How Should We Develop Biblical Friendship?

By Joel R. Beeke and Michael A. G. Haykin

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend,” Proverbs 27:17 tells us. God uses Christian friendships to help His children grow in grace and stay true to Christ. But our twenty-first-century Western culture values individualism, busyness, and selfishness—qualities that do not encourage deep, long-lasting, satisfying friendships.

The authors guide us through a practical survey of biblical and historical friendships, drawing principles from them that will aid us in forming our own biblical friendships that will sharpen us for our Christian journey in a world that is no friend to grace.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
• Release date: Jun 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781601783820

Joel R. Beeke

Dr. Joel R. Beeke is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, a pastor of Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Mich., and editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books. He is author of numerous books, including Parenting by God’s Promises, Knowing and Growing in Assurance of Faith, and Reformed Preaching.

Book preview

HOW SHOULD WE

DEVELOP BIBLICAL

FRIENDSHIP?

JOEL R. BEEKE

AND

MICHAEL A. G. HAYKIN

REFORMATION HERITAGE BOOKS

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

CULTIVATING BIBLICAL GODLINESS

Series Editors

Joel R. Beeke and Ryan M. McGraw

Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said that what the church needs to do most of all is to begin herself to live the Christian life. If she did that, men and women would be crowding into our buildings. They would say, ‘What is the secret of this?’ As Christians, one of our greatest needs is for the Spirit of God to cultivate biblical godliness in us in order to put the beauty of Christ on display through us, all to the glory of the triune God. With this goal in mind, this series of booklets treats matters vital to Christian experience at a basic level. Each booklet addresses a specific question in order to inform the mind, warm the affections, and transform the whole person by the Spirit’s grace, so that the church may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

How Should We Develop Biblical Friendship?

© 2015 by Joel R. Beeke and Michael A. G. Haykin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Direct your requests to the publisher at the following address:

Reformation Heritage Books

2965 Leonard St. NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49525

616-977-0889 / Fax [phone]

[e-mail]

www.heritagebooks.org

Printed in the United States of America

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ISBN 978-1-60178-381-3

ISBN 978-1-60178-382-0 (epub)

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HOW SHOULD WE DEVELOP

BIBLICAL FRIENDSHIP?

Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.

—PROVERBS 27:9

Today’s culture does not provide great encouragement for the nurture and development of deep, long-lasting, satisfying friendships. Such friendships take time and sacrifice. Early twenty-first-century Western culture emphasizes extreme busyness and, as a rule, promotes receiving and possessing more than sacrificing and giving.1 What is especially disturbing is that the values of Western Christianity often appear to be similar to those of the surrounding culture. As C. S. Lewis noted in his Screwtape Letters, an ingenious commentary on spiritual warfare from the viewpoint of the devil, In modern Christian writings, there are few of the old warnings about Worldly Vanities, the Choice of Friends, and the Value of Time.2 He is undoubtedly correct when it comes to the topic of friendship. Up until the last decade or so, books on Christian friendship were few and far between. Thankfully, this is beginning to change. Change it must, for friendship is one of the primary means God uses to strengthen His people. If our generation of believers gives little thought to this marvelous vehicle of divine grace, we will be the poorer for it. In what follows, then, we will explore what the Bible and some of our Christian forebears have said regarding friendship and then look at the way the rich experience of friendship in the past can be recaptured today.

In the ancient world, friendship was deemed to be

Reviews for How Should We Develop Biblical Friendship?

[Filip Andersen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book. Showed me important truths about godly friendships. Full of sound biblical wisdom!