Your relationship with Jesus does not rest primarily on your will, desire or experience, but on his love, election and call of you. You were a slave to your sin, in Satan’s grasp and the domain of death. You were unable to move out of prison, but Jesus chose you from eternity, and freed you by his precious blood. He made you his friend, and appointed you heir to the rights of sonship. His election is wholly by grace. Yours is either to choose him or not. Jesus chose all men when he atoned for your sins on the cross. Not all hear his call, but prefer to remain in the swamp of sin. They do not know the freedom of God’s children. Christ has called you to freedom from sin and to divine fellowship. Train yourself in love. Your freedom has one aim, serving your Lord and mankind voluntarily. There is no compulsion as with slaves. Jesus became a voluntary servant for love’s sake. He is our pattern, not caring for himself, but his concern was for his dear ones.
He therefore longs that you show concern for your friends, as a shepherd to his sheep. Since our abilities are limited, man cannot free another from the slavery of sin. Jesus encourages us to pray in his name. For if we pray to Jesus that he would guide the liberated and build them morally and spiritually, and provide them with all they need for body, soul and spirit, the Lord will answer according to his good pleasure. The secret of answered prayer is love. If you pray for your friends in this spirit, Jesus will show you your casual sins, and lead you to a wise and useful life and to true prayer and to brokenness and more humility. The Lord will answer, if you asked for salvation and holiness to reach your friends. We call you to persist in prayer. Jesus does not promise you fading results but fruit that shall remain. He who believes through your prayers and witness, will live forever, passing from death to life.
Over and above faith, prayers and witness, Jesus commands you to love your friends, a hearty, honed and pure love. Bear with them patiently, despite their difficult characters. Be gentle with them, as God is gentle with you. Illumine with the radiance of God’s love the world that is debauched and ugly. Train yourself in service, sacrifice, listening and responding. May Christ’s love shine out from you.