Sold Out For Jesus daily devotion online
G. John White's first devotional Sold out for Jesus covers 12 vital themes of Christianity.
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January Topic: OBEDIENCE IS GREATER THAN SACRIFICE |
Of all the things I have had to learn over the length of my lifetime - this is the most important. If we don't get this right, the rest is impossible. So let's spend this first month of the year getting our priorities in the correct order. |
John 15:14
YOU ARE MY FRIENDS IF YOU DO WHAT I COMMAND
God doesn't want robots! He wants friends. God could have created robots - beings, which just operate at His bidding without question and I suppose to a degree that is what angels do. (Although they do have a choice.)
But God created Man to be a "friend". Abraham was a friend of God, so was Moses. Presumably Enoch was and David too. But in the Old Testament there do not seem to be many "friends of God". Did Jesus have many friends? Mary, Martha and Lazarus but not many others. The disciples, Peter, James and John? Jesus is here, telling His disciples in effect, how to become His friend.
You see there are qualifications. Yes, we all want to be "known" as the "friend of Jesus", but is it true? I may call Him a friend, but does He call me one? As Jesus shares His heart here it is quite obvious that He is trying to gain "friends". He wants His disciples to "become" friends. Why? Because He didn't want them to remain servants. Servants are not privy to their Master's business. They do their job and that's all. They don't do more than they have to, they don't think for themselves, they don't give their masters the benefit of their advice, and more often than not they live a life of suffering duty, rather than joyful relationship.
Jesus doesn't want robots, or servants who sullenly go about their work without interest or heart or knowledge of their Master's affairs. He wants us to serve Him out of loving devotion. Voluntary, joyful, participating obedience.
Yes, there's the vital ingredient. Obedience. But the inference is, not so much, be obedient to be a follower of Mine, but rather if you are obedient to Me, you become My friend!
What greater accolade can there be, than to be the "friend" of the Son of God?
Wouldn't you like to be known as a "friend of Jesus" - I certainly would. "All" we need to do then, is to DO what He commands. To be obedient to Him!
Go try it out and become His friend!
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