The privileges of Christ’s friends.

The Privileges of Christ’s friends.

John  15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

It is a great privilege to be a follower of Christ. This is because, it gives you the privilege of being His friend and to know, infallible immutable eternal truths, that, the world,  the unbelievers don’t know.

These unbelievers are blind to eternal infallible truths.

Matthew  15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Listen to some of the things they don’t know anything about.

2 Corinthians  4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Matthew  13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;  13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;  13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.  13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.  13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;  13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Matthew 23:16
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Matthew 23:17
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

Matthew 23:19
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

Matthew 23:24
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Matthew 23:26
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

John 9:39
And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

John 9:40
And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?

John 9:41
Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Ephesians 4:18
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Revelation  3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.  3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Listen to what Jesus heard from the Father and passed them to all His followers of all ages 

John  5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John  8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

Hosea  4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Isaiah  5:13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.  5:14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

John  8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Acts  10:42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

1 John  3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.  3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Acts  17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:  17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Matthew  4:4 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.

Matthew  6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew  7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  7:21 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.  7:22 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?  7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Matthew  16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew  24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.  24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.  24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.  24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.  24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.  24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.  24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.  24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.  24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.  24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.  24:25 Behold, I have told you before.  24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.  24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:  24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.  24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:  24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.  24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.  24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.  24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.  24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,  24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  24:41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Mark  9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:  9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:  9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:  9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Luke  12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

John  5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

John  14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Beloved,  because you are His followers and have become His friend, what will you do with all the eternal infallible immutable words, He has told you?

Exodus  24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.

John  2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

John  15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

The reason for this is because:

Matthew  24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

John  12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.  12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.  12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Receive grace to be doer of His words and not hearers alone.

James  1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.  1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Let us pray.