The Father's Menu

The Father's Menu

Apostle Dr. Richard Udoh

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

WHAT A TRUE FRIEND WILL DO

Beloved, what is required of us to call ourselves true friends of Jesus Christ at this perilous time?

First, true friends of Jesus will obey Him. Read John 15: 14. If you are not obeying Him, then you have no right to claim that you are His friend. God is looking for consistency and regularity in your life. If you are really a friend of Jesus, then you will obey Him.

Apart from this, the obedience Jesus requires is an active obedience. Some people think it is enough to merely avoid what God forbids. They might say, "I am not a thief, an adulterer, or an alcoholic." That would be like saying to someone, "I am your friend because I don't rob you or cheat you or insult you or beat you up." Granted, your friend will appreciate the fact you don't do these things. But maybe you can go a little further in the friendship than that. It is not just a matter of refusing to do the wrong things. It is also a matter of doing the right things. That is what God wants. That is what it means to be His friend.

A true friend of Jesus obey Him because they want to. Obedience comes as a desire and not a duty if we really have a friendship with Jesus. We don't say, "Read the Bible or Pray”. When Jesus is your friend, you look forward to Bible study. You look forward to prayer. You look forward to your time with Him.

Certainly our Lord had a lot of fair-weather friends when He walked this earth. Jesus was popular when He was handing out free lunch. When He fed the 5,000, He was the most popular in town. But when He started challenging that fickle crowd and telling them they needed to love Him and obey Him and do what was right, many of them turned away. They were fair-weather friends. Are you?

Prayer: I need you Holy Spirit by my side as my guide and Friend

Further Reading: John 15:9-17

Read through the Bible: II Chronicles 22 & Matthew 25