Sons and Friends

John 15:15- "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father, I have made known to you."

Galatians 4:7- "Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son then an hier of God through Christ."

Jesus said that we are no longer servants (slaves) but are now His friends. Paul wrote to the Galatians under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we are no longer slaves but are sons of God. Friendship and sonship are both personal relationships while servanthood is a working/performance based relationship.

Paul's words in Galatians tell us that being a son means we have an inheritance. A son has an inheritance not because of anything he has done, but simply because of his relationship with his father. I am reminded of the parable of the prodigal son. The son left his father's house, wasted his money, and returned home planning to beg and make a speech. The son didn't have to beg: the father ran to him, welcomed him, and celebrated his return. The fact that the father saw the son afar off implies that he was looking for the son to return. When a Christian who has drifted away from God returns, God sees them and celebrates their return. God celebrates because He sees His sees son or daughter coming home. I imagine the father in the parable of the prodigal son running to his son with open arms and tears of joy in his eyes. I think of that father's love for his son and I believe it must have been deeper than words can express. How much more does our heavenly Father love us?

In a father-child relationship the child can go to his or her father anytime simply because of their relationship. When we become children of God we have an inheritance that is not based on performance but is ours simply because of our relationship with God.

Jesus said that we are no longer servants, but friends. The servant's only concern is, "What do I do?" Many Christians today have a performance mentality but have never gone any further. The friend simply wants to spend time with their friend. What if reading the Bible became more than a ritual, but was a way to get to know our friend better? What if we truly viewed prayer as us spending time with God who is our Father? What if our first concern was knowing God and being with Him? God blessed me by allowing me to develop a unique relationship with my dad: one in which I was both a son and a friend. Because of that relationship these two verses are especially meaningful to me.

According to Jesus' words, being His friend offers a special privilege: deeper revelation. The servant is simply told what to do, but as a friend God gives me insight into what He is doing. As a son of God and a friend of God I am not simply working FOR God, but I am working WITH God. As His son and His friend I share His goals. The more I grow in this intimate, personal relationship with God the more I find that I want the same things He wants. Having this type of relationship means we can be trusted with more information than the servant.
Recognizing this relationship I have with God the Father through Jesus Christ tells me that while I will do what God tells me to do my life with God is not a religion, but a relationship.

Father God, thank You that I have a personal relationship with You! I'm so grateful that rather than focus on keeping rules I can focus on You and rest in Your unconditional love.
In Jesus' name, amen.

Sword of the Lord-introduction

The blogs posted on this website will contain teaching from the Bible to help you know God and experience a closer relationship with Him. The title "Sword of the Lord" is taken from Judges chapter seven. God had called Gideon to deliver the children of Israel from the Midianites. As Gideon and his army attacked the army of Midian, they cried out, "the sword of the Lord and the sword of Gideon!" It is my prayer that as you read these blogs you find God's word to be a sword that cuts away everything that may be keeping you from growing closer to the Lord Jesus Christ.