In our world, it's not hard to accumulate friends. Actually, we call lots of people 'friends', when really they are only mere acquaintances that perhaps we enjoy being around. But, they don't really mean much to us, other than having someone to be around. If we were put to the test, would we do anything for them, to keep the friendship together? True friends are those that we can call in time of need, that will come to our rescue. Friends will literally let you have the clothes off their back, if it came to that!

Many people crowded around Jesus, but were they all his friends? Even within His close circle of admirers, there was one who would betray Him. We are told in scripture that Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times, before the cock crowed twice. And, when it happened as Jesus said, Peter wept. Did Jesus know who would deny him, when he chose Peter as one of the apostles? Could this be a lesson to us, as Christians, to be careful whom we call 'friend'?

Scripture tells us to 'come out from among them, and be ye separate'. [ 2 Cor 6:17 ] We should never deliberately choose people to be our close friends who do not share our love of Christ. Although we will never be able to avoid seeing, hearing, or possibly being with wicked people, we should never chose them as our friends.