John 15:12-16 – Friend of God
Jesus wants us to know that we can’t think too highly of love, attach too much weight to it, or work too hard to practice it. He commands us to love one another. He is the example of love that we are to follow. All are to be loved with an active, self-denying, self-sacrificing love. He that can’t or won’t do this is disobeying Christ. Where there is no Christ-like love there is no grace, no work of the Spirit, and no reality in our faith.
Notice also that Jesus calls true believers His friends. This is a glorious privilege. To know Christ, serve Christ, follow Christ, obey Christ, work for Christ, fight Christ’s battles, all this is important. But for sinful men and women like ourselves to be called “friends of Christ,” is something we can hardly take in. The King of kings and Lord of lords not only saves all that believe in Him but actually calls them His friends. This should spur us on in our prayer life. Why should we be afraid to pour out our heart and tell all our secrets to One who calls us His friend? Christ will never forsake His friends. Poor and unworthy as we are, He will not cast us off, but will stand by and keep us to the end. David never forgot Jonathan, and the Son of David will never forget His people.
Christ choosing some to believe on Him is a truth of Scripture that we see here. Why He chooses some and leaves others in their sins we don’t know, but He does. God must begin the work of grace in a man’s heart, or else a man will never be saved. Christ must first choose us and call us by His Spirit, or else we shall never choose Christ. Those whom Christ chooses out of mankind, He chooses not only that they may be saved, but that they may bear fruit, and fruit that can be seen.
Questions
- What does Jesus command us to do?
- What does Jesus call us?
- What must happen for someone to be saved?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks that Christ is our Friend.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.