True Friends

I reflected weeks ago as I was in worship singing Israel's song "I am a friend of God" and I questioned myself. I said "self, are you a friend of God? This provoked my thoughts to think about who God considers His friends and what could I learn in relation to my friends?
Forgive me but I must build my exhortation on the word of God.

1. YOUR TRUE FRIENDS BELIEVE IN YOU.
Firstly in James 2:23 The word of God says Abraham believed in God and this was accounted unto him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend.

2.TRUE FRIENDS SPEAK FACE TO FACE
Secondly in Exodous 33:11 it says "and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" True friends are transparent and can speak face to face, revealing their eyes in conversation. Your true friend is the one you trust with your mess up stories and you don't worry about their commitment having heard what you did. uhmmm you all know what I mean. It doesn't mean you don't get rebuked but they're safe to let down your guard and be vulnerable.


3. FRIENDS LOVE AT ALL TIMES
4. FRIENDS FORGIVE OFFENSES IN THE NAME OF LOVE

"Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity.
This clearly shows that a friend has unconditional love that can stand through all seasons. In good time and in bad. But lets be real, what about when we get offended, do we still love God? What about when trust is broken and we feel rejected and deserted, are we still suppose to love. I had to think about this and this has to go along with the supporting scripture that 1. If a brother offends you 7 times forgive even 70 times 7, we must forgive, even as we have received forgiveness for our many failures. Prov 27:6 says Faithful are the wounds of a friend but Prov 17:9 says He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends. So good friendships are tested with offenses and wounds but are strengthened through forgiveness and unfailing love.

" A friendship is not a friendship unless it is tested"

5. TRUE FRIENDS BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOU
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend . The next principle concerning friendship is that true friends bring out the best in you and challenges you to grow and become sharper for purpose. They don't allow you to continue doing something that is offensive, sinful or detrimental because they are afraid to offend you. No they rebuke and set you straight so that you could align yourself for greatness.

6.TRUE FRIENDSHIP CALLS FOR TIMES OF GREAT SACRIFICE.
Jesus chose to give an analogy of the greatness of His love by showing His sacrifice through death for the salvation of His friends.
John 15:13
No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.

7. TRUE FRIENDSHIP SUBTENDS ON A HIGH DEGREE OF LOYALTY
John 15:14
You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do.
Jesus is showing here that His true friends are those who practice obedience to His words. The principle underlying is "there must be loyalty for friendship to exist. A famous quote states that 'A dog is a man's best friend' This was derived solely on the fact that a good dog had the dominant characteristic of loyalty to their owner. Its not that they do everything you say but that they are loyal to you. In the case with Jesus He was saying that your loyalty to me is practically demonstrated by your obedience to my words.

I pray that some how this helps, because I see that as the moral fabric of our society is stripped away, we tend to drift from what is pure and true, and true friendship has been defined by the world and not the word. "No man is an island unto himself" ,"Two is better than one, woe to him who falls and has no one to pick him up". Many are falling by the wayside in the faith for the lack of good friends and we must stop the bleeding now by returning to doing things God's way and stop compromising the power of the word with our practising of worldly wisdom. Be blessed and be faithful. Lastly Pray NOW, Pray Now, its a season of sifting, but let us pray that our faith faileth not and we stand the test of this season.