I Am Friend Of God

What is a friend? Who is my friend?

We often group the people with whom we have a loose association and the people with whom we are endeared together as friends. But, Greek texts and some literal English translations of the Bible differentiate between the two: philo (friend); hetairos (comrade, associate, companion, partner).

Philos (which is translated friend) was originally an adjective denoting loved, dear, or friendly and later became used as a noun (Vines). A friend is one for whom we have affection (phile). We often express this type of friendly affection as "feeling" or "sentiment" - e.g., those for whom we have feelings. Therefore a friend (philos) is one whom we love (phile); hence, a friend is one whom we do good toward from an affectionate conviction.

Hours before His arrest, Jesus taught His apostles concerning love and friends. In John 15:13-15 Jesus said: "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

In respect to Jesus, He is my friend because He loved me and died for me. In this sense, Jesus is everyone's friend although many people have not reciprocated His friendship. So we learn here that friendship is not always a two-way street - we can be someone's friend without them reciprocating our friendship.

Jesus said to the apostles earlier in this discourse: "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (Jn. 14:15). Now He tells them that they are His friends if they do whatever He commands them (Jn. 15:14). Today, the people who love Jesus and are keeping His commands are His friends. These are the people who have reciprocated Jesus' friendship and are no longer servants (Jn. 14:15; Gal. 4:7).

Abraham serves as an example of God's friend. James said: "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the alter? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God" (Ja. 2:21-23).

You and I are either friends of God or friends of the world. We cannot be friends of both. James said: "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (Ja. 4:4). We either love the world or God. We are either friends of the world or friends of God. Jesus said: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matt. 6:24).

In the truest sense of the word, we must be careful as to whom we claim as friends. And we must teach our children to differentiate between true friends and those who are actually associates.

To be God's friend and Jesus' friend we must keep their commandments. Politicians are famous for litmus tests. Here is a Scriptural litmus test: Am I being a friend of God? And for other individuals whom I consider my friend I should ask: Are they a friend of God?

Now this question is worthy of your consideration: Are you a friend of God? If you are God's friend, an eternal home in heaven is waiting for you. But if you are not a friend of God, . . .