Godly Relationships.
There are many types of relationships,( work, family, friends, marital, etc.). And we are influenced, as well as shaped by those people in our lives. As Christians, it is very important to choose our friends carefully ...so that the enemy of our souls doesn't have an opportunity to snare us. I have seen family members, as well as friends corrupted by bad company. As Christians, we should be a light to those people in our lives, but instead of pulling people up toward God, many compromise and are pulled down into sin in order to be accepted. Our acceptance should be with God and not men. We are called to be God pleasers and not man pleasers. God's Word tells us to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.
(NKJV) 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.
When oxen are yoked together to plow a field, they turn and walk together in unison as the plowman directs them, they do nothing apart. It is the same with us with our friendships, friends have the same interests and spend time together. What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? Drinking, drugging and partying is lawlessness and should have no place in the life of the believer. We should establish Godly friendships with like minded believers.
(NKJV) 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
(NKJV) 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
God's Word teaches us that we are not to love the world or the things of the world, if anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in them. The world is a term that refers to the carnal nature of sin (lust of the flesh and eyes, pride of life). The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. This fallen world of sin is temporal and is passing away like a worn out garment, but he who does the will of God abides forever. By studying God's Word and getting to know our Father in Heaven we bear good fruit and develop good habits, but evil company corrupts good habits. Not only is a sinful lifestyle detrimental to us, but wasting time on vanity leads to spiritual stagnation, as well as backsliding. We need to spend time with God to get to know him and his Word so that we may live a victorious life in this dark world.
(NKJV) Proverbs 12:26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
(NKJV) 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
I have witnessed the way of the wicked leading many astray that is why we need to be the salt of the earth, as well as examples of the new birth. We may be the only lifeline that someone may have. We need to be like Christ to a dying world. Satan is very aggressive in his work to snare our souls, we need to be equally aggressive in sharing our faith with others.
God's Word also teaches us to be loving, tenderhearted, as well as courteous with those in our lives. We are not to return evil for evil or reviling for reviling but instead we are to bless those who curse us because we are to be an example of righteousness to the lost. We need to bear the good fruit of God's Spirit because he dwells within us. If he dwells within us then his attributes should be present in our lives.
(NKJV) Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
(NKJV) Matthew 5:23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
(NKJV) Matthew 6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(NKJV) Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Finally we need to put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking and learn to love one another and forgive one another even as Christ loved and forgave us. God's Word teaches that if we do not forgive our brothers their trespasses then our heavenly Father will not forgive us our trespasses. Peter asked the Master how often we should forgive our brothers who sin against us, he asked seven times? Christ replied, seventy times seven. In other words, Christ was saying that our forgiveness towards our brothers should be limitless. We need to choose our relationships very carefully and treat others as we would have them treat us. God Bless!!
There are many types of relationships,( work, family, friends, marital, etc.). And we are influenced, as well as shaped by those people in our lives. As Christians, it is very important to choose our friends carefully ...so that the enemy of our souls doesn't have an opportunity to snare us. I have seen family members, as well as friends corrupted by bad company. As Christians, we should be a light to those people in our lives, but instead of pulling people up toward God, many compromise and are pulled down into sin in order to be accepted. Our acceptance should be with God and not men. We are called to be God pleasers and not man pleasers. God's Word tells us to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.
(NKJV) 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.
When oxen are yoked together to plow a field, they turn and walk together in unison as the plowman directs them, they do nothing apart. It is the same with us with our friendships, friends have the same interests and spend time together. What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? Drinking, drugging and partying is lawlessness and should have no place in the life of the believer. We should establish Godly friendships with like minded believers.
(NKJV) 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
(NKJV) 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
God's Word teaches us that we are not to love the world or the things of the world, if anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in them. The world is a term that refers to the carnal nature of sin (lust of the flesh and eyes, pride of life). The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. This fallen world of sin is temporal and is passing away like a worn out garment, but he who does the will of God abides forever. By studying God's Word and getting to know our Father in Heaven we bear good fruit and develop good habits, but evil company corrupts good habits. Not only is a sinful lifestyle detrimental to us, but wasting time on vanity leads to spiritual stagnation, as well as backsliding. We need to spend time with God to get to know him and his Word so that we may live a victorious life in this dark world.
(NKJV) Proverbs 12:26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
(NKJV) 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
I have witnessed the way of the wicked leading many astray that is why we need to be the salt of the earth, as well as examples of the new birth. We may be the only lifeline that someone may have. We need to be like Christ to a dying world. Satan is very aggressive in his work to snare our souls, we need to be equally aggressive in sharing our faith with others.
God's Word also teaches us to be loving, tenderhearted, as well as courteous with those in our lives. We are not to return evil for evil or reviling for reviling but instead we are to bless those who curse us because we are to be an example of righteousness to the lost. We need to bear the good fruit of God's Spirit because he dwells within us. If he dwells within us then his attributes should be present in our lives.
(NKJV) Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
(NKJV) Matthew 5:23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
(NKJV) Matthew 6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(NKJV) Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Finally we need to put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking and learn to love one another and forgive one another even as Christ loved and forgave us. God's Word teaches that if we do not forgive our brothers their trespasses then our heavenly Father will not forgive us our trespasses. Peter asked the Master how often we should forgive our brothers who sin against us, he asked seven times? Christ replied, seventy times seven. In other words, Christ was saying that our forgiveness towards our brothers should be limitless. We need to choose our relationships very carefully and treat others as we would have them treat us. God Bless!!
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