(no subject)
I've been really thinking about friends, and their influences on our lives.
The problem: Negatively influential peers in our life
If Christ commands us to be his (metaphorically speaking) mirrors to reflect his light into the darkness of Earth, then us, the believers, then a friendship gained with a non-believer would be something positive, right? That is correct. What caught my eye was that classic verse that we've heard before: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14). When I think about this verse, it seemingly contradicts with God's plan, BUT, OF COURSE, that is impossible because, as you know, God is God. He doesn't do that.
But, as inferred, and as commanded, God would not want us to have fairly deep relationships with unbelievers. These would be better named as: highly influential relationships. So, yes, God is saying that "Guys, don't mess around with deep relationships with unbelievers," because, with the large ammount of trust and bond that comes with that relationship would come influence which could very possibly be negative influnence.
So the problem now is, by George, how do I witness to an unbeliever and explain to them that believers and unbelievers are tempeted just the same, put through situations just the same, and endure hardships just the same as believers when the verse simply states: "For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?". This made me think. A lot. Then I understood the bottom line: that believers are very different from unbelievers. We are different in eternal (where we go when we perish), faithful (believers all hopefully believe in Christ and God the father and the Holy Spirit as being one three-part being of God), and hopefully, behavior-oriented (coming from a certain spiritual maturity that only comes through belief). However, we are the same in areas circumstantially, meaning that we are all put under temptation and hardship circumstances just as nonbelievers are. But hopefully we would respond to it by asking God for help.
And about the yoking and such, the bottom line is: purposes and judgement. Purposes as in your purpose for that (not intimate or very close) relationship, and your judgement (to know how to not be influenced). It's dangerous, of course, having nonbelievers as friends, but it is not sin. I have them.
In other news, this weekend was good.
>riley
The problem: Negatively influential peers in our life
If Christ commands us to be his (metaphorically speaking) mirrors to reflect his light into the darkness of Earth, then us, the believers, then a friendship gained with a non-believer would be something positive, right? That is correct. What caught my eye was that classic verse that we've heard before: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14). When I think about this verse, it seemingly contradicts with God's plan, BUT, OF COURSE, that is impossible because, as you know, God is God. He doesn't do that.
But, as inferred, and as commanded, God would not want us to have fairly deep relationships with unbelievers. These would be better named as: highly influential relationships. So, yes, God is saying that "Guys, don't mess around with deep relationships with unbelievers," because, with the large ammount of trust and bond that comes with that relationship would come influence which could very possibly be negative influnence.
So the problem now is, by George, how do I witness to an unbeliever and explain to them that believers and unbelievers are tempeted just the same, put through situations just the same, and endure hardships just the same as believers when the verse simply states: "For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?". This made me think. A lot. Then I understood the bottom line: that believers are very different from unbelievers. We are different in eternal (where we go when we perish), faithful (believers all hopefully believe in Christ and God the father and the Holy Spirit as being one three-part being of God), and hopefully, behavior-oriented (coming from a certain spiritual maturity that only comes through belief). However, we are the same in areas circumstantially, meaning that we are all put under temptation and hardship circumstances just as nonbelievers are. But hopefully we would respond to it by asking God for help.
And about the yoking and such, the bottom line is: purposes and judgement. Purposes as in your purpose for that (not intimate or very close) relationship, and your judgement (to know how to not be influenced). It's dangerous, of course, having nonbelievers as friends, but it is not sin. I have them.
In other news, this weekend was good.
>riley