I am personally challenging myself more to adhere to the call of duty as prescribed by Christ to "go" or "do."
Christ summed up the commandments into only two:
1.Love God
2.Love people
Let's take a look at John 15:12-17:
12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 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. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.
Man, I must say we have it a lot easier than those that were under the old covenant. Over 600 rules and regulations, feast days, holy days, rituals, and sacrifices. We just have the two commandments. Bless God for the two. I would have been considered a top sinner if I had to keep up with all those laws. I'd have to sacrifice three animals a day just due to forgetting.
What I noticed out of this scripture is that most people (myself included) pay attention to "Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name"
I ponder on this because the impression some of us get is to just pray and we'll have whatever we ask for. But we tend to disregard the call to duty in the surrounding scriptures. It is easy to love God, but a lot more challenging to love one another. Christ has called us friends IF we do what he has asked us to do. Well, he asked, correction, commanded us to love one another. Think about it...if someone was just wanting to be called your "friend" just so they could experience the benefits that's not true friendship. It's not a good relationship if only one of you is sacrificing, pouring out, and loving and there is no return...that's not friendship that is using, taking advantage of. There may even be traces of manipulation in there somewhere too.
If we are naming the name of Christ let's not skip over our part in this friendship with him. He did put a condition on it. We're His friends IF WE DO...
How is it our ears and eyes only see that we are his friends, but we don't take note of how can we be a good friend in return? This is not accusing everyone to have done this, but this is a challenge for us to read our bibles with the mind of doing and not just hearing. (James 1:22)
Matthew 6:33 But first be concerned about God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well. (ISV)
I just want to bring to light the action we are called to. When we are concerned about the kingdom and righteousness all our needs and requests will be met. As we go and do, our prayers will be answered.
What a privilege to be called His friend and be able to partner with heaven. Our social circle is divine! What an awesome friendship to have where you are taking care of each other's business. He can trust you to get the job done, and you can trust him with all the cares of your life. We have the greatest networking system in the world all because of who our friend is IF we do whatever he has commanded us. And that is to love God and love each other.
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