Why was Abraham called a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23)?

Very blessedly, in the years to come, God speaks through the prophet Isaiah of Abraham as "My friend" (Isa. 41:8). In this scene we see God treating Abraham as a friend. Truly, as it has often been said, to a servant we speak of things that concern his work, to a friend we speak of that which we may be about to do, though it may have no direct concern with our friend. Here then Abraham is treated as a friend, for God says, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?" The reason that God treats him as a friend is very blessed, for, the Lord says, "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." The one that the Lord treats as a friend is not only one that believes in the Lord, but also orders his household in the fear of the Lord.

And now he brings forward the case of Abraham, our father, to whose faith God Himself had borne witness. It is not, of course, in his purpose here to cite the Scripture which speaks thus simply as sufficient, however sufficient it was to that there was faith in Abraham. He does not say, as Paul does, that Abraham was justified by faith when "he believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Was that not true, then? It must certainly have been true, for the Scripture itself asserts it. But his point is that this faith, as to which God had pronounced, issued in works which justified Abraham as a believer — justified what was said by God, that "he believed God." Thus, he does not refer to what the fifteenth of Genesis brings before us, but takes us on to what came long years after in that magnificent display of faith on Abraham's part, when he offered Isaac his son, his only son, upon the altar, at the command of God. Plainly, that was a work that needed itself to be justified by the faith that was in it. It was a faith which this rendered indisputable. It was plain to see how faith wrought with his works in this case, and by works the faith was made perfect; that is, it came thoroughly to fruition. Paul's argument is as to the justification of the ungodly; James' is as to the justification of one already accepted as a believer. It is a justification which we have to pronounce. The Scripture was here fulfilled which saith, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." It was not merely now that Scripture spoke, but that Abraham's conduct spoke as to the truth of the Scripture. God had said that Abraham believed Him. His own conduct made it plain he did so. Thus he came into the blessed place of one whom God could call His friend; and thus "we see that a man is justified by works, and not by his faith only;" for if he had only his faith to speak of, no one could take account of it at all.

In Rahab the harlot we find even more conspicuously, in one way, the truth of this. She was but "Rahab the harlot." There were no good works, in the way men speak, that she could produce, surely, for her justification; but the works which justified her now were simply works that evidenced her faith, and which had all their value in it. She realized that the messengers were, as it were, the messengers of God. She saw and owned God in them. In that way she received them, although they had come to spy out the city in which she dwelt, that they might destroy it. Plainly, if it were not before God that she bowed in this, her works were not merely unprofitable, but only evil. The seeing God made the whole difference. It was God Himself who was pronouncing the judgment: how could she resist Him? Thus she had a faith which did not ennoble her: it was, as we know, accompanied, in fact, by deception, although such deception, no doubt, as men think all right in similar cases. But if the apostle were seeking moral works by which faith was to be enriched, works which had in themselves that natural excellence which men see in works of charity and such like, certainly he would not have taken up the poor harlot Rahab as an example of them. No, it is simply the evidence of faith that he is seeking, and that in order to show us that profession merely is nothing; there must be reality; and "as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." It is mere barren orthodoxy, as we are accustomed to say; and yet, with a Jew, how much his faith counted for! There was, and there is continually, the need of the warning; and the warning is simple enough if, instead of taking merely fragmentary expressions, we look at what is put before us here in its proper connection. He will not dishonor faith, as men so often dishonor it, by putting it as if it were something merely to stand side by side with works, so that one is to be estimated by the two together. No, says the apostle, the faith is that which produces the works, the life of them, and that which makes a man's works to be acceptable to God in order to be acceptable at all. Such is the character of the faith that saves, and that does not make it, then, the works that save, or that help to save. The works simply distinguish it from the mere barren profession, which, barren as it is, men will at all times seek to make something of.

As to Abraham, long before he offered Isaac, God counted his faith as righteousness. (Gen.l5:6) He was then justified before God by faith alone. But later, for every eye interested, he was justified by works, when he willingly offered Isaac, his beloved son. Only by real, active faith could he have done this; what he did added nothing to his it proved it. If God had not commanded this, the offering of his son would have been gross wickedness, but he trusted God's word, though it was contrary to every right natural feeling. Faith wrought with his works, and by his works faith was seen in mature fruition.

By means of this faith, we have fellowship with God, with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and He is not ashamed to call us His friends (John 15:15); as Abraham was called the friend of God. In business with the world, we say what has to be said of the matter in hand, as courteously as we can; but this said, there is an end of it. With a friend, we open our minds, we speak of things that have no connection with business, of all that is in our hearts. God was not talking with Abraham of the promises made to himself, when he was called the friend of God; but He was telling him all His intentions as to the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him." It is beautiful to see the intimacy of communion with God, when the walk is in faithfulness before Him. See Gen. 18:17-20.

Abraham continues the story of the Lamb in that great scene in which his faith was proved (Gen. 22). God says as it were, "I am going to bring into display the faith which I have long known to be in Abraham's heart. He has been justified before Me by faith, he shall now be justified by works which shall prove the reality of his faith in Me" (James 2:21). Surely never man was tested like Abraham: Job was tested with the loss of children, possessions and health, but Abraham's test was deeper. Job was required to submit to a loss; Abraham was required to make a sacrifice. One was passive submission, the other active obedience. And how great the demand: "Take now thy son"; and yet deeper the sword pierces his soul, for it must be "thine only son"; and deeper still, for it must be "Isaac," the one on whom all the promises depend; and yet deepest of all, for it must be one "whom thou lovest."

The other example, that of Abraham, is equally remarkable. He had years before been justified by faith. God did not need any works on Abraham's part to manifest to Him his faith. He who reads the heart knew well the moment that Abraham had taken Him at His word. Abraham knew that he believed in the Lord, but he was called to make proof of it. And so the one who is conspicuous for justification by faith, and as such is the father of all them that believe (Rom. 4:11), is equally conspicuous for justification by works. God thus, at the outset of this teaching, intimates that the two are inseparably connected; and this must be insisted on, whilst care is taken to observe, and to point out their order. Justification by faith precedes justification by works. So Abraham was justified by faith in Gen. 15; he was justified by works, as James points out, in Gen. 22 "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" or perfected. "And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God" (James 2:21-23). Was he, then, justified twice over, first by faith, and then by works? No he was justified by faith in Gen. 15, and the Scripture which had declared that was fulfilled. It was seen to be true in Gen. 22. The surrender of his son to death evidenced how real was his faith.

This trial of Abraham was for the perfecting of his faith (James 2:21-23). It proved that there was in him something strong enough to overrule entirely his nature, to set it willingly at nought for God. This act of Abraham's obedience was an exemplification in power, by the grace of God, of the righteousness which had already been imputed to him for the faith which he had before the seed was born (Gen. 15). It was a work of righteousness that Abraham should thus obey implicitly the voice of God. His natural will was in strongest opposition to the will of God. But the energy of faith is always shown in contradicting and disallowing our wills, that His alone may stand. Nothing was more equitable than that God should rule. Yet His commandments are both grievous and impossible to that which seeks its own. Faith only can perform them. For faith, which comes from God, acquaints the heart wherein it dwells, with God, both in His goodness and His truth. He is eternally a BLESSER in the eyes of the believer. But the knowledge of His goodness turns the heart to love. Faith works thus always. And God knows well the secret of the heart that trusts Him. He called the patriarch His friend, because he kept not from him this his dearest good. Such is His manner still. He gives to those whom grace has changed from enemies to friends like opportunity to testify their love (John 15:14).

Another instance of the intimacy into which faith brings the believer, is, that God reveals to Abraham the imminent doom of the cities of the plain. Already he has had a glimpse of the oppression of his descendants in Egypt. Now the judgment upon guilty Sodom is told him. And here it is not Abraham asking, for he was not aware that judgment was so near, but God telling without his asking. So near was Abraham to God, that He will not even judge the guilty cities before He tells Abraham. Here is seen not so much his faith in God, as God's friendship with Abraham. He is called the friend of God: can there be a greater proof, a more astonishing instance, than when God says, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?" etc. God is not only Abraham's friend, but Abraham is God's friend, and, as such, God will not hide "that thing" from him. Moreover God has confidence in him; "For I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah to do justice and judgment; that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him." (Gen. 18:17-19.) Here is the fruit of faith in man, and of grace from God. On Abraham's side, faithfulness; on God's side, confidence in His faithful servant. Could legal obedience produce this? Nay, nothing but faith — God's gift — His wise means of bringing us into the highest possible place of communion, and of being His delight.

The Apostle first refers to Abraham and shows that he was “justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar.” By this work he proved that he had such absolute faith in God that he believed God could act in a way contrary to anything ever experienced in the history of man.

(V. 22). Here, then, we see not only works but that “faith wrought with his works.” It is evident, then, that while the Apostle speaks of works proving our faith, he refers, not simply to good works such as kindly nature can produce, but only such works as faith can produce. They are faith works; and by such works faith is made perfect. If, on the one hand, the Apostle insists upon works as the test of faith before men, on the other hand, he insists upon faith as the test of the works.

(V. 23). Thus, in a practical way, the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God.” He very blessedly proved his trust in God, with the result that God owned him and confided in him, calling him the “friend of God”.

Jehoshaphat reminds God of Abraham's devotedness. He says, Lord, you used to have a friend down here. We talk about God being our friend. Hallelujah for that! But Abraham was the friend of God. That is manifest, for nearly two hundred years after this, God, by the pen of His prophet, in an appeal to His people, endorses Jehoshaphat's statement, saying, "But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend" (Isa. 41:8). Thy friend says Jehoshaphat. Yes, "My friend! replies God. It was faith that secured Abraham this splendid title. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God" (James 2:21-23). No earthly title can eclipse that heavenly honour, "The Friend of God." Let us all go in for it. It is a great thing to be God's man, and God's friend, in a day of declension as this is.