“But you don’t understand. I just happen to click with her; we get along great. I feel completely comfortable around her. I don’t have to be on edge. I can completely relax. We have a lot of things in common.”But what about Christ? Do you have HIM in common as well?
“No, she’s not a Christian, but when it comes to my faith, I think I can hold my own ground and not compromise. I see no reason why she should not continue to be my best friend.”
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
(Psalms 1:1-2)
Psalm 1:1 refers to the kind of friends with whom you feel most comfortable.
Who we walk with, jog with, work-out with, golf with, hunt with, snowmobile with, shop with, play with, eat with and hang with are critical matters for believers. As compatible as your personalities might be, never forget that an unsaved friend is just that – unsaved! Your friend is a sinner who does not share your love for Christ.
If Christ came to your neighborhood today, your unsaved friend with whom you connect so well would join the others in shouting: “Crucify Him; I do not want that Man to reign over me.” You would be shocked, disappointed, hurt, and offended. You would think: “Wow, if that’s how he feels about My Saviour, I guess we really have nothing in common! It means a parting of the ways.” You rarely see a person’s bottom line in everyday life. But remember this, your friend’s bottom line is: “I do not want to follow your Christ.” Such an attitude towards Christ is deep in the heart of every sinner. It lurks just below the nice respectable, fun-loving surface of your unsaved friend.
Take just one example from the Bible: do you think Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, after witnessing the raw and brutal hatred of their colleagues towards Christ and their decision to have Him crucified – do you really think those two believers would have any great desire to socialize and chill with them on the weekends? Regardless of how much common ground they shared in the secular world or how compatible their personalities were – there was a huge fracture and disconnect over one Person – Jesus Christ.
Our social relationship with an unsaved person should be to show them the kindness of Christ and to win them to Christ. This Bible Bite is NOT about severing relationships with the unsaved – it is about having a spiritually motivated relationship with them.
If I mingle and mix and enjoy the continuing friendship of unsaved people, without an overriding spiritual goal for them, then I am in deep trouble. If I would prefer to spend my free time with unsaved friends from work or college, then I am in deep trouble. It is NOT the normal Christian desire. The normal Christian impulse is to prefer Christian company and enjoy fellowship with those who love Christ. If you are leaning in the other direction, you’re leaning in the wrong direction.
Seek the Lord and seek the company of those who love your Lord.
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay