Exercise Care in Forming Friendships

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

Exercise Care in Forming Friendships

Today's Text: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5

The Message:      All the wisdom that people possess is God's gift, and He can and will impart wisdom to every person who asks it of Him in faith. Solomon sought wisdom from God, and it was given him in large measure. But how did the universe of heaven look upon him when he perverted that wisdom and employed God's great and holy gift to exalt himself? God chose him to build the temple, but how he perverted the sacred trust! He leagued himself with idolatrous nations. Thus he, who at the dedication of the temple had prayed that their hearts might be undividedly given to the Lord, himself began to separate his heart from God. He imperiled his soul's interest by the formation of friendships with the Lord's enemies.      What carefulness should be exercised in the formation of friendship! Companionship with the world will surely lower the standard of religious principle. Solomon's heathen wives turned away his heart from God. His finer sensibilities were blunted, and he became hardhearted, for he lost his sympathy for humankind and his love for God. His conscience was seared, and his rule became tyranny.      Solomon prepared the way for his own ruin when he sought for wise artisans from other nations to build the temple. God had been the educator of His people, and He designed that they should stand in His wisdom, and with His imparted talents they should be second to none. If they had the clean hands, the pure heart, and the noble, sanctified purpose, the Lord would communicate to them His grace. But Solomon looked to worldlings instead of God, and he found his supposed strength to be weakness. He brought to Jerusalem the leaven of the evil influences that were perpetuated in polygamy and idolatry. It was no question as to who made Israel to sin.      Although Solomon afterward repented, his repentance could not abolish the idolatrous practices that he had brought into the nation. We shall individually transmit an inheritance of either good or evil. The silver of Tarshish and the gold of Ophir were obtained by Solomon at a terrible expense, even the betrayal of sacred trusts. The evil communications with heathen nations corrupted good manners. When the Lord's people turn from the God of all wisdom, and look to people who love not God, in order to obtain wisdom and arrive at decisions, the Lord will allow them to follow that wisdom that is not from above but from beneath.-Manuscript 44, 1894 (The General Conference Bulletin, February 25, 1895).

Commentary: My friend, those whom we choose to associate with will have an influence upon our souls.  Bad company cherished will corrupt a good person and will lead them to corrupt others.  We are to choose well our relationships that we may be edified by them.  Too many times we hold relationships with those in the world thinking that we can change them and influence them for good, but in the end they are the ones that influence us for evil. The apostle Paul tell us in Ephesians 5:11 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."  This is not telling us to abstain from the world, but telling us that we should not look to the world for friendship and close relations, for friendship with the world is enmity with God. (James 4:4). While this is true in our personal life, it is also true with the church.  We are called by God to be "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" (1 Peter 1:9).  God says to us "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you," (2 Corinthians 6:17). The church by their close association with the world has been corrupted by it.  The distinctive pillars of our faith have been eroded and has lead into the church false doctrines and beliefs that the pioneers of our faith did not subscribe to.  The main doctrine that is at the head of all of this is the doctrine of the trinity.  From it flows all of the corruptions that have come into the church and will eventually lead to the church to bow to Rome when the mark of the beast is implemented. The foundational teaching of the Roman Catholic church is the doctrine of the trinity.  All of it's teachings are a result of this one doctrine.  While the Seventh-day Adventist church claims to be distinctly different from Rome, by turning from the One true God of the bible and embracing the trinity as a foundational teaching, they have allied themselves with Babylon and as such are corrupted by it.  That is why the condition of the church is sickening to Christ and His warning to us in Revelation 3:19 is "...be zealous therefore, and repent." My friend the time has come for us to stand up for what is right.  To call sin by its right name and to heed the call of God to come out of the Babylon, the false system of worship and come and worship the One true God of the bible. God bless,

Video of the Week Pagan Origins of the Trinity - Nader Mansour Who are the gods of Babylon? What does that have to do with us in the last days? This presentation deals with the origins of one of the most fatal deceptions prepared for the last days. It might very well challenge you, but you will enjoy it.