"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," JOH 15:14. The specific command referred to in our text is the law of love. Take special notice to whom the command is directed and from whom the command comes. "Ye are my friends..." It is personal. "...If ye do whatsoever I command you." Often we hear a message or read a passage of Scripture, and immediately in our own heart we apply it to someone else. This can be true of admonitions and blessings. Many times I have listened to a message and thought, "Wouldn't that be a blessing for so and so; wouldn't that be precious for this person or that one." Or we can hear an admonition and say, "Amen, amen!" while applying it to someone else. The important thing we need to do is make the personal connection in the words ye and you. Do we understand who it is that is to obey this command? It is so easy to get carried into a conversation in our heart while we hear the message and apply it to everyone except ourselves. Satan can also come in and steal a blessing. We can understand it for another person, but how could that apply to us? Could I dare to claim to be a friend of Jesus? There is a contingency; notice the word if. That contingency is absolute which means that if we violate that command we are NOT His friend. Take notice also of whose command we are to obey: "...if ye do whatsoever I command you." The specific command in the text is the law of love. Jesus is being very specific. We could go through the Bible and apply every command, but the Lord Jesus is very specific in the context of our text wherein He made this statement. He is talking about one commandment. "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you," JOH 15:12. In its essence, meaning of the commandment is that we will be able to have a love that is a self-sacrificing love. If we have that love and observe that commandment, we are His friends. If we do not observe that command, we are not His friends. The language in the text is very emphatic. It is easy to talk about the blood of Christ and how He washed away our sins for a pardon, but remember, He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, to save us from our sins. Our evidence that we have been saved from our sin is "That ye love one another, as I have loved you."
1. The Law of Love
We will never rightly understand the law of the gospel if we forget what Jesus said in MAT 22:40: "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." These two commandments are: that we love God above all with our hearts, our souls, and our minds, and we love our neighbour as ourselves. What is the central theme or golden thread which is strung throughout the law of love? It is self-sacrifice. "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me," LUK 9:23. We are to love God above that ugly monster, "I." We are to love God above all. How can we say we love God and hate our brother? 1JO 4:20 says, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" Do you see that self-sacrifice is an essential element to salvation? Go back and see the word do in our text. "...if ye do whatsoever I command you." It is not to just talk about it or hear about it or even to affirm that it is the truth. We must do whatsoever He commands us. If we are teaching anything that does not harmonize with those two commandments of in MAT 22:40, we are not preaching the gospel. Notice the harmony in the gospel on this point. The Word of God says in ROM 13:8-10, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another [love is a debt we can never erase]: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." We are not to be indebted to any man for anything except love, and this is a debt we cannot erase. If we love one another, we have fulfilled the law. The apostle now starts to summarize the law of God. Has the law been abolished? No. That is not what the apostle is teaching here. He is summarizing the law of God and showing how the law of God is the law of love. The first four commandments teach us to love God above all, and the last six teach loving our neighbour as ourselves. See how that flows in Verse 9. "For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Verse 9 begins with For this. Why? Look at the end of the preceding verse. "...for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." "For this" we should not do those things which harm others. All these transgressions of the law: committing adultery, killing, stealing, etc., are violations of the law of love. So the conclusion is clear. "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour." Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law of the gospel. The gospel is the law of love. The Lord Jesus is stating the basic requirement if we are going to be His friend. Are we reconciled with Jesus? Are we in oneness of thinking, mind, purpose, and spirit? If we are not, remember this is the key to reconciliation with Christ. Our text so clearly reveals that the gospel of Christ is the law of Mount Zion. The law that came from Mount Sinai was without mercy! It was unalterable, and it demanded the full satisfaction of God's justice. The same law of the Ten Commandments comes from Mount Zion as the law of love, God's justice having been fully satisfied in Christ. We must realize there is a difference between the law of Mount Sinai and the law of Mount Zion. Mount Zion teaches the law of love in the Lord Jesus Christ where there is mercy—the law of Mount Sinai had no mercy. See HEB 12:18-24. The Lord looks at our heart. Is it our heart's desire to do what is right? In JAM 3:2 we read, "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." There is mercy in Mount Zion because the Lord understands our frame; He remembers that we are dust. He knows every trial and temptation to which we will be exposed, and as a result He can sympathize with us, as we see in HEB 4:14-6, and have mercy. HEB 12:18 and 22 tells us, "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest." In other words, we are not come unto the law that has absolutely no mercy. Now see what it says in Verse 22. "But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels." We are coming to a law that has mercy in it. It is a blessed place of peace and love. The name Jesus does not mean "He shall save His people in their sin;" Just because there is mercy, it doesn't mean we can continue to live in sin. The law of the gospel says, "if ye do whatsoever I command you." In other words, we cannot continue in sin, but "He shall save His people from their sins," MAT 1:21. So what is sin? 1JO 3:4-6 says, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." Therefore, if Jesus came to save us from sin, He came to save us from the transgression of the law. He came to sanctify us; He came to work in us the work of regeneration to deliver us from the power of sin that we may no longer serve sin. Verse 5 continues, "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." Are we His friends? Are we friends of Jesus? We are if we do whatsoever He commands us.
2. The Sinfulness of Sin Verse 6 tells us, "Whosoever abideth in him [whosoever is the friend of Jesus] sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." Why? Remember what Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, in Pilot's hall with the crown of our sins placed on His head? Remember, then Christ hanging on the cross asking the Father to forgive us, for we didn't know what we were doing? This prayer was uttered while He was being mocked and railed upon, paying the price of our sin. Once we begin to view the price that Christ paid for our sin—the manner in which God's wrath was upon sin—we can't continue to live in sin. In other words, if we have ever learned to know that sin is exceedingly sinful, cf., ROM 7:13, we couldn't live in it. We must depart from it, "whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." Do you understand that? If you had ever learned to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, you would depart from inequity!
3. Friends of Christ – Serving Ourselves or Christ Our text says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Let's stop to ponder that little word do. That is the pivot point, that is the hub of the gospel. The Lord willing, later we will deal with the word do and how it is the conduit whereby justification becomes ours through the exercise of faith. For now consider the emphasis on the word I. A genuine friend of Jesus knows what it is to take up his cross daily because it is the crucifying of everything of self. How can we love one another as Christ loved us if self sticks up its ugly head? The first thing that happens when self is a focal point is that we cannot love one another the way He loves us. Jesus condescended to come down from His throne to take our human nature; He humbled Himself to become obedient unto death. Until you and I understand what it means to be obedient, even unto death (to write death upon self), we cannot love each other as He loved us. We must write death upon self so we are able to die to self before we can serve one another. We must follow Him daily; we must follow Him in His humiliation and die unto self and sin. "For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God," ROM 6:10. Until we understand that kind of love, we are not His friend; we are still walking in sin. A genuine friend of Jesus knows what it is to take up his cross daily and follow Him. A true friend does not follow his own notions or desires, but he comes under His yoke. Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light," MAT 11:29-30. To come under the yoke of Christ means that we come into His service. We serve Him as our Master and also as our brother. Why? PHI 2:7-8 says, "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." We are not to serve out of slavish fear, but we should find it a delightful position to find shelter under His yoke from the servitude of sin. "If" we are friends of Jesus, we delight to do His will; that is what we see in MAT 11:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." The reason His yoke is so easy is because it is our greatest delight to do His will. We read in PSA 119:104, "Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way." Going back a few verses, we read in PSA 119:97, "O how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day." If His commandments are grievous to us, can we say we are His friend? No. You see it is that complete renewing of the inner man; it is the total regeneration of the whole person and the whole desire which through God's grace brings us to obedience and friendship.
4. The Law of Christian Liberty So much is said today about Christian liberty, but what is it? If we are the friends of the Lord Jesus Christ, we come into what the Scriptures teach as true Christian liberty. It is to be delivered from the ugly monster, "I," the powers of hell, and Satan and sin. It is being able to come with the greatest delight to serve the Lord Jesus Christ as our King and Master; it is to come under His yoke. Satan's gospel teaches that Christian liberty is being as God and being able to decide for ourselves what is right or wrong; that is the liberty Satan promised in the Garden of Eden which led to the fall of man. Jesus distinguishes between His friends and His enemies. Look for the total contrast as we see how the friends of Jesus are rightly distinguished in JOH 3:20-21. "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." When we become the friends of Christ, we don't run away or become offended if someone brings to our attention an area in which we are wrong according to the Scriptures. We come to the light; it is our desire to know the truth. "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest" does not mean one stands bragging that he has done all the right things. No. It means that if there is an evil way within us, we want to know about it so it can be purged; it is to know that what we are doing is according to the will of God. We must have a desire to come to the will of God and the light of the gospel so our deeds may be washed "...with the washing of the water of the Word," EPH 5:26. Christian liberty is most beautifully described in ACT 24:16, "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." That is true Christian liberty. How does one Christian liberty? It is gained by coming to the light and delighting to serve under the yoke of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us we must do whatsoever He commands us. How do we know what His commands are if we do not come to the light of His Word? The evidence of Christian liberty is to be delivered from the power of sin and receive the testimony of Jesus' friendship in our conscience that we do whatsoever He commands us. It is to have "...a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." We can have the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and of His friendship in our conscience when we do whatsoever He commands us. When we are truly His friends, we have the witness of the Holy Spirit in our soul. Look at 2CO 1:12. "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly toward you." You see, we have a testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ in our conscience that we are His friends. The Lord gives us the witness of His Spirit in our conscience, "...in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God."
5. Safety In Obedience vs. Danger in Private Interpretation Our text says we are to obey Christ's commands! The Lord Jesus has commanded us to preach the gospel to the whole world, but He has never given His Divine authority to any descendant of Adam to interpret His Word. The descendants of Adam include every one of the apostles. The Apostle Peter said in 2PE 1:20-21, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." Who is he speaking about in that verse? He is speaking about the apostles, the prophets, Moses, and every person who was inspired to write the Word of God. Listen to what he tells us in Verse 20. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Every word of God is pure; it is written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The apostles were never authorized to add their interpretation and nor are we. We are not to add to it; the moment we start adding our private interpretation to the Word of God, we are adding to His Word. Anytime we start interpreting the Word of God, we are teaching the doctrines of men, not the Word of God. When we begin to think of any man as an authority, we must come back to what Jesus said in MAT 28:18. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power [all authority and dominion] is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Take notice of the word all; every word of God is pure. We may not eliminate the word all. If one goes back into the original language, the word power means "authority, power, principalities, reigning power." Jesus has not dispatched that authority to any one human being. "All authority" is given unto Him. Jesus said, "whatsoever I command you." Don't let any man add to it or subtract from it because that alters the Word of God. Look at the word I, and let's see why that is so important. He is infallible; whatsoever He shall bid you--do! Whatsoever the Word of God bids you, do it. He will bid you no error, but a church of fallible men can still err. We come under church leadership knowing that church leaders will err. For this reason the doctrines of the church may not go beyond or add to the doctrines of Scripture. History teaches us how churches may begin well founded upon God's Word, but when they begin to use private interpretations of the Word of God instead of preaching, "Thus Saith the Lord," they slide into apostasy. Every church on this earth which began on the solid foundation of His Word has fallen from the truth and slid into apostasy when they begin to add their private interpretations of God's Word. Let me show you what I am talking about. Moses gave the law of God; he gave the oracles of God. By the time the Lord Jesus Christ was born, the scribes and Pharisees who were His followers, had added so many private interpretations to the Word that Jesus called them hypocrites. What happened? They apostatized or fell away from the faith. They were so strict; they interpreted the law, and the more they interpreted the law, the more they substituted the commandments of men for God's law. The Lord Jesus told them that they taught commandments of men, not His commandments. We must do what He commands us; that means we must study the Word of God. Don't hang your obedience upon the philosophy of any individual's private interpretation of the Word; he twists it to mean what he wants it to say. If it doesn't say it in the Word, it is stuff that fits in the round file (the garbage can). We must put away on a shelf what we believe until we can establish that it is the Word of God without any additions or private interpretations. ISA 29:13-14 says, "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men [They began serving the Lord based on the commandments of men, and they forsook the law of God as it is in the Word.]: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." Now take notice of what Jesus said in MAT 11:20. "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not." Then in Verse 25 Jesus spoke of those who taught their formula of salvation without repentance, saying, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." The wise and prudent of whom Jesus spoke were the teachers, the leaders of the church, who have apostatized because they have interpreted the Word of God to such an extent that it was no longer the Word of God at all! It was the works of men. We read of this same thing in ISA 29:13-14. It was the blind leading the blind. Why? They were interpreting the Word of God. The slavish fear of God, which is taught by man's empty interpretation of God's Word, leads to legalism instead of repentance or doing that which Jesus commands. "Their fear toward me [God] is taught by the precept of men." The scribes and Pharisees had the people doing all manner of things in a legalistic way. They interpreted God's law to mean the people could move something the size of a fig on the Sabbath, but some thing the size of two figs could not be moved. They interpreted the law to such an extent they ended up with nothing but confusion; it was not the law of God at all. Jesus said they were like a sepulcher full of dead men's bones. The Lord had left them over to blindness; it happened because they interpreted rather than unfolded the Word of God. Take notice of today's churches and see the legalism that has resulted; they are interpreting the Word. They not only have women in the pulpit when the Word says, "No!" There are even lesbians in the pulpit in places. They are generalizing and interpreting God's Word; the Lord has left them over to blindness. Homosexuals are not only full-fledged members of the church and accepted in their lifestyle, but they are allowed in the pulpit. To such an extent, God has left them to be apostatized by their own interpreting of the Word of God. It is astonishing to read articles defending some of these practices. One article said that the Apostle Paul had written in 1TI 2:11, "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection," because the women of that time were ignorant. Now, however, they have learned as the Apostle Paul had instructed them to do, and therefore, they may be in the pulpit. That is interpreting; that is human reasoning. It is not what the Word of God says. God's Word specifically says why women are to be silent in the churches in the following verses. "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression," 1TI 2:12-14. The Word of God says, "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church," 1CO 14:34-35. That is what the Bible says, and there is a very specific reason for it. Interpreting the Scriptures to mean what human reasoning desires leads to legalism and commandments of men. The Lord Jesus Christ says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," JOH 15:14. Christ is the Word, and it is important to understand that it is the Word of God that we have as our authority. 1TI 1:4-7 says, "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." When the verse talks of charity, it brings us right back to what the Lord Jesus commands us. Charity is thinking of our fellow man in the best possible light. According to the original language, the word charity means the law of love, loving God above all and our neighbour as ourselves. "Now the end [intent or purpose] of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling." Do you see what they had done? They turned from the Word of God; it brought them into vain jangling. They had a following. "...Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." They desired to be teachers of the law, but they were not following the commandments of God. We must remember Christ has not surrendered His high position of "all authority" to any man. He has not delegated His authority to any human being. Therefore, it matters not who is in the pulpit, it behooves us to be as wise as the men of Berea. I admonish every person who ever comes under the sound of the gospel to be as wise as the men of Berea. What did they do? ACT 17:11-12 says, "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Anytime we come under the sound of the gospel, we must go back and search the Scriptures daily to confirm whether those things are so. Verse 12 continues, "Therefore [See the connecting word!] many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few." The men of Berea were wise enough to take the teachings they had heard and confirm them in the Scriptures, "Therefore, many of them believed." God is so jealous of His Word. That is where we are to find His will; that is where we will find what He wants us to do. If you have the Word of God, you have all the authority you need even if all people contradict you. In reading a Scripture passage, don't lose the central theme of the verse by overlooking those little connecting words which tie the context of the verse to the previous verses. It is also vitally important to remain in the context of other supporting Scriptures. Unless the Scriptures are held in context, the meaning is lost. Any interpretation outside of its context is a perversion of God's Word. People have many doctrines; people say, "Yes, but I believe.... Yes, I was raised in that doctrine; there is this book by this authority, and that book by that authority, and I would tremble to think I'd have enough insight to question such an old divine." Then we begin believing more yet, but how much of it is outside of the Word of God? It becomes most awesome when we come to realize how much of our religion is a religion outside of the Bible! This is how our souls are brought into bondage. Recently I was reading a book. It contains such bondage as I have never seen before. Its teaching seems to be that depression is Godliness; that isn't what my Bible says. Jesus says in our text, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Godliness is to love God with our heart, our soul, and our mind. Look what Jesus says in JOH 14:23, "If a man love me [To love Him is Godliness, now Jesus says `if any man love me'], he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." In this book, the interpretations they make void the gospel commandments in the Word of God! The result is people who are 60, 70, 80, and 90 years old are still refusing to be admonished to repent of their rebellion against God, or cry unto God for mercy because they have been taught that it has to be given. What blindness! If they really felt the urgency of their need for repentance to be given, they would storm the throne of God's grace without rest until it is given. We read of Jacob in GEN 32:26, "And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." It makes me shudder to see how God's Word is interpreted with such human reasoning. Many people have interpreted the Bible all their lives without ever once going back into the Word of God "...to see if these things were so"; they have used Scripture out of context to prove their pet theories. PRO 30:5-6 says, "Every word of God is pure...Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." That is the standard we must use; read it out of the Word of God. If you are going to teach me this philosophy or this doctrine, read it to me right out of the Word of God. If it isn't there, I don't want to hear it. I don't want interpretation. Don't tell me, "Oh, but you have to look at this objectively and that subjectively." It gets so mysterious that some expert who has some special insight must be summoned to interpret it. No, the Word of God is preached by Jesus Christ in language common to shepherds, farmers, merchants, each in the language they understand. Why? It makes the Word so simple that you and I can understand it. It doesn't take someone with a Doctorate in Theology to be able to read, and understand, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." This verse is in such plain and simple language that it doesn't need interpreting. Regardless how holy the attempt may seem, every man who attempts to legislate by interpreting God's Word has violated the clear example left us by our Saviour. He is the Word. We see an example of this as Jesus is tempted. Notice the authority given in His reply. MAT 4:3-4 tells us, "And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Notice that the authority given by Christ is: "It is written." It contains no interpretation. Here we have the Son of God who is the Word, and He says, "It is written." Jesus did not refer to some authority who was a scholar in theology, i.e., some scribe or Pharisee who had years of research and was so fully prepared to interpret the Word of God. No! Jesus called them hypocrites. It is so simple, so easy to understand. "It is written," and He quoted the Word of God verbatim. No interpretation is needed, and what He said was so powerful it put Satan to flight. Also recognize Satan's craftiness in quoting the Word out of context to interpret it! See another example of our Saviour and how He refuted Satan's attempt to interpret the Word to Christ. Satan took the Word of God out of context, twisted it, and interpreted it to fit his designs. MAT 4:5-7 says, "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written [Satan was taking the Word out of context, twisting it, and interpreting it], He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Satan was trying to cause our Saviour to sin through the use of slightly a slightly altered Word and his interpretation. Consider Jesus' response; "It is written again," Jesus didn't interpret or re-interpret even though He had the authority to do so. The authority cited by the Lord Jesus Christ is in the Word. Now, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Don't get into interpretations of the Word; all we need is the pure, simple Word. Remember, friends of Jesus, His supremacy rules your heart and thoughts always! If He is your Lord, He commands you everywhere; it is not only in your religious thought or life or in your home. He is your Master and Lord, even when you are at work, planning or transacting your business, making a financial statement, or when you are doing anything that pertains to this life. Don't forget that He is your Lord. Don't connive or twist things so you can get an advantage over your fellow man. Remember His command. "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you," JOH 15:12. This is synonymous with the royal law in MAT 7:12, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." When you are in private or in the public's eye, your life must be controlled by the golden rule. A soldier in the military may have a furlough, but a soldier of Christ never does; friends of Jesus never get from under the command of the Captain of our salvation! If we are true friends of Jesus, His will is our greatest source of happiness and our highest delight. In JOH 14:20-21 we read, "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." Our text says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." We are not our own master because Christ has redeemed us from all iniquity. We can no longer serve self; we are not our own. We are to do what He commands, not what worldly things may please us. We have been bought at a great price, and we are to glorify God in our walk of life and in our actions. 1CO 6:19-20 says, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." Until we can resign ourselves unto an unconditional surrender to the will of Christ as Master as well as Saviour, we are not His friend. HEB 13:20-21 teaches us, "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will. [That means you are to be under absolute surrender to the will of Christ as your King and Master.] working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." By the work of regeneration, the Holy Spirit works within you to will and do His good pleasure. He gives you that new desire. Our Saviour places the word do as the pivotal point of the gospel! Our text says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." See how our Saviour concluded the most blessed sermon that has ever been preached. The conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount is found in MAT 7:21-24. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you [They did not do His will.]: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock." But now see what a contrast that is with those who do not DO His sayings. MAT 7:26-27 says, "And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." Foolish church leaders were trying to interpret the Word of God; they thought Christ was teaching a strange doctrine because He taught the authority of the Word. MAT 7:28-29 says, "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." Possibly the most astonishing part of the truth Jesus spoke in His Sermon on the Mount for the church leaders was MAT 5:20, "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." True Christian liberty is to find the freedom there is to be had by coming under the yoke of Christ as we see in MAT 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Amen. |
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