Be His Friend
To experience a deeper friendship with God, we must enter into discipleship, learn to love through service, and follow His will.
Mary Wilder Tileston emphasizes the importance of keeping God's word to experience His perfected love within us, as a sign that we are truly in Him. She highlights the concept that serving others is serving Christ, and that through acts of love and compassion, we are fulfilling our friendship with Him. Tileston also points out that love cannot be forced, but by immersing ourselves in the presence of the lovable and engaging in discipleship and service, we can learn to love as Christ did, eventually being called friends by Him.
Text
Whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in Him.
2 John 5
I have called you friends.
JOHN 15:15
THE hands that tend the sick tend Christ; the willing feet that go on errands of love, work for Christ; the words of comfort to the sorrowful, and of sympathy to the mourner, are spoken in the name of Christ--Christ comforts the world through His friends. How much have you done for Him? What sort of a friend have you been to Him? God is working through His people; Christ is succoring through His friends--it is the vacancies in the ranks of His friends wherein the mischief lies: come and fill one gap.
ARTHUR F. WINNINGTON INGRAM
IT is true that love cannot be forced, that it cannot be made to order, that we cannot love because we ought, or even because we want. But we can bring ourselves into the presence of the lovable. We can enter into Friendship through the door of Discipleship; we can learn love through service; and the day will come to us also, when the Master's word will be true, "I call you no longer servant, but friend."
HUGH BLACK
Through His will, loved and done, lies the path to His love.
ANDREW MURRAY
Sermon Outline
- The Nature of Friendship with God points: - Perfection of God's love in those who keep His word - Knowing we are in Him through this love
- Christ's Invitation to Friendship points: - He calls us friends - Working through His people, succoring through friends
- The Path to Friendship points: - Entering into friendship through discipleship - Learning love through service
- The Key to God's Love points: - Through His will, loved and done
Key Quotes
“The hands that tend the sick tend Christ; the willing feet that go on errands of love, work for Christ; the words of comfort to the sorrowful, and of sympathy to the mourner, are spoken in the name of Christ--Christ comforts the world through His friends.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“Through His will, loved and done, lies the path to His love.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“I call you no longer servant, but friend.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We can show our love for God by serving others and following His will.
- Entering into discipleship and learning to love through service can help us experience a deeper friendship with God.
- Following God's will and doing what He has commanded is the key to experiencing His love.