Does Your Life Depend on Being Jesus's Friend
The Bible of Holy Scriptures
How can we know we are Jesus's friend?
A true friend is a person who sticks closer than a brother, his loyalty and friendliness, is always something that you can depend on, and comes to the aid of his companion in distress, and gives advise to him in faithfulness this is how the Bible describes a real friend.
In general people know that there is a supreme being, but can we be this entity's friend? How awesome that would be? To be considered a friend of God, and his son Jesus. How can we become a friend of God, and how can we know we are friends with him? When we read the Bible which is inspired by God we can see that the inspired words include how we can be his friend. We see here at :
New World Translation--John 15:14 -16 --Jesus says ”YOU are my friends if YOU do what I am commanding YOU. 15 I no longer call YOU slaves, because a slave does not know what his master does. But I have called YOU friends, because all the things I have heard from my Father I have made known to YOU. 16 YOU did not choose me, but I chose YOU, and I appointed YOU to go on and keep bearing fruit and that YOUR fruit should remain; in order that no matter what YOU ask the Father in my name he might give it to YOU.”
Chosen by God's son Jesus to be a friend, and not be slaves is really an important thought. We have also been known to be slaves to the word of God. So, how can we be both? He considers us friends because we want to do the will of God. We are not coerced or made to believe in him. We have free will to serve God, and his son Jesus. We have a hope beyond man for everlasting life to be able to live in a paradise on earth forever. Man may be able to provide a certain level of peace, but he can't provide perfect peace and security. Man may be able to help with medicine to heal a person, but man can't provide perfect health, or protect us from death.
Those of us who believe that Almighty God, Jehovah, is real can feel secure in the fact that when we pray in his son Jesus name we have a grand hope that these things will be given to us. Perfect health, no death, and perfect protection with freedom from crime, hate, unfairness, and the big one " war." Pretty great right? This alone is good enough for me to want to love and serve God. But, he also gives us the privilege of being his friend. To know that is to know that we have the security of knowing he will take total care of us. That is what a real friend would do "protect" you.
New World Translation--Proverbs 18:24 --”There exist companions disposed to break one another to pieces, but there exists a friend sticking closer than a brother.”
We can have companions, but a friend is someone who wants the best for us.
How can we be sure?
James an apostle, and Bible writer explains that works without faith is not worth anything, and vise versa faith without works is useless. James gives us an example with Abraham who was known by being faithful by his works as shown in the scripture below:
New World Translation--James 2:18-23 –18 Nevertheless, a certain one will say: “You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith apart from the works, and I shall show you my faith by my works.”19 You believe there is one God, do you? You are doing quite well. And yet the demons believe and shudder. 20 But do you care to know, O empty man, that faith apart from works is inactive? 21 Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works after he had offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 You behold that [his] faith worked along with his works and by [his] works [his] faith was perfected, 23 and the scripture was fulfilled which says: “Abraham put faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he came to be called “Jehovah’s friend.”
Here in Philippians Paul another apostle of Jesus, and Bible writer helps us to see how important it is for us to keep in constant prayer, and how we can rejoice with knowing God, and his son Jesus as our friend. I love the peace that God gives me through knowing him and Jesus. There is no other peace to have.
New World Translation--Philippians 4:4-7--”Always rejoice in the Lord. Once more I will say, Rejoice! 5 Let YOUR reasonableness become known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let YOUR petitions be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard YOUR hearts and YOUR mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.
King James—Philippians 4:4-7--”rejoice in the lord always: and again I say, rejoice 5. let your moderation be known unto all men. The lord is at hand, 6. be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God 7. and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
How encouraging these words are penned by Paul, an apostle and disciple of God's son Jesus of whom he truly believed in. Telling us that we have the comfort of knowing Jesus and his Father are with us, and to rejoice and not to be anxious over anything. How loving that is for God and his son Jesus wanting us to know that they are near to us and to not be afraid. Isn't that how a true friend would be?
Also, letting us know how we can have peace of mind and the peace of God with us through prayer and supplication, and this will guard our hearts and minds. Paul was convinced that God will take care of those that love him and worship him. He was so sure that he continued preaching until his death. He was persecuted, and beaten, and thrown into prison for telling these wonderful things that his, and our heavenly Father Jehovah will do for us.
Jesus told us that serving God would not be easy in these times, and we might even lose our lives because of telling the truth about God. But, if we are doing these things we know in our hearts and minds as did Paul that we have the resurrection hope into a perfect life forever. Then, when we are as sure as Paul was then death has no hold over us. We are in God's memory to be brought back as we were known only in perfect health.
We can be sure.
No matter what proof science has, or what proof science wants people to believe in. The only reason science is here is because God has provided the science. Just think about an eye. All the intricate parts that make up the eye. To be able to see color, most of us can anyway, and to be able to tell each color apart. The amazing array of color there is.
The brain is such an amazing organ. There had to be someone to create the brain, and there had to be knowledge in order for man to have knowledge. Look at all the different types of animals on land, and we haven't even seen all there is to know in the ocean. The Bible tells us that man will never know all that God knows, so no one will ever convince me that there is not a grand creator. An almighty God who has given his creation everything he needs to be happy, and sustenance for his very being.
I am in awe of this grand creator whose very name Jehovah means that he is the creator of all things. His name means "He causes to become." Above all of that God is love, and he loves his creation. He wants to be your friend. He is my friend, and I am proud of that fact.
