Created to Be God's Friend: How God Shapes Those He Loves

Blackaby, the Baptist minister who wrote the bestseller Experiencing God (1998), has crafted a serious, meaty argument that God wants His people to become His lifelong and dearly beloved friends. The way to do that, says Blackaby, is to emulate Abraham's response to God. Abraham practiced immediate obedience, even if he didn't understand the full picture of God's plan. Blackaby explains that obedience brings a fuller depth of knowledge of God, not only to the one called to be obedient but to his or her immediate family. Blackaby also uses Abraham's times of disobedience to show the tragic consequences when would-be followers take matters into their own hands. The author argues that disobedience can affect future generations, as when Abraham chose to sire a son with his wife's handmaiden, Hagar (rather than wait for God to fulfill his promise through his wife, Sarai), or when he passed Sarai off as his sister to the Pharaoh Abimelech. Blackaby maintains that God can still be gracious even while demonstrating consequences. Faith, in his opinion, is more than just a verbal statement--it is mindful obedience to God's voice. Each chapter closes with excellent questions for study and response. (Nov.)