What is the one-world religion described in Revelation?

 

Are your friends who you think they are?

The Bible indicates that friends are not always who they seem, warning that "bad company corrupts good character" and that one can be ruined by unreliable friends. However, it also describes true friends as loyal individuals who stick closer than a brother, are honest, offer wise counsel, and show unwavering love.

The emphasis is on choosing friends carefully, as those who are wise and righteous are beneficial, while those who are wicked or associated with the world can lead one astray.

The Bible's View on Untrustworthy Friends .

Betrayal and Ruin:
The Bible notes that even those you trust may turn against you, leading to ruin. Proverbs 18:24 states, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother".

Negative Influence:
Associating with the wrong people can corrupt one's character. "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character'" (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Friendship with the World:
Friendship with the world is discouraged because its values and priorities often contradict God's.

The Bible's Definition of True Friendship.

Loyalty and Closeness:
A true friend is someone who is dependable and sticks with you through difficult times.

Honesty and Counsel:
True friends are honest, offer heartfelt advice, and provide needed correction in love.

Unconditional Love:
A true friend "shows love at all times" and provides a source of joy and spiritual refreshment.

Trust and Respect:
You can be yourself with a true friend and confide in them without fear of judgment.

Choosing Friends Wisely.

The Righteous Choose Carefully:
"The righteous should choose their friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray" (Proverbs 12:26).

Walk with the Wise:
"Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm" (Proverbs 13:20).

Focus on Godly Companionship:
The Bible encourages choosing friends who are growing Christians to help keep you on a positive path.

Whether you feel like you have a lot of friends or only a few, friendship in today’s world is muddled by the role social media plays in our lives.

We may have 200 “friends” or 200 “followers” consisting of family members, neighbors, old high school classmates, current colleagues, friends of our parents, or even celebrities.

These people share their vacation pictures, anniversary and birthday celebrations, their children’s trophies, and even new haircuts.

We know about their times of trouble and heartache, be it a death in their family or loss of a job.

Their thoughts on politics and religion also come across our newsfeed opening the door to heavy, but shallow, conversation online.

We know them, and they know us. We are friends, right?

More than ever, the depth and breadth of who we connect with is far-reaching.

But who are our real friends?

Who are we going to when we are hurting and struggling, or when we are smiling and rejoicing? Who do we have in our life that will walk beside us when life isn’t pretty, and who will say the hard things that keep us from destruction?

Rather than being shallow with so many, how do we go deep with a few?

This has always been a struggle for me.

Rather than expanding my friend circle, social media has confused it.

If a friend from highschool has cancer and shares her story, shouldn’t I donate money? If a neighbor down the street has a baby, shouldn’t I take them a meal? If a long lost friend sends me a direct message, shouldn’t I set up a coffee date? How do I manage all of these things I “should” do? How can I be a good friend?

The Bible tells us that we get to decide whether we'll walk with the wise or flounder with fools. Which will you choose?

What impact have your friends had on you lately? This might sound like a strange question, but your friends have influenced you—for better or for worse—more than you think.

Does it really matter which friends you select? After all, shouldn't a Christian be willing to have anyone around as a friend?

Some argue that Christians should invite everyone into their circle of friends since Jesus Christ was inclusive during His earthly ministry.

This belief seems appealing on its surface, but there is more to the issue than meets the eye. The Bible indicates that whom you choose as your friends has much to do with how far you will go in life.

Yes, I do. Believe the adage that says, ‘Tell me who you are friends with, and I’ll tell you who you are.’ It has been said and understood time without a definite answer that we tend and lean towards following others in what they do and what they support, not to mention the chances of making a particular decision in the future.

Friends can be said to mirror specific traits in one’s character, hobbies, or even beliefs. When we decide to associate with some people, we end up adopting their way of thinking or their behavior due to the company we select, hence defining our lives.

So long as we are still persons or still differentiated beings, our friendships, to echo Objectivist words, underscore the values we appreciate in people or the foibles we put up with, and that means that friendships bear some reflexive relation to our identity.