What A Friend We Have In Jesus.
Many believers gladly sing, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” rejoicing in all that Christ has done for them. Yet there is a question that every disciple must honestly answer: Have we understood what friendship with Jesus means from His perspective? Jesus did not leave the definition of friendship to human opinion. He declared: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:14)
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus spoke plainly about what it means to follow Him. His invitation was extended to everyone, but His conditions were unmistakable. He offered eternal life, forgiveness, and peace with Almighty God, yet He also called people to repentance, self-denial, wholehearted surrender, and unwavering obedience.
True friendship with Jesus Christ is never established by our emotion, religious activity, or through our verbal profession alone. In reality, our friendship with Jesus must be demonstrated by a heart that willingly submits to His authority. Genuine faith always produces obedience because it trusts the One who speaks.
Jesus also said: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 15:10). Here Jesus reveals the divine pattern. He perfectly obeyed the Father and now calls His followers to walk the same path. Obedience does not earn His love; it is the evidence that we are abiding in it.
The friendship offered by the world is built on compromise and self-will. Whereas the friendship offered by Christ leads to holiness. The world says, “Follow your heart.” Jesus says, “Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” One path exalts self and ends in destruction; the other exalts Almighty God and leads to eternal life.
Modern Christianity often celebrates the blessings of following Jesus while remaining strangely silent about the cost. Jesus never separated the two. The gift of salvation is freely given, but the life of discipleship always requires surrender. Every believer must therefore ask:
- Is Jesus truly my Lord, or merely someone I admire?
- Do I obey Him only when it suits me, or even when obedience costs me my comfort, reputation, relationships, or ambition?
- Have I accepted the Jesus revealed in the Gospels, or have I created a Jesus who asks nothing of me?
These are not difficult questions invented by men; they are the searching words of Jesus Christ Himself. To call Jesus a friend while resisting His commands is self-deception. But to surrender completely to His Lordship is to know the greatest privilege imaginable: to walk with the Son of God, abide in His love, and be transformed into His likeness.
Yes, this friendship of Christ is costly, but its reward is eternal. The question is no longer whether Jesus is willing to be your Friend. He has already proved His love at the cross.
The question is whether you are willing to be His friend on His terms. “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:14)