ACC ~ John 15 v14

FRIENDS OBEY, ENEMIES DISOBEY

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: Now sinners are called enemies of God—enemies, that is, of the commands that they do not obey, just as those who obey become friends. The latter are named so from their fellowship; the former from their estrangement, which is freely chosen. For there is neither enmity nor sin without the enemy and the sinner. STROMATEIS 4.13. [1]

[1] ANF 2:426.

MOVING FROM “SERVANT” TO “FRIEND” TO “SON

” JOHN CASSIAN: “The one who fears is not yet perfect in love.” [1] And again, though it is a grand thing to serve God, and it is said, “Serve the Lord in fear,” and “It is a great thing for you to be called my servant,” and “Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he comes, shall find working,” [2] yet it is said to the apostles, “I no longer call you servants, for the servant does not know what his Lord does. But I call you friends, for everything I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” And once more, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” You see then that there are different stages of perfection and that we are called by the Lord from high things to still higher in such a way that he who has become blessed and perfect in the fear of God—going, as it is written, “from strength to strength” [3] and from one perfection to another, that is, mounting with an eager soul from fear to hope—is summoned in the end to that still more blessed stage, which is love. And whoever has been “a faithful and wise servant” [4] will pass to the companionship of friendship and to the adoption of sons. CONFERENCE 2.11.12. [5]

[1] 1 Jn 4:18.

[2] ESUS IS INFORMED THAT LAZARUS IS SICK | JOHN 11:1-5

[3] Ps 84:7 (83:8 LXX).

[4] Mt 24:45.

[5] NPNF 2 11:420*.