Friends.

Last week we finished off saying that to be friends with Jesus you have to be willing to pay the price. It is not automatic and not everyone gets to enjoy the benefits of a close relationship with Jesus. It is not just for special people. It is for those who are willing to pay the price. What is the price?

John 15:12-15 says, “So this is my command: Love each other deeply, as much as I have loved you. For the greatest love of all is a love that sacrifices all. And this great love is demonstrated when a person sacrifices his life for his friends. “You show that you are my intimate friends when you obey all that I command you. I have never called you ‘servants,’ because a master doesn’t confide in his servants, and servants don’t always understand what the master is doing. But I call you my most intimate and cherished friends, for I reveal to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father.”

For context, if we go back to John 14, we can see that it is Jesus talking to the disciples. This is not something Jesus is saying to the multitudes, this is something He was saying to those who walked with Him. Those who did life with Him day in and day out. Those who gave up their careers and left their families to follow Him. He was speaking to people who had paid the price of being a friend. He was talking to people who were hated and were in danger of persecution just by being associated with Him, yet they followed Him anyway. He was talking to people who had put their faith in Him.

Jesus could have easily said this to the multitudes in the sermon on the mount, but He didn’t. He could have preached this to the 3,000 when he was feeding them and told them all that they were His friends, but He didn’t. Jesus said this to people who had laid their lives down so they could follow Him. They laid down their wants, desires, preferences, opinions, biases down so they could take up what He wanted for them.

You want to have intimacy with God? You lay down your life. You want to be friends with Jesus? It takes sacrifice.

Have you ever met a person who walks so closely with Jesus that when you spend time with them you walk away feeling uplifted every time. They ooze the Presence of God. They carry this peace, joy, love, kindness, goodness, patience, faithfulness, gentleness and self control that you know only comes from God. Those people are choosing to pay the price to follow Jesus. They are laying their lives down and allowing Holy Spirit to do a work in them to produce the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23.

When we walk closely with God, we obey His word. Jesus said this to His disciples in John 14:15, “If you love me, obey My commandments.” Our love for Jesus is demonstrated by our obedience to His word. Our obedience to His word is dependent on our surrender to the Holy Spirit. Our level of surrender to the Holy Spirit determines the fruit that comes out of our lives. We can’t fake being close to Jesus and think we will produce good fruit. You want to produce good fruit, be joined to Jesus, John 15:1-17.

Isn’t it funny how, before Jesus tells His disciples that they are His friends, He tells them exactly what it takes to be His friends? He starts off by telling them to remain in Him. To remain joined to Him as He is the vine and we are the branches. He says when we do this, we are His disciples.

Then He moves to the next level of relationship. Once we have learnt to do life with Jesus, staying connected with Jesus, going to church and doing all the things we know to do, He says, “Right, let Me tell you something. Great love sacrifices all, without holding back. You want to know what true friendship is, it is someone who sacrifices their life for their friends.” We start off as disciples and move to friendship. We can choose to remain disciples and we are joined with Jesus and we obey the word. But friendship is much more rewarding!

Are you willing to sacrifice your life for Jesus? Lay aside all your hopes, dreams and desires and take on His hopes, dreams and desires for your life? That is how we move from disciples to friends. To be a disciple, it takes obedience. To be a friend, it takes sacrifice. It costs something to walk closely with Jesus. We may have to let go of things we hold dear. What is Jesus worth to you? He thinks you are worth everything. He thinks you are worth dying for. What is He worth to you?

For some, if they were given a list of things they need to do to be friends with their most treasured celebrity, they would do everything in their power to knock off all the things on that list. How much more should we be willing to do what the Bible asks us to do to be friends with our awesome and beautiful Jesus? He is worth it.

Love and blessings,

Melissa Tsingano.