God is my friend and the way I get to know my friend better is to read the Bible.
The Bible is the word of the Lord, or words from the mind of God. God already knows my words because He can read my mind. But because I believe the Bible is the word of the Lord, I can read the mind of God by reading the Bible.
In like manner, for you to know me better, then you must know the words of my mind; but if I do not tell you the words of my mind, then you will not know me better today than you knew me yesterday.
On the other hand, if I want to know you better, then I must know the words of your mind; but if you do not desire for me to know you better, you will keep your words to yourself and I will not know you any better today than I knew you yesterday.
If you say I am your friend, but if you do not want to know more about me today than yesterday, do you think you will know me better in the future?
Not likely. Even though you will see me from time to time and for years to come, the only thing that will change about me will be my age, the clothes I wear, and my possessions; but to you, I am the same me you have known for a long, long time. Even though you have had no interest in knowing me better for years, will you still say I am your friend? You could say that, too, but because all you have ever known about me is my appearance in front of your eyes, and that, to be honest, is all you have ever wanted to know. When I leave your presence, however, you will not miss me because I was never a friend; instead of being a friend, I am only a familiar acquaintance. You can continue to say that I am your friend, however, but I will say you were never my friend because you never knew me better because you never wanted to know me better.
This is perhaps how most people gauge friendships: from what they can see in front of their eyes---and not from what they can know from a person's heart.
To say that God is my friend, if I ignore the Bible, however, I am also ignoring my friend.
Jesus said,
"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you...." (John 15: 14-16)
So you can see that Jesus is also my friend, and I can know my friend better by reading words from His mind in the Bible. But if I choose not to read about Him in the Bible, then I have also chosen to ignore my friend.
In like manner, if you say I am your friend, yet you have chosen not to know me better after years of knowing me, then you have chosen to ignore me even when I am in your presence.
God does not ignore me. Christ does not ignore me. Because I have faith in the Bible, my faith is therefore in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
There is no friendship greater than the friendship of people with God, Creator of the universe!
The Bible is the word of the Lord, or words from the mind of God. God already knows my words because He can read my mind. But because I believe the Bible is the word of the Lord, I can read the mind of God by reading the Bible.
In like manner, for you to know me better, then you must know the words of my mind; but if I do not tell you the words of my mind, then you will not know me better today than you knew me yesterday.
On the other hand, if I want to know you better, then I must know the words of your mind; but if you do not desire for me to know you better, you will keep your words to yourself and I will not know you any better today than I knew you yesterday.
If you say I am your friend, but if you do not want to know more about me today than yesterday, do you think you will know me better in the future?
Not likely. Even though you will see me from time to time and for years to come, the only thing that will change about me will be my age, the clothes I wear, and my possessions; but to you, I am the same me you have known for a long, long time. Even though you have had no interest in knowing me better for years, will you still say I am your friend? You could say that, too, but because all you have ever known about me is my appearance in front of your eyes, and that, to be honest, is all you have ever wanted to know. When I leave your presence, however, you will not miss me because I was never a friend; instead of being a friend, I am only a familiar acquaintance. You can continue to say that I am your friend, however, but I will say you were never my friend because you never knew me better because you never wanted to know me better.
This is perhaps how most people gauge friendships: from what they can see in front of their eyes---and not from what they can know from a person's heart.
To say that God is my friend, if I ignore the Bible, however, I am also ignoring my friend.
Jesus said,
"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you...." (John 15: 14-16)
So you can see that Jesus is also my friend, and I can know my friend better by reading words from His mind in the Bible. But if I choose not to read about Him in the Bible, then I have also chosen to ignore my friend.
In like manner, if you say I am your friend, yet you have chosen not to know me better after years of knowing me, then you have chosen to ignore me even when I am in your presence.
God does not ignore me. Christ does not ignore me. Because I have faith in the Bible, my faith is therefore in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
There is no friendship greater than the friendship of people with God, Creator of the universe!
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