Friend of God
Did you know that it is possible as Christians to be a friend of God? To many believers this is a far fetched concept. Many think that it is not possible to have that close of a relationship with God. Much of this stems from teaching that does not agree with the Bible. Many Christians have let religion and traditions of men overtake the relationship which God intended for us to have from the beginning of time. In James 2:23, Abraham is called a friend of God. The Bible says that God is no respecter of persons, so if Abraham was a friend of God, then we have that same opportunity as Christians. Everybody who calls themselves a Christian is not a friend of God. We tend to use the words “friend” and “friendship” in a very casual or shallow way in our culture. The truth is, most of the people we know are more of an acquaintance than a friend. I know a lot of people, but not every person is my friend. The word friend implies a close and intimate relationship. I think that most Christians are on more of an acquaintance level with God than a friendship. They only pray or seek God when they need or want something from Him; that is not a friendship. A friendship is not a one way street; it takes sacrifice and unselfishness to invest in a friendship. I want to give you some characteristics that must be in your life to be called a friend of God.
To be a friend of God means that you are obedient to His commands. Jesus said in John 15:14, “You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.” In James 2:23 where Abraham is called a friend of God, it is referring to his faith and obedience to God. In fact, James 2:20 says that faith without works is dead. Did you know that it is possible to confess with your mouth that you know God, but deny Him by your works or lifestyle (Titus 1:16)? One of the greatest abominations in the sight of God is to profess faith in Jesus Christ while at the same time living in disobedience to Him.
Secondly, to be a friend of God means that you know and trust Him intimately. It is impossible to know God apart from His Word; the Bible. If you don’t know what the Word says about Him, then you have no foundation for your faith and trust in Him. Along with this point, to be a friend of God means that God can trust you. Can God trust you with the gifts and responsibilities that He has given you? Do you gossip about or do you pray for the people that the Lord puts on your heart?
Lastly, to be a friend of God means that your heart is transparent. David understood this truth. We need to pour our heart out to God; we need to be vulnerable to Him. All too often when we approach God in prayer, we fill it with meaningless, shallow religious babble. God wants us to be truthful with Him when we make a mistake. A true friend of God will always draw close to God in the hard times, not away from Him.
God is wanting His people (Christians) to draw nigh to Him so that He can draw nigh to us. He is so willing to bless us with His friendship, but the real question is, are you willing to bless Him with yours?
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