Building Biblical Friendships

Building Biblical Friendships

Here at Highlands Community Church, we value friendship that is defined not just by words, but by actions. We are blessed as a people to have a Savior who refers to us as “Friend,” and who earnestly seeks for us to love one another. In John 15, Jesus speaks to the Disciples on the topic of true Biblical Friendship:

John 15:14-17 –

14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 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. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

In these verses, Jesus lays out a model for us to follow when pursuing Biblical friendship:

  1. We are to love one another, just as Jesus loves us (John 15:12-13, 17).
  2. We are to obey God’s commandments (John 15:14).
  3. We are to seek to understand the truths that Jesus made known to us from the Father (John 15:15).
  4. We are chosen by Him to “go and bear fruit” of future converts, and to go to God in prayer for one-another (John 15:16).

TRAITS OF BIBLICAL FRIENDSHIP

  • Active – Active vs. Passive; A friend chooses to act for the benefit of others.
  • Loyal – Loyalty to each other goes beyond likability, it endures slights and delivers big on trust.
  • Real – We pursue and apply truth in love, while we expound and convey grace.

actions of Biblical friendship

  • Seek – The action of seeking the Kingdom is something that is desired by God and is rewarded (Mat. 7:7; Heb. 11:6, Eph. 3:14-21). We seek to know more of Jesus’ Gospel through devotion to studying God’s Word, Speaking it to others, and Showing it to the world. The action of seeking leads to the development of Faith.
    • Develops the Gospel Calling of Uniting with Christ
    • This is how we connect with God
  • Sacrifice – The action of sacrificing that glorifies God is only practiced by those that have experienced the sacrifice of Christ for themself (Eph. 1:3-14) and have chosen to model their lives after Christ (Luke 9:57-62).  The action of sacrificing leads to the development of Love.
    • Develops the Gospel Calling of being Related by Blood
    • This is how we connect with the Church
  • Steward – The action of stewarding comes from the understanding that all we have is not our own but is God’s. Therefore that must mean, the things we have been gifted to us are for the expansion of God’s Kingdom (Mat. 25:14-30). The action of stewarding leads to the development of Hope.
    • Develops the Gospel Calling of being Bonded for Mission
    • This is how we connect with the World