ATTRIBUTES OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP

John 15:12-17 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, that ye love one another.

The Bible says a great deal about the kind of friendships we should have.

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Proverbs 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

There are Wrong Friendships:

Deut 13:6-8 If thy…friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods,... ⁸ Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:

Prov 1:8-16 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:.. ¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. ¹¹ If they say, Come with us,... ¹⁴ Cast in thy lot among us;... ¹⁵ My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: ¹⁶ For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

Prov 22:24-25 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

GREAT CAUTION: James 4:4 Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

In the Bible there have been a few men honored by being addressed as the friend of God.

James 2:23 states, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Exodus 33:11 says, The LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.   What about men like Enoch, Noah & David?

There is another man in the Bible that stands out to us as a friend of God; his name is John! He was the disciple that...

• Sat nearest the Lord Jesus in the upper room.
• He followed Jesus into the high priest palace.
• He stood at the foot of the cross.
• He out ran Peter to the empty tomb.
• He was the first to recognize Jesus on the shore of Galilee.
• He followed Jesus without having to be called. 
• Four times in John’s gospel, John is called “the disciple that Jesus loved.”

Jesus is our very best friend. As we consider Jesus – our best friend, I want us to examine the attributes of true friendship.

1.   TRUE FRIENDS ARE LOYAL TO ONE ANOTHER (v 14). Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Entellomai = Enjoin, direct, instruct, charge.

You may say you're not sure about  a friend with expectations, but the fact is - all friendships come with expectations.

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except thy be agreed?

Isaiah 1:18 Come lets us reason together…

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times...

An important observation about this friendship. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (v 13).

Why should we follow Jesus?

·     Jesus had a noble goal in life. John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

·   Jesus had right priorities. John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

·      Jesus had a high purpose. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

What does Jesus desire for your life? John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

2.   TRUE FRIENDS ARE NOT ASHAMED OF ONE ANOTHER (v 15-16). Hence-forth I call you not servants;… I have called you friends... I have chosen you.

Jesus is not ashamed of you! Neither should we be ashamed of Him! Rom 1:16; 5:5; 9:33; 10:11.

1 John 2:28 Little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Hebrews 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

I have never had a reason to be ashamed of Jesus, though I have given many reasons for Him to be ashamed of me.

Hebrews 2:11 He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

3.   TRUE FRIENDS KNOW ONE ANOTHER’S HEART (v 15). I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Jesus has revealed to us...

·      True Love (3:16).

·      True Liberty (8:31-32).

·      Eternal Life (10:10).

·      Hope (14:1-3).

·      Peace (14:27).

·      Joy (15:11).

Jesus invites us to open our hearts to Him!  John 14:12-14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.      ¹³ And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If ye...ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

4.   TRUE FRIENDS LAST A LIFE TIME (v 12-14). This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

John 13:1 When Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

He is with us still! John 14:25-27 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Will you go through life with Him? John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.