puricarexfiles: FRIEND OF GOD - Not everyone is called "a friend of God." The God of all creation desires an intimate friendship with human beings He created and loves.

Friday, June 10, 2016

FRIEND OF GOD - Not everyone is called "a friend of God." The God of all creation desires an intimate friendship with human beings He created and loves.

Be His Friend!

Not everyone is called "a friend of God."

Worthy Christian Devotions

“Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

“You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"—and he was called a friend of God.” (James 2:20-23)

Looking at the relationship between “love and affection” ("chiba" in Hebrew) and “obligation” ("chova" in Hebrew), we find another closely related word, “chaver,” one of the Hebrew words for “friend”.

Friends are people with whom we share love and affection and also a sense of obligation.

Our God and Father wants us to be His friends, to share love and affection with Him and to carry the sense of responsibility and obligation which friendship requires.

Abraham was a friend to God. He believed and trusted His Friend, but he also came to share the awesome responsibility of that friendship.

Abraham's Friend, the Lord Himself, asked Abraham to become a living picture of His relationship with His own Son, Yeshua, (Jesus), by offering his own beloved son Isaac on an altar at Mount Moriah.

Abraham's response to his Friend's request expressed a level of commitment to the friendship which was probably unprecedented in all human history since the time of Adam.

As we consider these Hebrew words and their common roots, we begin to see that Biblical language expresses profound realities, and carries meanings which resound through history.

And we find that the God of all creation desires an intimate friendship with human beings He created and loves.

But that friendship involves degrees of commitment which test the very frontiers of relationship.

If you are on one of those frontiers, you may count yourself blessed.

Not everyone is called "a friend of God."

Would you want to be a friend of God and have a deeper relationship with Him?

God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life by receiving His Son, Jesus Christ, and have eternal life.

Say the following prayer:

“Father God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You.

I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to You.

Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.

I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.

I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Thank You that according to Your Word, I am now born again.

Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. I promise to study Your Word, the Bible.

Please use me for Your glory.

In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.”

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