Crucial Aspect of Friendships

Crucial Aspect of FriendshipsGod is a relational being It is part of His nature ~ Triune God God is perfectly in communion with Himself from all eternity Gospel of John is helpful in thinking about this; constant refrain about the love between the Father and the Son Also see this in His interaction with His people Constant desire on the part of God to be in communion/fellowship with His people [Opening of Genesis to theclose of Revelation] Isaiah 41:8 – But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; Exodus 33:11 – Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. WhenMoses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart fromthe tent. Jesus ~ friend of sinners (Matt. 11:19) & disciples (Luke 12:4)As those made in the image of God, we were created as relational beings Contains both a vertical and horizontal component to it Genesis 2:18 – Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helperfit for him.” Adam was not lonely because he was imperfect, but because he was perfect [to be perfect was to be relational]All of this to say that friendships are part of what makes us human; or, to say it differently, we need friends to be fullyhumanQuotes on the significance of friendship: Aristotle – “friendship is one soul abiding in two bodies” Gregor of Nazianzus (4 th c. church father) – “If anyone were to ask me, ‘What is the best thing in life?’ Iwould answer, ‘Friends.’” Kevin DeYoung – “Friendship is the most important – least talked about relationship in the church.” Dr. Joel Beeke – “Friendship is one of the primary means God uses to strengthen His people.” Jonathan Edwards – “Friendship is the highest happiness of all moral agents.” JC Ryle – “This world is full of sorrow because it is full of sin. It is a dark place. It is a lonely place. It is a disappointing place. The brightest sunbeam in it is a friend. Friendship halves our troubles and doubles our joys.” Drew Hunter – “Friendship is the ultimate end of our existence and our highest source of happiness.  Friendship – with one another and with God – is the supreme pleasure of life, both now and forever, and no one can fully enjoy life without it.” John Newton – “I think to a feeling mind there is no temporal pleasure equal to the pleasure of friendship.” Aelred of Rievaulx (12 th c. author) – “Absolutely no life can be pleasing without friends.”But this ideal is not always the reality in which life is lived: 20% of adults say they have no close friend to discuss personal problems with 20% of adults admit to feeling lonely at any given time “Rent-a-friend” business reveals the need for friendsNext, we will turn our attention to the careful cultivation of friendships Throughout we will be considering tFor more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com. Every weekday at 3:30 am and 7:30 am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on KSPD 94.5 FM and 790 AM Boise's Solid Talk in the Treasure Valley,  Idaho, USA.If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them.  If you enjoy The Gospel for Life, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!Phone: (208) 991-3526E-mail: [email protected] website:  https://www.790kspd.com/gospel-for-life/to donate on line https://www.reformationboise.com/donate