The Sinner's Friend
Among the names in the scriptures used to describe
the characteristics,
qualities, and work of God is the name, "Friend."
Jesus is called the
sinner's friend: "The Son of man came eating and
drinking, and they say,
Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine bibber, a friend
of publicans and
sinners" (Matt. 11:19). Truly, Jesus is that friend
of sinners. To
those who feel themselves to be just and upright in
themselves this may
be viewed derisively, but to us who feel the burden
and weight of our
own sinfulness and sinful nature, this is wonderful
news!
According to Prov.
18:24, "A man that hath friends must shew himself
friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer
than a brother."
While this verse has practical application to each
of us and we all
should learn its lessons, there is a very real sense
to the children of
God that Jesus is that "friend that sticketh closer
than a brother."
Many may have brothers
and even friends who prove to be a big help in
bearing some of the burdens and problems of life,
but to the heart felt
sinner, Jesus is the only one who paid it all to
redeem him from his
sins and then sent forth his spirit into the
sinner's heart that he
might cry "Abba Father." In addition, Jesus is there
in the midst of
all our trials and troubles of life, having promised
to never leave us
nor forsake us. As it is said in Job 5:19, "He shall
deliver thee in
six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil
touch thee."
Furthermore, as our
friend, he listens to us as we read in Ps. 34:15,
"The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and
his ears are open unto
their cry," and in 1 Pet. 3:12, "For the eyes of the
Lord are over the
righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:
but the face of the
Lord is against them that do evil."
Jesus, as our friend,
has borne the burdens we could not bear:
1. Matt. 8:17 "That it might be fulfilled...Himself
took our
infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
2. Is. 53:4, 5 "Surely
he hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon
him: and with his
stripes we are healed."
3. Heb. 9:28 "So
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of
many..."
4. 1 Pet. 2:24 "Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on
the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should live
unto righteousness: by
whose stripes ye were healed."
According to Prov.
17:17, "A friend loveth at all times and a brother
is born for adversity." Jesus is the dearest friend
that a sinner has
for he truly loves us at all times. That is not to
say that he always
loves our actions, but his love for us never wanes.
We read in Jer.
31:3 where God said, "I have loved thee with an
everlasting love:
therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee."
According to Rom.
8:38 nothing shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In John 15:13 we read,
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man
lay down his life for his friends." Again, while
this verse has
practical application and instruction to each of us,
yet, Jesus is the
perfect friend who has perfectly fulfilled the above
verse. He laid
down his life, both in life and death, for us that
we be delivered from
the bondage of sin, and that we may know how to live
our lives to the
fulness of joy, peace, and love in this time world,
and that we may live
with him in glory.
John 15:15 states,
"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 the Father I have made
known unto you." A
friend confides with his friends. Jesus as the
sinner's friend, has
confided with us. He has given us the word of God
that we may know what
he has done and will yet do for us.
Knowing that we have
such a great friend as Jesus we thus desire to be
his friend. As Abraham was called, "the Friend of
God" in James 2:23,
it should be our desire as well that we be
considered to be the Friends
of God. Jesus said in John 15:14, "Ye are my
friends, if ye do
whatsoever I command you." To the extend that we
live obediently to the
commandments of God, we then become the Friends of
God.
May God help us to
remember our Friend, Jesus, and help us to live our
lives as the "Friends of God."
Elder Vernon Johnson
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