John 15:14, 15: Gods Inner Circle. John 15:14, 15 (NIV) You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:14, 15 (NLT) You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesnt confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. COMMENTARY PEARL The original Greek word for friend in this verse does not mean a casual acquaintance but a close, trusted relationship. The same word is used to refer to the best man at a wedding (John 3:29) and a kings inner circle of intimate, trusted friends. In royal courts, servants must keep their distance from the king, but the inner circle of trusted friends enjoy close contact, direct access, and confidential information. That God would want me for a close friend is hard to understand. But the Bible says, He is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you (Exodus 34:14 NLT). God deeply desires that we know him intimately. In fact, he planned the universe and orchestrated history, including the details of our lives, so that we could become his friends. The Bible says, He made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him (Acts 17:26-27 The Message). Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege, and being known and loved is Gods greatest pleasure. God says, If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me These are the things that please me (Jeremiah 9:24 GNT). Its difficult to imagine how an intimate friendship is possible between an omnipotent, invisible, perfect God and a finite, sinful human being. Its easier to understand a Master-servant relationship or a Creator-creation relationship or even Father-child. Yet God wants us as his friends, and thats an incredible honor. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] COMMENTARY God wants more than servants. Its true He is worthy of our unequivocal service; we owe Him our entire lives. But He didn't create human beings in His image simply so we could carry out orders. Angels and any number of unknown creatures could do that (Psalm 103:20-21). No, He wants a relationship founded in love and reciprocated by hearts like His. We may serve Him, but we aren't simply servants. Jesus calls us friends. That's one of the many features that makes the Kingdom of God an extraordinary environment. All Kingdom citizens are friends with the King. It isn't an equal friendship, of course, but there are times in Scripture when God treats it as though it is. He gave Abraham the right to negotiate with Him and called him friend," wrestled with Jacob, spoke face to face with Moses as with a friend, and let David speak to Him in intimate terms and even argue with Him at times. The Potter and the clay, the Shepherd and the sheep, the Master and the servant these are true illustrations of our relationship with God, but they aren't sufficient. By themselves, they are too impersonal. Clearly God wants the kind of relationship where hearts connect and converse and exchange ideas and desires and dreams. Don't squander that relationship. We all need to learn to serve well, but God doesn't leave you strictly in the role of servant. He is calling you higher. Its entirely possible that when you are most focused on obedience, He is trying to draw you into a deeper conversation on more intimate terms. Express your heart to Him and listen to His. Ask Him what His deepest desires are - for your life and for those around you. Like John at the Last Supper, lean against Jesus and listen to His whispers. He shares confidential information with those who have learned to love Him well. In so doing, you begin to fulfill your original design as one made in His image. You step into the relationship you were designed for. [The One Year Heaven On Earth Devotional by Chris Tiegreen] Because Jesus Christ is Lord and Master, he should call us servants; instead, he calls us friends. How comforting and reassuring to be chosen as Christ's friends! Because he is Lord and Master, we owe him our unqualified obedience, but most of all, Jesus asks us to obey him because we love him. [Life Application SB] Jesus modeled the pattern of a true friendship. This kind of friendship is rare in our day and age. When Jesus says we are his friend if we obey Him, He is saying that when we do from habit what we know His will is, then we may be considered His friend. A person knows what his friend likes and dislikes. If you habitually do what the other person dislikes, you can hardly be called a friend. But this knowledge is given. Jesus says we aren't servants to Him because a servant doesn't necessarily know what the master is doing. Jesus told His disciples exactly what He was doing, all that God the Father had said to the Son. A close friend comes to have an instinctive response to you, knowing what you are thinking, the direction you're going. This is the relationship Jesus wants for us. And we can have this with Him, and with others in His family. If you have no such friend, ask the Lord and He will send one. [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom] ILLUSTRATION Years ago, when I was first hospitalized after my diving accident, I dreaded the long, lonely nighttime hours when friends weren't allowed to visit my ward. So I comforted myself by imagining a personal visit from another Friend - the Lord Jesus. I was inspired to do that after reading today's Scripture verse, where Jesus specifically names His disciples as friends. I pictured Him coming through the doors of my hospital ward, walking over to my bedside, and saying, "Hey, friend. What did you learn in physical therapy today? Was it nice to see your sister at dinnertime? Anything you'd like to talk about or get off your chest? Tell me all about it, Joni." Talking with Jesus like that strengthened my confidence in Him. He became my Friend who saw me through months of dark, suicidal depression. If you find yourself alone with no friends around, remember Jesus is your comforting friend. He will support you. Dear Jesus, even though I can't see You, I know beyond any doubt that You are with me. Your companionship calms my anxious heart, stills my racing thoughts, and lifts the dread and worry from my shoulders. Thank You for being there, ready to talk about things great or small - or to just hold my hand - at two in the morning. [A Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson Tada and Larry Libby] PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS I am your best friend, as well as your King. Walk hand in hand with Me through your life. Together we will face whatever each day brings: pleasures, hardships, adventures, disappointments. Nothing is wasted when it is shared with Me. I can bring beauty out of the ashes of lost dreams. I can glean Joy out of sorrow, Peace out of adversity. Only a Friend who is also the King of kings could accomplish this divine alchemy. There is no other like Me! The friendship I offer you is practical and down-to-earth, yet it is saturated with heavenly Glory. Living in My Presence means living in two realms simultaneously: the visible world and unseen, eternal reality. I have equipped you to stay conscious of Me while walking along dusty, earthbound paths. (John 15:13-15; Isaiah 61:3; 2 Corinthians 6:10) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young] Relax in My peaceful presence. Do not bring performance pressures into our sacred space of communion. When you are with someone you trust completely, you feel free to be yourself. This is one of the joys of true friendship. Though I am Lord of lords and King of kings. I also desire to be your intimate Friend. When you are tense or pretentious in our relationship, I feel hurt. I know the worst about you, but I also see the best in you. I long for you to trust Me enough to be fully yourself with Me. When you are real with Me. I am able to bring out the best in you: the very gifts I have planted in your soul. Relax, and enjoy our friendship. (Rev. 17:14; John 15:13-15) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young] LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT Most Important Decision in Life: http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo [old, but one of the best] Importance of Choice: http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video] Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782 Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE Musical Devotional On Christian Living: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH: https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ Amazing Facts Bible Studies: http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/ Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/ ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657 Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad: https://vimeo.com/162267518