*In the following scriptures, Christ is expounding the meaning of friendship with Him. He has revealed Himself to all that wish to know Him. We are not merely created beings that He has formed to be servants unto Him, but he has given us a will of our own. We can choose to love Him and be rewarded with His friendship, or we can reject Him.
We are predestined to bring forth fruit that is placed in us, if we love Him. How do we love Him? The same way He loved us! We lay down our life. He doesn’t ask that we give our life literally in death as He did, but that we give complete control of our life to Him. We must give ourselves as a sacrifice to Him, and in doing so, our sinful, fleshly nature dies, if we allow it to. Being His friend also comes with the command to love one another. If we love Him, we must also love His friends.
John 15:12-17
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 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.
16 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.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
*We find a poignant story of friendship between David and Jonathan in 1Sam.18-2 Sam.1:27. When they met for the first time, Jonathan felt a strong connection to David and loved Him as he loved his own soul. He gave David his robe, sword, bow and girdle . I believe this was Jonathan’s way of saying, “What’s mine is yours, and we are bound together by the love of God." They made a covenant of allegiance that was never broken. In reading this story, you will find no jealousy, no malice, and no competition between them. On the contrary, they had a spiritual friendship that prevailed in troubled times. Jonathan was willing to stand between David and his own father, Saul, when Saul sought to kill David.
Would your friends stand by you if you were ill treated, knowing they might suffer consequences? A genuine Christian friend will defend what is good and right. I would rather have one sincere friend and endure times of loneliness than dozens of acquaintances that pretend to be my friend. How do you verify true friendship? The same way Christ teaches us to recognize false prophets. “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Mt. 7:20)Fruit is something that is produced or brought forth. Our fruit is our actions. Actions do indeed speak louder than words. What do your actions say about you? Are you a genuine friend or a friend only in words?
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