Friends – Part 1

John 15:12-17 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 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. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.”

This last Sunday, Pastor Obie continued in our church sermon series through the Gospel of John, stating that Creator God designed and hard-wired the human condition of friendship, making you and I for healthy relationships in life. Our triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) exist in perfect unity. Genesis 2:18 tells us that in the sixth day of Creation, the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” There are personalities of introverts, extroverts and everyone in between, but there is a deficiency in our humanity when we are alone. Isolation (no one to connect with) affects our physical health and a lack of relationships affects our psychological health. We are created in the image of God and, ultimately, our loving relationship with our heavenly Father is first and foremost, fundamental and foundational in life. But, our human relationships keep us alive, giving us purpose and strength in community for positive life results.

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

It is a Commandment of God for us to “love one another”. Jesus stated this three times in the gospel and modeled love for us. Love and be loved. The four Greek words for love are agape, phileo, eros and storge. The first Greek word for "love" we need to examine is phileo, which means "to have a special interest in someone, frequently with focus on close association; have affection for, like, consider someone a friend." The word phileo implies a strong emotional connection, and thus is used of the "love," or deep friendship, between friends. Phileo is brotherly love and is conditional because it is dependent upon feelings. The second Greek word that refers to the love of God, one of the kinds of love we are to have for people, is agape. Agape is the very nature of God, for God is love. The big key to understanding agape is to realize that it can be known from the action it prompts. Agape is unconditional love that is a choice. It is not based upon feelings or circumstances, but on commitment. It is sacrificial love, where we die to self for others and put their needs before our needs. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so (agape) loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Romans 5:8 confirms, “God demonstrates His own (agape) love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Greater (agape) love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord modeled “agape” love (the love of God) for us.

Let's continue Pastor Obie's message on godly friendship in the next post.

In Christ, Brian