It is certainly wrong to cut off our Christian friends UNLESS they are living in sin and refusing to judge their sin. We have an example of that in 1st Corinthians chapter 5 where a man was guilty of sexual immorality and the Apostle Paul told the local church to “put away from yourselves the evil person” (verse 12…NKJV). Because he was a professing Christian they were not even to eat a meal with him. “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you NOT TO KEEP COMPANY WITH ANYONE NAMED A BROTHER, WHO IS SEXUALLY IMMORAL—not even to eat with such a person. So, there are times when we must, in faithfulness to God and His Word, “cut off Christian friendships” if there is unjudged sin in their life.

I am assuming this was not the case with you. You don’t mention WHY you cut off these Christian friendships, but you do say “I feel it was not right” and “I know that God forgives me.” These statements lead me to think you were indeed “in the wrong” by cutting them off. I am glad that you have come to see this and that you have apparently confessed it to God the Father and He has forgiven you. How good it is that our heavenly Father does forgive us when we sincerely confess our sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1st John 1:9).

Now the main question is: Should you go to those you have wronged and confess it to them, with the hopes of having your friendships with them renewed? I believe Scripture teaches us to do this. In James 5:16 we are told to “confess your sins to one another” (NASB). I don’t believe this is speaking of any sins we have committed privately but the sins that we have committed against the person we’re confessing to. In Matthew chapter 5:21-26 the Lord Jesus speaks of relationships between believers and He cites three examples in verse 22 of wronging a brother:

1) being ANGRY with him without a cause,

2) INSULTING him, and

3) calling him a FOOL.

In each of these cases he had “wronged his brother” and the Lord Jesus goes on to tell him what to do: “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that YOUR BROTHER HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First BE RECONCILED TO YOUR BROTHER, and then come and offer your gift.” The Lord is teaching us that the need to “be reconciled to our brother (or sister) in the Lord” is so important that it should be done before we can offer worship to Him! So, in light of these two Scripture passages, I would encourage you to go to your former Christian friends and confess that you were wrong in cutting them off. I would pray for an attitude of true humility and love and that your confession will be simple and clear.  Hopefully they will “hear you out” and be touched by your willingness to come to them in the spirit of meekness and with a real desire to resume fellowship with them again.

In closing, I would just emphasize how needful it is to have Christian friends. As believers, WE NEED EACH OTHER! This is a cold and heartless world and one that is heading for judgment. Yet believers can encourage one another (see Hebrews 10:24-25), share one another’s burdens and joys (Galatians 6:2 and 1st Corinthians 12:25-26); and worship and serve the Lord together as we make our way home to eternal glory (1st Peter 2:4-10).  (418.3)  (DO)