“Friend of God” - Message behind the Merch

"For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God."

Romans 5:10-11

As seen in this scripture, God reconciled our relationship with him, from our death in sins, to life in him. While we lived in sin we were considered enemies of God, but now faith in him and his finished work of the cross makes us friends of God. Now as Christ laid down his life as a demonstration of his love and friendship for us, he calls us to do the same.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. This is My command to you: Love one another.” John 15:12-17

True friendship with God should make your life look like His. So we should not love just in speech but in action, even to the point of death. This is not a suggestion, but a command for all who are God’s children. In obedience to this we show the evidence of our friendship with God.

“But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless? Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called a friend of God. As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone." James 2:18–24

As you can see, this is not a cheap title to throw around. Nor should our friendship only be a title, but a representation of our actions and character. We’re not called to be just “buddies” with God, we need to be a friend that “sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Therefore, we can’t be a friend of this world if it comes into conflict with our relationship with Christ—even if He asks us to ‘kill our Isaac,’ that is, to surrender what is most precious to us, even the promises of God.

“Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God. Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy? But He gives us more grace. This is why it says:

‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” James 4:4-6

God wants to be our friend, but friendship looks like having intimacy with and walking out obedience to his word. (John 14:15) And we know that we are called to walk in the same if not deeper level of intimacy with God than of those of the past.

“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Joshua 1:5

Think about it: What kind of friend do you have that you never speak to? We’d all agree that such a friendship isn’t strong—or may not even truly exist. That’s why true intimacy with God includes regular, honest conversations with Him. A perfect example of this is Moses. His deep friendship with God grew out of both intimacy and obedience—and, not by coincidence, he is one of the few people in Scripture explicitly called “God’s friend.”

“So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. ...

Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”

And God said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Then Moses said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

Exodus 33:11-17

“The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!” 2 Corinthians 3:7-11

Jesus called us friends, not servants. Let us live worthy of that name—loving one another as He loved us, obeying His commands, and walking in such intimacy that His light and glory shine through us to a watching world.

Friend of God - Sweatshirt

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