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“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:14‬

It isn’t enough to abstain from evil. Just because we try to avoid sin - it will not make us friends of Jesus. We must obey Him in our pursuit of righteousness and friendship. 

It’s so hard just to attempt to remove sin from our lives. We can’t. It’s the impossible task. Take one thing out, another pops back in.  It is so defeating sometimes.  Frustration, anger, complaining, lying, pride - they get us from all sides. 

This is why it is so important to stay in God’s Word. Our Bible reading replaces the sin thoughts and actions in our life. We have to stay strong and stay in the Bible. 

In addition, we must be obedient to God. The verse above reminded the disciples that IF they wanted to be friends with Jesus they must obey His commands.

In order to obtain one you had to do the other. It wasn’t the fine print in the contract. It was the contract. 

When we are in God’s presence - either in His word or in prayer - we are not disobeying Him. And in order for us to know what God’s commands are, we have to be in His word. 

If you struggle to stay in your Bible - make it the first thing you do everyday. The Bible will become important when you make it important. 

“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:15‬