FRIENDSHIPS
FRIENDSHIPS are wonderful blessings, WHEN blessed by God. However, FRIENDSHIPS WITH THE NON-CHRISTIAN - THE UNGODLY - THE FOOLISH - ARE FORBIDDEN. There are no two-ways about it. We are not to form friendships with those who do not love God. When we do, we do not please God and He doesn't allow any good to come from those friendships, only pain. Ungodly, foolish people cause us to stray. They are not good for us. They have no light and life of God in them. They have nothing good to offer us, nothing at all. Their folly - their silliness, their self-confident stupidity - is deceit. They mock at sin and sin mocks them because they are the victims of their own wickedness, their own waywardness from God (Proverbs 14: 8,9).
THE NON-CHRISTIAN - THE UNGODLY is spoken of, among other things, as FOOLISH. "Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding" (Proverbs 9:6). "Go from the presence of a foolish man, when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge" (Proverbs 14:7).
If you must transact business with the Non-Christian, do so as if you were in a shower of rain. Do it quickly and move on away. Do not stand beside him or her long enough to be infected by his or her poisoned ideas and conversation.
"The path of sin is much more easily avoided than relinquished," says Charles Bridges in his Commentary on Proverbs. In other words it is easier to avoid the wrong path than to enter upon it and then try to depart from it!
Are we to witness to the ungodly, foolish, non-Christians? Yes. We are always to labor to win their souls to Christ. First and foremost however, we are to obey God. We must have willing hearts to do just exactly what God tells us to do. We are not to make alliances with non-Christians, allowing their poison to seeps into our souls. "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray" (Proverbs 12:26). The Amplified Bible says it this way: "The [consistently] righteous man is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked causes others to go astray."
The very sight of a Christian who fears God, who bathes himself/herself daily in God's word and wants to obey Him at all cost, is refreshing. "Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight by hearty counsel [that comes from the heart AMP]" (Proverbs 27:9).
The sweet tenderness of a friend's counsel is the balm of friendship when we are of the same mind in Christ toward one another (Romans 12:15).
I dearly love this verse . . . "Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Your word" (Psalms 119:74). Are you happy when you see friends whose hope and reliance is in God's word? AND does your hope, and your dependence upon God's word cause others to be glad when they see you?
Can you say to God what the Psalmist said? "I am a companion of all those who fear, revere, and worship You, and of those who observe and give heed to Your precepts" (Psalm 119:63 AMP)?
THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink is a wonderful little book for those of you who want to know more about God's character. The book is less than 100 pages and is divided into 17 short chapters! It's an easy read!
"Grace is a perfection of the Divine character which is exercised only toward the elect. Neither in the Old Testament nor in the New is the grace of God mentioned in connection with mankind generally. It is distinguished from "mercy," for the mercy of God is 'over all His works" (Psalm 145:9). Grace is the sole source from which flows the goodwill, love, and salvation of God unto His chosen people" p.66.
God's grace is His eternal and absolute free favor, manifested in spiritual and eternal blessings to His children who are guilty and unworthy.
We have nothing to offer God and are due nothing from Him.
We are deserving of every misery in this life and hell in the life to come.
"Grace can neither be bought, earned, nor won by the creature (us). If it could be, it would cease to be grace" p.66.
"Eternal life is a gift, therefore it can neither be earned by good works, nor claimed as a right" p. 67.
One God
"O come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods" (Psalm 95:1-3).
When Scripture was being written the heathen had many gods over many things. They had a separate god for war, for winds, for marriage, for the crops, the sun and the moon, etc. These separate gods were limited in the minds of those that worshiped them, because every god could not do everything. Of course none of these gods had any power to do anything anyway!!! At one time Jupiter was the god received and adorned throughout Asia, Europe and Africa. Every country has their own gods peculiar to itself. NONE of these gods were able to do everything or anything for that matter! That's why the heathen needed lords many and gods many, and even at that, these lords and gods were impotent. it is ONLY our God who is the ONE GOD. HE DOES ALL THINGS. HE IS NOT, AND NEVER HAS BEEN, LIMITED IN ANYTHING. HE IS AT ALL TIMES SOVEREIGN OVER ALL.
The LORD alone did lead them and there was no strange god with them (Deuteronomy 32:12).
This is why, contrary to popular opinion, THE MUSLIMS DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO BOW BEFORE THEIR god. ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE, THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD. WE ARE TO WORSHIP HIM. NOONE HAS THE "RIGHT" TO WORSHIP ANOTHER god.
"For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to the LORD, O families of the people, give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth" (Psalm 96:3-9).