Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6
Jesus
never gave relief to people who were under conviction. When Zaccheus, in
remorse for his sin, shared his generous plans for restitution, Jesus did not
say, “Now Zaccheus, the important thing is that you feel sorry for what you
did.” Jesus brought no comfort to him as he dealt with his sin (Luke 19:1-10).
Neither did Jesus excuse disbelief. We never find Jesus saying, “Well, that’s
all right. I know I’m asking you to believe a lot, and that’s not easy.” On the
contrary, Jesus was quick to chastise His disciples when they failed to believe
Him. Jesus loved His friends too much to condone or comfort them in their sin.
It is
possible to be too gentle with your friends. When a friend is under deep
conviction by the Holy Spirit, do you try to give comfort? Don’t ever try to
ease the discomfort of someone whom the Holy Spirit is making uncomfortable! Be
careful not to communicate to your friends that you find their lack of faith
acceptable. You are not acting in true friendship if you condone disobedience
or even if you look the other way. Kisses are far more pleasant than wounds,
yet they can be even more devastating if they lull your friend into being
comfortable with sin.
In our
attempt to appease our friends and our reluctance to share a word from God, we
can actually cause great harm. If we see our friends in danger and do not warn
them, God will hold us accountable for our silence (Ezek. 33:6). Are you a
friend of such integrity that you would risk wounding your friends in order to
deter them from their sin?
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