BeyondSeeLevel

John 16:27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

God loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. This is the universal, sacrificial love that He gives all men. That whosoever believes in Him will be saved. This is the love that led Jesus to die on the cross despite and in spite of us. It’s the kind of love that we have absolutely nothing to do with. We didn’t earn it. Neither did we deserve it.

He loves us because He is love.

Romans 5:8 God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The love in John 16:27, makes it a little more personal. It’s, what I will call, the next level of love. It’s personal because this love is a “because of kind of love”. Not because you’re so good. Not because you’ve earned it. And not because you deserve it. But this is a “because of kind of love” simply because, as His child, you now belong to Him.

In the Greek, this love is a friendship kind of love. “Phileo”

It’s where the city of Philadelphia gets its nickname “the city of brotherly love”.

Jesus is letting us know that because we have chosen friendship with Him as our Savior, we have also chosen friendship with God. And because we love Him, God loves us.

The agape, sacrificial love is a big deal. But we can’t benefit from it unless and until we say “yes” to the invitation of the gospel. And once we say yes to Jesus, and obey the gospel of Christ that saves us and brings us into fellowship with Jesus and God, He then loves us on a whole other level that’s personal.

Agape love opens the door to phileo love.

We then have access to blessings that are only for those that are in Christ Jesus. You don’t get access to these blessings outside of Christ.Are you in Christ?

Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Every individual in this world has been blessed by God. Whether they acknowledge Him as Savior or not. But because we are His children; because we are in Christ, we have access to blessings that they only belong to His children.

Matthew 5:45 For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just in the unjust.

Sidenote: Even as His children, there is a possibility that we can block access to the blessings that He wants to give to us because of our own disobedience. So yes, we can forfeit blessings from God because of our own sin, even as His children.

2 Corinthians 6:14 What fellowship does righteousness have with unrighteousness? And what communion does light have with darkness?

In other words, you can’t live in darkness/sin and be in fellowship with the light. Jesus is the Light of the world.

This phileo love draws and drafts us into friendship with God.

John 15:13-15 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 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.

Unlike our human friendships, friendship with God is perfect and complete. As good of a friend as we try to be to others, we’ll never be the perfect friend because we’re not perfect. With all the best of intentions, we don’t always get it right.

Jesus is not like us!

Jesus is a faithful confidant at all times. You can tell Him your most private secrets. He’ll never look at you any differently because He knew your secret before it became your secret. He’s a loyal friend. He will never leave you or forsake you. Sometimes your friends can’t be there for you because they have needs of their own they may be struggling with. Not so with Jesus. He needs absolutely nothing. He’s all sufficient. He’s a trustworthy friend. He’s trustworthy because He can’t fail and He can’t lie. You can take Him at His word. He’s supportive in every way. He wants us to cast our cares on Him because He cares for us. He doesn’t waiver in His love for us when we’re tripping in ours for Him. He changes not! He’s not hot one day, then cold the next. He’s faithful even if we’re not.

This is the kind of love He gives His friends.

Are you a friend of Jesus?

If you are, then you are a friend of God’s. And know that this divine friendship with God comes with glorious benefits. It’s not like the world. Friends with benefits in the world will keep you separated from God in your sin. But friendship with Jesus will keep you in fellowship with Him and God.

Some of you may never have had a good friend. You may have never been able to go the distance with someone. Seasons change. People change. And even when you have had a good friend, the degree of closeness can change because life changes.

But I’m telling you …Jesus is not like your earthly friends.

Psalms 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.

If you try Him for real, life will never be the same for you. You’ll truly understand that He’s always with you and that you have full sufficiency in Him.

🎶There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus. No, not one. No, not one. None else could heal all our souls’ diseases. No, not one. No, not one Jesus knows all about our troubles. He will guide till the day is done. There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus. No, not one. No, not one.

If Jesus isn’t your best friend, He should be. He should be the first one you wanna talk to or vent to. He should be the first shoulder you cry on. He should be the first one you seek for counsel and advice. He should be the first one you ask for help. He should be the one you seek for refuge.

How do you get there?

Spend more time with Him. Talk to Him more. Make sure that you’re letting Him talk to you through the Word. Stay faithful and obey Him.

John 15:4 You abide in Me. And I will abide in you.

This epitomizes closeness and intimacy.

A good friend wants to see you happy. But a great friend wants to see you holy. Jesus is our greatest friend.

1 Peter 1:16 Be holy because He is holy.

That’s the love He gives His friends.

It’s a sanctifying love. A purifying love. A cleansing love.

You can be friends with someone and become defiled and worse off.

1 Corinthians 15:33 …Bad company corrupts good character.

But when you become a friend of God’s, you become clean and better off than before.

If being His friend wasn’t enough to make you shout, His love for us makes us part of His family!

In Mark 3, after Jesus chose His twelve apostles, they were so busy, they couldn’t even find time to eat. His mother and brothers, thinking their biological relationship to Jesus would give them privileged access to Him, sent word for Jesus to come out and speak with them.

Mark 3:35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus says not only are you my friend if you obey Me, but you are now My family if you do the will of My Father.

It’s such a beautiful thing to be friends with your family members. I know some biological siblings that are best friends. It’s a beautiful thing to witness. But for some, the thought of family doesn’t bring pleasant thoughts. And that’s understandable because people are flawed. Sometimes family can hurt you more than anyone else. But there’s no greater family than being in God’s family.

Ephesians 1:5 God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.

God is pleased that you are part of His family. He wanted you to be part of His family. As a child of the King, you are family to the God of heaven. The Great I am! And being in the family of God, makes you part of a royal family.

The love of Jesus has brought us into the family of God, Himself. He’s not loving us from afar. He’s loving us up close and personal.

Jesus says that we are His mother, brothers and sisters if we do the will of His Father.

Hebrews 2:11 He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

Do you realize that God knows absolutely everything about you and He still wants you? He knows every sin you’ve ever committed and He still loves you. He still pursues you because He wants you to be part of His family. He’s not ashamed of you at all. As a matter of fact, He calls you the apple of His eye.

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

God is intentional. He knew what He was doing before He even formed you in your mother’s womb. He created you to be His image-bearer. To be like Him! And He created you to become part of His family.

There’s no other identity you could ever have that is greater than being God’s image-bearer. There’s no greater family you can be part of than God’s family.

All this because He phileo loves us. He loves us up close and personal. And if we abide in Him, He will abide in us.

As children of the King, we are the bride of Christ. As a wife, I wouldn’t want to be married to a man that I don’t have a personal relationship with. I’m on one side of the house. He’s on the other.

Jesus didn’t take you as His bride just to say you’re His. You’re in the house. And that’s enough. He wants to abide with you. He wants you to know Him. He wants to do life with you. (Now and forever more) He wants intimacy with you.

John 16:27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

This love from Jesus is not a fluffy pat on the back of fellowship. Shake your hand. Give smile and a head nod. Then keep it moving. No!

This love says that because you’ve loved Jesus, God loves you up close and personal. Because you are a friend of Jesus, God is your friend. This love let’s you know that you can’t even have a relationship with God if you don’t have one with Jesus first.

As children of God, we have been truly blessed beyond measure. We should all strive to live lives that honor the friendship we have with Jesus. And we should live lives that bring honor to God and the family of God. Jesus loves us with a redeeming love.

Father God, You are awesome. You are wonderful. And we bless Your holy name. Thank You for loving us. Thank You for being our friend. Thank You for receiving us into Your family. I pray that we will be encouraged knowing that You love us so well! That You love is up close and personal!

In Jesus name, Amen

*Tressa Jo