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. 

Meditating on the Word and Listening to God

Mediation is a combination of reviewing, repeating, reflecting, thinking, analyzing, feeling, and even enjoying. It is a physical, intellectual (mental, understanding), and emotional activity. (Psalm 1, Psalm 119:5)  

Benefits of Meditating 

If you want to succeed in what you do, the key is to meditate on God's word day and night (Joshua 1:8). You will develop a quiet spirit, purified heart, deep hunger for God, enlarge your view of God, discernment spirit (think the way God think), clarify the Lord's way in your life, confirm counsel confirmed by God, God will give you confidence, and power of the Holy Spirit.  ( Psalm 49:3, Philippians 4:8, Psalm 119:148, John 11:35, 2 Peter 1:21). Meditation involves reading the word (bible) over and over again, putting it in to memory (keeping it in your heart), listen and quiet your heart to allow the Holy Spirit to speak, feel what God feels, and apply it to your life glorifying God. Meditation requires your time, outward silence, and inner quiet.

There are 2 types of listeners a purposeful listener (listens intently to learn and apply truth) and a passive listener (hears, walk away, and forgets).

Jesus always spoke in parables (Matthew 13:1–58) to teach the people to dig deeper in the meaning of His word, those who heard and understood what he was saying were the ones who wanted a deeper connection and seek the mysteries of this ways. (Psalm 78:1–4; Proverbs 1:5–7)

Here are some ways to listen purposefully

You must get in the word of God, you must have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, you must pray, realize He speaks through circumstances (experiences, other peoples life), and realize He speaks through other people (should go along with the word of God). Requirements to listening is meditating on the word, praying, being obedient,  look forward to hear from Him, and listen patiently. 

(When studying and meditating on the word, you can use bible commentaries, dictionaries, and NIV, NKJV, AMP bible to search words you don't understand, reading the word is like digging for buried treasure, understanding and following God's way is how you can fully have wisdom and success. He needs your mind, heart, time and patience)

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) Hillsong cover by Sarah Reeves