Opening Bible Reading: II Chron. 20: 1-13

The Friend of God

“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.” James 2:23

Of all the appellations a believer in Jesus Christ can have, is there one more to be desired than being known as “the Friend of God”? Is there some accolade we can receive of men, some title of nobility from kings or some doctorate of education or fraternity that matches that which the patriarch Abraham attained to, “the Friend of God”? Of all the figures, shadows and types, God as Father, God as King, God as a husbandman, God as a shrewd businessman, is there any figure, shadow or type, any allegory of poetry or ensample by analogy that it is more intimate and personal than the one Abraham enjoyed when he was and still is known as the “Friend of God”? Of all the things you have desired and the friends that you would make, is there any friend to be compared with or desired more than God? Will your obedience and discipleship to the Lord Jesus Christ be of such zeal and ardor, such work perfected faith that you too will become a “Friend of God”? Here is a choice, here is where we exercise free will, in this arena our actions do speak louder than words, is there a choice more pressing or a fight more deserving to engage in than to make certain we attain to the state of Abraham, whose seed we are (for it is written: “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”), to wit, the “Friend of God”?

Friend: One who is attached to another by affection; one who entertains for another sentiments of esteem, respect and affection, which lead him to desire his company, and to seek to promote his happiness and prosperity; opposed to foe or enemy.

Friendship has raw materials that need to be brought to perfection through fiery trials. Think of comrades at arms in the trenches of the battlefield. What type of friendship do they leave the battle campaign with? It must be perfected. Oftentimes we take the first step, get Baptized, sigh deeply, take our armor off and sit down and say that was a tough fight before the battle is even really begun. Friendship moves through stages, just because we were introduced to God and have some disclosure from him doesn’t mean we have arrived. No indeed, friendship must be perfected through fiery trials together:

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matt. 5:48

You are going to have to strive when you enter into discipleship after baptism and keep striving. Move through the phases of friendship, your Father is already the perfect friend but you are a worm that needs some work. You need a backbone and thick skin to develop the materials of friendship. Don’t take the armor off, set down your sword and think the fight is already won before it has begun. You will miss what Abraham achieved if you do so. Don’t feel picked on when God, through his ministry and his word discloses more and more which means you have to change behaviors and attitudes more and more. The word “friend” is encumbered with duties and obligations. It is not to be entered into lightly. The relationship must start with an introduction and then develop into friendship. We must first know that God exists, who he is as creator, the interesting things He has done, the names of His other friends. We must be introduced to God.

“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.” John 15:15

“Henceforth” indicates a change in status. There is an element of service in all friendships. We oftentimes do something for someone before growing in friendship with them. It is give and take and the idea of service is another encumbrance upon friendship. You can serve God without being his friend. Balaam served the purposes of God as did Nebuchadnezzar, but these people were not God’s friend. Judas had his part to play and served God, he was a disciple of Jesus Christ and was even called friend as a term of familiarity. The litmus test is from the definition of the word: Do you seek to promote the object of friendships happiness and prosperity?

“And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.” Matt. 26:50

A definition of friend much further down the list in the dictionary is a common figure of speech or greeting. There are false disciple that are not friend of God. They are friends in common appellation only, figure of speech friends, fair-weather friends, insincere friends. It is a friendly act to greet a man with a kiss so Jesus acknowledges the act with the generic salutation friend. Jesus well knew that Judas had come to the garden to promote his own happiness and prosperity and not that of Christ. Judas was not a true friend of God but Abraham was. This distinction is important and can be generalized in many ways.

Consider that there is a similar situation with the appellation Christian. The word Christian has a very precise Biblical definition yet it is bandied about the world today entirely to loosely. It is even bandied about the true church of God entirely too loosely when we speak of “Christian Music”, “a Christian author”, and “Christian movies”.

“And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Acts 12:26

 This verse marries the concepts of disciple and Christian. A Christian is a disciple and should be able to be identified as such. A Christian is a member of a New Testament church that practices church discipline. Without the practice of church discipline there is no discipleship! Aunt Agnus may very well be a child of God and have lived a Godly life, but she is NO CHRISTIAN unless she is a disciple by Biblical definition. A man might write a book about child rearing or teenage dating that has some good tips in it but be aware that when we use the term Christian as an adjective we are using it in a secondary sense to the primary definition given in Acts 12:26. The idea of a “Christian author” or “Christian musician” allows “Christian” to have a generic place holder meaning instead of the specific meaning scripture assigns to it. Instead of a follower of Jesus Christ under discipline/obedience, it becomes a demographic term, a sociological term and a marketing description. Consider how Jesus used the word “Friend” as a general term of salutation, but He knew exactly what Judas was when he did so. So too with Christian, it can be use generically but we must never be deceived by the poisoned kiss on the cheek, when used in such way it does not mean that the noun it modifies whether of author, minister, musician necessarily seeks the promotion and happiness of the body of Christ but is rather a term of salutation or discrimination as opposed to a Muslim author, Muslim musician or Muslim commentator. It holds no more weight than that as an adjective, it demands no special attention from believers and disciples. Our hearts should never leap because a “Christian” author has written a successful book – such is the work of the “Left Behind Series” to which I say the so called Christian author can “Kiss My Behind”. Such is the work of the “Passion of Christ” by Gibson, it might more correctly be described as a Catholic movie rather than a Christian movie but what is done is done. The Evangelicals have had many a spiritual experience from the movie and filled their ranks admirably. Now all that is left is for the Catholics to send in a Peter Kreeft to preach ecumenism through the spiritual gifts and the field is white to harvest.

 It is interesting that the Textus Receptus, the basis for our King James Bible NT historically originates from Antioch which is in Syria. This is why the Textus Recptus is also known as the Syriac text. The textual family of scripture that was translated into English by the King James scholars originates in Syria where the disciples were first called Christians. Anyone who uses, quotes from or trusts the NIV or any other English version than the King James is not a Christian according to the Biblical primary definition given in Acts 12:26.

 Service comes with a price tag. “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” Luke 14:28 Again, not everyone who pays or sacrifices something is a Christian but every Christian has paid and sacrificed.

It is important to note that God’s affection is the beginning of any friendship he has with his creatures.

“We love Him, because He first loved us.” I John 4:19

All workmanship, building of trust, disclosure, even initial introductions, when God is one of the friends under consideration, begins with God’s affection for the rational creature. The whole process of friendship, the whole development, always begins here, with the affection of God for a creature.

After introductions are made and as friendships begin to develop with service we encounter disclosure. Friends disclose things to one another. Jesus is speaking to his disciples. Jesus shows, makes plain, discloses the Father to his disciples. To be a friend to God you must be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word disciple looks like the word discipline, you must obey Jesus Christ, that is be under the discipline of his commandments in order from him to disclose all things about his Father to you.

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:14 Jesus Christ can introduce you to the Father. By knowing Jesus Christ you will know the Father. By being a disciple of Jesus Christ you will be a friend of the Father.

This disclosure is the primary responsibility of the Holy Ghost.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:23

Again, you must have the Spirit’s book, that is the book the Spirit wrote in order to have an Introduction and ultimately Disclosure about the true God.

Our forefathers in the faith, the Anabaptists were very clear on this point just as we are today. Just because you came from a church that called itself Christian didn’t mean you were one. You were baptized again which was the great offence the Anabaptists did to Rome, our forefathers watched as their wives and children were put into sacks with wild animals and drowned in the river. Let us never dishonor this memory and let us always remain faithful to this practice. My heart thrills when I hear the confession of a former Catholic or Lutheran or Arminian Baptist as they join our church when they denounce in such a way by saying they never knew the true Jesus at all when they were a part of these filthy whore churches.

Attached: Taken by writ or precept; drawn to and fixed, or united by affection or interest.

After introductions and service and disclosures we start to become attached to the other person as the friendship continues to develop.

“But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.” Joshua 23:8

When stick to and unite closely with one thing you limit your ability to unite and stick to its opposite or contrary. There is therefore an exclusivity to friendship as well as a constancy. It is said that a man may have many acquaintances but only a few friends because of the encumbrances such intimacy brings with it. This exclusivity is manifestly declared in the previous verse: “That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:” Joshua 23:7

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matt. 6:24

The notion of human fraternity is not Biblical. The idea of a universal or Catholic faith that adopts the names of other Gods, rites and times is not Biblical. You cannot be a practicing Catholic, mason or communist and also be a friend of God in the sense that Abraham was the “Friend of God”. You fail to meet the requirement of the exclusivity test. If you stick to a false religion you cannot stick to the true God.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” II Cor. 6: 14-17

Notice also that we have encountered the idea of affection twice now, directly in the definition of the word “friend” and indirectly in the word “attached” which is used to define the word “friend”.

Affection: Passion generally; A bent of mind towards a particular object, holding a middle place between disposition, which is natural, and passion, which is excited by the presence of its exciting object. Affection is a permanent bent of the mind, formed by the presence of an object, or by some act of another person, and existing without the presence of its object.

The idea is that affection is a bent of the mind towards someone because of what you know them to be or because of some actions that they take.

Matt. 7: 17-18 – Good fruits from a good tree, evil fruits from a corrupt tree

A child of God has a different nature than a reprobate. This regenerate nature is the working essence of the child of God. We describe this as the evidentiary phase of salvation and just as “affection” is crucial to understanding the word “friend”, so too is evidentiary justification crucial to understanding Abraham’s position as the “Friend of God”. It is also a universal guiding principle of all rational thought that the working essence of a thing is the definition of that thing. In biology this concept is co- generation according to your “kind” (species). In ontology or general metaphysics this concept is codified in the formal cause of an object. In cosmology this principle has to do with the activity of bodies, such activity being intransient (or vital in living things) or transient (mechanical, physical, chemical). There is a missing dimension in psychology because this department of philosophy has not fully embraced this guiding principle. Because of this short-coming in embracing this guiding principle the corollary disciplines of ethics and ultimately political science are also deficient.

When we look at the orders of being we find mineral, plant, animal, and man. We leave off the states of matter and other ontological and cosmological implications at this time only to note that in the sense of being a “body” all four of these are at one. This is not monism because the differentiator is the substantial form which gives specificity. The psychological question deals with life and living bodies and defined etymologically means the science of the soul. There is only one substantial form per unit of matter so when we discuss leaving things we are discussing their substantial form or soul. We leave off minerals and in plants we see certain activities such as growth, reproduction and nutrition. Animals have growth and nutrition also so we say that animals are virtually plants in this sense (they have the powers or virtues of a plant and then also something over which makes them an entirely different order or different staircase altogether instead of just one evolutionary step higher on the same stair case). An animal is sentient, able to take in and process sense knowledge. Animals also have locomotion. Therefore to all the virtues of a plant we add sentiency, instinct and locomotion. The one substantial form of an animal is virtually a plant and in addition is sentient and capable of directed movement towards things that tend to its survival and away from things that threaten its survival. Humans have all the functions of a plant and an animal plus the addition of rationality. Therefore the ontological definition of a human is rational (will and intellect) animal. The psychological determinants of the one substantial form or soul of man is that it is virtually animal (possessing all of those powers which also includes all the powers of a plant) but it is really a higher order because of the addition of will and intellect. Psychology stops here and so too does ethics. But consider, there is another order of living being that is just a much a separate staircase as each of the others and that other order is called in the Bible a “new creature” which nomenclature itself justifies the claim. The regenerate man is virtually human (having all the powers of a natural man, will and intellect) but is essentially beyond the natural man where that will and intellect have been substantially changed to be subdued to the law of God (written in their hearts), creating supreme love towards God and his law and also the intellect is able to perceive the things of God by the spirit of God. This new creature, factored into the psychological question now allows for an additional ethic which is really the ethic normally stated for natural man but is incorrectly applied thereto. A natural man does not and cannot seek the ultimate good but a regenerate man has the capacity to do so. Therefore a regenerate man can operate under what is normally called the “natural law” because it is written in his heart where a natural man has no capacity to so move. For God to be affectionate toward an object in friendship requires a proper object that is able to receive this passion and that proper object is regenerate man of which Abraham is therefore a prototype as is made manifest by his faith (he believed God and this is the basis of the God directed affection).

On one end of the scale we have “disposition” on the other end of the scale we have “passion”. “Attachment” is between the two but leaning more towards passion as that is what “affection” means in general. Think of “disposition” as genetic make-up, your core identity. You are identical with yourself. Think of “passion” as your core substance being put to the flame. You are passive and receiving the events of your life and that is activating and bringing out changes and branches in your disposition. You are affected by the things you desire. You are affected and imprinted by your friend. He may not be present but his influence is still felt in your thought life. A true friend doesn’t need to be with you in order to be with you. Your mind is sensitive to his influence even at a distance.

Disposition: Inclination; propensity; the temper or frame of mind, as directed to particular objects. We speak of the disposition of a person to undertake a particular work; the dispositions of men towards each other; a disposition friendly to any design.

 Disposition to be a drunkard

 Disposition to be effeminate

 Disposition to be wrathful

A combination of nurture and nature (genetic makeup) that can be overcome by application of yourself to obedience to the word of God and through the dealing of the tendency in your positon as a regenerate man. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Psa. 119:9

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Phi. 4:13

Passion: The impression or effect of an external agent upon a body; that which is suffered or received. A body at rest affords us no idea of any active power to move, and when set in motion, it is rather a passion than an action in it. 4). The feeling of the mind, or the sensible effect of impression; excitement, perturbation or agitation of mind; as desire, fear, hope, joy, grief, love, hatred. The eloquence of the orator is employed to move the passions.

What is more easily impressed, a hard stone or soft clay? How do you set your disposition towards God? What is your default emotional posture, are you ready to be impressed by him or are you stiff in your ways? Also note, friendship implies suffering. A passion is something you undergo, it is done to you and you respond. You suffer a passion and this word “suffer” doesn’t always carry a negative connotation, be warned that as you seek this friendship with God it is oftentimes bitter-sweet.

Suffer: To feel or bear what is painful, disagreeable or distressing, either to the body or mind; to undergo. We suffer pain of body; we suffer grief of mind. The criminal suffers punishment; the sinner suffers the pangs of conscience in this life, and is condemned to suffer the wrath of an offended God. We often suffer wrong; we suffer abuse; we suffer injustice. 5). To undergo; to be affected by. Substances suffer an entire change by the action of fire, or by entering into new combinations.

Are you disposed and open to the idea of suffering? Are you open to being impressed upon by God? Are you willing to change who and what you think your core identity is in order to be the “Friend of God”? If you think you are a Chaldean by birth and live in the booming metropolis of Ur, if this is your core identity as a man with all that it implies, are you willing to leave it for something indeterminate? How about for tent? Can you suffer that in order to be the “Friend of God”?

Regeneration is a pre-requisite to friendship with God. Regeneration is a change. You are born with the disposition of a natural man, it is your spiritual soul. It is generated by God and substantially fused with your genetic material at the moment of conception. It is regenerated by Jesus Christ at some point later in your life. It is a substantial change, it was the spiritual soul of a man and after regeneration it is the spirit of God. You become a new creature, born-again, quickened. You are entirely passive in this new birth, you undergo it, regeneration is a passion and it changes you from one type of creature (natural man) into another type of creature (regenerate man). Regeneration is pre-requisite to the introduction phase of friendship with God.

“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirt of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received (notice the passiveness), not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” I Cor. 2: 11-14, 16

Finally, from our definition, the word “friend” is to be contrasted with the word “foe”.

Foe: An enemy; one who entertains personal enmity, hatred, grudge or malice against another.

Enemy: A foe; an adversary. A private enemy is one who hates another and wishes him injury, or attempts to do him injury to gratify his own malice or ill will. A public enemy or foe, is one who belongs to a nation or party, at war with another.

Eph. 2: 1-6

Rom. 5: 6-10

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4

With these concepts clearly in mind, let us now examine the “Friend of God”. Let us look for a parallel in our own lives, let us see why the bitter-sweet suffering and passion having an effect and changing Abraham into the “Friend of God”. Let us learn to interpret suffering in our own lives into a closer walk with Thee, that we too may be a “Friend of God”.

We shall examine three separate events in the life of Abraham; leaving his homeland, siring a son in old age and offering the son as a sacrifice. We shall look for the properties of friendship: Introduction, Service and Obedience, Disclosure, Affection, Suffering and Passion. We shall look at these properties as a developmental process leading in each step to a more advanced friendship between Abraham and God. We enter the examination of these three events with the assurance that Abram is already a born again, at the very first event and throughout all events, a regenerate child of God or he would not even be able to be introduced to God (phase 1 of being a friend of God) who is a Spirit.

Leave Ur of the Chaldees

Gen. 12: 1-4

God’s Affection  Introduction  Minimal Disclosure  Obedience (Disciple) Minimal Passion (leaving homeland and family to follow God)

When we see that it was accounted for righteousness to Abraham when he left Ur and believed God we understand that God had a particular bent of mind (affection) already towards him before he ever left Chaldea. God is well disposed towards Abraham before Abraham ever leaves his homeland. Once Abram leaves Ur it is counted to him for righteousness, he is outworking the righteousness that was in- worked at regeneration when he had become a new creature, virtually human but something with powers of operation entirely beyond the natural men surrounding him in Ur. From Ur we see the root of the word Urban and archaeological excavations have shown this city to be a metropolis of a higher order in ancient Sumeria. The natural man has no capacity to seek the ultimate good in leaving this mecca of art, learning, and law for a primitive existence of wandering, dwelling in tents, to who knows where. It is not a rational equation to the natural man. To the regenerate man who has the capacity already to believe God it is a supremely rational proposition, so Abram leaves and it is accounted or imputed to him for righteousness. You can no more convert a natural man to a regenerate man by human effort and convincing then you can talk a plant into becoming an animal or an animal into developing intellect and will. Each is a higher order being. Because the regenerate man looks like and is for part of his existence a natural man prior to regeneration, in other words because a regenerate man is virtually human, it can be hard to tell the one from the other. Again, by their fruits you shall know them.

You don’t get much light at the start, follow what you get and you will get more. You don’t need your headlights to shine from Minneapolis to Chicago right from the get go, you only need to see the stretch of road in front of you.

Here is a test of faith. It will lead to a greater relationship and common ground between God and Abraham. Remember, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God left his heavenly home to suffer the indignation of a human birth, he sojourned among us. As Abraham obeys and suffers he is letting God build common ground between them and the friendship will flourish because of this.

Sire a son in old age

Gen. 17: 15-22 with Gen. 21: 1-8

Vested interest in his own plans not to be realized. Ishmael would not be the child of promise.

An old woman does not normally have a child. Tests the bounds of belief.

God’s Affection  Greater Disclosure (specifics about child of promise)  Passion-Suffering (goal for Ishmael to go unrealized, hard to believe the promise, childbirth to an old woman)  Creature Affection

A virgin doesn’t normally bear a child either. By suffering this test of faith Abraham has even more common ground in his relationship with God. Just like God would be born of the flesh from a virgin (which is a woman who doesn’t normally have children) so Abraham’s child of promise would come of a woman who normally doesn’t have children (post menopause).

Sacrifice his Son

Gen. 22: 1-18

“Now if any man build upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire: and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” I Cor. 3:12-15

God’s Affection  Abrahamic Passion-Suffering (give up thy only son)  Passionate Affection from God towards Abraham (vs. 16-18) The tests get harder as the friendship grows stronger. Look at the common ground Abraham now has with God. Sacrifice thy only son, as Abraham goes through the steps of this God is relating and has as close to a kindred spirit as He will have in a regenerate man because God gave up his only begotten son as a sacrifice. These friends have shared a lot together, they have bounded together tighter as the flame was applied, God is so adamant in his declarations that we see God passionate after beholding this act of faith Abraham performs. Truly is Abraham called the “Friend of God”, what will you be called when you are given a new name in heaven?

Closing Exhortation:

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” I Cor. 3: 10, 16

Approach the traumas of your life as a regenerate child of God, the seed of Abraham and understand the fiery trials to be the necessary process whereby your substance more accurately shows forth the substance that is God, bringing you into common purpose and bonds with him just like your progenitor did, making of you something more than only a disciple but instead a “Friend of God”.

Appendix: Review Notes

God initiates friendship with creatures through affection. Friendships between men start with introduction.

Friendship must be developed, nurtured and perfected

God’s Affection  Introduction  Disclosure  Obedience  Creature Affection  More Disclosure  More Obedience…repeats to infinity…