Knowing God's Friendship

If I were to tell you that, in the Christian life, transformation and growth was directly proportional to a deepening friendship with God, what would you say? I think that, if someone had suggested that to me years ago, I would have, first of all, been in shock, but then, secondly, I would want a further explanation. It is, of course, intuitive to think that religion - any religion - is primarily about both the lordship of the deity and some measure of bringing out an obedience from his subjects. So, if you were to suggest to me that real transformation in the Christian life was the result of a friendship with the Deity, then that would not only be counterintuitive but also unbelievable.And yet, in Jesus' last words to his disciples, before he went to the cross, that is his message. Jesus compares our relationship with God to that of branches attached to a vine. In fact, the main point of the text is that because of the unique nature of our relationship with God, we can actually bear fruit. That is, change and be transformed more into the image of Jesus.Good stuff. I can't wait to talk about it with you on Sunday.Blessings,Jim