An intimate relationship - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

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.
John 15:13–14

An intimate relationship
The Lord Jesus calls believers His friends. He does so to draw their attention to a special privilege.

First, He speaks of the greatest love that someone can have – demonstrated by laying down his life for his friends. By this He means Himself and what He has done for us. This is not about the sovereign love of God for sinful people, but about the love of the Lord for His friends, and that is us! Thus, the basis of our relationship of trust with the Lord Jesus is His inconceivably great love.

Then our side is addressed: “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” The Lord now declares that we secure our place as His friends through our obedience. He can only treat us as His friends when He sees that we want to obey His commands.

Finally, the Lord Jesus draws a comparison between servants and friends: “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.” He wants to take us into His confidence and share with us what is on His heart.

The privileged place as friends of the Lord Jesus is open to all of us because of His love and through our obedience. Shouldn’t it be our desire to live in this intimate relationship with our Lord?

Today’s reading: Genesis 15:1-21 · 2 Peter 3:1-10