No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends. —John 15:15
I grew up in a home with lots of wall plaques. One had a quotation by poet Claude Mermet that stands out in my mind:
“Friends are like melons; let me tell you why:
To find a good one, you must one hundred try!”
Most of us can identify with that. It’s hard to find good friends!
I wonder if God ever feels that way about us? Out of all the people in the Old Testament, only one was ever called His friend. In Isaiah 41:8, God says that He chose Jacob, who was an offspring of “Abraham My friend.” Pretty exclusive club!
So you can imagine how shocking it was for the disciples to hear Jesus say, “No longer do I call you servants, . . . but I have called you friends” (John 15:15). Better yet, He is saying that to us as well.
Commitment
So, what does friendship with Jesus look like? It starts with commitment. As He said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (v.14).
Communication
Then He added the dynamic of communication. He promised to tell us all that the Father has told Him (v.15). Are you listening?
Commonality
And as His friends we begin to bear fruit (v.16), sharing a commonality with Him by reflecting His glory in our attitudes and actions (2 Cor. 3:18).
Jesus welcomes you to the privilege of friendship with Him! Are you His friend?
--by Joe Stowell
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Welcome to the privilege of friendship with God.
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