More than a savior, a friend

We have a problem in many sects of religion where we create a division between us and God because of His greatness. We call Him savior and show respect and honor but in scripture He calls us friend.

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.” (John 15:13-15, NLT)

And He did exactly that for us, He died on the cross so that we His friends may live. And as scripture tells us in Matthew 27:51 the veil was torn; The veil, being a curtain that was used to separate us from the holy place.

Christ went from a savior that had a veil to separate us, to limit our access to Him, and chose to become our faithful friend withholding nothing from us. Because of His love for us, we now have access to every resource that He had. Direct access to the Father, the power of the Holy Spirit, and to a true relationship with Him, where we are not separated by tradition or religion. We are not kept out by the difference in His greatness and our meekness; no, the only thing that can hold us back from God, is our unwillingness to lay down our flesh to follow Him, and our fear of failure.

So I end with this, Be strong and courageous, seek out relationship with the Father, and know that His desire is simply to be close with His children whom He dearly loves and is well pleased!

Justin Gardner is the senior pastor at River of Life Fellowship in Sandpoint. He can be reached at sandpointriver@gmail.com.