Many people feel very far from God or Jesus or anything spiritual. Some think of Jesus as somewhere up there in the sky and not very interested in us – maybe even bored! Some think of Him as watching every move, just waiting to punish us! The concept that Jesus would want to be my friend is something that is hard for many people to grasp. We might think that we would have to really be someone special to be the friend of Jesus. Abraham is called in the Bible “the friend of God“. He is also called the ‘father of the faithful’. Most of us would not put ourselves in that category! Do we have to be the ‘father of the faithful’ to be God’s friend? Is Jesus only interested in really spiritual people who are really good? Would Jesus really want to be friends with someone like me?
What Difference Does It Make? What difference does it make if we are friends with Jesus or not? To find answers that really matter we need to look into the pages of the Bible. Romans 3:23 says that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” If Jesus doesn’t love sinners, then He can’t love any of us. The Bible says that all people are sinners. There are probably some self righteous people who will be surprised to hear that!
Jesus wants to be your friend. The problem is that there is something that stands in the way of our friendship. Something stands in the way of friendship with God. What is it that keeps people from being God’s friend? Romans 1:18, 29-32 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. … They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” Wait a minute…I thought Jesus LOVES sinners, and this sounds like Jesus HATES sinners! Actually, if Jesus is going to love us then He must tell us the truth. I think most people can look at their own lives and tell that something is missing.
Sin is what keeps people from having a good relationship with Jesus. Sin separates us from Jesus because He is perfect in his righteousness and in his judgment. As long as we stand before Jesus guilty of sin, we cannot have a relationship with Him. He wants to have a relationship with us, yet we’re all sinners … this is not good.
Is There Any Good News? Romans 4:7-8 offer up hope that our sins can be taken away when it says… “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.“ If sin is the great barrier between us and Jesus, then the bridge over that barrier is forgiveness. Since we already know that everyone has a common sin problem, we are all in need of the same solution! Romans 5:8-9 tells us that “…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Jesus really does love sinners … He was willing to be tortured and killed so that they could be forgiven.
Making A Decision. Jesus does love sinners, and He always will, but if a relationship is going to exist between sinners and Jesus, then a decision has to be made. I know I’m a sinner…and I know that Jesus died so that my sins would not be counted against me. How do I receive this offer from God? Romans 6:3-5 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
If somebody like me believes that – then what would I do to experience God’s forgiveness? I would be baptized into his death, and experience a resurrection – the blessing of a new life. A new life is what we needed –because our old life was leading us to death. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We accept the new life, friendship with Jesus, by being baptized into Him.
What’s So Great About Being the Friend of Jesus? The book of Romans tells people just like us two important things. Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Wow! Before Jesus forgave us we were going to receive His wrath and we were condemned to spiritual death. When Jesus is our friend we are no longer condemned! Romans 8:31-39 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jesus not only wants us to be His friends, He will save us from the wrath of God, and we will be secure in our salvation – we continue to be forgiven as long as we live for Him. What now?
Make A Decision!
C. S. Lewis said, “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, “What! You, too? I thought I was the only one.” One thing we all have in common is our need for God to save us. Could someone like you be the friend of Jesus? Absolutely! If you have not been baptized into Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, I want to encourage you to do that today and begin a new life in God’s friendship. You and God can be the best of friends once the only thing between you is removed.
Thanks for reading through this study! If you make the decision to be baptized to start a new life, please e-mail me and let me know. I can try to put you in touch with someone who teaches and believes this same gospel message.
Thanks for reading!
John Dobbs
