The Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. -James 2:23

What a great verse! Abraham was called a friend of God. But before he was called a friend of God, he first needed to have righteousness credited to himself through belief. Say what Pastor?
Stay with me. You see, there was a time before Abraham in which mankind was friends with God. It was a time in which man, namely Adam, walked with God in the garden. And then Adam
rebelled against God by breaking His command, and he was separated from God (as we all are because of our own sin). Adam was no longer a friend of God, but an enemy. Then God did something amazing. The Apostle Paul used a word that is important: reconciled. R.T. Kendall
says that to reconciled means “to restore friendship between people after an estrangement or quarrel.” Paul said in Romans 5:10, “when we were God’s enemies we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son.” Imagine this for a moment. We became God’s enemies because we sinned. We chose to disregard His commands. But God… yes, BUT GOD, has taken the initiative to restore that relationship. He so loved the world while we were still sinners, and He sent His Son Jesus Christ, to earth, and to the cross where He would die in our place so that we could be reconciled to God. Paul also said in 2 Corinthians 5:19 “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.” Did you hear that? When Jesus died on the cross, it was through that death on the cross that God would not count men’s sins against them, all so that we—you and me—could be reconciled to God—made friends with God.

Wow! That should be a humbling thought for you and me. God initiated the work (sending His Son) . God gave His own Son as a sacrifice (on the cross). And He did it so that we could be His friends again (reconciled).

This Easter, like right now, I want to offer you three ways that the Holy Spirit would apply this to your life and mine today. First, if you have never believed in Jesus as Abraham did, today you can be called a friend of God rather than an enemy. Trust in Jesus Christ to bring you
forgiveness and redemption (Colossians 1:14). He died for you and in your place! To God be the glory! Second, if you are a friend of God because you have trusted Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, this Easter fix your gaze on Christ and the cross. Be the most thankful
person in the room because God initiated the healing of your friendship. What a friend! And third, 2 Corinthians 5:18 says that He reconciled us to Himself and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation. In other words, we get the pleasure of introducing others to Jesus Christ. This is the ministry he has given to us until He calls us home.

This Easter, give thanks that you are a friend of God because of Jesus’ death on the cross. And this Easter let me ask you: who will you invite to church on Easter Sunday? The Lord has put someone in your life whom He wants you to invite to church. Join me in praying and asking God to show us who He wants us to invite so we can serve as ministers of reconciliation.