Jesus Will Never Unfriend You
The primary purpose of the Law is to show us our sin and God’s hatred of it. The Law exposes our failure, and it diagnoses our disease. It reveals God’s perfect will and our inability to keep it.
The Law is good, but it is ruthless. It demands everything but gives nothing. The Law cannot produce in us what it requires of us.
The Gospel, on the other hand, demands nothing but gives everything. It is the Good News that everything the Law requires of us is freely-given to us in Jesus.
Jesus is the Friend of Sinners
In the Gospels, we learn that Jesus is a “friend of sinners” (Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:34). In fact, it was for sinners that He came (Mark 2:17 and Luke 5:32). If you don’t see yourself as a great sinner, you have no need for a great Savior.
“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (1 Tim 1:15)
The word “friend” has become watered down in our culture. In fact, “friend” hardly has any meaning anymore. You can “friend” or be “friended” on Facebook quite easily.
Last night someone “friended” me and we had virtually no connection. But now, because of just two mouse clicks, we’re “friends.” Although I’m not opposed to this at all, it does illustrate a very diluted definition of “friend.”
With Jesus, it’s different.
The only thing we contribute to our friendship and salvation with Jesus is the sin that makes it necessary.
Friendship with Jesus means He takes from you everything that is bad about you and makes it His identity.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21)
And friendship with Jesus means He gives to you everything that is good about Himself and makes it your identity.
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness…” (Is 61:10)
Now, THAT is a good friend.
You can unfriend Him, but He will never unfriend you.
