Should a Christian have non-Christian friends? - In the world, but not of the world?

[Jericho]

A follow-up somewhat to my previous topic:

Life in the Tribal Bubble - The unReal world?

Religious institutions, particularly the churches of Christianity, provide a sanitized sterile environment. A bit like a petri dish in a lab, in which church culture can safely grow. But, tribe members don't live in the bubble. So they have to travel outside eventually. They may surround...

www.christianityboard.com

It seems that many Christians,
in the interest of not being OF the world
have made themselves not IN the world.

Discussion questions:
- Do you have any non-Christian friends?
- If so, how do you maintain a balance?
- If not, how do you maintain a balance?
- Do non-Christians view you as a relevant human?

[

There are degrees to friendship. I have many acquaintances and people I'm friendly to, but very few I'm actually close with. For Christians, it's a careful balancing act. Friends influence each other, so you have to be selective with who you associate with. This is basically what 2 Corinthians 6:14 says:

"Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"

Take Jesus, for example. Much has been made that he hung out with sinners, which is true to an extent. He ate with them, and he talked with them, but was he really close to them? I don't think so. He was close to his apostles, and even then he had an inner circle.

 

[St. SteVen]

Take Jesus, for example. Much has been made that he hung out with sinners, which is true to an extent. He ate with them, and he talked with them, but was he really close to them? I don't think so. He was close to his apostles, and even then he had an inner circle.

I think this is a common misconception about Jesus.

Matthew 11:18-19 NIV
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say,
‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

[

 

[Taken]

Should a Christian have non-Christian friends? - In the world, but not of the world?​

Can / Do / Should? A Christian have non-Christian friends?

Sure.

People have Likes / Interests / Friendships Beyond / Outside “OF” Religious / Political gambits.
(ie. sports, music, education, talents, hobbies, ethics, etc.)

Glory to God,
Taken

 

[St. SteVen]

New topic.

When Did Jesus Go to Egypt?

Is there a contradiction in the story of Jesus as a child? One story says they fled to Egypt after the Magi left. Another story says they took Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to be circumcised on the eighth day. ??? Matthew 2:7-15 NIV Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from...

www.christianityboard.com

[

 

[St. SteVen]

It seems that many Christians,
in the interest of not being OF the world
have made themselves not IN the world.

Discussion questions:
- Do you have any non-Christian friends?
- If so, how do you maintain a balance?
- If not, how do you maintain a balance?
- Do non-Christians view you as a relevant human?

[

 

[amigo de christo]

It seems that many Christians,
in the interest of not being OF the world
have made themselves not IN the world.

Discussion questions:
- Do you have any non-Christian friends?
- If so, how do you maintain a balance?
- If not, how do you maintain a balance?
- Do non-Christians view you as a relevant human?

[

I had quite a few friends .
ASK rather what became of those friends WHEN A TRUE CHANGE of GOD came upon me .
I went to my friends excited about the event .
I wanted all my friends to share with me in my joy of the LORD .
Little by little they LEFT ME .
ANY GUESSES WHY . Cause my desire was all about GOD , about CHRIST
that was all i wanted to talk about and to help them .
SO THE QUESTION REALLY IS
HOW COME so many so called christains can maintain friends that are of this world .
AND THE ANSWER IS , THEY SHUT UP ABOUT CHRIST , THEY GO WITH THE FLOW of their f riends .
STOP trying to pump this inclusive nonsense friend . IF THE WORLD Loves you , OOOPSY
something aint right . I loved my friends . STILL do , though one comitted suicide a few years back .
THE LIGHT and darkness WILL NOT and cannot exist . AND IF IT DO , IT truly means ONE IS STILL IN DARKNESS .
Wake up .

 

[St. SteVen]

ANY GUESSES WHY

I have you on IGNORE.
I'm pretty sure why. - LOL

[

 

[Marvelloustime]

I had quite a few friends .
ASK rather what became of those friends WHEN A TRUE CHANGE of GOD came upon me .
I went to my friends excited about the event .
I wanted all my friends to share with me in my joy of the LORD .
Little by little they LEFT ME .
ANY GUESSES WHY . Cause my desire was all about GOD , about CHRIST
that was all i wanted to talk about and to help them .
SO THE QUESTION REALLY IS
HOW COME so many so called christains can maintain friends that are of this world .
AND THE ANSWER IS , THEY SHUT UP ABOUT CHRIST , THEY GO WITH THE FLOW of their f riends .
STOP trying to pump this inclusive nonsense friend . IF THE WORLD Loves you , OOOPSY
something aint right . I loved my friends . STILL do , though one comitted suicide a few years back .
THE LIGHT and darkness WILL NOT and cannot exist . AND IF IT DO , IT truly means ONE IS STILL IN DARKNESS .
Wake up .

@amigo de christo

 

[amigo de christo]

It seems that many Christians,
in the interest of not being OF the world
have made themselves not IN the world.

Discussion questions:
- Do you have any non-Christian friends?
- If so, how do you maintain a balance?
- If not, how do you maintain a balance?
- Do non-Christians view you as a relevant human?

[

yea rather it seems many christains in the interest of their love of sin and of the world
Have made a way to do both.
They desire to be OF the world and the idea they are fine and all is well .
My friends abandoned me . Not because i was harsh , or yelling , or a judger or hater
As this church age would like to beleive of me .
But because all i desired was to speak about Christ , show them The truth .
I DONT SEE that desire at all in this genertaion .
IT just desires for all to be one and get along . BIG mistake that one was . ITs how you FALL .
DO not be unequally yoked together with unbeleivers .
Kinda odd i sure dont seem to remember JESUS or the apostels
going around trying to so called find common ground with the unbeleiving jew or gentile .
NO they went about DOING REAL evangeliszing . YOu know , PREACHING of the DIRE NEED TO REPENT and BELEIVE ON JESUS the CHRIST and not rather this lie of interfaith which goes to all the religoins and says ALAS all is fine
we serving the same GOD , lets just find common ground . INTERFAITH IS THE DEVILS WORK
and i know exactl what ecumincal WHORE brought this to the world , to the churches and to the false religions .
TIME for us all to BIBLE Up AND LEARN CHRIST for our selves . Cause today
men run on nothing but eomotions , NOT TRUTH , feelings , NOT TRUTH and they are decieving the entire lott of christendome .

 

[Lizbeth]

I had quite a few friends .
ASK rather what became of those friends WHEN A TRUE CHANGE of GOD came upon me .
I went to my friends excited about the event .
I wanted all my friends to share with me in my joy of the LORD .
Little by little they LEFT ME .
ANY GUESSES WHY . Cause my desire was all about GOD , about CHRIST
that was all i wanted to talk about and to help them .
SO THE QUESTION REALLY IS
HOW COME so many so called christains can maintain friends that are of this world .
AND THE ANSWER IS , THEY SHUT UP ABOUT CHRIST , THEY GO WITH THE FLOW of their f riends .
STOP trying to pump this inclusive nonsense friend . IF THE WORLD Loves you , OOOPSY
something aint right . I loved my friends . STILL do , though one comitted suicide a few years back .
THE LIGHT and darkness WILL NOT and cannot exist . AND IF IT DO , IT truly means ONE IS STILL IN DARKNESS .
Wake up .

Amen and the more pagan the world around us becomes, the society we live in, the less it is going to love believers.

And I think it might depend to some extent on one's spiritual gifts/callings too brother. Pastoring types might have more acquaintances around inside and outside the camp of faith because their calling has more to do with caring and comforting and encouraging, than prophet types who are trying to bring about conviction and repentance. Evangelists might have some acquaintances because their gifting is to draw people to the Lord, although of course they will experience rejection by some as well. Prophet types tend to be more intense and more alone because they are more uncomfortable to be around due to the nature of their calling. Like the prophets of old were rejected by most and only honoured after they were no longer around to "bother" people and make them feel uncomfortable.

Jesus had all these gifts rolled into one, but as the divers members of His body, we tend to be more "specialized" in our gifts.

 

[Lizbeth]

@amigo de christo
View attachment 71426

Amen, and that passage further goes on to say we must come out from among them and be ye separate. Being separate from the world is a big part of what it means to be holy...separate/set apart for the LORD. Doesnt' mean to be unkind and unloving to folks, of course not, but it means we maintain our separateness and not join hands with them. There is a scripture that says, "how can two walk together except they be agreed?" There is a way in which we are to associate with people of the world for the Lord's sake, remembering our mission, rather than for our own entertainment or social needs.

 

[Lizbeth]

yea rather it seems many christains in the interest of their love of sin and of the world
Have made a way to do both.
They desire to be OF the world and the idea they are fine and all is well .
My friends abandoned me . Not because i was harsh , or yelling , or a judger or hater
As this church age would like to beleive of me .
But because all i desired was to speak about Christ , show them The truth .
I DONT SEE that desire at all in this genertaion .
IT just desires for all to be one and get along . BIG mistake that one was . ITs how you FALL .
DO not be unequally yoked together with unbeleivers .
Kinda odd i sure dont seem to remember JESUS or the apostels
going around trying to so called find common ground with the unbeleiving jew or gentile .
NO they went about DOING REAL evangeliszing . YOu know , PREACHING of the DIRE NEED TO REPENT and BELEIVE ON JESUS the CHRIST and not rather this lie of interfaith which goes to all the religoins and says ALAS all is fine
we serving the same GOD , lets just find common ground . INTERFAITH IS THE DEVILS WORK
and i know exactl what ecumincal WHORE brought this to the world , to the churches and to the false religions .
TIME for us all to BIBLE Up AND LEARN CHRIST for our selves . Cause today
men run on nothing but eomotions , NOT TRUTH , feelings , NOT TRUTH and they are decieving the entire lott of christendome .

And because many are being led by their emotions, they pick and choose the feel-good scriptures instead of embracing and spiritually discerning the whole counsel of God....this is a slide into nominalism. Man does not spiritually LIVE by (fill-in-the-blank) alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.

 

[amigo de christo]

Amen and the more pagan the world around us becomes, the society we live in, the less it is going to love believers.

And I think it might depend to some extent on one's spiritual gifts/callings too brother. Pastoring types might have more acquaintances around inside and outside the camp of faith because their calling has more to do with caring and comforting and encouraging, than prophet types who are trying to bring about conviction and repentance. Evangelists might have some acquaintances because their gifting is to draw people to the Lord, although of course they will experience rejection by some as well. Prophet types tend to be more intense and more alone because they are more uncomfortable to be around due to the nature of their calling. Like the prophets of old were rejected by most and only honoured after they were no longer around to "bother" people and make them feel uncomfortable.

Jesus had all these gifts rolled into one, but as the divers members of His body, we tend to be more "specialized" in our gifts.

Trench onwards in the glorious LORD my dear sister .
Many are a friend of the world , its ways , its sins and pleasures of the flesh
and thus they will heed its universal cry to merge as one under what all will beleive IS LOVE and OF GOD .
If one walks like a duck and quacks like a duck
and when around other ducks it is like unto them
THEN when it tries to tell me its a chicken , YEAH i aint buying it sister .
ITS The heart sister . and ye shall know them by their fruits .
ITS easy to see . Listen to what their heart and focus is on
IS it the things of this world , its entertaintment , its sins , its etc
OR is their mind on the things of the LORD .
Talk about GOD and Christ and sound doctrine and ye will see their reaction .
Some might even say a quick amen , BUT QUICKLY turn the convesation AWAY FROM GOD
and back on the world . Our hearts desire SHOULD have FOREMOST been ON GOD .
not on lusts , twisted jokes at tables , talking about women at tables and etc
talking non stop about football or some other t hing .
I know folks can talk about small topics at times , BUT LOOK at the heart . SEE where the real love is .
And you will see that many have thier love ON THE WORLD and not the things OF GOD .
People who are fired up about GOD , WILL darn sure talk about HIM , THE GOSPEL , sound doctrine .
As i said i already know we talk about things like gardening , the weather , how are the kids and etc .
BUT even then there is a burning within us to also GET the SUBJECT ON GOD . many DO NOT HAVE that at all .
Their d esire IS ON The WORLD and they will find ways to get away from the subject of G OD .

 

[amigo de christo]

And because many are being led by their emotions, they pick and choose the feel-good scriptures instead of embracing and spiritually discerning the whole counsel of God....this is a slide into nominalism. Man does not spiritually LIVE by (fill-in-the-blank) alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.

examine this dear sister .
EVEN the scrips that give them good f eelings , LIKE GOD IS LOVE , OR etc
They are under the spell of another love and THINK its the love of GOD and it does make them FEEL GOOD .
they twist even those scrips to fit another version of how the world would have seen it .

 

[Lizbeth]

Trench onwards in the glorious LORD my dear sister .
Many are a friend of the world , its ways , its sins and pleasures of the flesh
and thus they will heed its universal cry to merge as one under what all will beleive IS LOVE and OF GOD .
If one walks like a duck and quacks like a duck
and when around other ducks it is like unto them
THEN when it tries to tell me its a chicken , YEAH i aint buying it sister .
ITS The heart sister . and ye shall know them by their fruits .
ITS easy to see . Listen to what their heart and focus is on
IS it the things of this world , its entertaintment , its sins , its etc
OR is their mind on the things of the LORD .
Talk about GOD and Christ and sound doctrine and ye will see their reaction .
Some might even say a quick amen , BUT QUICKLY turn the convesation AWAY FROM GOD
and back on the world . Our hearts desire SHOULD have FOREMOST been ON GOD .
not on lusts , twisted jokes at tables , talking about women at tables and etc
talking non stop about football or some other t hing .
I know folks can talk about small topics at times , BUT LOOK at the heart . SEE where the real love is .
And you will see that many have thier love ON THE WORLD and not the things OF GOD .
People who are fired up about GOD , WILL darn sure talk about HIM , THE GOSPEL , sound doctrine .
As i said i already know we talk about things like gardening , the weather , how are the kids and etc .
BUT even then there is a burning within us to also GET the SUBJECT ON GOD . many DO NOT HAVE that at all .
Their d esire IS ON The WORLD and they will find ways to get away from the subject of G OD .

Yes, as human beings we need times of recreation and to push the re-set button, and to catch up with people we know, but after doing that we would rather talk about what is foremost on our hearts. I find it hard to be close to people of the world for the simple reason that I don't have in common with them the thing in life that is most important to me. And they are often drinking a bit too much and then when unseemly things are being talked and joked about I could sometimes wish myself a thousand miles away.