There is a tendency with those who do not serve Christ well, though they be born-again, to become overly familiar with the Most High. It comes from what could be considered a latent form of pride, they are saved, they are children of God, but they place within themselves wrongly a sense of familiarity that does not truly exist, unintentionally perhaps, they put themselves upon His throne with Him without first being invited.
“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.” (John 15:15)
That was an invitation, not an event that was presupposed.
“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Prov. 18:24) A friend, a true friend earns that position, it is never immediate, but once it is given, it takes much to revoke it, for there is a depth of personal revealing that must first be offered, and if it is destroyed, it can be nearly impossible to attain again. Friendship only grows when trust is established, our side of that friendship with the Almighty is shown by willing obedience, He offers Himself as the reward for those actions. “And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.” (Luke 19:17)
I have used this analogy many times over the years, and it fits quite well here, when you are taking a stroll one day in the new Jerusalem and happen to see Jesus walking in the distance with Moses and David, do you believe that you will have the right to walk over there, join the conversation with them and continue along with them that day, without being invited?
It is not that these individuals believe they are God’s personal favorite, but that the friendship they offer Him is worth Him dropping everything that He is doing just for them, and so, as time unfolds, their request become more meaningless towards His glory, and more towards their self-preservation and convenience. They presume on that which does indeed exist, just not at the level they believe.
Our association with the Most High must always be based upon His Sovereignty first and foremost, the King is friends with those He chooses to be friends with, we do not presume upon that friendship, it is His scepter to hold forth.
I do not recall anywhere in the Scriptures that Abraham called the Lord his friend, but God called him His friend, and I could be mistaken, but I doubt that Abraham ever said to anyone that the Lord had called him that. It would seem presumptuous to do so.
How does one sit at the King’s table unless he is invited, how does one enter into the home of the Most High unless he is chosen to do so. That sense of familiarity will inevitably produce pride, we will set ourselves in a place that was not intended for us. “When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him.” (Luke 14:8) “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Matt. 23:12)
All pride dies at the throne of grace, all thoughts of familiarity perish in the presence of the Most High God, His unquestionable Sovereignty over all of His creation is recognized as such. We belittle our concept of who the Lord is when we attempt to do this, we forget our place. We are called to walk humbly with the Lord our God, He does not walk beside us, but before us. If He asks you to walk beside Him, there is no familiarity that you will experience at that moment, but great honor that you have been chosen to do so.
