Knowing God Through Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; 

and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:7 New King James Version (NKJV)

 ^"No longer do I call you servants,

for a servant does not know what his master is doing;

 but I have called you friends,

for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

John 15:15, New King James Version (NKJV)

What Does the Bible Say

 About Friendship

and Friends?

Psalm 55:12-14 

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. ¹³ But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, ¹⁴ with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.

Psalm 119:63 
I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.

Proverbs 12:26 
A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 16:28 
A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

Proverbs 17:9 (#5 of 15 Bible Verses about 

Friendship and Friends) 
He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Proverbs 18:24 

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: ¹⁰ If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?

Luke 5:20 
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

2 Corinthians 7:1 

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

2 Peter 3:14 
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

1 John 4:7 (#15 of 15 Bible Verses about Friendship

and Friends) 
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Source

Biblegateway.com; New International Version

As iron sharpens iron,

So a man sharpens 

the countenance 

of his friend. 

Proverbs 27:17, NKJV

The Greatest Friend is God

James 4:8 

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

 Cleanse your hands, you sinners, 

and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

How To Choose Your Friends

Proverbs 12:26

 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, 

but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 13:20 

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, 

but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Proverbs 14:6-7 

A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, 

but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. 

Leave the presence of a fool, 

for there you do not meet words of knowledge.

Proverbs 22:24-25 

Make no friendship with a man given to anger, 

nor go with a wrathful man, 

lest you learn his ways and 

entangle yourself in a snare.

1 Corinthians 15:33 

Do not be deceived: 

“Bad company ruins good morals.”

How To Treat Your Friends

Luke 6:31 

And as you wish that others would do to you, 

do so to them.

Romans 12:10

 Love one another with brotherly affection.

Out do one another in showing honor.

Ephesians 4:29-32

 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, 

but only such as is good for building up,

 as fits the occasion, that it may give grace 

to those who hear. 

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, 

by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger 

and clamor and slander be put away from you,

along with all malice. 

Be kind to one another, 

tenderhearted, forgiving one another,

 as God in Christ forgave you.

Colossians 3:12-14 

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones,

 holy and beloved, compassionate hearts,

 kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 

bearing with one another and,

 if one has a complaint against another,

 forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,

 so you also must forgive. 

And above all these put on love, 

which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Importance of Friendships

Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

Proverbs 24:5 A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might,

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Bible Examples of Friendship

• Ruth and Naomi

Ruth 1:16-17 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

• David and Jonathan

1 Samuel 18:1-3 As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.

• Job’s Friends

Job 2:11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him.

• Elijah and Elisha

2 Kings 2:2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

C.S. Lewis Friendship Quotes

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.”

“Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?”

“The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.”

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a[special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

1 Peter 2:9 Amplified Bible (AMP)

  "Fear not, for I am with you;

   Prepare To Meet Your God

Amos 4:12