Defining the Relationship God has with us

Relationship – a state of connectedness between people

The oneness of the trinity reveals the nature of fellowship, oneness, union, of how God exist. Since the beginning God made us in His own image (likeness) to have the same kind of union with His creation. (Gen 1:26) This relationship was broken by our sin, in the same way that sin today is the greatest destroyer of relationships on the earth. We climb mountains, engineer wonderful buildings and gadgets, we endure suffering and risk danger, but we cannot maintain healthy relationships. Marriages don’t last! Children abandon their parents in Old Age homes and more and more people are living lonely lives.

Sin destroys relationships – unfaithfulness, lies, lust, disobedience, rebellion, strive, jealousy, fear, anger, bitterness, resentment, hardness of heart, wrath, contempt, hate, secrets, disrespect, filthy language, covetousness.

Healthy relationships is becoming rare, very few examples left. We do not know how to maintain a relationship. We will not learn the skills by reading more books and remaining isolated, it is while we engage and keep on engaging that we discover the truths and principals of successful relationship building. Many people give up and simply stop engaging; they withdraw, isolate, seeking their won desire. (Prov 18:1) It is like children who fails at his first attempt at swimming and nearly drown, then to promise never to swim again. Our relationships are shallow, amiably, yet on a distant.

FACEBOOK is adding an interesting dimension and perspective on what we mean by friends: Now differentiating between close friends and acquaintances.

Van die begin af wou God met ons ‘n verhouding hê:

God en Sy volk – Lev 26:12; Ope 21:3

God en Sy bruid – Efe 5:25-27 Open 19:7-9; 21:1-2,9-27; 22:17 Hy die man in die verhouding: Jes 54:5; Jer 3:14; 31:32; Ese 16:8

Vader en kinders – 1 Kor 8:6 See also Deut 32:6,18; Jes 64:8; Hand 17:24-28

God woning maak tussen ons – Jon 14:23; Jes 66:1-3

ander Raadgewer stuur om vir altyd by julle te wees… by julle gaan bly en in julle sal woon. Jon 14:7,16-17

So is julle dan nie meer vreemdelinge en bywoners nie, maar medeburgers van die heiliges en huisgenote van God, (Efe 2:19)

Voorbeelde van mense wat met God gewandel het:

Gen 5:22 Enoch

Gen 6:9 Noah

2 Kron 20:7; Isa 41:8 Abraham

Exo 33:11; Num 12:3 Moses

Jos 1:9 Joshua

Mal 2:6 Levi

Begrippe om hierdie verhouding te verduidelik:

IN HOM – 4Bly in My, soos Ek in julle. Net soos die loot geen vrug kan dra van homself as dit nie in die wynstok bly nie, so julle ook nie as julle in My nie bly nie. Joh 15:4

GEMEENSKAP – 9God is getrou, deur wie julle geroep is tot die gemeenskap met sy Seun Jesus Christus, onse Here. 1 Kor 1:9 wat ons gesien en gehoor het, verkondig ons aan julle, sodat julle ook gemeenskap met ons kan hê; en ons gemeenskap is met die Vader en met sy Seun, Jesus Christus 1 John 1:3 Die genade van die Here Jesus Christus en die liefde van God en die gemeenskap van die Heilige Gees sy met julle almal! Amen 2 Kor 13:13 God is getrou, deur wie julle geroep is tot die gemeenskap met sy Seun Jesus Christus, onse Here 1 Kor 1:9

VRYMOEDIGHEID – vrymoedigheid het om in die heiligdom in te gaan deur die bloed van Jesus Heb 10:19

VERSOENING – en dat Hy deur Hom alles met Homself sou versoen nadat Hy vrede gemaak het deur die bloed van sy kruis Kol 1:20 Want as ons, terwyl ons nog vyande was, met God versoen is deur die dood van sy Seun Rom 5:10

VERBONDENHEID – En dit is die geheimenis: deur die verkondiging van die evangelie en in hulle verbondenheid met Christus Jesus, word ook mense wat nie Jode is nie, saam met ons deel van die volk van God en lede van die liggaam van Christus, en kry hulle ook saam met ons deel aan wat God belowe het Efe 3:6 In ons verbondenheid met Hom en deur ons geloof in Hom kan ons met vrymoedigheid en vertroue na God gaan Efe 3:12 10en in verbondenheid met Hom deel julle in sy volheid. Hy is die hoof oor elke mag en gesag. 11Deur julle verbondenheid met Hom is julle ook besny, nie met die besnydenis wat deur mense verrig word nie, maar met die besnydenis deur Christus, en dit bestaan in die wegneem van die sondige natuur van die mens. 12Dit het by die doop gebeur deurdat julle toe saam met Hom begrawe is. Deur julle verbondenheid met Hom is julle ook saam met Hom opgewek, omdat julle geglo het in die krag van God wat Hom uit die dood opgewek het Kol 2:10–12

VERBOND – Exo 6:7; Ge 17:7; (2Sam 7:14-15; 1 Kron 17:13-14); (Luk 22:20; Mat 26:28; Mark 14:24); 2 Kor 6:16; Lev 26:12; Heb 10:15-18; Jer 31:33-34

VRIENDSKAP – In both Testaments the ideas of friend and friendship involve three components:

Association,

Loyalty,

Affection.

There are also three levels of meaning: friendship as association only; friendship as association plus loyalty; and friendship as association plus loyalty plus affection.

At the lowest level a friend is simply an associate or “the other fellow” (Judg. 7:13; Rom. 15:2; James 4:12). In Jesus’ parables the vineyard owner addresses a laborer (Matt. 20:13) and the host speaks to a wedding guest he does not know (Matt. 22:12) using the term “comrade.” Jesus addresses Judas in this way in the garden: “Friend, do what you came for” (Matt. 26:50).

At a higher and theologically more interesting level the idea of friendship contains not only the component of association but also that of loyalty. The “king’s friend” (2 Sam. 15:37; 16:16; 1 Kings 4:5; 1 Chron. 27:33) serves as a royal advisor or, in the Maccabean period, as a member of a favored class of nobles (1 Macc. 2:18; 3:38; 6:10; 10:65). Hiram of Tyre’s “friendship” with David (1 Kings 5:1) is actually a political alliance that may have little to do with affection but everything to do with treaty obligations. The “friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24) shows loyalty. When the Jews accuse Pilate of not being “a friend of Caesar” (John 19:12), they are questioning his loyalty to the emperor.

The highest level of friendship contains the components of association and loyalty along with affection. The friendship of David and Jonathan (1 Sam. 18:1–4; 20:14–17) has all three components, as does the friendship between Paul and the Philippian church (see, e.g., Phil. 4:1, 15–20).

The benefits brought by good friends

• Comfort and sympathy Job 2:11-13 See also Pr 17:17
• Support and encouragement 1Sa 23:16-17; Pr 18:24; Ecc 4:9-10 See also Pr 27:10; Ecc 4:11-12; Am 3:3; Mt 27:55-56; 28:1; Ro 1:11-12
• Sacrificial service Jn 15:13 See also Ro 5:7
• Shared joy and sorrow Lk 15:5; Ro 12:15
• Loving rebuke Pr 27:6,9; Eph 4:15
• Encouragement in good works Ro 14:13; Heb 10:24
• Challenge Pr 27:17
• Good friendship among believers
• Unity in the love and fear of the Lord Ps 119:63 See also Mal 3:16; Php 4:1
• Worshipping together Ps 55:13-14; 133:1; Ac 2:42-43,46-47
• Sharing possessions Ac 2:44-45; 4:32-35; 11:29
• Serving together Gal 2:8-9; Php 1:3-5
• Praying for one another Job 42:10; 2Th 1:11-12; Jas 5:16
• Living peaceably Ro 12:18; Php 4:2-3
• Covering sins Pr 10:12; 16:28; 17:9 A friend does not stir up trouble by spreading details of wrongs suffered, but rather seeks reconciliation; 1Co 13:6; 1Pe 4:8
• Restoring from sin Gal 6:1-2; Jas 5:19-20