What does it mean to be a friend of God?

In Genesis 12, God calls Abraham out of a pagan land with a staggering set of promises. Dr. Toby Holt opens the life of the man the Bible calls "the friend of God." Abraham came from Ur, steeped in idol worship, yet God chose him — not for his merit but by grace. God told him to leave his country and family for a land he had never seen, and he obeyed. God promised to make him a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth through him — fulfilled in Christ.

Questions this study answers:

1. Why did God choose Abraham? Not for his goodness — he came from a family of idol-worshipers. God chose him by His own sovereign grace.

2. What did God promise Abraham? To make him a great nation, to bless him, and to bless all the families of the earth through him. That last promise points to Christ.

3. Who are the true children of Abraham? Those who share his faith, not merely his bloodline. All who trust God as Abraham did are counted his children. "I will bless those who bless you… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." — Genesis 12:3 (NKJV)

Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.