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Post by Giller on Sept 13, 2019 0:16:00 GMT -5
This is just a thread on friendliness, and the word friend.
Here is a start up verse:
Pro 18:24 (24) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Just comment away, people.
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Post by Giller on Sept 13, 2019 9:56:24 GMT -5
Here is a definition of the word friendliness:
(Webster's dictionary)
(Friendliness FRIEND'LINESS, n. frend'liness.
1. A disposition to friendship; friendly disposition. 2. Exertion of benevolence or kindness.)
And here is the Greek definition of the word friends:
(Strong's concordance)
(H7453 רֵיעַ רֵעַ rêa‛ rêya‛ ray'-ah, ray'-ah
From H7462; an associate (more or less close): - brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, X (an-) other. Total KJV occurrences: 187)
Now concerning making friends, you will have some that are closer as friends than others.
And we can be friends to people, but as long as we do not compromise the word of God,.
Luk 7:34 (34) The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
Here they were falsely accusing Jesus of being a friend to publicans and sinners, to the point of partaking in their sins, such as gluttony, and drunkenness, we cannot be friends to sinners in this way, for the bible says this:
Jas 4:3-4 (3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (4) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Notice that it starts with the mention of the word lust, or consuming things upon our lusts, which is a sin here, than it mentions for us not to have "the" friendship of the world, for we cannot be a friend to sinful ways, or partake of these ways, or be a partaker of these lustful ways.
So we cannot be a friend to the world through it's ways, or a friend to it's ways, or lustful ways.
We can be a friend to people of the world, but not to their lustful ways, or through their lustful ways.
And we must be careful of course.
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Post by Giller on Sept 14, 2019 0:44:28 GMT -5
Now of course if someone is hostile to the gospel, and is not open, to were you cannot talk about it, than of course shake off the dust of your feet as the bible says.
Mat 10:14 (14) And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
And of course it says not to cast your pearls before swine, else they will trample it under their feet.
Now, not casting your pearls before swine, does not always mean to not speak, for if you look at Jesus, when the pharisees came to him, and tried to trick him, he spoke to them, but often times it was according to their own foolishness, which he was showing them what they were.
He often rebuked them very sharply.
So God may lead at certain times to keep quiet, or even at certain times to answer them according to their own foolishness, or give some sharp rebuke, just you won't give them the precious pearls of the gospel, for they are not open to it.
But of course one day that person's heart could be soften, and then one day be ready to receive.
Which these things I have just mentioned I have seriously known for a long time.
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Post by solid on Sept 14, 2019 12:03:08 GMT -5
You can share some things with sinners but not deep truths.
If a person is nasty, nobody will want to be around them so you won't have friends that way.
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Post by John on Sept 14, 2019 20:51:20 GMT -5
You can share some things with sinners but not deep truths. If a person is nasty, nobody will want to be around them so you won't have friends that way. I agree, but it is not necessarily just deep things we can't share, but things that this person is unlikely to receive for one reason or another. It could be about their lifestyle. Perhaps they are in sin. They are not going to accept any type of rebuke or criticism and you know that. It might be smarter not to deal with those things, and focus on the basics of the gospel. If they are hostile towards that, it might be wise to not go down that road either until you know they are ready. We need wisdom from God.
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Post by Giller on Sept 14, 2019 21:08:50 GMT -5
You can share some things with sinners but not deep truths. If a person is nasty, nobody will want to be around them so you won't have friends that way. I agree, but it is not necessarily just deep things we can't share, but things that this person is unlikely to receive for one reason or another. It could be about their lifestyle. Perhaps they are in sin. They are not going to accept any type of rebuke or criticism and you know that. It might be smarter not to deal with those things, and focus on the basics of the gospel. If they are hostile towards that, it might be wise to not go down that road either until you know they are ready. We need wisdom from God.
Yes there is truth to what you are saying , sometimes you cannot say certain rebukes, but there are times to were God will actually lead to say something convicting in certain situations, just so there is conviction there, because there are times Jesus spoke certain things which made people extremely angry. So we really do need the leading of the Spirit, knowing when to, and not to, knowing when to say things of this part of the gospel or other parts, or whatever he leads. And of course if someone is extremely hostile, there are times were you do not share much. And in other cases God can lead for you to say certain things that will make someone extremely angry, which they may not receive at that moment, but that seed may just work in their heart to gradually bring them to a place they need to be. Reactions can be a sign of things but not always, God bless you John. And you did say good things, just it is sometimes yes and sometimes no, God knows what is needed.
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Post by John on Sept 14, 2019 21:14:57 GMT -5
I agree, but it is not necessarily just deep things we can't share, but things that this person is unlikely to receive for one reason or another. It could be about their lifestyle. Perhaps they are in sin. They are not going to accept any type of rebuke or criticism and you know that. It might be smarter not to deal with those things, and focus on the basics of the gospel. If they are hostile towards that, it might be wise to not go down that road either until you know they are ready. We need wisdom from God.
Yes there is truth to what you are saying , sometimes you cannot say certain rebukes, but there are times to were God will actually lead to say something convicting in certain situations, just so there is conviction there, because there are times Jesus spoke certain things which made people extremely angry. So we really do need the leading of the Spirit, knowing when to, and not to, knowing when to say things of this part of the gospel or other parts, or whatever he leads. And of course if someone is extremely hostile, there are times were you do not share much. And in other cases God can lead for you to say certain things that will make someone extremely angry, which they may not receive at that moment, but that seed may just work in their heart to gradually bring them to a place they need to be. Reactions can be a sign of things but not always, God bless you John. And you did say good things, just it is sometimes yes and sometimes no, God knows what is needed. You are right Giller. There are times where Jesus did say things that were not well received to people he knew would not accept them. It does come down to being led of the Spirit.
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