A FRIEND OF GOD:

A word of exhortation to the Body of Christ Yeshua/Jesus

By Pastora Cate Covert

“But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?  Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS." And he was called the friend of God.” James 2:20-23 

God called Abraham His friend.

This wasn’t your typical “friend” situation. Not like Facebook where you “friend” someone one day and “unfriend” them the next. Not like a neighbor with whom you wish to keep the peace even though you feel critical of him. Not like the acquaintance you keep close to make sure he doesn’t become your enemy.

The New Testament Greek word for friend in James 2:23 is Φίλος philos fee'-los - Properly dear, that is, a friend; actively fond, that is, friendly (still as a noun, an associate, neighbor, etc.): - friend.

Abraham was dear to God! God was actively FOND of Abraham, He was FRIENDLY to him.

Let that sink in for a moment…

That is not all James had to say about being a friend of God: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) 

Apparently, God desires an exclusive relationship with His friends. He desires that His friends show they BELIEVE Him, that they ACT like His instructions matter, and who OBEY Him by putting everything else beneath that relationship.

He in fact desires that we care MORE about what HE thinks of us than we do about how other people think of us. In fact, He desires that His friends share intimacy with Him, and it is so important to Him that He calls it ADULTERY to forsake friendship with Him in favor of friendship with the World.

FAITH is our first expression of friendship toward God. It is our demonstration that we understand what He is asking of us, and our display of earnestness in obedience. Because “…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

A short definition of hypocrisy is saying “yes” with your mouth, but “no” with your actions.

Can you imagine someone calling you his friend when you actively undermine, ignore, contradict, and generally disrespect him?

Can a man honestly claim intimacy with someone he’s never shared a meal with? Never even asked what he prefers. Never asked after his heart or the things that make him hurt? Never learned the things that bring him joy?

Can a man represent someone as a friend, claiming to know what he thinks, when he takes his words out of context and rearranges them for his own benefit?

Why does a man want to be seen as his friend, though he secretly has no intention of doing what pleases him?

What benefit is it to him or his friend to lie about his relationship?

What friendship has endured when one party is always abusing the other, always taking, and never giving?

IF/THEN:

IF we consider these beneath our notice when it comes to recognizing God’s desires, THEN how can God call us friends? Aren’t these some of the most basic standards for friendship?

Our Lord goes out of His way to encourage, strengthen and bless us, while we yawn in His face and clamor for “the good stuff”. Is this any way to treat a friend?

He is a Good Father. He knows how to discipline us in order to bring us to our senses.

IF we insist on:

MORE prophetic words to tickle our ears, even though we do not even obey that which He has already given to us in His Word!

MORE blessings to make us fat and satisfied!

MORE material wealth and worldly fame to consume upon our fleshly desires!

THEN:

We will not be given a special word, and the heavens will be like brass for us when we pray.

We will fall into sin because we have failed to give thanks, or share what we already have!

What we have will be taken away because we idolize gifts, but do not Worship the Giver.

We were created for His glory, and to have fellowship with Him. He created us for Himself, but we live for OURSELVES. This is a lopsided relationship, at best!

Some of us are straining so hard to pursue material things and personal prestige, that we cannot see how selfish we are being.

IF God has all the power, THEN we want Him to do all the work! But we want to reap all the benefits, glory, and good reputation: for what we could never do for ourselves!

Some of us are too immature to be friends of God (the status we obtain with God through our actions inspired by love and faith in Him).

So, we default to our status as children of God – what we become with New Birth.

But even as children, some of us are too lazy to learn how to be His friends. We want to remain as infants with droopy drawers, running around snacking on spiritual junk food, and making messes wherever we go.

But a Good and Loving Father will not indulge the foolish or dangerous whims of His child. Jesus said: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” (Revelation 3:19) 

What does it all mean? The sometimes painful but always glorious truth is, He loves us too much to allow us to stay the way we are.

Quick checkup time:

What emotions do you feel as you read this?

Has it touched a nerve?

Are you angry?

Are you making a mental list of everyone you think needs to hear it?

Do you agree with the truth?

Are you afraid of what this might be leading to?

Consider, then, what emotions your Abba, Father God, feels when He watches your behavior and sees every intent of your heart! Doesn’t He feel your rejection when you go your own way?

If a king can be deposed…

The very first king whom God anointed was not content to serve the Lord with reverence and obedience. Saul rebelled and lost not only his kingdom but his relationship with the Lord:

“So Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." 1 Sam 15:22-23 

God will always love you!

In fact, for as long as there is breath in your body, He will keep wooing you, correcting you, guiding you, convicting you of sin, and watching for you to make that turn-around. He is never the one who does the leaving! He has been called the Hound of Heaven for good reason! If He must bring you to the brink of death in order to make you see your need for Him, He will! Does this seem impossible? Extreme? Too literal?

Jesus said, "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  (9)  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.” (Matthew 18:8-9) 

Your proof of love for Him is in how you obey Him.

The story of Abram/Abraham begins in Genesis 11. It is well worth reading in depth. Take note of everything he did: his actions, his words, his devotion, his obedience, his trust. He made some HUGE mistakes, some that have rippled down through the ages to our modern times, yet when he called on God to help him, and when God told him how to repent and amend his actions, Abraham OBEYED!

Where do you stand?

Are you a true friend of God?

How can you apply these truths to your own life?

Are you a fair-weather friend, who likes God as long as things are going well?

Are you brave enough to ask Him to teach you how to be a friend of God, who would rather die than desert or disobey your Lord?

Jesus/Yeshua is the Son of God. He said He only did what He saw His Father doing. He learned obedience as a human through the things that He suffered, and not only did He remain a friend of His father, but He was faithful to the cross and proved His friendship to us. He proved His right to be called our Lord! If we do His commandments, He said we are not mere servants, we are His friends.

By this time, some who call themselves Christ-believers are echoing the World, and screaming that it’s not fair –

“The cards are stacked against us!”

“God punishes everyone who won’t do what He says, so there’s no such thing as free will!”

“We’re just pawns in a big chess game!”

And so on, and so on, etcetera.

Dear Children of God, it is better to endure hard words today, to be chastised in mind and spirit, rather than comfort ourselves with self-justification so that we are no longer able to receive correction!

Jesus had the following to say to the lukewarm church of Laodicea: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.  (20)  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  (21)  To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.  (22)  "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:19-2) 

Brothers and sisters, we must take inventory of ourselves as friends of God, to see where we really stand. This is not about looking good and being right in the sight of others who may be fooled by appearances. This is about asking God to show us where we have sinned against Him and treated Him like our enemy, so that we may turn back to Him and be restored in His love.

In conclusion

Jesus was aware of our human tendency to judge each other by ourselves. That was why he taught: "Judge not, that you be not judged.  (2)  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  (3)  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  (4)  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  (5)  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:1-5) 

The exhortations the Lord gives me to share always test me. I must always search my heart first. It is often painful, and I disappoint myself more often than not. My personal experience is that I must return to lessons regularly, and to stay in an attitude of humility and repentance with Him, so that I may reach for the high goal of being His friend. Then, when I have made a little progress, I feel able to reach out to help others find the path.

The most important lesson I have learned is that HIS LOVE COVERS a multitude of sins, just as it must have covered Abraham, Jacob, and Peter, who were all born in the same sinful condition as I was.

I gain the courage to stay on the path, to fight the good fight, and to NEVER give up when I remember this great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us. They all persevered, and they only had the hope of Messiah; we have the actual fulfillment of that hope and promise! We have every advantage, if only we will press in to grab hold of HIM!

Finally, at the end of the day, this is not about how people see you, but how God sees you. Are you a friend of God?

Remember: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) 

In faith that we may all become friends of God,

Pastora Cate Covert