The Ultimate Friend - Greg Laurie Devotion - December 9, 2022
Friday, December 9, 2022
The Ultimate Friend
“Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.” (2 Corinthians 5:14 NLT)
When I go Christmas shopping for my wife, I don’t do it out of a sense of obligation. I enjoy it. I don’t do it because I’m afraid of how she will respond if I don’t get her a gift. I’m not motivated by fear; I’m motivated by love.
When you love someone, you naturally want to do things that you know will please them. The same is true of our relationship with Christ. True friends of Jesus obey Him because they want to, because they love Him.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life” (2 Corinthians 5:14 NLT).
When we love the Lord, it is our delight, our privilege, to do what He commands.
People are bound to disappoint us, to let us down. But we have a friend to whom we can tell our secrets because He will never betray our confidence. We have a friend who will also share His secrets with us. We have the ultimate friend in Jesus Christ.
Not only does Jesus want to be our Savior and Lord, but He also wants to be our friend.
If you are not the friend of God, then you are His enemy. The Bible says that if you love the ways of the world, then you’re God’s enemy. In fact, Jesus said, “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me” (Matthew 12:30 NLT).
Maybe you’ve never known how it’s like to have a living, daily, continuous relationship—even friendship—with Jesus Christ. Maybe you hadn’t realized that such a thing was even possible.
Jesus is a friend who will stand by you no matter what. And He’s willing to come into your life, forgive your sins, and extend His friendship to you. But you must respond.
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Relationships can be one of life’s greatest blessings. They can also be one of life’s greatest challenges. In his new book Am I Doing This Right?, Pastor Greg Laurie explores what the Bible says about singleness, dating, marriage, friendships, family, and even how we relate to people who don’t share our faith. Drawing from Scripture and personal experience, Greg offers practical guidance for building relationships that honor God and stand the test of time.
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