True Learning (3)

He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant. Psalm 25.13, 14

The principle objective of true learning
Jesus said that His followers were His friends (Jn. 15.14, 15). In the most general of terms, they who have truly begun to learn truth and to walk in the way God has prepared for them will think of themselves as friends of God. Friendship with the Lord involves continuous intimacy with Him, such that we know His presence, commune with Him constantly, and are sensitive to His prompts, impulses, and directives as they apply to the people and situations of our lives. The “secret” of the Lord, which is His Kingdom, is the possession of all His friends, and they seek and advance it as they walk in the way He has chosen for them.

The more we grow as followers of the Lord, the stronger our friendship with Him will become. And the stronger our friendship, the more the secrets of the Kingdom – its presence, promise, and power – will fill us and spill through us into our Personal Mission Fields.

Friendship with the Lord must be the principle objective to which we aspire as true learners. That friendship will pervade our preparations, characterize our conversations, adorn our demonstrations of God’s love, and make it so that we are able to wield the transforming power of the Lord in every area of our lives.

The friendship of the Lord comes to expression in our lives in three primary ways.

It is well with our souls
First, an overall sense of wellbeing pervades the souls of Jesus’ friends. We spend much time with Him, and we know His presence with us throughout the day. We keep short accounts with the Lord, confessing our sins and turning from them at once; resisting temptation; rejoicing in the midst of trials; and experiencing a deep-seated sense of peace and joy.

We look out on the world with the mind of Christ, relate to others with His heart of grace, and make seeking His Kingdom the defining priority of our lives. Thus our souls rest in the assurance of His presence, delight in the knowledge of His will, and grow strong through His Spirit in peace and joy.

The comfort we feel in our souls, the assurance of salvation that constantly protects us, the undercurrent of joy and peace that pervades our lives – these are the fruit of walking with our Friend and knowing His presence with us at all times.

Blessed and blessing
This is what it means to be blessed of the Lord, which is the first promise of our covenant relationship with Him (cf. Gen. 12.1-3). In such a relationship the Lord is able to make known to us His precious and very great promises (2 Pet. 1.4), so that we do not set our hope on the fleeting things and circumstances that others seek for their happiness. Our hope is in the Lord, and our desire is to know more of His promises, to be blessed by God so that we become a blessing in every way to others.

As we grow in friendship with the Lord, He shows us more of His covenant – His precious and very great promises, which are in Jesus. This is the second great privilege of those who enjoy His friendship, the ability to increase in blessedness and to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.

From within the friendship of God and His covenant, the friends of the Lord extend His friendship to others so that they – whether spouse, children, friends, associates at work, fellow church members, or total strangers – “inherit the earth,” the precious promises and blessings of the Lord, by virtue of their involvement with us.

But God is jealous for our friendship, and we must be jealous for His as well. We must remember what James said: We cannot be friends of the world and friends with God (Jms. 4.4). If, as we walk the path God has prepared for us, we want our heavenly Friend to be our constant companion, we must turn away from the temptations of the world and find all our satisfaction in Jesus Christ. In His presence is fullness of joy; at His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16.11).

We’ll know that we are truly learning when, in our preparations, conversations, deeds of love, and efforts to bring transforming grace to bear on the people and culture around us, we enjoy the constant sense of the Lord’s presence. Then our souls will be at rest, His promises will be our every desire, and His blessings will flow through us to others.

For reflection
1.  What do you understand by the idea of being Jesus’ friend? How would you expect others to see that you and Jesus are friends?

2.  Mediate on Genesis 12.1-3. Why does Peter refer to these promises as “precious”?

3.  All the promises of God are realized in Jesus (2 Cor. 1.20). Why does this make growing in friendship with Him all that much more important?

Next steps – Conversation: Today, make a point of sharing with someone what it means for you to be a friend of Jesus.

T. M. Moore

This week’s study, Learning Jesus, is Part 4 of a 5-part series on Following Jesus.Each week’s study is available in a free PDF which you can download by clicking here.

Christians learn best when their learning is framed within a Christian worldview. Our free online course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, is available any time, and at no charge. Click here to learn more about this helpful and challenging introduction to Christian worldview, presented in 12 diagrams by T. M. Moore.

Take up the challenge of your Personal Mission Field – and do so with a friend. Watch the video on our Mission Partners Outreach for more information about how you can begin to follow Jesus in your Personal Mission Field (click here).

The Lord uses your prayers and gifts to help us in this ministry. Add us to your regular prayer list, and seek the Lord concerning whether He would have you share with us. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the contribute button at the website, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.