Greatest Friend - Part 4

Gone are the days of hero dogs like Lassie and Rin-Tin-Tin.  They seemed the perfect pets: friend, companion, and savior – all rolled into one!   

Who are God’s enemies?  We don’t care to admit it but WE are natural enemies of God.  James writes “whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (4:4)  There’s no denying our instinctive choice of friends!  Paul writes, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly … For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled to God by the death of his Son …”  (Romans 5:6, 10)   Why, even Lassie and Rin-Tin-Tin unleashed wrath on their enemies!  Not so, however, with Greatest Friend: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  We know The One who willingly laid it all aside, enduring ghastly suffering to make His enemies … His friends.  Wow! He recognized His enemies and saw the potential for friendship!  Jesus Christ defined friendship: “God shows his love for us in that while were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)   Casting Crowns sings it like this: “Not because of who I am - But because of what you’ve done - Not because of what I’ve done -  But because of who you are.”  Hallelujah, O what a Friend! Greatest Friend!