In the second chapter of James’ epistle, we will have our opening text for our study today: “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” James 2:23.

What was Abraham called? The friend of God. Notice it doesn’t say that God was Abraham’s Friend. Doubtless, He was. But this says that Abraham was God’s friend. What a title – the friend of God! If I should tell you today that I was the friend of the governor of the state, you would say, “Well, I wonder how that came about.” You would say, “My, must be somebody special.”

Abraham was whose friend? God’s friend: Let’s see who called him that. Let’s turn over to the book of Isaiah, and see if we can find where James got that idea that Abraham was called the friend of God, because James is drawing on the Old Testament scripture, Isaiah 41:8; and we will see who it is that calls Abraham the friend of God. Here God is addressing His people, Israel, and He says: “But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend” Isaiah 41:8.

Who called Abraham God’s friend? God did. Do you think God knows who His friends are? Yes. And God, looking down at this world says, “There is My friend.” Wouldn’t you like to have that experience and that title, to have Jesus call you His friend? Well, I have good news for you: Turn to John 15:15: “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” John 15:15.

You know it is a wonderful thing to be a servant of Jesus. Paul uses that title often – Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. But here the Saviour longs to lift our thinking above that relationship. He is talking to us about something far more wonderful than being servants. He says, “I am not calling you servants. I am calling you friends.”

A servant does not know what his master does. He just does what he is told. And it is a good thing to do what our Lord says, isn’t it? Yes. We all should be good servants. Good soldiers, go where He sends us and do what He tells us. But He says, “You are a lot more than servants. You are My friends. If you were servants, you might do what I told you, but you wouldn’t understand. But, oh, I want to share with you all that My Father has shared with Me.” “All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you” John 15:15.

In a previous study, we discussed that there is something in our human hearts that long for us to be needed; we long to fill a place of real need in somebody’s life. That is what we are to God. But today, I would like to have you think of something else that is very human, very natural. And we may not always like to admit it, but then we had just as well, because it is a fact. We like to be on the inside track. We like to be in the inner circle. We like to hear things that are going on, and we like to hear them before everybody else does. Don’t we?

As I say, we might not like to admit it. We might think there is something wrong about it. You know most things that are wrong, friends, are just a selfish perversion of something that is right. Did you know that? There is nothing wrong with wanting to be on the inside track. God made us that way. But friends, what a pity to take that wonderful longing He has put into our hearts, and get bothered because it isn’t satisfied by some other poor human being. That is not the thing that is going to satisfy us. The thing that is going to satisfy us is to be on the inside track with God – to be close with Him.

Don’t you know it made Abraham happy to be the friend of God? Why, just think of that day when God the Son, Jesus Christ, with two angels, visited Abraham, had a meal with him. Abraham did not know who he was entertaining, did He? But before they left, he found out. And do you remember what Christ said to Abraham, as He introduced the subject? “Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do?” Genesis 18:17.

And God talked things over with Abraham. What was it He came to talk with him about? Find out in our next study.