FRIEND - a person one knows, likes and trusts.
James 2:23
And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.
Exodus 33:11
Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.
http://youtu.be/lcxKRsn-hGc - I am a Friend of God - Phillips Craig and Dean
I love this song. But honestly, I have always questioned if I have the right to call myself a "friend of God". After all, I'm no Moses and I'm no Abraham. But just like both of them, I have faith in God. I believe in the saving Power of Jesus Christ with all my heart, but is that all it takes for me to be considered a Friend of God?
Friend is defined as a person whom one knows, likes and trusts.
God knows me, to be sure. He made me. He knows everything about me. He knows my thoughts, and what I'm going to say even before I say it. He understands me better than I understand myself. And I know Him through His word and by the amazing things He does in life.
God loves me with a love that goes way beyond my understanding of love. I believe that His perfect love would also "like" . So, I believe my Father likes me, too. I and can truthfully say I like God more than I like anything.
Does He trust me? I definitely trust Him, but does He trust me? That's a tough one. I so want to be trustworthy in His eyes. My heart's desire is to live for Him, but no matter how hard I try, I keep doing things I shouldn't. And I fail to do the things I know I should. Me and Paul, right?
Romans 7:18-20
I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
I can so identify with Paul. And like Paul, I'm so thankful that Jesus redeemed me from my fate as being a slave to the Enemy. I still stumble, I still fall, but I get back up with His strength and power. With all my faults, when my Father looks at me, He sees the righteousness of Jesus. Thank You, LORD, for Your grace and mercy that saved a wretch like me!
God trusts me to lean on Jesus. He knows that I reach for His Hand in all situations. He knows I fall - often - but He knows the intention of my heart is to do His Will. I hope to be worthy of His trust.
As I searched for an answer to my question, "Does God consider me His friend?", I found the answer spoken by Jesus Himself.
John 15:12-15
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.
If I do what Jesus commands, I am His friend. Tall order, right!
When I read through the Gospels and listen to the instructions Jesus gives to His followers, I tend to feel very inadequate - not quite up to the task of obeying all his instructions.
I have to forgive others as I've been forgiven?
I have to take up my cross daily and follow Him?
I have to seek Him first in all things?
I have to love others as I love myself???
I really want to do those things. I want to make my Father proud. But, boy, do I fall short. Every day!
How can Christ consider me His friend when I can't seem to get these things right? I desperately need help.
I need someone to stand over me and remind me to choose His way, not my own. I need guidance.
Great news for me! Jesus provided His Holy Spirit to give me everything I need to obey His commandments, to follow His decrees and regulations.
John 15:26
“But I will send you the Advocate (Helper, Comforter, Encourager, Counselor)—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.
Ezekiel 36:26-28
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. “And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God."
I want to be a friend of God, and Jesus made that possible through His death, burial and resurrection. He created in me a new heart, and He put His Spirit inside of me. I am sealed by His Spirit who lives me (Thank You, Jesus!) This is the very Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. The Holy Spirit is powerful and He gives me strength, wisdom, guidance, encouragement, comfort... The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit gives me everything I need to obey, to follow, to be a Friend of God.
2 Corinthians 21-22
Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
Ephesians 1:12-14 NLT - Paul writes...
God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.
I belong to Christ. He has given me His Holy Spirit as a guarantee that everything He promised will be fulfilled. The Spirit gives me all I need to obey and follow Christ. The Holy Spirit living in me is more powerful than the spirit in this world. (the Enemy) I will stumble, more times than I'd like to admit, but because I belong to Christ, the Spirit lifts me up, puts me back on my feet, and says, "Let's try that again."
When I measure my walk with Christ to Abraham's or Moses' walk with God, I feel unworthy. They were such powerful men of faith.
Hebrews 11:8
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.
Hebrews 11:24-27
It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.
I can't measure up to Abraham or Moses. They are both in the "Faith Hall of Fame". They trusted God to do what He promised. They stepped out in Faith. Amazing Faith. If that's what it takes to be a friend of God, I may be in trouble.
I believe with all my heart that Christ has saved me, and that I will spend Eternity with Him because of what He has done. He promised me, and God always keeps His promises. But I falter. I don't always choose the right path. I disobey - not because I don't want to the right thing, but because I'm weak and I take eyes of Jesus. I fail to listen to His Spirit living in me. Does that mean God doesn't consider me His friend?
I don't think so. A closer look at Abraham and Moses encourages me. Abraham was not perfect. He made his wife, Sarai, lie and say she was his sister. Sarai was beautiful, and Abraham was afraid that Pharaoh would have him killed so that he could take Sarai (Sarah) for himself. Abraham lied more than once.
Abraham also made a terrible decision when he slept with Haggar, his wife's handmaiden. Sarai wanted a son desperately and felt that she was too old for for that to happen. God promised that He would make Abraham the father of many, and that all nations of the earth would be blessed through his Seed. But Sarah didn't believe God. Abraham should have been the spiritual leader of his family. He should have stood firm and told Sarah that God's promise would happen. But instead he listened to his wife instead of trusting God.
Moses killed a man. He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite, and in his efforts to help his people, he killed the Egyptian and then ran away.
Moses complained. He told God he couldn't do what God wanted to do.
Moses had doubts...
Exodus 3:11
But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
Moses complained ...
Number 11:11
And Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people?
Moses failed to give God credit from bring water out of the rock...
Numbers 20:9-11
So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. 10 Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?”
I do stupid things just like Abraham and Moses. But just like Abraham and Moses, I love the Lord with all my heart. My desire is to honor Him and bring Him glory by the way I live my life here on earth. I fall short, but God can use me, inspite of my failures as a testimony to His faithfulness. I fall down, but He's always there to pick me back up. He's my Friend.
http://youtu.be/b0Hz4OAVfWE - What a Friend we have in Jesus - the Haven Quartet
I mess up every day but my heart belongs to Jesus. I am a friend of God. And even better, HE is my Friend.
Father God, because of Your great mercy, my faith, as weak as it is compared to the faith of Abraham and that of Moses, my struggling faith gives me "friend" status with You. Jesus said that there was no greater man than John the Baptist, yet the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John! Not because of what we've done, but all because of what Jesus did for us. I want to be considered Your friend. I do want to obey Your commands. I do want to walk according to the instructions Jesus gave us. But You know very well how easily I get off track. Thank You for giving me Your Spirit to live in me, to guide me and encouragement me on my earthly journey. Thank You for providing everything I need to live this life for You. Thank You most of all for Jesus, my true Friend, who covers me with His precious blood so that I can stand before Your Holy Throne, not with a righteousness of my own, but in His Righeousness. Give me strength and power over the Enemy today and always, so that my life will honor You and bring You glory. In the blessed Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
John 11:11
“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!..."
http://youtu.be/TCUO7FAp6J8 - My Savior, My God - Aaron Shust
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