James 2:23: And The Scripture Was Fulfilled That Says, "Abraham Believed God, And it Was Counted To Him As Righteousness"

James 2:23
[23] and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. (ESV)

You can tell something about a person by looking at who their friends are. Have you ever talked to someone and found out that they were a close friend of someone famous? We can get kind of star struck. I once met a hero of mine in the music world and was delighted that he was such a down to earth guy. I thought, we could maybe be friends!

James looks back in biblical history at the great man Abraham. He says that Abraham was called a friend of God. I don't know about you, but there is no one in the universe I want to have as a friend more than God. What a title! Abraham, friend of God. Do you tell others that God is your friend? Have you considered that a possibility?

Let's look at what happened that enabled Abraham to ultimately be known as a "friend of God." Abraham believed God. Think of that for just a moment. All Abraham did was believe God. He took him at his word. What was God's response? It was counted to Abraham as righteousness. In other words, Abraham's faith in God made him right with God. That is what God desires from us. Faith.

Abraham did many works. He left his home and country and traveled to a strange land that God told him to go to. He became the father of many nations, including the people of Israel, God's people. Yet, the very thing that gained his right standing with God, even becoming the friend of God, was his believing God, placing his faith in him.

Do you want to be the friend of God? No mountain of your efforts can achieve it. Simply believe God. Take him at his word. Place your faith in him and in the finished work of the cross. You will be His Friend!

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