I am a Friend of God!

The Song: I am a Friend of God
by Israel Houghton and Michael Gungor

If you have Real Player, click here to hear a little sample of the song.

If you use Windows Media Player click here to hear a little sample of the song.

The Lyrics:
Who am I that You are mindful of me
That You hear me when I call
Is it true that You are thinking of me
How You love me it's amazing

(Chorus)
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

God Almighty, Lord of Glory
You have called me friend

(Repeat Chorus)
He calls me friend
He calls me friend...

We sang this song at church two Sundays ago, and it has been on my heart and on my lips every day since! The words just sank in down and stirred within my soul as the meaning of the lyrics seeped into my bones! It just boggles my mind to think that the Almighty God has called us His friends! You don't believe me? Let's look at what the Word says:

"Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness and he was called the friend of God." James 2:23

Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.” John 15:14, 15

By living a life of obedience in love, we demonstrate to others that we are friends with God Almighty.

“This is my commandment: Love each other.”
John 15:17

Did you notice that Jesus’ friendship with us is characterized by full disclosure on His part? During the days He walked in the flesh, Christ revealed everything he learned from the Father to His disciples, and ultimately to us.

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15

Jesus gave us the best knowledge we could ever want from Him...the knowledge of the Father Himself, shared with us through the Word! He hasn’t kept secrets from us, but instead has given us an intimate peek into God as our Father through His Word. He generously gives us wisdom in understanding the Word, and how to live according to His Word. He willingly reveals his mind and character to us through the Word too! Isn’t genuine friendship built on disclosure and trust? It is amazing to me that our Savior would reveal Himself to us in such an intimate and full way!

Jesus also models true friendship for us in scripture. He shared the thoughts, desires and hopes that God our Father has for us. He disclosed the ways of God through His life. He shares His sacrificial love for us. He demonstrates His love for us in a way that could never be duplicated or surpassed.

He wants the same honest disclosure from us too...about everything. Why try to hide anything? Does that make sense? He knows about everything in us anyway! He can see deep into our hearts where we try to hide our ugliest secrets from everyone. And we may be successful hiding it from everyone else…but not Him. So why be a hypocrite and hold back the truth about our feelings from Him? Let it out!

Even what you think may be viewed as audacity in your full disclosure to Him, God views as authenticity. Express yourself, unburden yourself, and experience freedom in Christ like never before as the strongholds of secrecy and unconfessed sins are lifted!

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9

What do we have to lose? We only lose our egotistical self pretenses in front of God. He is not going to love us any less! In the process of shedding the useless false pretenses, unhindered by guilt or fear, in being completely honest about everything, our relationship with our heavenly Father deepens and becomes intimate.

“…Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” Hebrews 13:5

He has spoken nothing but truth to us…can we do the same in return?

These are the lyrics to a song called "You Called Me Friend” by Fred Hammond.

Perfect and true,
Pure in all Your ways,
Oh Lord, there is none else like You,
no one like You,
and all these things,
keep me in awe of You,
and I'm overwhelmed that you would,
call me friend.

I guess I still find it utterly amazing that the perfect, omniscient God would want a friendship with me…obviously His grace, forgiveness and the blood of Jesus covers me beyond measure ever so completely!

“The Son of Man came … a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Matthew 11:19a

Halleluyah! \0/