Bible Thoughts

August 29, 1999

There are many people who claim to be friends of Jesus Christ. They profess loudly their allegiance to the Son of God and even make sacrifices to prove their loyalty. Such friendship is valid if one is willing to follow the Lord in whatsoever he commands. The above passage makes it plain that one can be a true friend of Christ only by following the teachings of Jesus.

Christ was accused by the Pharisees of being a friend to Publicans and sinners. The Lord was interested in every soul and he sought to establish a friendship with those who needed him. However, not all wanted to be friends of the Lord when they became aware of his teachings. In fact, many of those who had contact with him would also shout, "Crucify him." Yet--he sought to lead them into the paths of righteousness even when they did not look upon Jesus as a friend.

Even those who were close to the Lord, heard him teach, and walked the paths with him, did not always remain his friend. The Psalmist had said, "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, Who did eat of my bread, Hath lifted up his heel against me"(Psalm 41:9). The apostle John applied the passage to Judas. To be betrayed by one who has been counted a friend is very disheartening. Yet, it does happen even as it happened to the Lord.

Friendship with the Lord rises above all friendship with men. There is not a person who has been a Christian for any length of time that has not experienced the misfortune of losing a close friend(who was a Christian). Such is discouraging and alarming. To have one who walked in the paths of righteousness with a disciple turn from the truth and leave the paths of the Lord is upsetting indeed. When you are close to such a person, it is hard to imagine such a one would leave the Lord's way and become involved in the ways of the world or denominationalism, or simply become too indifferent to serve the Lord. It is not easy to comprehend how one will put fleshly ambitions, personal feelings, selfishness, and a host of other interferences in the way of remaining faithful to Christ. Could it be that one is so given to one's self that it takes only a personal hurt or desire or feeling to abandon the path to heaven? How tragic that one will let the petty things of this life mar a friendship and cause one to cease to follow Jesus Christ. If one is truly a friend of the Lord, nothing will prevent that person from seeking the kingdom and his righteousness above all.

Standing for truth and practicing righteousness has cost the author several dear friends in the past. It was a personal hurt to know how diligent and supporting they had been for the truth, but because of anger, personal hurts, minor differences, or other senseless interferences, they walk away from the Lord and reject a previously valued friendship. Only sadness can be felt that such occurred. It happens, in time, to every person. Since it happened to the Lord, it can happen with us.

Let us thank the God of Heaven for those who want to be friends of Christians as they walk the pathways of life. Such friends will help you in times of trouble, encourage you in moments of despair, and hold up your hands when you are in the right. Such friends are worth more than all the treasures of this life for they support the faithful in the journey to eternity. What kind of friend am I?

The acceptance of the will of God was the motivation that sent Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees to the land of Canaan. His faith in the Almighty caused him to wander in the land he had been promised. His closeness and respect for the ways of God made Abraham "the friend of God."

The greatest friend that one can have is the Lord. He never fails; he never whines; he never disappoints; he is always willing to accept you; he cares not about your color or the wealth that you possess; he is always there to give you hope when all else seems hopeless. Abraham knew what it meant to be God's friend; so can we--if we have the type of faith that motivated the ancient man of God.

The Lord placed upon him a burden that many could not bear. He was told to leave his family and go to a foreign country. Abraham found the promised land, but he would not fully enjoy the benefits of the promise. It would belong to his descendants. He even had to purchase burial places for his family. Yet, James said he was a friend of God. Why? God did not let him down; he did not let the Lord down. Whatever Jehovah directed, Abraham was willing to do: that made him a true friend of God.

Cornelius was concerned about the souls of those for whom he cared. While waiting on the arrival of the apostle, he gathered his relatives and close friends. He wanted them to hear the truth that he was ready to receive.

Cornelius cared enough for their souls to gather them for the hearing of the gospel. The Jews had been hearing the truth; now was the time for Gentiles to hear the truth. Jesus was a friend to all of mankind, not just the descendants of Abraham. Christ desires that all would be his friend; that friendship is determined by whether one will accept the truth of the gospel.

Are we as interested in the spiritual welfare of our friends as was Cornelius?