What a Friend!
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.“
John 15:5 NLT
Jesus is our friend. Think about that. Our friend. The One who created the earth (and everything in it), is our friend.
“If the Lord is your friend, who is he that can harm you? All is well.“ Charles Spurgeon
And what a friend He is. He laid down His life for us.
“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.“ (John 15:12-14 NLT)
“Where are the young men and women of this generation who will hold their lives cheap, and be faithful even unto death, who will lose their lives for Christ’s, flinging them away for love of him? Where are those who will live dangerously, and be reckless in this service? Where are the men of prayer? Where are the men who count God’s Word of more importance to them than their daily food? Where are the men who, like Moses of old, commune with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend? Where are God’s men in this day of God’s power?“ Howard Guinness
How do we begin to comprehend His unconditional, all-forgiving, unwavering love for us? Such love only He can give.
“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.“ (1 John 3:16 NLT)
What kind of love is this? It’s the love we’ve been searching for. It’s love like no other. Nothing else comes close.
“The names and offices of Christ, as laid down in Scripture, appear to me to show unmistakably that this communion between the saint and his Savior is not a mere fancy, but a real true thing. Between the Bridegroom and His bride, between the Head and His members, between the Physician and His patients, between the Advocate and His clients, between the Shepherd and His sheep, between the Master and His scholars, there is evidently implied a habit of familiar communion, of daily application for things needed, of daily pouring out and unburdening our hearts and minds. Such a habit of dealing with Christ is clearly something more than a vague general trust in the work that Christ did for sinners. It is getting close to Him and laying hold on Him with confidence, as a loving, personal Friend. This is what I mean by communion.“ J.C. Ryle
“And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.“ (James 2:23 NLT)