“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15)
Not because they obeyed, not because they had trusted Him without question, believed and understood all that He had revealed to them, but because He had told them everything that He had been sent to reveal to them.
None of us have a perfect and unwavering faith, not one of us believes fully with complete confidence everything written in the Word of God. Everyone who has ever been born-again has at one time in their lives lost hope, has doubted, has swerved off the path set before us for His glory.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)
But every single one of us who will live eternally in the presence of joy, in the Kingdom of the Most High God listens, and we listen intently.
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
We do not fully understand all of His promises, but we believe in Him who has promised, we do not always see the fruit of our labor, but we rest assured that if we are working for His glory, that work will bear fruit.
Our faith wavers at times because of the circumstances that surround us, but it never dies, our hope at times falters, at times we do not understand the way or the reason the Almighty has allowed certain things to enter into our lives, but we do not stop listening, we do not stop following Him who has secured our soul for all eternity.
“And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” (Deut. 31:8)
The Lord Jesus Christ revealed to them all that He had been sent to say and do, and you must remember this, before they all forsook Him that night, He knew them as friends.
“For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1st Sam. 16:7b)
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2nd Tim. 2:19)
Untold billions of people have heard the Word of God, few in relation to that number have heard and accepted them as unquestionable truth. Few continue to stand on the Rock of our salvation when the storms in their life begin to appear, continue to trust in His will and direction for their life when all seems hopeless. Few listen, contemplate, trust and obey no matter the circumstances or the possible consequences to themselves.
These who do my friends, are His friends.
Adding nothing to and removing nothing from His Words, accepting them at face value as truth, believing every word even when we do not fully understand.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1)
The world calls us blind fools for doing so, yet we are the only ones whose eyes have been opened.
It is incomprehensible for us to imagine that the Sovereign Lord of all creation would call the dust that we are His friends, and while we retain our position of service to Him for His glory, we must never take that title of “friend” lightly.
I accept this great honor He has given to me, it is an unspeakable blessing, but for me personally, I will never call Him my friend until the moment He says to me that I can, for me it still seems too forward to speak that word of Him in my heart. He is my Lord, my God, my close Kinsman, my Savior, my Creator and Sustainer, but that word “friend” infers a closeness that I do not feel I deserve.
I am His servant, and that is enough for me today.
The title of friend changes everything in a relationship, it is never to be taken lightly, and when He has called you His friend, it is an honor and blessing above all others.
