friendship, business relationship we are always going to need that backbone, someone who is willing to hold you up, keep you going, be there no matter what, if you include Jesus in the relationship, His love is stronger than anything, His love is the perfect love and the perfect friendship.

Believers Enjoy Friendship with God (Romans 5:10) 

Before God created us he had a plan to save us from our sins. Through Christ death on the cross our relationship with God was restored, our sins alienated us from God, so we were no longer enemies of God but His friends, Jesus' life is a pledge of our eternal life.

"The living Lord of all, will complete the purpose of his dying love, by saving all true believers to the uttermost. Having such a pledge of salvation in the love of God through Christ, the apostle declared that believers not only rejoiced in the hope of heaven, and even in their tribulations for Christ's sake, but they gloried in God also, as their unchangeable Friend and all-sufficient Portion, through Christ only." Matthew Henry

True Friendship in the Bible

David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1-3, 20:17, 42; 2 Samuel 1:26)

Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17)

Paul’s Ministry Friends (Romans 16:3-5; 2 Corinthians 2:12-13; Philippians 2:25; Colossians 4:7, 14; 2 Timothy 1:2-4; 1 Philemon)

The Bible also gives a few warnings about friends. A friend who is as close as your own soul has the power to entice you to sin (Deut. 13:5-7). And a friend who turns against you is unbearable – much worse than an enemy (Psalm 55:12-14). And, when it comes to true friendship, the Bible implies that numbers do not always mean safety (Proverbs 18:23-24). Just because you have many friends, that does not mean that they are all faithful and true. 

What is True Christian Friendship? Part 1

3 Types of Christian Friendships: 

Mentor relationship based on ministry, similar to the kind Jesus had with his disciples; teach, counsel, or disciple other Christian friends Mentee the one receiving ministry, the one being taught, counseled, or discipled to Mutual Friendship a friendship that progress over time through wisdom and spiritual maturity, growing together in faith, goodness, knowledge, and other godly graces (Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:9).

5 Traits of True Christian Friends

1. Christian friends LOVE SACRIFICIALLY.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Jesus is the highest example of a true Christian friend. His love for us is sacrificial, unselfish and considerate. He demonstrated His love for His disciples through the humble service of washing their feet. He demonstrated His love to all those who would repent and believe in Him through His death on the cross.

Philippians 2:3-4 teaches us what kind of friend we should be:

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

When you treat people that way you will be a good friend.

2. Christian friends ACCEPT UNCONDITIONALLY.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17

We discover the best of friendships with others who know and accept our weaknesses and imperfections. If we’re easily offended or hold on to bitterness we’ll have a hard time making friends. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. If we take a truthful look at ourselves, we’ll admit that we bear some of the blame when things go wrong in a friendship. A good friend is quick to ask forgiveness and ready to be forgiving.

3. Christian friends TRUST COMPLETELY.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

This proverb reveals that a true Christian friend is trustworthy. Yet it emphasizes a second important truth as well. And that truth is that we should only expect to share complete trust with a few loyal friends.Trusting too easily can lead to ruin, so be careful about putting your confidence in a mere companion. Over time our true Christian friends will prove their trustworthiness by sticking closer than a brother or sister.

4. Christian friends keep HEALTHY BOUNDARIES.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

If a friend consumes all your time, something is wrong in that relationship. Likewise, if you feel used or abused, this should trigger an alarm. Recognizing what’s best for someone and giving that person space are signs of a healthy relationship. A true Christian friend will wisely avoid intruding and recognize your need to maintain other relationships.

5. Christian friends give MUTUAL EDIFICATION.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend… Proverbs 27:6

True Christian friends will build each other up emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Friends like to be together simply because it feels good. We receive strength, encouragement, and love. We should be able to talk, to cry, and to listen without concern or fear. But at times we also have to say the difficult things our dearest friend needs to hear. Yet, because of the shared trust and acceptance, we are the one person who can impact our friend’s heart, for we know how to deliver the hard message with truth and grace. I believe this is what Proverbs 27:17 means when it says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Adapted from Mary Fairchild, Five Traits of Christian Friends