Genesis 15:1

“After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

James 2:22. Abraham known as the friend of God..

James 2:23 “and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness” and he was called the friend of God.”

All of Abraham’s ways in his life are ordained by God. God is sovereign and sets out our pathway as we walk on into eternity. Abraham believed God, since he was a chosen child of God and heir to the promises of God. Abraham was called “the friend of God.” What a privilege and what a life he led, upheld by the living God. Is any child of God the less?

God’s friendship with Abraham was anchored in His grace. God loved Abraham and highly favoured him in every way. God drew Abraham close and kept him close in godly and in holiness of communion. God marked his life as precious and imputed deep spiritual blessings on His friend. God counted Abraham’s friend and enemies, His also.

Abraham loved God in return. He believed His Word and trusted in God always. He cheerfully obeyed, even to the sacrifice of his own dear son. We see in Abraham the mirror image of the holy, all-knowing and living God. Abraham believed that God would keep His Word, even if he did not understand how. This is the faith that made him the “friend of God.”

This faith made Abraham righteous. The faith was given by God and the righteousness comes from that faith. These two also go hand-in-hand. There is no faith without the imputed righteousness of God, bought for us by the death of Christ, God’s Son at Calvary.

There is certainly no righteousness in any human soul, without the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.