Page 007 - Are You God's Friend?
*Verses from AMP
"And [so] the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God's will in thought and deed), and he was called God's friend." (Amp: James 2:23)
What does it take to be God's friend? You may think it requires that you do all the right things and never make a mistake. However, if you look at the life of Abraham, you do not see a perfect man, but one who has flaws and shortcomings.
Yet, see how they matched one another: "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He[even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life." (Amp: John 3:16)
It is also written:
"AFTER THESE events, God tested and proved Abraham and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. [God] said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I will tell you. And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took hold of the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! He answered, Here I am. And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear and revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your son, your only son." (Amp: Genesis 22:1-2, 10-12)
Abraham understood what God felt and was willing to do what God would do Himself! How about you?