Jesus' Friends.
Zion's Advocate, November 1903, Vol., No.
"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." - John 15:14.A friend is one who is closely attached to another by sentiments of affection, respect, and esteem. Friendship is a state of peace and intimate communion. Something of an equality between the parties is implied in their being friends. Their interests are mutual to the extent of their friendship. Each is gratified in seeking the good of the other.
Enmity, instead of friendship, is the attitude of sinful creatures, in an unchanged state, toward their Creator. "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Romans 8:7. The carnal mind is one that has never been made spiritual by the indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit. It is also called being in the flesh, for it is said in the next verse, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." To be in the flesh and to have a carnal mind, then, is the same thing. Paul then said, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you." Not to have the Spirit of God dwelling in us is to be in the flesh; to be in the flesh is to have only a carnal mind, and to have only a carnal mind is to be enmity against God.
Whatever friendship is brought about between God and such as are thus enmity against him cannot originate with those sinful creatures. To say that he sent Jesus into the world to suffer and die for sinners, and then left it with them to make choice of him, is absurd. It is utterly impossible for one to choose that against which he is enmity. If that had been the plan, Jesus would never have had any friends and his suffering and death would have been in vain. Enmity cannot change itself into friendship, and would have no disposition to do so if it could. Those who preach that God has done all that he intends to do for the sinner in providing a Saviour, and now requires the sinner to make the start, preach a system that will never save a sinner who is enmity against God. The very thing to be done in the start is to change the mind from enmity to friendship, from hatred to love, and the sinner can no more do that than he can create a world.
This change is not produced by commands, arguments, threats or exhortations. If one were sensible that another hated him he would not think of trying to induce him to love him by commanding hm to do so, or by arguing the expediency of it, or by threatening him with punishment for his hatred, or by exhorting him to love. The fallacy of all this is apparent to all thinking minds. While God commands all to love him, shows the best of reasons why they should, and threatens those who continue in a state of hatred with everlasting destruction, he seeks not to produce the necessary change by these means. Those who are in the flesh are never exhorted to get into the Spirit; those who are enmity against him are never exhorted to change that enmity into love; the natural are never exhorted to become spiritual or to perform spiritual service.
The friendship and love of those who are friends to Jesus and really love him did not originate with them. Their loving him is not the cause of his loving them. The very reverse of this is true. They love him because he first loved them. Their friendship did not win his, but his friendship won theirs. They were enmity against him till he shed abroad his love in their hearts. Thus the enmity was driven out and love was implanted. For this reason Jesus says in the verse following our text, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." It is by this means that all who ever become the friends of Jesus are brought into this blessed friendship.
It is wonderful to think that Jesus, holy, spotless Jesus, purer than the heavens and infinitely higher than the angels, should seek and win the friendship of wicked rebels, polluted with guilt and black with crimes! It is a wonder of wonders that he should suffer, bleed and die to accomplish this strange end. The only solution to the problem is that it was all done for the display of his own mercy, justice, power and glory. This is all the more apparent when we consider that those for whom he suffered, bled and died are finally to inherit a glorified state with him, where they will be as pure and holy as he. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"
The human family has ever been divided, some being enemies of the Lord while others are his friends. Our present standing before our Maker can be determined by ascertaining whether our minds are in an attitude of enmity against him or love for him. Our spiritual state in regard to life and death can have no degrees, yet there are degrees of evidences or manifestations of both states. All who are dead in sins are enmity against God, but that enmity is more strongly felt and more bitterly shown in some than it is in others. All those who are quickened by the Spirit love the Lord, but that love is more sensibly realized and plainly shown in some than in others. This love also varies in the same person, sometimes filling the heart to overflowing, while at other times it is scarcely felt. Distress felt when the flame of love burns low,
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