Limits of Friendship

Cute picture! The text says it all; there are limits to friendship. The old testament says it too and is a little bit more specific.

Deuteronomy 13:6-11 Complete Apostles' Bible
(6) And if your brother by your father or mother, or your son, or daughter, or your wife in your bosom, or friend who is equal to your own soul, entreat you secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known,
(7) of the gods of the nations that are round about you, who are near you or at a distance from you, from one end of the earth to the other;
(8) you shall not consent to him, neither shall you hearken to him; and your eye shall not spare him, you shall feel no regret for him, neither shall you at all protect him:
(9) you shall surely report concerning him, and your hands shall be upon him among the first to slay him, and the hands of all the people at the last.
(10) And they shall stone him with stones, and he shall die, because he sought to draw you away from the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
(11) And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not again do according to this evil thing among you.

Sounds a bit harsh by the standards currently en vogue in America, but it IS the WORD OF GOD and that WAS the standard for the Israelites. Now, lets move over to the NEW TESTAMENT.

John 15:1-14 Complete Apostles' Bible
(1) "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
(2) Every branch in Me which does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch which bears fruit He prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.
(3) You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
(4) Abide in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit on its own, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
(5) I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; because apart from Me you can do nothing.
(6) If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
(7) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what ever you may desire, and it shall be done for you.
(8) By this My Father is glorified, that you may bear much fruit; and you will become My disciples.
(9) "Just as the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
(10) If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and I abide in His love.
(11) These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may abide in you, and that your joy may be full.
(12) This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
(13) Greater love has no one than this, that one should lay down his life on behalf of his friends.
(14) You are My friends if you do what I command you.

In the New Testament, its all about Jesus! If your life dwells (abides in, is centered on) in Jesus, you WILL DO what he wants you to do. Its not so much about a law as it is about a relationship and HOW you respond to it. If you do this you will live (because the true friend of Jesus will be saved by him) and if you don't.... well, who else is going to go to bat for you when you answer for what you have done in this life? I like the second set of verses better, don't you? Humm, I wonder if there will be e-mails in heaven?