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Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
by Tom Kelley
"A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet." This little statement is probably familiar to most of us because of what it declares. No matter what you call something it is still going to have that certain air. A rose's scent is a dead giveaway that the flower you are smelling is a rose. How's this? "A skunk by any other name will still make you gack." How did that hit you? Good or bad, things are what they are. They are identifiable. They are plain. They are familiar enough that we have no doubt what they are; until it comes to the things of God.
"You are my friends if you do whatever I command you." John 15:14 I have searched and searched and have not found the justification for us to Biblically call Jesus our friend. There is a lot written that intimates the decision on Jesus' part to call us His friends, but nowhere does He say that He is our friend. It seems to follow, doesn't it? If we are someone's friend then that person is our friend. Which is the greater bragging point? Is it greater to claim Jesus as our friend, or is it greater to say that we are Jesus' friends?
Jesus answers this question Himself in verse 16. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." Given that understanding, where does the importance lie? Is it important for Jesus to be our friend or for us to be His friend? He did His job unilaterally. We laid no conditions for either His love or friendship. Yet, He went to the cross with sacrifice and contrition in obedience to His Father. And what then does He ask of us? To do whatever He commands.
Did we know we needed saving before we had a Savior? No. If we had we would have sought one rather than accept one. That is not friendship that is propitiation. Jesus did what was needed to be done in order for God to be happy with us. That is not friendship that is obedience, but to God, not us. Jesus did what He did for us by God's direction, not our desire. Did He do it to be our friend? No. He did it to be our Savior. That was our greatest need. We did not need a friend, therefore, God did not give us one in His Son.
Look at it again. Jesus' need is not be our friend, but for us to be His friends. "You are my friends if you do whatever I command you." Jesus has a world to save, not one with which to be friends. He desperately needs feet, hands and voices. Feet to "go into all the world." Hands to "give one of these little ones a cup of cold water." Voices to "preach the gospel to every creature." He needs us to obey whatever he has commanded us. A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. And to Jesus, a friend by any other name would still be obedient to whatever he has commanded us.
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...He was the Minister of the Minorsville Christian Church located near Stamping Ground, KY.
...Becky and Tom have three children; John, single and in worship ministry in Nicholasville, Kentucky; Sean, married (Jennifer, elementary school teacher) with twins (Grace and Patrick, b.d. 10/31/04) and regional director of Papa John's Pizza in Central KY; Kara, married (Vince Taylor, prison guard) and working with Hospice East in Winchester, KY.
...Tom went to be with the Lord on November 13, 2009 after a lengthy battle with cancer. If you have been touched by Tom's writings please send an email to Tom's son at jkelley@catalystchristian.net
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