What does the Bible say about restoring friendship?
Bible Topic · WEB
The Bible teaches that broken friendships should be pursued with humility, truthful repentance, ready forgiveness, and a desire for peace, while trusting God with outcomes we cannot control. Believers are called to forgive as God forgave them in Christ (Ephesians 4:32) and to address sin gently and repeatedly when repentance is present (Luke 17:3-4). James 5:16 commends honest confession and prayer, while Proverbs 28:13 promises mercy to those who confess and forsake sin. Romans 12:17-21 urges Christians to seek peace and refuse revenge, leaving justice to God. Yet reconciliation may not always be possible; Romans 5:1-11 grounds our hope in Christ, who restored us to God while we were still sinners.
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Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible
- Ephesians 4:32
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
- James 5:16
Confess your offenses to one another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effective, earnest prayer of a righteous man is powerfully effective.
- Luke 17:3-4
[3] Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. [4] If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."
- Romans 12:17-21
[17] Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. [18] If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. [19] Don't seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord." [20] Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head." [21] Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
- Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, But whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
- Romans 5:1-11
[1] Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; [2] through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3] Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; [4] and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: [5] and hope doesn't disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. [6] For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. [8] But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God's wrath through him. [10] For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life. [11] Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
- Proverbs 18:24
A man of many companions may be ruined, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
- 1 John 4:11
Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
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