Are you an enemy of God or a
friend of God?
By Nick Bibile
Joh
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
In these three verses Jesus our Lord repeated the word friends three times. Verse one He laid down his life for friends, as he loved them. Verse two the disciples/believers are called friends. Verse four He makes the distinction between a servant and a friend.
How many of you have friends? We all have friends. For us to understand what Jesus is saying here we need to first understand the opposite word of friend. What is the opposite word of friend? Enemy.
Is Jesus calling all the people his friends? I would like you to read the scriptures carefully and answer only what the scripture say, not your opinion or the most popular opinion. First of all in verse one says he loved the believers that he laid down his life for friends. In verse second says a you are my friends as you do whatever I command you. Now tell me is Jesus calling all the people his friends? Yes or No. In short Jesus is telling if you are not doing what I command you, then you are not my friend. The opposite of friend is enemy. If you are disobedient to Christs words his commandments then you are his enemy. You may say, I am not but he says you are, what counts is not what you say but what he says.
Have you ever been Gods enemy? Who is an enemy of God? We saw in scripture John 15:14 people who are not obedient to God. Now let me narrow down the question, have you ever been disobedient to God? Yes, all of us. We were all born sinners. We all had the fallen nature of Adam. Sinners are who violate Gods commandments.
1Jo 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Ps 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Since birth we were enemies of God. Then how did believers become a friend of God?
Ro 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Here the word of God says, Christ died for the sinners and sinners were not friends but enemies of God. How many of you had a friend and there was a time that friend turned out to be your enemy? What makes a friend to an enemy? Because you got hurt of something that he or she did. He or she offended you. What does your enemy deserve? Punishment.
Adam represented the entire human race. He was our fountainhead. Adam was made holy and righteous without sin and there was a face-to-face fellowship with God, he was Gods friend. But when Adam sinned we all sinned with Adam. He was our fountainhead and if the fountainhead is polluted then all the water that flows from it is polluted.
Ro 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
Now my friend we have offended God by sin, we were born sinners and we have violated his commandments by thought, by words and by action. Then what do we deserve from God? Punishment.
Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of
these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
Re 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Have you heard the word salvation? What is the meaning of salvation? To be saved from danger. What is the danger? The wrath of God. We are saved from whom? From Gods wrath. To whom are we saved? To God.
Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
We were enemies of God and we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. Do friends need to be reconciled? No only enemies need to be reconciled. God was our enemy and we were at enmity with God.
Ro 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Jesus came as the mediator in between God and Man who are enemies and Jesus died for sinners, for the enemies of God.
Ro 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
The most richest man in the world is Bill Gates and the powerful man is the President of the U. S. Do you know either of them? You may say, yes Bill Gates is the one who owns Microsoft and the President of the U.S we hear him and see him on T.V. But are they friends with you? Friend is a person that you know and talk.
Ex 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.
A friend is a person who will help you in trouble. Next time when you need some money to pay bills that you owe, can you tell Bill, I need some help, you are my friend can you help me? Certainly no. Next time when you are going through a difficult time, will the president of the U.S calls you and tell I heard what you are going through, I will come to your home and help you out? Certainly no.
Anyway who is Bill Gates and the president compared to Jesus Christ? They are mortal men like you and me; they too can get into trouble. Just imagine When Jesus says, you are my friend. The God almighty, who created the universe and the earth, the majestic powerful Almighty God tells you I am your friend. Wow! Jesus is the true friend, as he will never let you down, he gave his life for you.
Christ the Creator, the Almighty Majestic God who is exalted in heaven became the Savior by leaving his majestic throne of heaven and clothed human flesh. He came to die, to give his life as a ransom for his sheep. He died for us; he laid his life for his friends.
If you are not sinful then you dont need a Savior. If you think that you are really sinful, your heart is deceitful and you are helpless then you need a Savior and Christ is the Savior.
If you truly believe that you are a sinner, you deserve Gods wrath and you asked God to forgive your sins in repentance now you want to forget the past and follow Gods way, then Christ died for you. You were an enemy of God now Christ will forgive you and say I died for you my friend.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay
down his life for his friends.
We cannot measure the depths of suffering or its heights of agony? His body stripped naked and exposed beaten for our sins. If you believe and repent of your sins, oh! How much Christ loves you!
Repentance is hating what you once loved, and loving what you once hated. Christ made you from an enemy to a friend.
Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Friendship is a two-way communication. We saw how Jesus can be your friend when he laid down his life. You will say, yes I know Jesus. Other side of the coin is does Jesus know you?
Mt 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the
word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me
Jesus came to reveal the will of God to us. We did not know who God was.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Remember the word reconciliation, we were enemies before and how did Jesus reconcile an enemy to God? He showed us who God is in the Bible
We were enemies before now we are friends.
1Jo 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Now if you say, I know what you are saying but I can never give up the things that I love in this world. I do not want to be led by the Spirit of God but by my flesh. If my flesh cries out, go and party tonight, I need to go. If my flesh cries out, for all the beauty and the glamour of the world, I got to give. You may say, I have to feed my flesh.
When I was not a Christian I loved the world and not Christ.
Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
You cannot have both ways, you cannot have the world and at the same time to be a Christian. You need to deny one and follow the other.
1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
We are living in a sinful world, it is a fallen world, it is ruled by Satan, he is called the prince and the power of the air.
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Mt 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Yes, you cannot serve two masters, either you serve Christ Jesus or the devil. The devil will tempt you to serve him in sin. If you do serve him then as apostle James said God is not your friend but your enemy.
Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
If you have an enemy who is powerless it may not bother you. But imagine the Creator God being your enemy! The one who holds the universe being your enemy!
Either you are a friend of the true living God or his enemy. Life is short. Anytime it can end.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Life is short.
Moses said in Ps 90:5 that life is like a sleep. It is so short compared to eternity.
Ps 90:8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. (Like a sigh)
Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Job 14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.
Ec 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
If you decide to live the way you want, rejecting Gods way and suddenly you die and you face God as your enemy? There is no time to repent then. Repentance is before the grave not after the grave.
Read Revelation 20:12 to chapter 21:1-8