Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today, let’s unpack a friend’s love.

Today’s scripture, Proverbs 17:17 (ERV), shares wisdom that…
A friend loves you all the time, but a brother was born to help in times of trouble.

And in John 15:12-14 (NLT), Jesus said…
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 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.

Consider…
The wisdom shared in Proverbs 17:17 is a little perplexing to me. How does a friend love but not help, and a brother help but not love? Or why is a friend’s love constant, but a brother’s help situational?

There’s a saying that ‘blood’s thicker than water’, which I thought meant family bonds are stronger than friendships. However, when I looked the quote up, I discovered that’s actually a misquote. The actual quote is: ‘the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb’, meaning, chosen bonds are more stronger than blood relations. 🤯

This discovery made me think of Jesus saying He chose us in John 15:16. It also makes me think of Hebrews 12:24 (NLT), which says…
You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

Wow, this verse says the forgiving blood of our crucified Friend speaks louder than the crying blood of a murdered kin. 🤯 Whereas Cain killed his brother because of jealousy, Jesus gave His life because He is jealous for me. That last phrase tuned up the song written by John Mark McMillan in my ear…

He is jealous for me
Love’s like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us all

The song says, I realize how great Your affections are for me, which aligns with today’s second scriptural passage. Jesus said, “greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. I don’t know if we appreciate the significance of that statement. Jesus said that He died for His friends. This means Jesus voluntarily shed His blood for the friends He chose, not His chosen (Jews) family bloodline. This shows us that Salvation is propitiatory (intended to reconcile or appease) for everyone ( 1 John 2:2), rather than hereditary (conferred by or based on inheritance) for Jews only ( Colossians 3:11).

Oh, how He loves us! How He loves us all!

It’s truly a blessing to celebrate the love and friendship of Jesus, but I would be derelict if I didn’t equally emphasize His friendship requirement. He said we’re His friends ‘IF’ we do what He commands. And He told us that His command is to love each other as He loved us.

Loving others is the singularly most important, defining, and shared attribute of Jesus’ friends. In fact loving others appears the most consistent defining characteristic that God emphasizes as proof of our relationship with Him…

• As His Children (1 John 4:7)
• As His Disciples (John 13:35)
• As knowing we’re loved by Him (1 John 4:11)
• In obedience to Him (2 John 1:6)

The Holy Spirit directed me to 1 John 3:16‭-‬18 (ERV) to further expound on Jesus’ love expectation of His friends…
This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for each other as brothers and sisters. Suppose a believer who is rich enough to have all the necessities of life sees a fellow believer who is poor and does not have even basic needs. What if the rich believer does not help the poor one? Then it is clear that God’s love is not in that person’s heart. My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do.

It appears as though the Holy Spirit is telling us that others will know that Jesus’ love is true by the loving things that His friends do.

Hopefully today’s post expands our understanding of a friend’s love from God’s perspective. Jesus expects the great love He has shown us as His friends, to be extended to others for Him. Indeed our Lord and Savior is reminding us that we’re loved to love.

The Holy Spirit pointed out that it’s not a coincidence that the first Fruit He produces is love; because God is Love (1 John 4:8). And As branches attached to the Vine, we’re attached to love. In fact Jesus tells us to abide in His love (John 15:9). That means when we’re love others like our friend, we simply bring an extension of Him.

Which brings me to this close, asking this question from Holy Spirit, by way of Kirk Franklin…
Have you ever loved somebody?
Will you ever love somebody?
The way that Jesus loves you

Your answer will tell Jesus if you’re His friend or not.

Today’s song is…
Real Love

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)