"God's Friend"

“God’s Friend”

 

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.         James 2:22-23

 

God promised Abraham a son, and He gave Abraham and Sarah a son, Isaac.  God had promised Abraham that he would have many descendants, MORE numerous than the sands of the sea and the stars in the sky, and they would come through Isaac.   Abraham BELIEVED GOD, so when God asked Abraham to SACRIFICE Isaac, Abraham did NOT FALTER in His FAITH.  He KNEW that God would somehow KEEP His PROMISE, if he acted in OBEDIENCE to Him.  When Abraham acted in OBEDIENCE, God spared Isaac, and provided another blood sacrifice.  And Abraham had a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Almighty God, and was considered RIGHTEOUS.  And Abraham was known as God’s Friend.

 

This shows us that a person is considered RIGHTEOUS by what they DO and NOT by FAITH ALONE.   James tells us that:  “As the body without the spirit is dead, so FAITH without DEEDS is DEAD.  When we are OBEDIENT to God by our WORDS and DEEDS, we have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him and are, like Abraham, considered RIGHTEOUS.  Our DEEDS EXEMPLIFIES our FAITH, and our FAITH will EXEMPLIFY our DEEDS.  When we ACT in OBEDIENCE to God’s Word, we are EXERCISING our FAITH.  And like Abraham, we have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him, and can be known as God’s Friend.    Do YOU have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God?  Are YOU acting in OBEDIENCE to Him?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you do NOT possess a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him, and you certainly cannot be known as GOD’S FRIEND.  Instead, you are acting in DISOBEDIENCE to Him and His Word.  And you will be spending ALL of ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  The only way to change your destiny, is to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and in OBEDIENCE to HIM, SERVE Him, with a STRONG, ABIDING FAITH, and be known as God’s Friend.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!