Continued from Part 2 ...
So, why can't I apply this principle to my friendship with God. The reason is that in this case God has the authority and it would be up to Him to relinquish that. I studied scripture and came to the following sobering thoughts:
1. God gave up all his authority (dominion) over the earth, in order to be friends with Adam and Eve, regardless of whether they would trade it for an apple or use it wisely.
2. Scripture says:
Exo 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his 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.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
3. I cannot recall of any instance in which God used His authority or coerced me into doing something, or prevailed on me, or influenced my thoughts unilaterally in my relationship with Him ... Yes ... He was all along prepared to give off all authority, if I was prepared to become His friend; why did I never realise this?
4. When He wanted to come to Earth to save mankind, He did not once use His authority to let us know that He was the Creator of Heaven and Earth - He preferred a manger as His mansion.
5. If God wanted a friend without a free will - one he had authority over - he could have created humans without free will, but He did not. He gave us free will because He wanted us to be His friends. In fact, he went so far as to make us in His image to be ON PAR with Him. Well ... that is laying down authority big time. If you doubt what I say, read:
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Obviously he cannot give us the whole tooty and put us in the shoes of one of His Arch Angels, Lucifer, who tried to become higher than God - we will not start that over again:
Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! v:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: v:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
So, today I have this best friend, who has never failed me, and whom I may at times argue with, or tell Him I am unhappy with what he is doing. And I am free to do something for Him as well, and listen to Him when He is unhappy with me - an occurrence which He often has reason to do - but He does it quietly and diplomatically and lovingly and earnestly - like a very good friend should.
I can appreciate a true friend and so can you - and this inspired me to start the internet ministry called 'What a Friend', which you can visit here:
Nowadays I publish all my articles on this blog, as it has become more and more difficult for me to understand the difference between religious and secular - two words fabricated by mankind and which carries no meaning. It is like dividing the numbers between integers and rational numbers, in which we are the limited integers with infinite rational numbers between them, because we only know partly.
I must close this part with the words of that beautiful song my grandmother taught me, so that it can infiltrate and saturate my whole body, mind and soul: (it is best if you listen to the version which is being sung by Larry Ford)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm3mKa2buhgThe end
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