DAILY DEVOTION, August 17, 2021

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 (John 15:15 NKJV).

The word translated as “servant” is the usual Greek word for “slave” (doulos). Elsewhere in Scripture, Christians are called slaves (for example, see Romans 6:15-20, where the word “slave” is used repeatedly). So, we remain slaves of Jesus, people under obligation to obey Him. But we are also friends of Jesus. We know what Jesus is all about because we possess the divine revelation of His life, death, and resurrection in the Bible.

We are slaves ruled by a Master who is also our friend. We have a Master who loves us and who wants nothing except good for us. And so we sing, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.” We need not fear Him. Instead, we can draw near to Him as we draw near to a friend. Friends here on earth are wonderful. Being a friend of Jesus is wonderful on steroids! Father, I thank you Jesus is my  Master who loves me and calls me His friend. I want to serve Him to the best of my ability. Amen.