How Does One Become A Friend of Christ?

Carrol R. Sutton

One cannot become a friend of Christ by going "to the altar and praying through to salvation." Advocates of the "praying through" theology never give a Scripture that teaches that alien sinners can be saved from their past sins by going to the altar and praying. No where in the Scriptures do we find where any alien sinner was ever told to "come to the altar and pray." Neither does one become a friend of Christ by "picking out some good church" he likes and joining it. Every denominational church is destined to "be rooted up." (Read Psalms 127:1 which says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it," and Matthew 15:13 which says, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up").

A religious "experience" does not make one a friend of Christ. There is no Scriptural evidence that one is a friend of the Lord just because he may have had a religious "experience." Giving so-called "testimonials" about how good the Lord is and how much one loves Him does not make one a friend of Christ. The fact that one lives an upright moral life does not necessarily mean that he is a friend of the Lord.

In John 15:14 Jesus told His disciples: "Ye are my friends IF ye do whatsoever I command you." It is quite obvious from this statement of Jesus Christ that one can not be, and thus cannot become a friend of His unless he does what Jesus commands.

To do what Jesus commands one must learn and believe what Jesus says. Only then can he truly do what Jesus says. The source of information must be the Scriptures. As we study the Scriptures we learn that FAITH, REPENTANCE, CONFESSION, and BAPTISM are conditions set forth by the Lord that we must meet in order to become His friends. Please read and study carefully Heb 11:6; John 20:30-31; Rom 10:17; Acts 17:30-31; Rom 10:9-10; Mark 16:15-16 and Gal 3:26-27. Do you believe what these verses say? If so, you will become a friend of the Lord when you obey them!

To continue to be His friend, you must continue to learn, believe and obey whatever Jesus commands. This is how one becomes and remains a friend of Jesus Christ.