John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Jesus makes a distinction between a slave or servant and a friend. A slave does not get a great deal of information from his or her master. The master tells you what to do, and you do not ask, “Exactly how does this fit into your plan? What are you up to?” No, if you are only a servant, you may only obey blindly with no real insight into the heart or the desires or the plans of the master.
Jesus says to his disciples that he has not treated them as slaves, because he has let them into his plans. He has told them what he is up to. HE has revealed to them everything that the Father has intended for them to know. He has given them insight into the deepest truths in the universe. He has filled them in on what God is doing. And this filling them in is what makes them more than slaves, it makes them friends.
Now, which would you rather be, a slave or a friend? I think that is obvious, we want to be Jesus’ friends. But let me ask you, do you really treasure the concept of being called Jesus’ friend? Do you want to take advantage of the true joy that is available to you in being the friend of God? If so, then you will take advantage of what makes you more than a slave. What is that? It is the revelation of God: the Bible.
Jesus says that his disciples are his friends because they are privy to the will of the Father. You and I have the very same revelation available to us. God has recorded for us his will, his plan, his purposes in his living and active word. God has made us his friends by giving us insight into who he is and what he is doing. And all that insight is contained in the Bible.
Are you a Bible reader? Are you a student of the Scriptures? Do you love your Bible? Do you make looking into the Bible a priority on a regular, a daily basis? If so, you are taking advantage of what it means to be God’s friend. But if you are neglecting your Bible, if you are not reading it, studying it, and loving it, you are not taking advantage of the wonderful gift that God has given in order to make you his friend. If you want to be God’s friend, love and obey his word.
Pastor Travis Peterson 