I don't care what race or religion you are, you can't be my friend if Jesus isn't your Savior and friend.
Here's why:
1. Friendship with the World vs. Friendship with God
James 4:4 states:
"You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."
This verse suggests that aligning oneself with worldly values or rejecting God’s ways creates a spiritual conflict. It warns against forming relationships that might compromise faith or lead to ungodly influences.
2. Light and Darkness
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 says:
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?"
This passage is often interpreted as cautioning Christians about forming close, binding relationships (such as marriage or deep partnerships) with non-believers. It stresses the spiritual divide between those who follow Christ and those who do not.
3. Jesus on Friendship
In John 15:14-15, Jesus says:
"You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."
Here, Jesus defines friendship with Him as obedience to His teachings. Those who reject Him and His message cannot be considered His friends in the spiritual sense.
4. Loving Others While Maintaining Boundaries
While the Bible emphasizes loving others (Matthew 22:39), it also warns against being influenced by those who reject Christ. Christians are called to be kind and compassionate toward everyone (Luke 6:27-28), but this doesn't necessarily mean forming deep friendships with those who might lead them away from their faith.
5. Jesus friend of sinners
The life and ministry of Jesus reflect a balance between engaging with sinners for the purpose of leading them to God and maintaining a clear boundary regarding deep, spiritual fellowship with those who reject Him. Here's an explanation:
1. Jesus as a Friend of Sinners
In Matthew 9:10-13, it says:
"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'”
This shows Jesus' purpose: He engaged with sinners to bring them to repentance and reconciliation with God. His relationship with them was not about forming deep, personal friendships but about fulfilling His mission to save the lost (Luke 19:10).
2. Jesus Did Not Entrust Himself to People
John 2:23-25 says:
"Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person."
This indicates that while Jesus ministered to everyone, He maintained a divine discernment. He knew the hearts of people, including their sinful tendencies and motivations, and therefore did not commit Himself to them in a way that would compromise His mission or divine purpose.
3. Purpose of Jesus' Interactions
Jesus' interactions with sinners were always purposeful:
To show God's love and offer forgiveness (John 3:16-17).
To call them to repentance and faith in Him (Mark 1:15).
To exemplify the transformative power of God's grace.
He did not condone their sin or seek personal companionship for its own sake. His engagement was always rooted in His mission to reconcile humanity to God.
4. Believers and Fellowship with Unbelievers
The Bible warns believers against forming deep fellowship with unbelievers because of the spiritual misalignment it creates:
2 Corinthians 6:14: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"
Ephesians 5:11: "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."
These passages stress that Christians are to avoid intimate relationships or partnerships with those who reject Christ, as these can lead to spiritual compromise.
5. Love with Boundaries
While Christians are called to love and pray for everyone, including unbelievers (Matthew 5:44), this love is not the same as fellowship. Like Jesus, believers are to engage with non-believers purposefully—to share the gospel and lead them to Christ—while maintaining boundaries that protect their faith and testimony.
Conclusion
Jesus’ example shows that it is possible to engage with sinners out of love and a desire to lead them to God without compromising spiritual integrity. His relationships with sinners were not about personal friendship but about fulfilling His redemptive mission. Believers are called to do the same: love unbelievers, share the gospel, but avoid deep fellowship that might conflict with their commitment to Christ.
Why would I even want to be friends with anyone who doesn't want to be friends with my BFF Jesus Christ my Lord?
1. Rejecting Jesus Is Rejecting the Father
Jesus makes it clear that rejecting Him is equivalent to rejecting God the Father, who sent Him. In Luke 10:16, Jesus says:
"Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me."
This underscores the unity between Jesus and the Father (John 10:30). By rejecting Jesus, individuals are rejecting the one true God because Jesus is the direct representative of God on earth.
In John 12:44-45, Jesus declares:
"Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me."
To deny Jesus is to deny the revelation of God.
2. The Consequences of Denying Jesus
Jesus warns of the eternal consequences of denying Him. In Matthew 10:32-33, He says:
"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven."
This statement highlights the seriousness of acknowledging or denying Jesus. Those who reject Jesus not only sever themselves from salvation but also face rejection before God on the Day of Judgment.
3. Rejecting Christ’s Messengers
Jesus taught that His disciples and messengers were His representatives. In rejecting them, people reject Jesus and, by extension, the Father. This principle is seen in John 13:20:
"Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."
Similarly, when Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples, He told them in Luke 10:16 (as mentioned above) that rejection of them was equivalent to rejecting Him and God the Father.
4. Application for Believers
For Christians, this teaching emphasizes:
The Importance of Faith in Jesus: True faith in God is inseparable from faith in Jesus (John 14:6). Any denial of Jesus as Savior and Lord is a denial of God’s plan of salvation.
The Role of Christian Witnesses: Believers are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). As such, rejection of their faithful witness to the gospel is a rejection of Christ Himself.
Seriousness of Spiritual Allegiances: Fellowship with unbelievers or those who actively reject Christ must be navigated carefully. While Christians are called to share the gospel, they are also warned not to compromise their faith or be unequally yoked with non-believers (2 Corinthians 6:14).
5. Judgment for Rejection
Rejection of Jesus results in eternal separation from God, as seen in John 3:18:
"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."
This judgment highlights the gravity of denying Christ.
Conclusion
Jesus’ words emphasize the interconnectedness of belief in Him and belief in God the Father. Rejecting Jesus or those sent in His name is a rejection of God’s offer of salvation. For Christians, this is a call to remain steadfast in their faith, to proclaim the gospel boldly, and to recognize the spiritual consequences of rejection by others.
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