Thou my best thought, by day or by night. Amen. Would you turn back to John chapter 15? I've entitled this message, Am I a Friend of Christ?

Am I a friend of Christ? If you're a believer, if I'm a believer, less than the least of all the saints, that's what Paul called himself. And it was not mock humility. He really believed that. Think of that. Paul believed himself to be less than the least of all the saints. Should you and I feel any differently?

If you're a believer, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, the Son of God, the Creator, the One who in the beginning was with God and WAS God, The one who is described as the brightness of his father's glory and the express image of his person. The image of the invisible God of whom it said all things were made by him and for him. And he is before. all things.

" Now you can't take that too far. Whatever it is, He's before it, He's the cause of it, His will is being done. By Him all things consist. He's the King of kings, He's the Lord of lords before whose feet angels who are greater in power and might than we are, they fall at His feet. Demons tremble in His presence.

The one that Isaiah described and he's speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ in Isaiah chapter 6 verse 1, in the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up. The Holy One of Israel, if I'm a believer, the Holy One of Israel counts me His friend. Is that incredible? This is true of every believer. He counts you. as his personal friend.

You'll remember that Abraham is called the friend of God. And the scripture says Moses spake with him face to face as a man speaketh with his friend. Am I a friend of Christ?

Now let me say some things about friends. What a blessing, one of the greatest blessings of life is to have a true friend. There are people that do not have any true friends. And what a discouragement that would be I also need to say this with regard to not having any friends. It's very sad if that describes me, if that describes you.

Proverbs 18, 24 says a man that hath friends must show himself friendly. It could be the reason you have no friends is you're not a friend. A man that would have friends must show himself friendly. Something that I read many years ago that has stuck with me. A man said, I've made more friends in two hours being interested in them than I've made in two years trying to get them to be interested in me. That's a key to friendship.

But what a blessing the true friend is, the friend that sticketh closer than a brother, which describes the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that brother born for adversity. You know, even in a marriage, the best marriages are where the man and the woman are best friends.

Friendship, a friend. knows you and He loves you. You don't need to be guarded and hold up your guard around a friend. You can be vulnerable around a friend with the confidence that He has your best interests at heart. You don't need to worry about Him taking what you say and using it against you.

Friends are honest with one another. Friends have each other's back. Friends respect one another and have earned one another's respect through that relationship. You know, any good relationship is founded in respect. I was just amazed at that scripture we just read. He hath respect unto the lowly. God hath respect. to the lowly.

Friends are loyal to one another, can confide in one another, and they are there to help in time of need. And life affords plenty of times of need. Friends want to be in each other's presence. They love to talk to one another. They feel comfortable around one another. They don't have to project an image. They don't feel threatened. They don't feel judged by one another. Friends want to please and not disappoint one another. Friends defend one another. All of this is included in this love the Lord talks about where to have one to another.

Now, go back to our text in John chapter 15, verse 12. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Well, how did he love us? Look in verse nine of the same chapter. As the father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Now, what all can be said about that? As the father has loved me, oh, I can only imagine the father's love for the son. And he said, the way the father has loved me, that's the way I've loved you. And that's the way you are to love one another.

Verse 13. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Why did the Lord lay down his life? Well, there are many reasons. The purpose of God, to satisfy the justice of God, to make the way for God to be just and justify the ungodly. and he laid down his life for his friends. Everybody he died for, he counts as his friend. No love greater than this, that a man laid down his life for his friends, and that's the love we're to have one to another.

Verse 14, you are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. Now, upon a cursory reading of that, we may, well, I'm not a very good friend then, if one at all, if we look at it in the light of our ability to keep His commandments, because the The fact of the matter is, if we talk about the Ten Commandments, we haven't kept one of them one time. And if someone says, well, I have. No, you haven't. If you think that about yourself, you're deceived. So what does the Lord mean when he says, you're my friends if you keep my commandment? Is that talking about some kind of performance base? You'll be my friends if you measure up and do this.

Turn with me to 1 John chapter 3. Hold your finger there and turn with me to 1 John chapter 3. Now this is what his friends do. And remember, he didn't say, if you know you ought to keep my commandments. Somebody says, well, I know I ought to keep his commandments. This is not enough. It means to actually keep his commandments. Not to know you ought to, but to keep them. Now look in 1 John. Chapter three, verse 23, this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He gave us commandment.

Now is that a commandment you keep? You believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. Now the name is the person behind the name. His name speaks of all of his attributes, all of his glorious characteristics, his holiness, his omnipotence, his absolute sovereignty, his justice, his love, his independence, all the attributes of God. Colossians 2, 9 says, in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Do you believe that? Do you? Are you relying on who he is as the only way you can be saved? You're relying on his attributes to save you. You're relying on his justice to save you. You're relying on his love to save you. You're relying on his grace to save you. You're relying on his power to save you, his wisdom. You're relying only on who he is and what he did. That's believing on his name. Do you believe on his name? I do. I keep that one. And I know it's only by His grace that I do that, but I'm keeping that commandment right now. I am relying on His name only as all that God requires of me. If there's anything else I need to come up with, I'm in trouble. I'm relying on His name only.

There's something else. Do you love Jesus Christ? I'm not asking you to audibly say it, but I'm saying that anybody who loves Jesus Christ, I love that person. I'm all for him. I mean, there's something about them that draws out my love. They love my master, my Lord. He that keeps my commandments, that is the one who is my friend. If I do not keep his commandments, I am not his friend.

Now look what he says in verse 15, John chapter 15, verse 15, henceforth, I call you not servants. For the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but I've called you friends for all things that I've heard of my father I've made known unto you."

Now this obviously does not mean we're no longer servants because we are. We're servants of the Lord, aren't we? We're his servants. We are, but we're more than servants. He says, I call you friends. Now, the master, Doesn't let the servant know why he's commanded to do this. He owes no explanation. Just do it. How come? Because I said it. That's the master. But the Lord says, I've not been that way with you. That's what a servant does. But I've made known to you that which is most precious to me.

Do you know if the Lord has revealed the gospel to you of how he saved sinners by his son. He has made known to you and brought you into the inner circle of his friendship and made known what is most precious to you. Now every one of us have been around people where you feel like they're holding you off. They've got their guard. up against you, they don't really desire an intimate relationship with you, and you understand that. I'm not saying you're even mad at them because of that, but you know what it is to be held off. The Lord doesn't do that with his friends. He makes known to them that which is most precious to himself. He confides in them. He's entrusted with them that which is most precious to himself. If you believe the gospel, Christ has entrusted to you that which is most precious to himself. He says, I've called you friends, all things that I've heard of my father, I have made known unto you, I've brought you into the inner circle. You're not on the outside, you're on the inside. And then he reminds us, you didn't choose me, I chose you. Not an acquaintance, not a colleague, not an associate. You are my friends. Friends of Jesus Christ. where he would save you, that is my friend.

Now the question obviously is how? How can one like him truly count one like me or you his friend? There must be some kind of fitness to be his friend. He's very selective of those who are his friends. He said, you've not chosen me, but I've chosen you. How can people like you and I be his friend and really be his friend? Well, the first reason is, listen very carefully, He's the friend of sinners. If you're not a sinner, you're not his friend. He does not desire friendship with you. He is the friend of sinners. His enemies derided him. with this accusation, he's the friend of publicans and sinners. He receives sinners and eats with them. He's the friend of sinners. Yes, he is. And if you're not a sinner, he's no friend of yours. But if you are a sinner, that's what I'm asking you. Are you a sinner? Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 1. 15. This ought to be everybody in here's favorite verse. If it's not, it ought to be. Christ Jesus came into the world to save who? Sinners. Do you fit that description? I'm not talking about the way you used to be. Boy, I used to be really bad. I'm talking about right now. Does this fit you right now? Well, if it does, he's your friend. And he counts you as his friend because he is the friend of sinners. If you're not a sinner, he desires no friendship with you. He's the friend. Oh, he's that friend that sticketh closer than a brother. He's the friend that loveth at all times and the friend that covers transgressions. He's the friend of sinners.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is essentially and fundamentally the sinner's religion. Aren't you thankful? He makes sinners and only sinners fit for friendship with Him. Now there's got to be something about somebody that makes you want to be their friend. I mean you don't have any friends that you don't want to be friends with. There's got to be some kind of fitness and this is what the Lord does with all of His people.

Turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. This is a familiar passage of scripture. Let's begin reading in verse 26, this description of his friends. For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not. Nothing. Take a box, the tempi, what's in it? Nothing. Nothing. To bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh should glory in His presence but, this is the but of grace, but God, but of Him Are you in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that according as it's written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Now here's the people he counts his friends. You see, you and I have to have a fitness for Him to be our friends. He makes us that way. It's nothing you have to come up with, but did you see what that, He's made unto us? God made Him this to us. Wisdom? God is not going, Jesus Christ is not going to be friends to somebody who's not a wise man. Why would He? Jesus Christ is made to every believer wisdom. The Lord Jesus Christ will embrace his wisdom. He's made to me wisdom. You're looking at a wise man. I'm looking at some wise men and women because Jesus Christ is your wisdom. Christ can have fellowship with you and count you his friend.

Christ's not gonna have a friend that's not perfectly righteous. He's not gonna do it. Well, I thought you said he was the friend of sinners. He is. But you know, it's only sinners who are made the righteousness of God in Christ. And every believer has absolute perfect righteousness. God looks at you as one who has never sinned because in the gospel, you've never committed a sin. You're justified before God. You have nothing to feel guilty about. You stand before God without guilt as one who has never sinned. Because the righteousness of Jesus Christ is your personal righteousness before God. Jesus Christ can embrace you as his best friend.

In order for him to be a friend to you, you're gonna have to be holy. And this is not something that can be produced by the flesh. Holiness. God's holy. God's other. He's other. He's not part of this created universe. He's other. Every believer is other in him. We're not of this world, are we? He's made into us. That word sanctification is holiness. He's made unto us holiness. As He is, so are we in this world. Is He holy? So are we.

For Him to embrace me, He's gonna have to redeem me from everything that would cause Him not to embrace me. He's made unto us redemption. And there is someone who is fit to be the friend of Jesus Christ. Wise, righteous, Holy and redeemed.

Turn to 1 John chapter 4. A couple of other scriptures I want you to see that are so real that I understand why Christ is my friend. I'm not name dropping. This is not me name dropping. Christ is my friend. Well, would he call me a friend? Yes, he would. This is true of every believer. This is not just talk.

Now here's why. First John chapter four. Here's another scripture that if it's not your favorite, it ought to be. First John chapter four, verse 17. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Do you hear that? Boldness. To stand before God in judgment. Boldness? How? Because as he is, so are we in this world.

Now, I want you to think of the relationship between the father and the son. Oh, he says, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well. pleased. Do you know he says the same thing about you? You think of the friendship that exists between the three persons of the Trinity. Oh, before time began, what fellowship they enjoyed with one another, how they delighted in one another. Well, the friendship between the father and the son. Yes, he's the son of the father, but they're friends. As he is the friend, so are we in this world.

You know, you think, how can he really count me as friend? Because as he is, so are we in this world right now. That's how he counts me his friend.

Turn to Colossians chapter two. Oh, but I'm lacking so much. Are you? Not really. Colossians chapter two, verse nine. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are complete." You do not lack anything in Him. Paul said to the church at Colossae, He hath made us meet, fit, right now, for the inheritance of the saints in light. Now, right now, while we're down here, there's a white-robed group in heaven crying, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, perfectly conformed to His image. Right now, you have all it takes to be there. Nothing to wait on. You have all that it takes.

you are my friends if you do whatsoever I command." You turn to Ephesians chapter 3 verse 12. In whom we, speaking of all of God's people, all of the elect, every believer without exception, in whom we have boldness and access into the very presence of God, into the Holy of Holies. We have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. Now do you hear what that says to you? You have access into the very throne room of God and have His ear and His heart. You have this with boldness and with confidence. Why? By the faith of Him. Not by your faith, by His faith. Do you have confidence in His faith? I'm not asking if you have confidence in your faith, you have confidence in His. Do you believe He can bring you into the very presence of God and you are His friend?

He is the friend that knows you and he knows everything about you and no other human being does. He knows everything about you and he loves you. There's nothing hid. He knows it all and he loves you. And you know him. You know him. Somebody says, I don't feel like I know him very well. I realize that everyone was knowing feel that way. But I tell you this, you know, and to this extent, you know, when somebody else is being preached that it's not him, you know, cause you know him like the thief did. If you've asked the thief, if he thought he knew him very well, he said, no, no, but he knew him. He knew he's the Lord. He knew that he must be successful. that he was gonna come back as a mighty reigning king. You know that too? You have the same knowledge as the thief. That's saving knowledge. You know him, he knows you, all together, and you know him.

Now in a true friendship, there's respect. You know a relationship that's not founded in respect is never any good. In a true friendship, You have two people who respect one another. Oh, I respect him. To this, in my heart right now, I'm just on my face at his feet in respect, reverence, and awe for his person. He respects me. unto Abel and his offering. The scripture says he had respect. Now you can't separate Abel and the offering, the Lord Jesus Christ, but because of what Christ has done for you, God has respect for you. And I'm so thankful for the reading of that Psalm 138. He hath respect unto the lowly. God has respect to the lowly.

Friends are honest with one another. He's the only one you can really bare your soul to. You can't really bare your soul completely to your spouse. You can bare your soul to him. You can be honest with him. And thank God he's honest with you. You can let your guard down around your friend because your friend has your best interests at heart. You don't feel judged by your friend. You don't feel threatened by your friend. What a glorious thing it is to be in his presence and not feel threatened and not feel judged because he sees you as altogether lovely. That's what the gospel does. And you don't set as a judge against your friend. You know, most people sit in such hearts of judgment of God. God is love. Why does he let this happen? Why did that happen? And what they're doing there, you got some sinful man sitting in judgment on God. Oh, that's so devilish. No, we trust his character. We know our friend. And even though things might not be as we thought they would, we trust his character. Whatsoever the Lord does is right, holy, just, and true. It's best, whatever it is, because we trust his character. We might not understand what he's doing. We might not ever understand what he's doing, but that's okay, isn't it? We trust his character.

Friends are loyal. He's loyal to you and you're loyal to him. Friends defend one another. He defends you and you speak in his defense in preaching the gospel, identifying with the gospel. That's defending him. Friends love to be with one another and to speak with one another. and confide in one another. That's what friends do. And you know, we love to speak to him. And he loves to speak with us. We love to be with him. He loves to be with us. We love to confide in him. And he has confided in us in making known to us all things. The father has spoken to him. Don't think I'm on the outside. No, you're on the inner circle. You are his friend.

Friends want to please one another and not disappoint one another. You feel that way about all your friends.

Now here is the church describing the Lord Jesus Christ in the Song of Solomon. Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16. This is my beloved and this is my friend. He's that friend that sticketh closer than a brother. A brother born for adversity, the friend that loveth at all times. He's your best friend. He is your best friend. The Son of God is your best friend. He knows you all together and loves you. And He has made you and counts you His friend. He's your Lord and Master. He's your Savior. He's your husband. And He is your friend. All that the Father made known to Him, He's made known to you. He's held nothing back. What a friend we have in Jesus.

Now, I pray that this will make us better friends to him. He can't be a better friend to us. But I hope this will make us better friends to each other too.

Some understanding of friendship. Now, am I, this is why I entitled this message, am I a friend of Christ? Two questions. so that you can answer whether or not you are a friend of Christ. Number one, are you a sinner? He's only friends to sinners. Are you a sinner? I'm not talking about an ex-sinner. I can't stand ex-sinners. I'm talking about right now.

Number two, do you Rely on His name as the only name that'll bring you into glory. I never will forget hearing this and it moved me so much. There was a man in the lunchroom at work and somebody was using the name of the Lord Jesus blasphemously and cursing and so on and he said, That name you're cursing is the only name that will ever keep you out of hell. You believe that? He's your friend.

Let's pray.