There is a lovely hymn called “what a friend we have in Jesus.” Many people love singing the hymn: “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grieves to bear…” The hymn is very sweet and encouraging, but the question is: Is Jesus your friend??

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In the book of John 15:14, Jesus said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” Qualification of anyone to be a friend of Jesus is to ensure he or she does whatever Jesus commands – obedience to Jesus. Failure to do what Jesus commands is rebellion; hence friendship with Him is not sustainable. Friendship between any two people is sustained by love between the two. In John 14:15, Jesus said “If you love me, keep my commandments.” God measures our love to Him by the way we keep His commandments. You cannot claim to love God or be a friend of Jesus when you continue to disobey God.

 

Committing sexual immorality (adultery, fornication, rape, masturbation, lesbianism, homosexuality, pornography, lust for sex, bestiality, etc.), theft, hatred to people, jealousy, witchcraft and practice of magic, idol worship, devil worship, worship of riches (mammon), lying, murder, corruption, etc. negate the law of God -Jesus is not happy with us when we do them. We lose our friendship with Jesus, our Lord and Savior, when we become slaves of sin.

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If you love God, ensure, in summary, you keep the following two major commandments that were given by Jesus Christ:

1. Matthew 22:37, “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

2. Matthew 22:39, “…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Loving God (with ALL yourself) and loving man (all people) AS YOURSELF, is the whole duty of man in this world! In Matthew 22:40 Jesus said that the Law and the Prophets hang on the two commandments – that is, by fulfilling the two commandments, one obeys the whole Bible (God’s instructions). We have to love God unconditionally, and we have to love all kinds of people, whether they love us or not (whether they have wronged us or not).

 

Romans 13:10 says, “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” God demonstrates His great love to us, “John 3:16. ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’” We should, in the same way live a sacrificial life towards God and men.

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An exemplary person who was a close friend of God was Joseph in the Bible. Joseph did not experience a smooth life always, but he constantly maintained his friendship with God. At home, his brothers wanted to kill Him; they sold him as a slave to strangers. In Egypt, he was innocently put in prison. In the house of Potiphar God made him to excel. However, when Potiphar’s wife wanted to defile him, by committing sexual immorality with him, he said in Genesis 39 : 9b, “…How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Joseph did not fail to sin with Potiphar’s wife because of earthly excuses - the fear of his father, or mother, or anybody else in this world! He refrained from sinning simply because doing so would mean losing his friendship with God – God hates sin vehemently! Keep safe from sin, and Jesus (God) will always remain your friend. If you have sinned, repent and surrender your life to Jesus and live for Him always.