Friends, Not Servants

 

JOHN 15:15

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. 

    See the difference between being a servant and being a friend? A servant is obedient and does as instructed, but a friend knows why and does as he is instructed with joy and understanding. 

    Proverbs 17:17 tells us that a friend loves at all times. We know that when no one wants to be around us for the Truth we speak of God's Word, then it is not so much us they are avoiding, it is God in us. 

    Yet, David wrote in Psalm 2:11 that we are to "serve The Lord with fear and  rejoice with trembling." Is this contradictory? No. To serve The Lord with fear is to honor Him; it is to put God first in every aspect of our lives; it is to make no decision without consulting Him first. It is to seek the will of God, know and understand the will of God and to act upon this knowledge with such joy that we are overcome by the emotion of being in His presence. 

    It is the love of God for us that has caused us to put our faith in Him. It is the hand of friendship being extended towards us through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ that has caused us to come near to God, that we may hear Him speak more clearly. Both Isaiah (Isaiah 1:18) and James (4:8) inform us that God says we must come close to Him that He may come closer to us. Employees/servants do not do so. Friends, however, transcend the employer/employee relationship. 

   Isaiah reminds us in 1:19, 20 that it is our willingness to obey/follow The Lord that brings about this wonderful blessing of friendship. Yet, a warning is given in verse 20 that to ignore this magnificent gesture from God, of drawing close to Him, is to sign our own death warrant. 

    James (4:8) tells us that our words and our actions need to align with our hearts, and that, as Christians, our hearts must align with The Word of God. A person whose heart follows after the teachings of Christ wholeheartedly leaves little room for doubt and faithlessness. In Christ, we are His friends. Outside of Christ, we are His enemies. 

    I am a friend of God, for I am in Christ. Where are you?

I AM A FRIEND OF GOD - Israel Houghton 

GOD WITH US - Mercy Me

The Lord Is A Friend

 To Those Who Fear Him

Psalm 25:14 (ESV)

The friendship of The LORD is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant.

FRIENDSHIP WITH THE LORD

Proverbs 3:32

For the perverse person is an abomination to The LORD, But His secret counsel is with the upright.

Proverbs 18:24

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a Friend Who sticks closer than a brother.

John 15:14-15 

You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.

THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Proverbs 8:13

The fear of The LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Psalm 19:19

The fear of The LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of The LORD are are true and righteous altogether. 

Proverbs 1:17

The fear of The LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Psalm 111:10

The fear of The LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have they who do His commandments: His praise endures forever.

Job 28:28

And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of The LORD, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil, that is understanding.' 

Proverbs 10:27

The fear of The LORD prolongs days, but the years of the wicked are shortened.

Proverbs 15:33

The fear of The LORD is the instruction of wisdom,  and before honor is humility.

    So we see that to trust in God and obey His Word brings us both friendship with Him and a desire to learn and be taught by Him in His Word. He teaches us to fear (revere: respect and awe) Him. By our willingness to know and understand His Word, The LORD is able to teach each one who asks to be taught by Him. This is why we need His Holy Spirit. 

    It is The Holy Spirit's job, work, to open our eyes to see and understand what God reveals to us when He reveals it (and not before). These are the steps we take when we walk with Jesus and talk with Jesus and God. His Word tells us that His Word is a Lamp to our feet and a Light to our path: The Light of Christ shines on and through The Word of God. Think of it as solar lights lighting our path at night and the moon and stars shining their lights from above. We see much better with both lights to light our way: the light from above lights our path, the light from nearby lights our steps. So, too, this is how The Light shines in The Word.

    May you find yourself a friend with Jesus. May your eyes be opened with understanding and your hearts opened with wisdom. 

    

MARANATHA! MUSIC - Praise 2