Wednesday, February 22, 2017

No Longer Do I Call You Servants (LS46)

        'Last Sermon of Jesus'
John 15:15 "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."
    When we love one another and keep His commands we will no longer be His servants (slaves) but His friends.

Rom 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
    The moment we accept the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, our sins are cleansed by His blood and we put on His righteousness. The Holy Spirit then dwells within us as our seal of our redemption. We must repent of our sins and become the slaves (servants) of God by obeying Him and His words.
1Pet 4:1-3 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

Rom 6:17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
    After becoming a Christian, we will find that we are still worldly and carnal for we are still the slaves of sin. We thank God that if we keep to the right doctrines, we will be free from sin.

Rom 6:22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
   Having become slaves to God, we must bear the fruits of repentance and the fruit of the Holy Spirit which will lead us to holiness. Unless we are holy, our Lord Jesus cannot baptize us with the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of truth, who will lead and teach us all truth.

1Pet 1:13-15 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.

 Blessing being a friend of Jesus
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
    God told Abraham His friend, of the impending judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. Similarly, if we are His friends, then He will reveal to us of things to come, especially end time signs and events if we are living in the last days. Not only that, He will guide us into all truth so that we can appreciate and understand His teachings, wisdom, words and will. Finally, we will be helping Him to rule all His creation as His kings for He is the King of Kings and Lord of lords.

Brethren,  since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. (1Pet 1:22)