N.B.: All posts by users and external links, though might contain Bible verses, are in the view of the users and not necessarily the view of TOTW
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Comment by oluwamary
In my opinion &from past experiences, condemnation does more harm than good. It puts such friends on the defensive &unwilling to hear whatever one has to say to them even if it's the gospel, which then makes condemnation a counterproductive approach.
The LOVE-WAY is the only tested &trusted way that even our Lord Jesus Christ adopted in His approach to the woman @the well & the adulterous woman.
There's no point shoving the truth down people's throat, the truth will always stand out. They'd see the difference, the changes in us. This would prompt them to ask questions and at such critical moments, we should not fail to point them to the Cross; the reason behind our new nature. Whether or not they instantly accept Christ or not is not ours to determine. Our part is to "let our light so shine before men" (in deeds),to "be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1Tim 4:12) &to orally tell them about Christ, It is the duty of the Holy Spirit to convict them.
As per "how to carefully choose friends", I believe there's a general underlying principle to choosing friends generally & that is the place of both parties having what I call a "common ground of interest" i.e similarities in values, principles, knowledge, goals &smtyms experiences.
Water naturally finds its own level, same with friendship, once you have a new life in Christ (not a compromising one), some friends who don't share same values with u will naturally drop off (regardless of how much love u show them), some won't just feel comfortable wt u any longer. At the same time, new friends that are equally believers will begin to cross ur paths coz u share similar values. Albeit, this is a very passive approach. You can actively make new christian friends by being more committed in ur local church, fellowship, christian camps, retreats, missions or other christian gatherings, therein, you're bound to find people who share your christian values &those of them who meet your other relational needs can graduate to become very close friends as time goes by. Shalom! ...
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Comment by T-Ralph
@oluwamary wonderful comment. i completely agree from A-Z.
I see Wisdom (which is Christ) in your answers. More Grace. ...
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Comment by oluwamary
@T-Ralph Thanks sir, amen! ...
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