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Jesus Calls Me Friend


Jesus Christ is God and our Savior. He is One with the Father (John 10:10) and the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-22). He is creator of all things (John 1:3), and His power is unlimited (Philippians 2:10-11). And yet, Christ does not approach us as conquering King nor as overlord. Instead Jesus says to us, "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 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. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other" (John 15:9-16). Here Jesus tells us we are His friends if we keep his commandments, and then He describes those commandments as love, to love one another. God calls us friend, not slave or even servant, but friend. Our Lord could demand us to be vassals or slaves, but instead He desires a close and intimate relationship with us.

We are all of the following positions, status, and intimacy in our relationship with God:
  • We were a Sinner who Jesus dies for while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8), 
  • We are Disciples and Followers of Christ (Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23, John 17:20)
  • We are God's House, Temple, and Field (1 Peter 2:5, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 3:9),
  • We are Royal Priesthood and Holy Nation (1 Peter 2:9), friend (John 15:14-16),
  • We are a Children of God (Galatians 3:26, Galatians 4:7, 2 Corinthians 6:18, 1 John 3:10),
  • We are Co heirs and Heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17, Titus 3:7),
  • We are Brothers and Sisters of Christ (Matthew 12;48-49)
  • We are God's Righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21)
  • We are the Bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7-9, Revelation 3:21).
  • We are One (symbiotic, one essence) with God (John 17:20, 1 John 3:24, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 1:27)
It is incredible that Christ does not deny us any level or place in our relationship with Him, extending to us such depths of relationship and intimacy with him that it baffles the mind and confounds those who are lost in other false religions. While Hindus, Muslims, and other acolytes fear their gods and seek to please them, they are never assured any place with their god except vassalage, subservience; being slaves and subjects of a overlord king like Allah or Shiva, while we Christians in contrast have the King of Kings (Revelation 19:23-41) giving us positions and a place in Himself and with Him that makes us more than a bride or brother or friend, we actually become one with God, where He lives in us and we in Him! (John 17:20, 1 John 3:24, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Colossians 1:27, Romans 8:10-20 NLT). While other adherents of other religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam beg, grovel, and serve their gods like slaves and lesser beings who must bow, turn wheels, and behave well to merit something nice from their gods, we Christians in contrast have a God who is the True God and Only God that gives us everything (see verses above) for free and as an unmerited gift! (we do no good works or pious practices to get it, it is all a free gift from God Ephesians 2:6-11). While those other gods like Odin and Osiris; Allah and Vishnu, who are all really fallen angels (see Genesis 6:4-6, and Revelation 12:7-17) that people serve, and these fallen angels demand fealty, devotion, and homage, while in contrast the True God who is the Trinity of Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit offers devotion to us by His death on cross and resurrection from dead! God so loved us, that He came and died for us! (John 3:16), while the fallen angels who pose as gods, including the devil, just demand and demand more and more, never loving their deceived acolytes and followers, but cursing them. In contrast, Christ Jesus became a cruse for us (Galatians 3:13), and died like a criminal through He never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21).


We are told that the first person to become a friend of God was Abraham, "And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. " (James 2:23). Notice what Abraham did to become a friend of God, he simply believed God and it was counted as righteousness! We are given same picture from God Incarnate Himself, "If you believe in me, you shall have eternal life," (John 6:40), and "If you keep my commands you are my friend." (John 15:14-15). These commands Jesus gives are three specific ones, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength, this is first and greatest commandment, the second is like it love your neighbor or as yourself, these two commandments fufill all the Law of Moses and the Prophets, and love one another as I have loved, for they will know you are my disciples by your love for one another, this command I give that you love one another." (Matthew 22:35-41, John 13:34-35, John 15:12).

So take solace and comfort in the fact that you are friends of God, and that He loves you and wants to spend time with just as any good friend does! For this is why Jesus Christ died, "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:22 NLT). Sin had separated us from the Trinity, and so did hell, but those two viels were torn just like the veil in the Temple (Matthew 27:51) when Jesus died on cross. We may not boldly fellowship, spend time with, and hang out with God! For God now lives inside us who believe (Colossians 1:27, 1 Corinthians 3:16). So let Christ be your friend, go to Him for advice, spend time with Him in prayer (conversation), and do things together, act as every moment Christ is with you, He may even given you a commentary or review of movie you both watched (it has happened to people, and its not always negative). Enjoy friendship with God, something Abraham knew but not at level of us who have friend in Jesus Christ, the One whom Abraham heard was coming, but has Come since Abraham and made it possible for all people to come bodly to God through His blood and Himself (John 14:6). Amen.

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