Let's Make Friends

"Therefore, 'Come out from them, and be separate, says the Lord, Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you'" (2 Cor. 6:17, NIV, italics mine). 
"The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of wicked leads them astray"  (Prov. 12: 26, NIV, italics mine).  "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother"  (Proverbs 18:24, NIV, italics mine).
"A friend loves at all times,.." (Prov. 17:17, NIV).
"Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts"  (Prov. 19:6, NIV, italics mine).
"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm"  (Prov. 13:20, ESV).

It is commonplace knowledge that we are known by the company we keep, and only a fool has no discretion in choosing friends.  Reading Proverbs gives one plenty of warnings to avoid the evildoer and not to befriend them.  "Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company"  (Prov. 24:1, NIV).  We must be careful, lest we become like our friends, for our "buddies" influence us more than anyone else.

However, we must be friendly, and there is a difference, but keep our distance, make borders, and draw the line where we don't have the confidence to go with the Lord.  "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared"  (Prov. 22:24-25, NIV, italics mine).  The rich have many friends and everyone wants to be their friend (and it's hard for them to know their true friends), but even the friends of the poor despise them according to Proverbs.

Jesus was indeed the friend of sinners (as His enemies saw it) in reaching out to them but he did draw the line, the Pharisees had no desire to get to know Him or had any love in their hearts.  However, Jesus made it plain to the disciples that they were His friends; only those who obey Him are His friends.  Jesus had the Spirit without measure and was perfect and unspoiled by sinners, He wasn't able to be corrupted by them, as we are if we are not careful.

Now, I know this from experience and have come across sinners who've had no restraint, and the military, for example, is certainly not the place to send an innocent young person unless they are prepared to battle Satan on his turf.  In theory, you could say that a sinner cannot harm you and God protects you from being touched by the evil one (cf. John 17:5) but we are to know our limits and not tempt or test the Lord either.

The conclusion of the matter is:  If God is with me and God sends me somewhere I know that God will see me through and protect me--but that's the key--God with me in it.  A word to the wise is sufficient:  "Do not be deceived:  'Bad company corrupts good morals'"  (1 Cor. 15:33, ESV).  Take my sound advice:  Don't hang around the wrong crowd!  Becoming a Christian entails making new friends.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Jesus, Friend Of Sinners...

We all have probably heard of Jesus as the friend of sinners, as the Pharisees called him in Matt. 11:19 and it was meant as an insult and in a derogatory manner, but it back-fired.  None of us would be saved if he weren't a friend of sinners because that's what we all were and are. Praise the Lord he befriended us and saved us; we didn't befriend Him.   There are two kinds of sinners, justified ones, and lost ones; but we're all sinners.   They just referred to the sinners as a pejorative term that they didn't think applied to them. We must realize we have feet of clay and need salvation to be qualified for salvation:  the qualification is that we realize we aren't qualified!   Jesus said he came to "not to" call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."  We must admit we are lost and in sin to be saved.  We shouldn't look at the word sinners as "those guys" and should realize that when we point a finger at them, three are pointing back at us.

The Bible also says that in 1 Cor. 15:33 that "bad company corrupts good morals" and in Proverbs that a wise man chooses his friends carefully.  We are only responsible for our own sphere of influence and shouldn't feel that we fall short if we can't go into a wild party and convert everyone.  It is a sin to carouse and party in an unruly manner.   Jesus may have been around drunks and gluttons but he certainly didn't condone their sin or sanction it.  He said to the adulterous woman that he didn't condemn her, but he also said to "go and sin no more."  We should dare to take courageous stands in the name of the Lord, but not be judgmental at the same time.  It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, not our job to make them feel guilty.

There is a fine line to walk between being some sinners friend and actually condoning their behavior.   The Bible also says to "abstain from all appearance of evil," which means stay away from evil when it appears; to stay away from everything that may be construed as having the stain of evil would be impossible.  We should call a spade a spade, as it were, or should not try to invent pretty names for our sins, because they are still sinning.   

Jesus was never out of his element or comfort zone, but we fall short and shouldn't think that we are called to save everyone. One believer might be "Jesus" to the prisoners, another to lawyers, another to bikers, another to travelers, but that is their sphere of influence and they would be unsuccessful and have no testimony to someone else's; for instance, I am a veteran and God uses me to witness to vets, but I would have no testimony to blue-collar workers in a Ford plant, that I couldn't relate to, unless I spent considerable time working there and developed a testimony.

 
We all have to find the role in life God has assigned us, be faithful to that role, and not try to be something we're not. We should not limit ourselves to certain types of people, God brings all kinds of folks into our lives & we are always witnessing by our own example so always be prepared! I didn't mean to give that impression of limiting God's calling, but we are all designed for certain testimonies in my opinion, but that doesn't mean we are not used in other occasions and opportunities. "Be ready, in season and out...." "Always be prepared to give an answer....." We all have a calling, as it were, and must reach out to our circle of friends and sphere of influence whatever that may be.

I asked my pastor if I should feel guilty about not going downtown Saint Paul to witness because I felt I already had a ministry at the Vets Home. He said that I should witness here and that's a no-brainer. My mom always says to bloom where you're planted. In my estimation, some people are not suited to military life as an example and God will lead them elsewhere. We are all unique designs and creations of God and God has something specific for us to do and we should be faithful in that.


The objection may be raised of 1 Cor. 9:22 which says, "I have become all things to all people that I might, by all means, gain some...." N.B. that it says have become rather than "am" and when God leads us to someone (not us leading us) he has prepared that person and us for the witness. All things and all people doesn't necessarily mean all without exception but maybe all without distinction or all kinds of and not literally all in the without any exception in the absolute sense. Remember that Jesus opens and closes doors not us and he gets the credit.
1. Soli Deo Gloria!