¿Es Realmente Posible ser Amigo de Dios?

Servir es Bueno, pero la Amistad es Mejor

Amigo de Dios es una canción escrita por Israel Houghton y Michael Gungor. La escuché por primera vez en la grabación Let the Worshippers Arise [Que se Levanten los Adoradores] recording by Phillips, Craig & Dean released in 2004. It quickly became a very popular praise song, especially in churches that worship very demonstratively. Although the bridge proclaims that God is almighty and the Lord of Glory, the main focus of the song is to proclaim that “I am a friend of God.”

When I first heard the song, I was quite uncomfortable with it’s focus on “my” friendship with God. I remembered that God called Abraham his friend, but I could not envision Abraham jumping and shouting in praise about that honor. And I couldn’t think of a scripture that referred to anyone else as God’s friend.

Then I found it! In John 15:15 (NIV), Jesus tells his disciples, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Jesús llamó a Sus discípulos Sus amigos, no siervos. Si somos discípulos de Cristo, caminando en relación con Él, ¿es realmente posible que también seamos amigos de Dios?

Consider the definitions of friend and servant. A friend is someone who associates familiarly with another, a companion. A servant is a person who performs duties for others. But by metaphor, a servant is a person who gives himself up to another’s will. As applicable to Christianity, a servant is one whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among men.

In John 15:15, Jesus contrasts for his disciples being a servant and being a friend. Jesus assured the disciples that He calls them friends because He has shared with them everything Jesus had learned from the Father. As you read further, ask yourself, “In my relationship to God, am I a servant or am I a friend?”

¿Soy un siervo de Dios?

Be assured that being a servant is not all bad. Don’t assume that everyone wants to be a friend. There are those of us who prefer servanthood to friendship. In scripture, we find a lot of servants.

Jesus was a servant according to Matthew 12:18. When the Pharisees held a council against Him and Jesus knew it, He charged those He had healed that they should not make Him known and He quoted Isaiah the prophet saying, “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen ….” Also, Paul described Jesus as a servant, explaining He “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7).” Jesus was a servant. We are also to be servants as we become Christ-like.

Algunos de los escritores de las Escrituras se identificaron como siervos, como Santiago (Santiago 1:1), Pedro (2 Pedro 1:1) y Judas (Judas 1:1). En Apocalipsis 15:3, se identifica a Moisés como un siervo de Dios. Todos estos son siervos. Todos fueron obedientes a Dios y lograron grandes cosas. No hay vergüenza si nos analizamos a nosotros mismos y descubrimos que somos siervos de Dios.

Ser un buen siervo tiene sus beneficios.

• Mayores oportunidades para servir y ser bendecidos por el gozo del Señor. In the parable of the talents, after acknowledging two of the servants as being good and faithful, the master made them rulers over many things and invited them to enter into the master’s joy (Matthew 25:21 and 23).
• Basking in the master’s love and blessings. In Luke 7:2-3, the servant was a centurion’s servant. We might think there was little or no affection or respect between a master and his servant in Jesus’ day. However, in this example, the servant was very dear to the centurion. When the servant became ill, the centurion sent for Jesus; he sought the blessing of Jesus on behalf of the servant.
• Comunión con el Señor. La parábola de los siervos que velan (Lucas 12:37) nos enseña que los siervos que están preparados y que esperan ansiosamente y velan por el Señor serán bendecidos por Él. El Señor tendrá comunión con ellos cuando coman conjuntamente y les sirva.
• Recibir el Espíritu Santo. En Hechos 2:18, el apóstol Pedro citó al profeta Joel: “Y de cierto sobre mis siervos y sobre mis siervas en aquellos días derramaré de mi Espíritu, y profetizarán”. Como siervos de Dios, recibiremos el Espíritu Santo.
• Recibir una recompensa eterna. Según Apocalipsis 11:18, los siervos recibirán la recompensa eterna de habitar y reinar con Jesús en el cielo.

As you can see, there are great benefits to being a servant. If we are obedient to Jesus — our Master — we will be blessed on this earth with honor, greater opportunities to serve, God’s love and healing, and His Spirit. We will also receive our heavenly reward.

No hay vergüenza en ser un siervo.

Como cristiano, una persona que ha entrado en una relación con Jesús, aceptó a Jesús como Señor y Salvador, y actualmente se esfuerza por caminar con Él de acuerdo con Sus enseñanzas, cada uno de nosotros puede tener diferentes motivos para hacer estas cosas. Si los hacemos simplemente para ser salvos, entonces somos siervos.

A servant is generally not given a reason for the work assigned to him; he must perform it because he is obligated to serve. On the other hand, a friend is a confidant who shares the knowledge of his superior’s purpose and voluntarily adopts it as his own. Through Jesus’ life on earth and through God’s word, Jesus has taught us everything we need to know about Him. From that perspective and according to John 15:15, Jesus calls us and treats us like friends. However, it is our response that determines if we treat Him as a friend.

¿Soy amigo de Dios?

¿Ha estado alguna vez en una amistad unilateral? Se encuentra siendo el que extiende las invitaciones, llama para hablar, apoya a la otra persona en oración. La única vez que la otra persona le llama es cuando necesita algo. Contraste eso con una amistad sana, donde las invitaciones, llamadas y apoyo de oración van en ambos sentidos, no siempre viniendo de la misma persona a la otra.

¿Es posible que la amistad que Jesús nos concede sea unilateral? ¿Le correspondemos? ¿Somos en realidad amigos de Jesús, según lo determinado por nuestras respuestas a Él, o simplemente nos llamamos Sus amigos porque Él ha compartido con nosotros todo lo que necesitamos saber?

Jesús nos llamó amigos. Y lo alabamos por ello, algunos de nosotros cantando, bailando y dando gritos de alabanza. ¿Qué tiene de diferente entablar una amistad recíproca con Jesús?

Again, each of us can tell whether we are being a servant or a friend by our response to Jesus. Jesus tells his disciples in John 15:14 that they are His friends if they “do whatsoever I command you.” Well, this doesn’t sound much different than being a servant. A good servant is obedient. He does what he is commanded to do. So, what is the difference between a servant and a friend?

Consider John 15:15 again and continue through verse 16. In verse 16 Jesus explains, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. (NIV)” When we add verse 16, we see that the communication begins to flow two ways. Jesus shares Himself with us, telling us everything we need to know. And we obey what He commands us to do and ask whatever we need according to His will.

Generally, servants do what is asked of them. They don’t usually question the master. But Jesus invites us, as His friends, to call upon Him and ask for whatever we need in order to bear fruit.

But there is more to being a friend then just obedience and two-way communication. In John 3:25-30, John’s disciples were arguing with someone apparently about the merits of Jesus and John. Both were baptizing and John’s disciples were concerned that everyone was going to Jesus.

John’s reply to his disciples shows us how a friend responds to another friend. The bridegroom is Jesus. John is the friend of the bridegroom. What does the friend do? He waits and listens for the bridegroom. When he hears the bridegroom’s voice, the friend is full of joy. The friend glorifies the bridegroom and de-emphasizes himself.

Conforme cada uno de nosotros analiza nuestra propia relación con Jesús, ¿nos damos cuenta de que además de esforzarnos por obedecerle y servirle, estamos emocionados y agradecidos de que Él nos llame amigos, le correspondamos y seamos sus amigos?

Considere su vida de oración. ¿Se está produciendo una comunicación bidireccional? ¿Está buscando Su voz y pidiéndole de acuerdo a Su voluntad todas las cosas que necesita para dar fruto eterno?

Consider also your response to hearing God’s word. Do you experience joy when you hear God’s word? Do you eagerly apply God’s word to your life, being a doer of the word and not a hearer only?

Remember, a friend is someone who associates familiarly with another, and one who shares the knowledge of his superior’s purpose and voluntarily adopts it as his own. Do you seek to know Jesus more intimately; to know his purpose and will? Have you voluntarily adopted that purpose and will as your own?

Confianza en Ser Amigo de Dios

Realmente es posible ser amigo de Dios. Podemos estar seguros de que somos amigos de Dios al analizar nuestra relación con Él para determinar si tratamos a Jesús como un amigo, esforzándonos por obedecerlo y servirle, estableciendo una comunicación bidireccional con Él, y adoptando Su voluntad como la nuestra.

Espero que reflexione sobre esta palabra y considere si es un siervo de Dios o un amigo de Dios. Si aún no es un amigo, entonces hágalo una cuestión de oración, abriendo una comunicación bidireccional, escuchando Su voz y sometiéndose voluntariamente a Su propósito y voluntad para que pueda tener confianza en ser un amigo de Dios.