Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Knowing God's Will RIGHT NOW Through Friendship Part 2

In John 15:15, Jesus told the Apostles "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

How do you become Jesus' friend? In the previous verse, Jesus explained "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." Several times, in Jesus' talk with the Apostles after the Last Supper, He stressed that those who truly love Him will obey His commands. And in John 14:21, He gives the promise "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

Jesus manifests Himself to Christians who obey Him. Disobedient saints rely on their own wisdom as to what to do; Jesus teaches those who obey Him what to do.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Knowing God's Will Through Friendship

John 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Being a servant is one of the great accomplishments of the Christian life. More than once, Jesus told us that servants, not rulers, are the greatest Christians. Jesus said that wherever He is, His servants will be there also. In that case, His servants are going to be learning a lot from Him, and they are going to be close to him.

But a servant isn't entitled to an explanation. If God tells you to do something, you are to do it, without questioning God. As a servant grows in the Lord, however, God wants him to grow spiritually and to understand His ways.

How do you grow from a servant of God into a friend of God?