"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 the Father I have made known unto you. 

                                                                                       -  John 15:15

        The word "friend" is the Greek word PHILOS, which refers to someone in your life that shares a bond of endearment with you. They are individuals who you look to as a close associate familiar with things in your life that are personal and endearing. They are more than acquaintances. They hold a place in your heart with affection. In the world that we live in, many times, people identify certain individuals as their friend, but do not maintain the closeness that is found in this word, PHILOS. They see certain ones through the eyes of past experiences, where they were once close, or with whom they shared something very special together. It is common, within our culture, to think of people as friends even though they are distances apart, or have very little contact or communication with each other. I guess, if we had to define our friends, we might think of some as best friends, close friends, somewhat friends, distant friends or even past friends.  

          Jesus said to his disciples, "I call you not servants...but I have called you friends (PHILOS)." How this must have registered upon their hearts! Having the opportunity to become friends with God is uniquely special. It is more than seeing him as Creator. It is more than seeing him as Almighty God! There grows a genuine closeness that helps build trust, as well as the values of endearment. Having this kind of encounter empowers us in a way that nothing else can. God is carefully composed to draw near to us just as we are composed to draw near to him. James chapter four, makes this same assessment: "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you..."(James 4:8). The Psalmist David said, "But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works" (Psa. 73:28).

          Abraham was one who had this unique position of being a friend of God. Isaiah said, "But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend" (Isa. 41:8). One of the most powerful characteristics of friendship is having a heart-to-heart relationship. PHILOS goes far beyond just the sense of engagement. It involves exposure to things within the heart. God made this clear in his association with Abraham when he said, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?" (Gen. 18:17, 18). There is a place we can reach, in our relationship with God through PHILOS, where the secrets of his heart do not require our entreaty. They come through intimacy. The prophet Amos declared, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). If this is true among his servants, how much more is it true among his friends!  

          Paul spoke with a certain affirmation, when he said, "I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord" (2 Cor. 12:1). God is disposed to reveal himself to his friends, and he will also expose his plans to those whose partnership with him maintains PHILOS.

          Where has your passion at becoming a friend of God led you? Has it brought to you a sense of discovery? Has it enabled you to enjoy moments of intimacy? Does he seek you out when he is about to do something in the earth, in revealing his secrets? These represent the values of a PHILOS friendship. God wants to make things known to you, because he values the relationship he seeks to have with you!