Dear Ones:
There is a wonderful verse in Isaiah, which makes a most remarkable declaration. “But thou Israel, art my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham MY FRIEND.” (Is. 41:8) God calls Abraham His friend. What a most extraordinary reality, that a man could be the friend of the Eternal God. You will remember that Moses had such a relationship with God also. “The Lord spake unto Moses, face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” (Ex. 33:11) Now, we might think that this matter of being the friend of God belongs to the few great saints throughout history, but let’s look at what Jesus said to His disciples: “…Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you.” (Jn. 15:15) Christ called His disciples “friends.” Has God changed since He spoke to Isaiah concerning Abraham, and then made reference to Moses in the context of friendship? Has He changed since Jesus looked at His disciples, common, ordinary men, and declared them to be His friends? He has not changed. What is needful is for us to grasp what it means to BE the friend of God, and primarily to discover how the Lord Jesus is the perfect Friend.
Perhaps the best place to begin in the consideration of friendship, from God’s perspective, is to hear Jesus’ words: “…Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn. 15:13) Immediately, we are catapulted into the center of the main issue of friendship…and it is love for the other person, but a love that is selfless. Love, the love of God, is the basis and essence of true friendship. Secondly, and perhaps more specific and tangible is the aspect of this love which expresses itself in “devotion.” “Ye are my friends, if you DO whatsoever I command you.” (15:14) The true friend lives for the other person. From Jesus’ standpoint, it is living according to His instructions, will, and way…His word. The proof of devotion is the tangible commitment of one individual to another. The third revelation to us of what friendship is that of communion…the sharing of Life, and the vision of that which is good. Jesus called the disciples friends because He shared with them what the Father had revealed to Him of truth and Life, and the will of God. In other words, there is the sharing of all that is high, good, and wholesome. The friend communicates the deepest things of his heart and soul to the one who is truly a friend, not for selfish benefit, but for the blessing and enrichment of the other. Three things characterize true friendship: Love, Devotion, and Communion.
It is not hard to say that Jesus was/is the perfect Friend, as He is wholly true, faithful, and absolutely selfless. But when we compare ourselves with Him, how can we say that we are “friends of God?” He is our faithful Friend, for He has laid down His life for us. But are we His friends, proving such, by laying down our lives for Him, and this, by living for Him according to His commandments? So, what is the origin of this vision of what we should BE, and how is it to be realized, lived?
When Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians, he wrote a short, but very significant phrase: “…but the body is of Christ.” (Col. 2:17) The composite essence of all that is good, holy, and of God is found IN Christ. This means that He is the answer to the matter of friendship, both as the example of true friendship, but also, by His enabling power, His devotion, His communion. We can be His friends as we believe Him, trust Him to be such in our hearts by the Spirit. “We love because He first loved us.” We are friends of God and men because He was/is first our Friend.
Dear Father, we thank Thee for the example of Thy Son as the true Friend, the perfect Friend. We thank Thee also for thy Spirit, the Spirit of Thy Son, who is in us to BE a friend to others. Enable us to be Thy friends, with all that this means in love, devotion, and communion. So that, out of such a relationship, others might know that Thou art God, their Friend…unfailing and true. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad