It is one thing to know about the Holy Spirit, and something far greater to be His friend. You can know about someone without ever really getting close to them. God wants us to be near to Him, for it is there that we will truly become His friend.
If you can believe, it means everything. “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God.” (James 2:23 NKJV).
When the Lord is our friend, we will walk with Him wherever He goes. We will be by His side and trust Him with all of our deepest secrets and fears. We will let down our guard and walk humbly with Him, just as Enoch did ages ago.
It doesn’t matter how long you have walked with the Lord, but how close you are. “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24 NKJV).
The Father revealed Himself as a friend to Moses because Moses was His friend. We must come before the Lord in awe and reverential fear, but He wants us to be so sure of our salvation that we come to Him as a friend.
You can always tell a man who is close to God. The things of the world just do not matter to him very much anymore. “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…” (Exodus 33:11 NKJV).
Jesus is our Lord, but in His humble words, He also called us to be His friends. This is an escalation in a relationship, when you start out just getting to know someone, and later you establish something closer, a deeper friendship.
If you want to have a friend, then be a friend. The same is true with Jesus. If you want Him to be a friend to you, then be a friend to Him. Jesus said, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15 NKJV).
Consider the people you know in your life. There are many people you know that you don’t consider to be close friends. You will not entrust them with the intimate details of your life like you would with your closest and most trusted friend.
You’re better off being known well by a few than being well-known to many. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17 NKJV).
Too often, we have had broken friendships in our lives, which has made us guarded in all our relationships. While having some guardrails in place with people may be wise, you must break past your fears, knowing the Lord would never leave you.
Who you walk with reflects who you are. “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3 NKJV).
If on this planet earth you have even one close friend, you are blessed. We know the depth of a friendship by how deeply we can trust them with our deepest thoughts and feelings. If you want to find a friend like this, be a friend like this.
If you can’t speak a hard word to your friend, then you are not the type of friend they need. “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance [the attitude or presence] of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17 NKJV).
The Father has many friends, and we see glimpses in the Word of a few of them. The Lord Jesus called us to be His friends, and it is up to us to accept that privilege. Similarly, the Holy Spirit was meant to be our closest friend, so close that He lives within us.
The natural life is lived by your power, whereas the spiritual life is lived by the power of the Holy Spirit inside you. “But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]…” (Romans 8:9 AMPC).
When you are friends with the Holy Spirit, you will have a relationship with Him such that you will trust Him in the deepest recesses of your heart. You will trust Him in how He leads you, even if His leading doesn’t make sense to you.
When you’re Spirit-led, you’ll never go the wrong way. “You will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way. Follow it, whether it turns to the right or to the left’” (Isaiah 30:21 GW).
Being friends with the Holy Spirit means you can always count on Him for help. The Lord Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would be with us forever, and you can be sure the Holy Spirit never takes a day off.
Apart from the Holy Spirit, you’re on your own. Jesus promised, “I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the [Holy] Spirit of Truth…” (John 14:16 MSG).
There is not one thing in your life that the Holy Spirit cannot help you to do or to abstain from, so let Him be that close friend to you. As you walk with Him and get to know Him, you will then start to be a friend to Him.
The Holy Spirit can only teach you when He is in you to help you learn. Jesus taught, “But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things…” (John 14:26 NIRV).
In our lives, we will likely only have one or two close friends. Make it your desire and your commitment to have the Holy Spirit as your closest friend. Talk to Him and walk with Him and let Him in on all your deepest thoughts, fears, and aspirations.
It’s not enough to be changed by the Holy Spirit, but you must remain there. “If we are living now by the Holy Spirit’s power, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:25 TLB).
Choose your friends wisely. Live your life such that you can be a friend of the Holy Spirit. To be a friend of the Holy Spirit, you cannot be a friend of this world. If the Holy Spirit is your friend, then He will help you. Let Him help you.
If you want Him to be a friend to you, then be a friend to Him. Every compromise with the world further separates you from God. “…if your aim is to enjoy the evil pleasure of the unsaved world, you cannot also be a friend of God” (James 4:4 TLB).
Blessings to you always,
Paul Balius