“Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called “the friend of God.”
James 2:23 (NAB)
God has called people His friends throughout Biblical history. Abraham was the first person in scripture to be called a ‘friend of God.’ The next person to be called God’s friend was Moses. (Exodus 33:11) It says that God spoke to Moses ‘face to face as a friend.’
It’s incredible to think that Almighty God, the Eternal one, Creator of the world, would call two human men, ‘His friends.’ Then came Jesus, who said many times, that all those who do His will and remain in Him, are His friends. (John 15:14-15)
I think we can safely say that God desires our friendship, and friendship with Jesus, comes by discipleship.
Jesus had many followers, but not all followers were disciples. A disciple is one who stays close and remains in Him, which requires a lifetime. A disciple imitates Him, doing as He did, and receives correction, always learning through a steady friendship with Jesus.
People have tried to define the difference between a disciple and a follower. By today’s standards, a follower could be defined as anyone who taps the ‘follow’ button on a social media page. There’s virtually no commitment required to tap a button. Discipleship was intended by Jesus to be a life long commitment, a mission of remaining in Him, and learning by His love.
Peter, James and John were the only three disciples to be with Jesus at key moments of His ministry, like the Transfiguration, the healing of Peter’s mother in law, and the only three who went into the house when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead. They were also the select three who were with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, even though they fell asleep.
I used to assume that those three disciples were special, but the more I read, the more I realize they were very human and had the same faults as the average person. The brothers, James and John, were nicknamed ‘sons of thunder’ because of their tempers, and Peter at first, refused to include gentiles into the church.
It goes to show that God loves us as we are, faults and all, and desires our friendship as long as we permit Him to disciple and keep teaching us. Abraham and Moses were corrected by God at times and yet they were called friends of God.
A disciple doesn’t ask Jesus to bless whatever they do, but instead, they seek to do what Jesus has blessed. The first disciples went wherever Jesus went, and did what Jesus said to do, learning from their mistakes as they went along. It’s no different today. If we are doing things Jesus said to do, and learning as we go, then we are His disciples and friends.
I once heard a true story about Gandhi, that he took an interest in Christianity at one point, and wanted to see what a Christian church service was like, so he decided to visit one. As he approached the front door of a church, two men, (guards) stopped him, telling him that this church was only for white people and high caste Indians, so Gandhi was turned away.
Perhaps a follower of some sort might make mistakes like that, but they would learn from it and change, if they were a disciple or a real friend of Jesus. Those men might have known about Jesus, but they didn’t know Jesus. His disciples and friends would have gladly invited Gandhi into their church. That was a sad story, but even sadder if those men didn’t learn from their mistake. All disciples make mistakes, but are corrected and discipled along their journey. They go from being followers to being disciples, which leads to true friendship with Jesus.
The Lord is patient and merciful, and hopes for all people to move past the follower stage to becoming disciples, so that He can guide, discipline and correct us in love, and call us His friends.
Lord, we want to be your friends and disciples, so please show us what you want to teach and correct in us, and thank you for always loving us as we are. Amen
