A FRIEND OF GOD AND A FRIEND IN LIFE

James 2:23

Morning Meditation 8/7/16

Verse 23 says, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

2 Chron. 20:7: “Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?” Here God calls Abraham His friend.

Tozer says, “The idea of the divine-human friendship originated with God. Had not God said first, ‘Ye are my friends’ it would be inexcusably brash for any man to say ‘I am a friend of God.’ But since He claims us for His friends it is an act of unbelief to ignore or deny the relationship.”

God calls Abraham His friend in Isaiah 41:8. The word “friend” (ahab) means “human love for another, includes family, a human love for or to God.” It is a term used of friend with friend in this life. It is amazing that God would stoop to identify with a man on this level. It is only God who could possibly make this possible. But the idea means that God has made Himself available to have this relationship with man.

Tozer says, “Even though radically different from each other, two persons may enjoy the closest friendship for a lifetime; for it is not a requisite of friendship that the participants be like in all things; it is enough that they be alike at the points where their personalities touch. Harmony is likeness at points of contact, and friendship is likeness where hearts merge.”

“For this reason the whole idea of the divine-human friendship is logical enough and entirely credible. The infinite God and the finite man can merge their personalities in the tenderest, most satisfying friendship. In such a relationship there is no idea of equality; only of likeness where the heart of man meets the heart of God.”

You can live a lifetime and never have but two or three friends. Sometimes not a one. There are some things about friends that the Bible calls attention to.

Exo. 33:11 says, “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.”

The words “face to face” refers to the nearness and the word “friend” (rea) means “one with whom you are intimate.” It is like being a personal friend to the President. There are no body guards needed and the conversation can be open and unguarded. No caution needs to be exercised because the one with whom you are a friend will not divulge any hurtful information that would cause you problems. A friend hurts as badly when you hurt as you do.

Have you ever had this kind of friend? Someone has said, “We have many acquaintances but few friends.” There are a lot of people whom we would like to consider our friends but they would not last five minutes with information we gave them. It would be all over town before the conversation got cold. This is not a friend. It is good to have the kind of friend that you can share things that need to be talked out. But if you do not have a friend of the sort I have mentioned, go out into the woods and talk to the varmints. They have more character than some of your acquaintances and they won’t get you in trouble. I’m sorry about that. But it is the truth.

Jesus was betrayed by a friend. Psa. 41:9 says, “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” John Gill comments: “Yea, mine own familiar friend, &c.] Or, ‘the man of my peace’; who did live peaceably with him, and ought always to have done so; whom he treated as his friend, as the rest of the apostles; calling him to that high office, and ordaining him to it, and qualifying him for it; and whom he called by the name of friend, when he came to betray him; Judas is meant;” Matt. 26:49-50 says, “And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; AND KISSED HIM. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.” Jesus called Judas “Friend” here knowing fully that He was betraying him with a kiss. Can you imagine the hurt that Jesus experienced when this happened? You say, “Preacher, He knew Judas and knew he would betray Him.” You are right. But Jesus experienced every bit of the pain that you would experience if you were betrayed by your best friend in a situation like this.

A friend is a person that you can trust with your most intimate secrets. You say, “Preacher, you just talked about being betrayed by a friend. I cannot talk about those intimate things if there is a chance that I will be betrayed.” I understand where you are coming from. But we must trust people. Yes, we will be betrayed. But Jesus sets the example before us in his betrayal by Judas. If you are not willing to get hurt, you are going to be a lonely person and not much use to God. And I’m not for sure I can trust a man who trusts no one. You say, “What if I am betrayed by the friend?” Well, you just discovered he was not your friend after all. He will never get that chance again with me. I will treat him as a brother but not as a friend. I will not hold a grudge, that is wrong. And if you do, you are as wrong as he is. There are a multitude of people out there that I love dearly and brothers and sisters in Christ that I do not treat as intimate friends. I believe this is no violation of Scripture.

Isa. 41:8 says, “But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.” Do you see the difference in how God addresses the ones in this text? God loved them all. But Israel had people in it that murmured over every thing imaginable. Not Abraham. God could talk to Abraham or Moses and He knew He could trust them to be absolutely obedient.

Exo. 33:1: “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Deut. 13:6: “If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, WHICH IS AS THINE OWN SOUL, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers.”

No matter how close we become to friends, we are not to follow them into idiolatry.. We are not to follow our friends into wrong. However, you will never be a friend to a person on this earth if you expect him to be perfect. You can be a man’s friend even when he is in error. But the ties of friendship are not binding when they pull us away from God to idols or false religion.

I am a very blessed preacher. I have had a few friends in life that did not forsake me when they disagreed and thought I was doing wrong. That is the kind of friend I want to be. God said that Abraham was His friend. It is good to have someone with whom you can be an intimate friend. If you happen to find one in life you are a very fortunate person. Hold on to that friend. You won’t meet many of them.

May the Lord bless you.

In Christ

Bro. White