I am a Friend of God...?

14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

In many contemporary Christian songs today, one phrase we keep on saying is that we are God’s friend. It’s my guess that they pulled it out from the verse above which can be found in John 15:14-15. However, I noticed that they tend to quote, or sing, only half of it but neglect the other half. Take for example this song entitled, “I am a friend of God”.

VERSE:
Who am I that you are mindful of me
That you hear me, when I call
Is it true that you are thinking of me
How you love me, it's amazing (Who am I Lord)

CHORUS:
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

Verse

BRIDGE:
God Almighty
Lord of Glory
You have called me friend

All sounds good, right? However, look at John 15:14 again closely:

14You are my friends if you do what I command.

Yeah. We are only Jesus/God’s friends only if we do what He commands. As for me, I don’t see that implied anywhere in the song above. So, we think we can simply call ourselves friends of God just like that? For me, I do not think so. We have to remain in Him always, obeying His commands and depending on Him. That was what was written in the previous verses in John 15 prior to verse 14. We have to abide in Christ, that is, to be totally attached and committed to Jesus.

I listen to a sermon recently and the speaker said illustrated abiding in Christ with marriage. When two people enter into marriage, they are united and the two become one. Likewise, we must abide in Christ so closely as that (although we do not become one with Christ but the intimacy is just as in marriage).

This is what is implied in verse 15 as well. Jesus has made known what he learned from the Father to us and this is recorded for us in the Bible. If we are really God’s friend, we would take effort to know what Jesus has made known to us. How to do that? Read the Bible, of course. Study it. Think about it throughout the day and how it applies to your daily life. Live it out. The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and reveal things in the word.

Therefore, do not think you can call yourselves God’s friend for nothing. We are not God’s friend for getting emotional high at electrifying worship sessions and see who can jump the highest. It is not how many church activities you go to. The question is: are you abiding in Christ and obeying His commands?

Soli Deo Gloria!