A friend sticketh closer than a brother.
James 2:23 KJVS
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Isaiah 41:8 KJVS
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
2 Chronicles 20:7 KJVS
Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the seed of Abraham Your friend forever?
Proverbs 17:17 KJVS
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 18:24 KJVS
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
+Who is this Friend that sticks closer than a brother? The Holy Spirit,
1 Corinthians 6:17.
+Until we are established in friendship with God, we are not ready for friendship with others.
+Jesus is the only example for Friendship.
+Love is the KEY Ingredient in friendship.
+You can always be a better friend to others, than others are to you.
Here is the love principle in relationship.
John 13:34-35 KJVS
[34] A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
[35] By this shall all men know that you are my disciples (not only my disciples, but also my friends), if you have love one to another.
+A New Commandment I given to you that you love one another as I have loved you.
+A New Commandment I give unto you that you have friendship with one another as I have had Friendship with you.
+We cannot have friendship with God and one another without knowing the Big-5 of Love.
+The Big-5 of Love is needed to established and operate in friendship with God, and with each other.
+Friendship produces intimacy. Friendship causes to know each other intimately (by other personalities, character and ways).
+In Friendship we experienced being the same spirit (the Holy Spirit), and the same mind (the Mind of Christ).
+No friendship without love.
+Don’t verbalize who you are. demonstrate who you are.
+Disobedient to Scripture will prevent us from experience friendship with God.
+Friendship enhanced every relationship.
James 4:4 KJVS
You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
+We cannot demonstrate friendship by worldly standards.
+The Big-5 of Self is a friendship destroyer.
Acts 4:32 KJVS
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
1 Corinthians 1:10 KJVS
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Ephesians 4:1-7.
John 15:12-15 KJVS
[12] This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.
[13] Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
[14] You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.
[15] Henceforth (going forward) I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
John 14:26 KJVS
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:7-15.
How should we treat others?
1 Should we treat others the way they are?
2 Should we treat others the way we are?
3 Should we treat others the way God (Christ) is?
Why this way? So they can experience God and not us.
4 When we treat others the way God does (that is in Christlikeness) they will experience Christ through us…
+We will see them just like God sees them.
+We will know them just like God knows them.
+They will see themselves the way they really are, and see themselves the way they should be.
+Even on the Home Front:
Ephesians 5:25 KJVS
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.
+In other words husbands love (treat) your wives like Christ love and treats the Church.
1 John 4:7-11 KJVS
[7] Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.
[8] He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.
[9] In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
[10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
[11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1 John 4:7-11 AMP
[7] Beloved, let us [unselfishly] (without the Big-5 of Self) love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves [others] is born of God and knows God [through personal experience].
[8] The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]
[9] By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him.
[10] In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath].
[11] Beloved, if God so loved us [in this incredible way], we also ought to love one another.
Matthew 5:17 KJVS
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
Mark 12:29-30 KJVS
[29] And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
[30] And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Romans 13:10 KJVS
Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
+No ill in Thoughts, Words and Deeds, (the 3 ways we touch).
Galatians 5:14 KJVS
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Luke 9:23-25 KJVS
[23] And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
[24] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
[25] For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
+We must be crucified before we can live the sacrificed life.
+Life and everything must be all about Jesus.
+The solution of the Big-5 of Self is the Cross.
+If a man of God cannot accept being crucified (put to death) he cannot bear the Fruit of the Spirit.
Hope and Enlightenment 