Hey guys!
So I got this question recently;
'Daniel, can a Christian be friends with an unbeliever or a non-Christian?'
So I looked a little bit online just to see what people say about this as well
because I was a little bit curious...
and some people said 'Well yes, of course we can'
and other people said 'No, we should not bound together with unbelievers"
But the real question here is: What does the Bible say?
Well that's what we're gonna look at in this video.
So let's get to it!
Now, just very quick - if it's your first time here on my channel
I'm Daniel Maritz
and WELCOME to DLM Christian Lifestyle!
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Now! Let's not waste any more time!
What does the Bible say?
Can Christians be friends with unbelievers?
Well YES and NO.
We need to look at what the Bible says about it in a balanced way.
Because the biggest reason why so many Christians
argue about certain things about the Bible
is when the devil deceives them in such a way
where they over emphasize ONE truth
at the cost of ANOTHER.
When we read the Bible and study the Bible, we need to look at it
in a balanced way.
Now, 2 Corinthians 6:14 says;
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.
For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?
And what communion has light with darkness?"
Now, you need to understand the context here;
Paul is writing to the church of Corinth
and he's basically telling them, in chapter 6, to be holy
and then, in chapter 7, he starts by saying; "...let us cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
So it is very clear that we, as Christians, are called to live holy and not in sin.
Of course we are all sinners,
but we should not continue to live in sin and feel nothing.
1 Peter 1:16 says
"Be holy, for I am holy."
So when you are with unbelievers or non-Christians,
DON'T JOIN THEM IN THEIR SIN.
When they wanna get drunk...
DON'T GET DRUNK
If they wanna steal something...
DON'T DO IT
And it they wanna curse and swear...
DON'T DO IT
But stand up for God,
because God has set us apart to be holy.
He says in Ephesians 4:17
"...you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk,
in the futility of their mind,
having their understanding darkened,
being alienated from the life of God,..."
But with that being said, there's nothing wrong with developing relationships
with unbelievers and to talk with them. In fact, we have to.
In Acts 13:47 we read;
"'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
But how can you be a light to those who live in darkness
if you just always stay in your own little bubble and never talk to unbelievers
in love and in gentleness?
You are supposed to be the light of the world.
Jesus says; "You are the light of the world.
A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." [Matthew 5:14]
Don't ever be ashamed of the gospel
because it has the power of God
that brings salvation to everyone who believes.
You know, Jesus himself sat down and ate with sinners
and then the 'religious people', of the time, were against it.
But when Jesus heard this...
What did He say?
He said; "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." [Romans 1:16]
Here's the thing; Jesus was always driven by LOVE and not legalism.
Now, when you look at an unbeliever,
do you just look at them and see them as a non-Christian?
Or do you see them the way Jesus sees them?
So there's nothing wrong with building relationships with unbelievers,
but the Bible does say that we have to be careful.
You need to be sure that you are led by the Holy Spirit,
because bad friends can influence you negatively.
1 Corinthians 15:33 says;
"Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
Awake to righteousness, and do not sin;
for some do not have the knowledge of God."
And Proverbs 13:20 says;
"He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed."
You have to choose your friends very carefully.
Especially your close friends.
And of course it will be harder to be friends with non-Christians,
because they think differently.
And they won't understand you at certain times because
you live differently.
You live through God's word
and through your new spiritual nature.
And while they always live through their own fleshly nature -
their own will, intellect and emotions.
But your will, intellect and emotions,
are under God's will
and it's led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says in John 15:18
"If the world hates you,
you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
If you were of the world,
the world would love its own.
Yet because you are not of the world,
but I chose you out of the world,
therefore the world hates you."
So, we are in this sinful world,
but WE ARE NOT PART OF IT.
You know, I have many non-Christian friends, but they know
that I'm a reborn Christian
and that I love them enough
to share the gospel with them
in TRUTH
and LOVE
and also GENTLENESS.
Because just like Jesus, I don't want them to be lost,
but to have everlasting life.
And I pray for them a lot, but I don't force my faith on them.
My role is only to share God's truth with them, in love,
and the outcome is then up to them and God.
God is the one who reveals Himself to people.
And a lot of Christians make this mistake
of forcing the gospel onto unbelievers
at the wrong time and in the wrong way.
And then it actually does the opposite of what you want.
It pushes them further away from God.
And if this happens, you are led by your own will, your own emotions, your own intellect
on your soul level, and you are not led by the Holy Spirit.
So!
Can a Christian be friends with an unbeliever or a non-Christian?
Well, YES! Of course!
If the Holy Spirit leads you.
BUT...
You have to be very careful, and remember this;
You are in the world,
but you are NOT part of the world.
If you have any other questions, then you might like one of these videos - and I'll see you there!
Now, remember;
God loves you
and I love you too
BYE