- Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 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. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another, John 15:14-17
If all we could be is servants of Jesus, that would be wonderful. What a privilege! What a privilege just to serve the Lord Jesus Christ if that were all! But can you believe, Jesus said, “I’m not calling you servants. I’m not calling you slaves. I’m calling you friends. You didn’t choose Me. I chose you”? A person is known by his or her friends. In the Old Testament, Abraham was called what? A friend of God. All the disciples Jesus spoke to knew Abraham was a friend of God. Can you imagine what must have gone through their hearts when Jesus said, “Now you are My friends”? Consider the elevating honor of being a friend of the Lord Jesus Christ. And He sought us out; He took the initiative. Truly, this is nearly too wonderful to believe.
~~Adrian Rogers
https://www.crosswalk.com/devo....tionals/loveworthfin
