HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

Lesson Twelve

FRIENDS (5):

FRIENDS OF GOD

Burden to Impart:

God desires to be our friend and wants us to be His friend. Abraham and Moses were two persons who believed in God and were friends of God (Gen. 18; Exo. 33:11; James 2:23). When the Lord Jesus walked on earth He called His disciples His friends (John 15:15). He wants us also to be His friends. As His friends we can honestly open up our hearts to Him, cast all of our cares upon Him (1 Pet. 5:7), and fully trust in Him.

Memory Verse: "Abraham believed God...and he was called a friend of God" (James 2:23).

Facts to Teach:

  1. God created man with the desire of companionship (Gen. 2:18). In like manner, God also desires to have an intimate companionship with man. This companionship is like that of a husband and a wife, and is also like that of friends. God desires man to be His friend, and God is man's best friend (Prov. 18:24).
  2. Because of sin man was separated from God and lost the close friendship that he had with God in the garden of Eden.
  3. However, those who believed in God and obeyed Him were brought back into a close relationship with God, as Abraham. Abraham was one who truly believed God. He followed Him "blindly" (Heb. 11:8). He obeyed God absolutely and offered his son Isaac back to God when God asked him to (Gen. 22).
  4. One day God came in the form of a man and visited Abraham (Gen. 18). Abraham refreshed God. He washed His feet. He prepared dinner for Him also. He spoke with God heart to heart about what God was going to do with the sinful city of Sodom. He spoke to God and God spoke to Him. So close was their relationship that the Bible says that Abraham was God's friend (James 2:23).
  5. Another man who was very close to God was Moses. Most of the children of Israel stayed at a distance from God. Moses would seek out God in the tabernacle. Whenever Moses went to be with God, God would meet with him and speak face to face, as a man speaks with his friend (Exo. 33:11).
  6. The Lord Jesus called His disciples His friends (John 15:13-15). Because they were His friends the Lord hid nothing from them. He loved them so much that He even gave up His life for them. The Lord Jesus also loves us and called us to be His friends. How privileged we are to be friends of the Lord Jesus and to have Him as our friend.
  7. As the Lord's friends we must bring our friends to know the Lord Jesus and to believe in Him (Mark 5:19; Example: Acts 10:24).