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.
Top passages, ranked by readers
Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible
- Ephesians 4:32 5 votes
And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
- James 5:16 5 votes
Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
- Luke 17:3-4 3 votes
Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 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 3 votes
Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. 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.” 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.” Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
- Proverbs 28:13 2 votes
He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
- Romans 5:1-11 2 votes
Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; 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. Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a good person someone would even dare to die. But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 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. 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 2 votes
A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
- 1 John 4:11 2 votes
Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
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