Friend or enemy?

From: Ben Kelley
Subject: Friend or enemy?

Each of us who have received Jesus as Savior make decisions every day. We rarely think of those decisions as having great consequences. We think it proper and natural to strive to succeed, to acquire possessions, to build a large bank account, etc. We think those type things are always good, rationalizing them with the thought that, "of course, our God wants believers to prosper." I wonder how many of our decisions and actions reflect a love for God or a love of the world, revealing whether we are friends or enemies of God. As professing believers, we readily identify enemies of God as the type who worship in pagan religions, practice witchcraft, or are professing atheists, serial killers, child molesters, etc., never realizing what God's own Word says about this subject. I'm sure none of us believers place ourselves in the category of God's enemy. We like to sing contemporary Christians songs such as , "I am a friend of God." (Lyrics and video available below) Let's use the dictionary and the Bible, though, to see what God says about who is His friend and who is a friend of the world, and therefor His enemy.

What does it take to be a friend? Simply, to be a person: 1. attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard, 2. who gives assistance; patronage; support, or, 3. who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile. Jesus said: Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (John 15:14 (KJV) Then His Word speaks of friendship with the world: 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 (KJV) I'm sure we all say, "I'm a friend of God, not the world," but what do our actions, thoughts, and words reveal about who we are attached to, or, have feelings of affection or personal regard towards? Both the Bible and the dictionary show us those feelings, affections, attachments, and regard towards promotions, profits, popularity, pleasures, possessions, and other things of the world are signs of friendship with it. Remember: whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Scripture warns us to: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (1 John 2:15-16 (KJV) One of the definitions found at the first of this paragraph stated a friend is a person who is not hostile. I wonder, does the world consider us as hostile? or, do we fit right in? God calls us to be His friends, and Jesus said we are His friends if we do what HE commands us.

I'm not going to keep on any longer. I believe we have heard enough to be able to examine our lives and see whose friend we show ourselves to be. There probably are very few of you reading this who readily see your lives as being hostile towards God, but each one of us can ask God to search our hearts and open our eyes to those areas where we show friendship to the world, areas we depart from Him in. Remember, Jesus said He that is not with me is against me (Matthew 12:30 (KJV)

Lord, do my actions reveal me as your friend, or your enemy? Am I working against the world system, or with it? Am I walking with You, or against You? Help me to purify my life. You are my Friend, I want to be known as yours. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10 (KJV)

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 (Matthew 6:24 (KJV)

VERSE:
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 (Who am I Lord)

CHORUS:
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

Verse

BRIDGE:
God Almighty
Lord of Glory
You have called me friend