Divine Wisdom for Daily Living by Joanne Colvin

Christians Have No Reason to Boast

“Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.” (Proverbs 21:4)

“You are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:8-12)

I had a conversation with a friend the other day about the importance and enjoyment of learning biblical doctrine correctly from Scripture. We were lamenting over how many of our churches don’t do a lot of serious teaching on Sunday mornings during the sermons. It is possible to grow up in a Christian home, with believing parents and not know very much about the means of salvation, regeneration, substitutionary atonement, imputation of Christ’s righteousness, or justification. Most of us did not know the finer points of salvation when God called us to faith in Jesus Christ. But learning about what has happened to us helps us to appreciate God’s precious mercy extended to us undeserving sinners. Then, being humbled, we realize we have no cause to be proud of our status, acquired learning, or scholarly accomplishments. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Some have misunderstood our Lord’s comments in Matthew 23, but the Reformation Study Bible offers this clarification, “Jesus does not prohibit…the use of all titles in the church (Acts 20:17; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 1 Timothy 3:1, 2, 8, 12; 2 Titus 1:5-7). His warning is against the temptation to claim for oneself authority and honor that belong uniquely to God and his Christ.” (1) Self-proclaimed “apostles” and “prophets” are rebuked along with the Pharisees and Rabbis in Jesus time. Today we have pastors, reverends, elders, deacons, and others in our churches, which is orderly and right. However, even our leaders are called to be servants, not dictatorial monarchs over us. A pastor who preaches to serve his members is encouraged, but one who is showing off his knowledge to make a name for himself is rebuked. “Service is the way to honor; he that would be most esteemed ought to do the most work; and the man that has the most grace, and the greatest gifts, ought to employ them for the use and benefit of others.” (2)

Today those of us who teach others should ask ourselves, “Do I have pride about being educated or more gifted than others?” Do I consider myself a servant, along with my brothers and sisters, who are bountifully gifted? As I worship today, will or did I appreciate those who are serving me with humility? “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26b-28)

(1)    The Reformation Study Bible, (Matthew 23:8-10), Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), Sanford, Fl., 2015.

(2)   John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/matthew-23.html

Humility is the Opposite of Superiority

“Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.” (Proverbs 25:6-7)

We live in a world that values superiority in things and people. People who win, teams who get the best score, scientists who excel by finding discoveries first, and the best cooks or bakers on those TV shows all have something in common—they are superior to their challengers. Products are marketed as being either the best quality, the most readily available, or the most cost-effective. Countries are ranked by their economies, their standard of living, healthcare, employees vacation days, or global power. It seems like the world turns on competition. No wonder it’s so difficult for us to comprehend the idea that humility and servanthood is the crux of blessing for Christians.

The one who exalts herself in the presence of others is a prideful person who considers herself superior to others. Presuming that she deserves the honor, this guest of the king will be humiliated when she is asked to give up her seat to someone who is, in fact, more honorable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:8-11)

We can go through this life conflicted in our attitudes between what the world believes and what is true, from God’s Word. Or, we can fight the temptation to yield to the false values of the world, and strengthen our faith by practicing humility—and it does take a lifetime of practice to learn how to be humbled when we want to justify ourselves. We all have a Pharisee in us; we all tend to be thankful that we are not as bad as someone else, have the problems of others, or suffer the illnesses of others. As much as Christians do this, it is not at its root thankfulness, but superiority. Real gratefulness shows itself when we are the ones suffering or ill and have the peace of God to endure with hope and praise for Christ. We don’t do what we do to show off or to generate glory for ourselves, and we don’t presume to have deserved anything from God, because our pride is evidence of our sinfulness. We have received God’s grace—favor which we do not deserve, and mercy—when God withholds the punishment that we do deserve.

Do you see yourself as you present yourself to others, knowing that “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”? “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4)

The Humble Do Not Fear Falling

“The righteous falls seven times and rises again…” (Proverbs 24:16a)

“The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand…The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.” (Psalms 37:23-24; 145:14)

It is logical that the lower we are when we fall, the less the physical damage and embarrassment. Babies who are learning to walk also learn that falling on a gentle surface is not something to be feared, but part of the process of learning to walk. Christians learn that falling to temptations and sins is part of the process of sanctification. But the lower or more humble we are when we fall, the lighter the damage to ourselves, others, and our relationships with God. We do sin and will continue because we are all sinners in this life. “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20) We take comfort in God’s promise to hold onto us, in Christ, as a child is relieved when her father reaches out to help her stand up, or picks her up in his arms.

True Christians are those who have been chosen by God to receive faith in Jesus Christ—the Holy Spirit regenerates their hearts and souls. Once our triune God completes this transaction, it can never be reversed or lost. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30) When we have this assurance of our eternal salvation, our temporary falls into sin don’t threaten our relationship eternally with Christ. We are humble when we realize that we might give in to temptation at any time, so we are often in a kneeling position (in our hearts), ready to confess and accept our natural consequences. Our loving, forgiving Father receives our confession, strengthens us for repentance and our punishment is there is any. However, sometimes instead of being punished, our heavenly Father reaches way down to lift us up in exaltation, beyond anything we deserve. The picture is from Luke 15, when the compassionate Father runs to meet his prodigal son, embraces the boy who took his inheritance prematurely but has confessed his sin of dishonoring his father. He brings his son a rob, a ring, and shoes before arranging a celebration for his return. The son experienced the covenant assurance of true faith in Christ and had nothing to fear in returning home. God has preserved his faith and his life, as he does for all believers.

The writer of Proverbs 24 knew God’s covenant love that would come to his aid at least seven times. David wrote Psalm 145 as a praise song, and in the middles speaks of God’s kingdom and faithfulness (vs. 11-13). Then David makes a remarkable statement in the present perfect tense in verse 14: he “upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.”  God is actively watching for who is in the midst of falling to hold them before they hit bottom, is the picture I get from these verses, like a fireman catching someone falling out of a burning building. He is lifting up those who are bowed down, perhaps like the report of the prostitute who was threatened with stoning by the Jews in John 8. I wonder if her head was down in shame as she cringed on the ground, waiting for the first rock, which she deserved under Jewish law. But Jesus lifted her up when he reminded the Jews that they were not without sin themselves. God does this for us—he knows we will sin but is ready to lift us up if we are low in our estimation of ourselves, being realistic about our sin. This is humility.

To what sin or temptation do you fear falling? Do these verses strengthen you, to confess and seek God’s help with humility? How about Isaiah 41:10? “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

The Humble are Teachable and Honored with Grace

“The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” (Proverbs 15:33)

I live among many elderly folks who are growing older with grace and contentment. One of the facts they have accepted, and we must face is that after the age of about 80 (younger for some), we will probably begin to forget appointments, people’s names, what happened yesterday, and many other things. With old age also comes trouble finding the words to express our thoughts. Not everyone experiences these symptoms, but many do. Repetition is part of day-to-day living and is part of God’s design, in nature, and in his Word. I had a distant memory of using Proverbs 15:33 previously in my devotions and found the citing on May 4th.  I closed the devotion on the power of God’s Word with this question: “Will you humble yourself today to hear instruction and reproof to grow in wisdom?”

In Proverbs 15:33, we learn that there is a direct connection between the fear of the Lord and instruction, which results in wisdom. There is also a connection between that wisdom and humility. In a nutshell, fearing God by receiving his teaching from his Word makes us wise and humble—and this comes before honor. Matthew Henry says this about 15:33, “The fear of the Lord will dispose us to search the Scriptures with reverence; and it will cause us to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit. While we humbly place all our dependence on the grace of God, we are exalted in the righteousness of Christ.” (1) “The great virtue that [Proverbs] seeks to instill is teachability, the willingness to grow in wisdom no matter how far along a person already is.” (2)

The unbelieving world thinks of honor as the attainment of a high position, a special award, or winning the lottery, a sports event, or a contest. However, Christians are informed by Scripture that the highest honor is knowing Jesus Christ and his grace. As Jesus was exalted to a place of honor in glory, so we will also be honored when we are raised to glory with him. In the meantime, our privilege is to have God as our true Father, who cares for us. “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” (Isaiah 57:15)

How teachable are you, on a scale of 1-10? Are you willing to believe that you have much to learn about fearing the Lord, life with Christ, and even about being teachable and humble? Or are you looking for honor without the learning? The devil tempted Jesus to gain honor by avoiding the cross. “And Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”’” (Luke 4:12) How do you test God rather than humble yourself by being teachable?

(1) Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible, https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-concise/Proverbs 15:33

(2) ESV Study Bible Notes (digital edition), Crossway, 2008, (Note on Proverbs 1:5)

Humility repels Satan

“‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:6-10)

Do you become angry easily or never at all? I have met many people who fall into one of these two categories, but not many who are in the middle of the continuum (becoming angry occasionally). Perhaps that’s because anger has strong hooks to pride and discontent. I have noticed that prideful people become self-righteously angry over ethical and political issues, conflicting opinions, and even sports. But people who are discontent seem to get upset and angry when circumstances are not as expected or desired. Both types either lack the humility that leads to peace or initiate a desperate, but futile fight for control over other people, events, and circumstances. Neither takes their sin seriously, but blame other people or events. The passage from James 4 teaches us that we must submit to God, draw near to him, and to be wretched, mourn, weep over our sinfulness. Humility must replace both anger and discontent. We are not to laugh with derision at God, mocking him or sin, but mourn over our sin, being gloomy, not happy about it, and taking it seriously in ourselves.

Paul, with his God-given brilliant mind and deep understanding, says that when we humbly submit to God’s authority, the devil will run from us and God will draw closer. This humility involves clean hands (representing clean hearts that will not run into sin), and single-mindedness focused on God’s grace. The Lord is the only one who can lift us up (spiritually and eternally), and he can only lift us up if we are in a low position. Exalting ourselves as superior makes God’s exaltation unnecessary. In the parable of the prodigal son, the older brother felt he was superior because he stayed at home with his father, doing what was expected, and was righteous for having done so. (Luke 15:25-32) He refused to see himself as needy or sinful, and so was in no need of saving, and therefore, had no occasion for rejoicing. It was as if he was saying to the father, “I’m not lost, so you don’t have to worry about finding me. I’m steady on my feet and can handle myself, so there is no need to worry, but I do deserve a feast (for taking care of myself). His duty-bound attitude was not the love of the younger brother who had a long drink of amazing forgiveness, and so no celebration was needed. In contrast, the humility of the prodigal son was radical and complete after his shame and sincere remorse for treating his father with contempt and ending up in a pigsty.

I’m sure we feel that we are in a pigsty some days (or belong in one, with hands and hearts dirtied with sin). But being in with the pigs doesn’t help. Only when we realize that we are a broken mess, and humble ourselves, to be honest, admitting our need for Jesus Christ’s mercy and grace, will we be in the state where God may lift us up. That’s when we want pure hearts and single-mindedness for Jesus Christ, but the washing has to come from the Spirit who indwells us.

When is the last time you felt humbled like a pig-farmer, with nothing but your sin to show for your efforts at an independent life? Are you willing to go that low for the Lord to come near and Satan to flee from the scene? What will God have to do in you to make you willing and broken? How is this different from the way you used to think about humility?

The Christian’s Problem with Pride

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom…Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud…When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom…One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” (Proverbs 11:2; 16:18-19; 18:12; 29:23)

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)

Those of us with bad knees or over the age of 70 have seen more than one warning about the dangers of falling. The heavier we are, the greater the risk of hurting ourselves when we do fall. Children and young adults can fall, break bones, and recover quickly. However, the older we get, the harder and longer our recovery; some never heal completely. It is vitally important that the vulnerable among us watch where we are going, with our eyes on steps and uneven surfaces. Only the stubborn or proud among us would argue with this warning; they proceed as if they are impervious to falling, or any other physical dangers. I know people who should be using canes or who should stop driving but refuse, denying any danger due to visual, auditory, or physical limitations. Pride is dangerous physically, as well as spiritually.

The spiritual dangers of pride include foolishness, disgrace, destruction, falls, humiliation, and dishonor. Two of the verse above state that humility is wise, and therefore imply that pride is foolish (11:2; 18:12). Since humility includes submission to God’s plans and providence, foolish pride is exactly the opposite—refusing to accept or cooperate with the changes, circumstances, or events in our lives according to Lord’s plans. John Gill’s description of the prideful person illustrates the problem stated in Proverbs 16:18: “A man that carries his head high; looks upwards, and not to his goings, sees not at what he may stumble, and so falls: moreover, the bigger a person or thing is, the greater is the fall; and very often when a man has got to the height of his riches and honor, and is swelling with pride and vanity on account of it, he is on the precipice of ruin, and his fall is immediate.” *

But pride isn’t always obvious or about success; pride is an inherent aspect of our sin nature and will be part of us for as long as we live here. So we ought to take the advice of Proverbs 16:18 and keep our heads down and spirits contrite (low) to see where we are going and not fall. Intentionally humbling ourselves, by remembering that we are naturally prideful,  is so much better than being embarrassed, negatively humiliated, and ashamed when our pride carries us away with its false superiority and coldness toward God. It started in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were convinced they could be equal to God and live. Haman (Esther 9) and Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4) are usually offered as examples of men with excessive pride. But sometimes pride inhabits the good intentions of Christians who are zealous, like Peter’s misdirected enthusiasm when he opposed Jesus (Matthew 16:23; John 13:8). Many of our good ideas for helping people are full of pride unless we wait for the Lord to open doors, bring people, and provide resources to confirm his purpose. I’ve had my share of embarrassments after good plans went very wrong, and am glad to put these behind me.

How many good ideas have you had in the last week? Did you act on them? Should you? Have you considered that your pride may be invested in doing a good thing that hasn’t been requested and may not be welcomed? Are you willing to admit that some of your good intentions may actually make someone’s life harder, not easier, so you can have a sense of accomplishment or self-importance?

• John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/proverbs-16.html

The Divine Cycle of Humility.

“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life…Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.” (Proverbs 3:34; 22:4)

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (1 Peter 5:5b)

Here in San Antonio, “this September is already the second-wettest in San Antonio’s recorded history, according to the National Weather Service. By the end of Saturday, rainfall in San Antonio this month totaled 13.65 inches — about 2 inches short of the all-time record of 15.78 inches set in 1946.” (1) In one month, we have had almost half of the rain we had for all of 2017. The constant rain and today’s Bible verses on humility, the new topic for this devotion, have me thinking about the water cycle. Rain comes down, falls in the aquifer, lakes, and rivers, and then the water is absorbed into the atmosphere, eventually ending up in clouds, which give us more rain. The water cycle benefits us, the animals, fish, birds, and all plant life; it is not just a repetitive action, but the grace of God to sustain earthly life.

John Gill’s commentary on the Bible verses above has helped me to be aware of the cycle of God’s grace and our humility. The writer of Proverbs 22:4b points out that God favors his humble people. However, it takes the grace of God to humble us in the first place. Gill writes, “Grace is God’s gift, first and last, what is had in first conversion…for perseverance to the end: sanctifying, justifying, pardoning, and adopting grace, are the pure gifts of God, of his own favor and good will, without any merit, motive, or condition in the creature” (2) As we begin to consider “humility,” it is vital to remember that it is not like a hat that we put on our heads when we go outside in the sun. We do not make ourselves humble; it is a work of Christ in our hearts, to see ourselves as our exalted Lord sees us.

Of humility Gill writes, “This is a grace which shows itself in a man’s thinking and speaking the best of others, and the worst of himself; in not affecting places and titles of eminence; in being content with the lowest place, and patiently bearing the greatest contempt; in not aspiring to things too high for him, always acknowledging his own meanness, baseness, and unworthiness, ascribing all he is, and has, to the grace and goodness of God, whether it be gifts of nature, providence, or grace: and this is a believer’s clothing, not the robe of his justifying righteousness before God, but is a considerable part of his inward garment of sanctification, which is in the sight of God of great price.” (3)

We are not insignificant, but we are not superior either. Only Jesus Christ has the power to change our self-image from self-confident, self-justifying humans to sober, God-pleasing people. Only Jesus can humble us to see our sinfulness and give us the faith to receive his forgiveness. As he continues to humble us through our sanctification, we want to yield more and more to him. The more we submit to Christ, the more grace we receive and the more humble we become, pleasing God, who honors the humble with spiritual riches.

What is your definition of humility? Do you try to be humble and fail? Instead of trying to make yourself more humble (to possibly look better on the outside), are you willing to become more submissive to God?

(1) https://www.currentresults.com/Yearly-Weather/USA/TX/San-Antonio/recent-annual-san-antonio-temperature-precipitation.php

(2) John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/proverbs-3.html

(3) John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/1peter-5.html

The Joy of Worshipping Christ

“How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!” (Psalm 137:4-6)

What’s the news today; hurricanes, floods, wildfires, political conflicts and competition, wars, sports headlines? How does the world look to you? Do you glance at the headlines and then look away (as I do)? Or are you following particular “stories” and events diligently? I think most people will agree that the world is a mess. It’s always been a chaotic and will continue to be so until Jesus Christ returns and God wipes it away for the new earth. (Revelation 21:1) Not only will the Lord give believers a new earth, but new heavens and a new Jerusalem (v. 2). Like the people of Israel exiled in Babylon, we long for our real home where we will be able to enjoy the Lord fully, without opposition.

Psalm 137:3 is probably the source of a scene in “Lord of the Rings; The Twin Towers,” when the hobbits are required to sing a song of their homeland by the enemy King, while their army is being defeated. In the movie, they sing a lament but here “the Chaldeans…insisted not only on having the words of a song repeated to them, but that they should be set to some tune and sung in a manner expressing mirth…which used to be sung in Zion in the temple…this demand they made either out of curiosity, that they might know something of the temple songs and music they had heard of; or rather as jeering at and insulting the poor Jews in their miserable and melancholy circumstances…The spiritual songs of Zion are the songs of electing, redeeming, calling, pardoning, and justifying grace; which natural men neither understand, nor can learn, but scoff at and despise.” Perhaps Israel’s enemies were asking God’s people to sing God’s songs to their idols. * Like Nehemiah, the Israelites and we might say, “Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” ((Nehemiah 2:3)

But our faces don’t have to be sad, especially on the Sabbath, when we have opportunities to worship with our Christian family in our churches. Unlike the Israelites who had to work at remembering God in a foreign land, today most believers are able to come together in a place built for the Lord’s exaltation on this day, and many others. We don’t have to worry about depression that goes so deep as to cause a musician’s right hand to forget how to strum its instrument or a tongue that will not work because we have forgotten God. We have no reason to despair and no excuse to feel guilty or negligent. Our lament needs only be for our sins, the likely cause of our gloom, but then we remember Christ, and even our mourning over sin is turned to confession, repentance, and joy. In Psalm 137, the people wept when they remembered their holy city of Zion, where the Lord dwelt with them (v. 1). They feared that they would forget the Lord (v. 6), but asked God to remember them, by remembering Jerusalem’s day of destruction (v. 7).

Today, will you remember Jesus Christ, what he has done, and his loving sacrifice? Will worship be your highest joy today?

* JohnGill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, Commentary on Psalm 137:3,  https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/psalms-137.html

Sharing Our Faith with Our Unbelieving Friends

“One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26)

“Have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-23)

I sometimes wonder that I never had a Christian friend when I was an unbeliever. Over the course of thirty-three years, I don’t remember being remotely friendly with any Christians, at school, work, volunteering, or in any other venue. It seems unlikely that there weren’t any Christians around me. Maybe I just blocked out some experiences, since I know I’ve blocked out some childhood family memories. In any case, the passages today have made me wonder because now it seems that all my friends are Christians. I have gone from one extreme to the other. Sometimes I call it being “in a bubble,” since the majority of people in the world are not Christians, but a mixture of other faiths, including humanism and atheism.

Believers in Jesus Christ have his righteousness imputed to us; this is the only true righteousness. So we must first accept that the righteous neighbor mentioned in the Proverbs 12:26 must be a believer, even though it appears in the Old Testament, before the incarnation of the Messiah. He whose faith is in God can and does guide others to have faith in God, by God’s power and sovereign will. However, those who are opposed to God (the wicked) also may lead the righteous away from the Lord. Proverbs contains a warning that is especially relevant for new Christians who are zealous about sharing the gospel at the drop of a hat. Young Christians who are passionate in their faith often intentionally associate with unbelievers to share their faith. But these friendships can quickly turn around, as those who reject Christ wield the power of their god, the Devil.  (John 8:42-45) “Missionary dating” is not biblical; believers are to be joined to other believers. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) Wise Christians are cautious and watchful.

The dramatic language of Jude 22, to “snatch them out of the fire” is offset by the repetition of “mercy” in these verses. Above all, the compassion and forgiveness of the gospel is to be shown to unbelievers and believers who have gone astray (those who doubt). Jesus came into contact with many people and befriended unbelievers who then came to faith. So we also may be used by God to bring people to faith by what is known as “friendship evangelism.” Light is never overcome by darkness but dispels the shadows. (John 1:5) So we hate sin (in ourselves and others) while showing God’s love to sinners—whether they are Christians or non-Christians. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:12-15)

Will you pray with me that the Lord will give you friends who need Christ? Then will you share your faith with those who don’t believe?

Appropriate Friendships

“Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts…Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you.” (Proverbs 19:6; 25:17)

Do you remember your elementary school days when you learned about how magnetic objects attract or repel each other? The like poles of the magnets repel each other, but the opposite poles attract each other. It’s the way God created magnetic attraction, although it seems illogical to us at first. Some people have much in common with us, on the surface. But because of personality differences or some other reason, we are not attracted to them as friends. Have you ever had a friend or neighbor who wanted to be closer to you than you wanted to be toward him? Perhaps he had many needs, or was lonely, or saw something in you that drew him closer. Maybe it was from sheer convenience that she was drawn to you, both of you frequently being in the same place at the same time. There may have been times when we have pursued someone too zealously or felt uncomfortably shadowed by someone else.

Proverbs 25:17 instructs us to be wise about how often we visit with our neighbors, so they don’t get tired of us. When there is no mutual desire to spend time together, a good intention may turn sour. Appropriateness is a keyword when it comes to awkward situations with friends. Are you someone who likes to help people, and who tends to make friends with more needy folks? Ministry workers and missionaries are especially prone to this mistake. Proverbs 19:6 warns against friends who seek material blessings rather than a mutually growing relationship. Do you have a friend with whom you are the one who always initiates contact, without any encouragement from the other person? It’s appropriate for friends to seek each other’s fellowship, not for a friendship to be one-sided, even in a mentoring relationship. Are you competitive with your friends, or do you serve each other? Do you seek friends who, in comparison to you look inferior? In Luke 22:24-27 Jesus rebuked his disciples. “A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”

How can you be more appropriate with your friends? In what way can you apply gospel love and service to your closest and longest-held friendships? Wise Christians don’t take their friends for granted.