John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Bible Reading for A Year [bible]prove1[/bible]; [bible]revel7[/bible]; [bible]esthe7-8[/bible]
In the Garden of Eden, we see an ideal relationship between God and human. Adam and Eve enjoyed the intimate friendship. There were no rites, ceremony, nor religion—there was only simple love. There’s no feeling of guilt or fear—they related blissfully. But right after Adam and Eve’s fall, humans will not only dies due to falling into sin, but also lose friendship with God; they become His enemy, indeed.
However, God’s coming into this world changed everything. When He died upon the cross to redeem human who had fallen into sin, the Temple of God’s veil was torn apart, as a symbol that there’s no more obstacle for human to rebuild the lovely relationship with God, as a friend. That’s the reason why Jesus said, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.” God yearns to rebuild that blissful relationship; He wants to get the friendship with humans.
Now, there is a way into the lovely relationship with God, which is through His only Son, Jesus Christ. Because, through Jesus’ sacrifice, we, the sinful humans, are justified and sanctified. Through grace in Jesus Christ’ sacrifice that God offered to all humans, He invites us to rebuild intimate friendship with Him, just like what He has designed since the beginning; without rites, ceremony, nor religion. Only simple relationship in love.
Through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross, God offers a sincere and lovely relationship to human beings.