Becoming A Friend Of God
Randall Caselman
1/22/97
Becoming A Friend Of God
James tells us that Abraham was a
friend of God. What a statement! What a claim to fame. What was it in the life of Abraham that was so unique that he could be the only man in Scripture to be given this title?
His faith. His faith made him righteous, in the sight of God. So, Abraham became the
father of the faithful.
Abraham’s faith was a belief, a trust and confidence in God and that He would do what was best for him in every circumstance!... Every situation!...
Every day!
We witness Abraham’s faith in every facet of his life:
In his initial call.
God called Abraham to follow Him,
leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. Did you notice that God did not inform Abraham as to where he was going? But Abraham followed anyway. God is asking us to follow Him. We may not know what tomorrow will bring, but we must follow anyway.
In this call Abraham was promised several rewards.
I will make you the father of a great nation. I will bless you. I will give you a new land. I will provide and protect you. I will bless all mankind through you. Fantastic, unbelievable promises.
Does God promise us a reward for following Him today?
• He promises to be with us.
Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13.5
• He promises to work all things out to our benefit.
We
know that in all things God works for the good of those
who love Him, who have been called according to His
purpose.
Romans 8.28
• He promises to take us home to heaven.
In My Father's house are many mansions... I go to prepare a place for you.... The dead in Christ will be raised.... We who are alive will be caught up to meet Him... So shall we be with Him forever. John 14.2 & First Thessalonians 4.16-17
In his testing.
I can’t comprehend the thought of offering my son on an altar in sacrifice to God. I can't imagine the feelings, the emotions, the tears, the sobbing the nausea, the heart ache as Abraham prepared the altar and tied down the sacrifice. I'm sure Abraham's question was
why? How could he get up early in the morning and head for Moriah, in light of what he knew he had to do there? Speaking of Abraham's faith, the Hebrews’ writer says he reasoned like this,
if I offer him, God will bring him back to life. Faith!.. An absolute trust and confidence in God. Amazing!
We too will be tested and tried. Perhaps you are being tested this very day, and you can’t possibly see a way this can work out. Do not forget the power of God.
Have faith... Trust Him.
Abraham was a friend of God because he listened to Him and obeyed Him. No, Abraham was not perfect, far from it. He made some serious blunders in his life, but his faith is bigger than his sins;
Abraham believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15.6 No wonder Paul declared,
we are saved by grace through faith. This same Paul tells us that our faith comes by hearing God’s call through His word. Hebrews chapter eleven tells us beyond doubt that genuine faith does what God asks us to do and goes where He leads.
How much like Abraham are we?
Are we a friend of God?
Will we too, by our faith, become the
Father of the faithful.
—Randall Caselman
