No longer servants but friends

God keeps bringing to mind the verse in John 15: "I no longer call you servants but friends."  A week ago I was reminded of a demonstration given at a women's retreat of the way we have been granted Jesus' perfection through the cross.  The illustration was that of a person bringing a lamb to the temple for sacrifice and atonement for sins and the priest does not look at the person bringing the lamb but only at the qualifications and perfection of the lamb and when the lamb is deemed perfect, this is transferred onto the giver.  In the same way Jesus was deemed perfect and through Him we have been granted the righteousness of GOD. 
   In this great love act, God did not desire us to remain in a subservient position, kneeling at His feet and gazing up at Him (not that that is bad, He just doesn't want us to stay there).  Love brings us up on our feet and places us at His right hand to gaze out in the same view that He has.  Deana, a friend, was once sharing this concept with me and for my birthday last year gave me a picture frame that said Love is looking at life from the same view.  I guess that is what I'm trying to say.  His love elevates us.  He sees us through Christ as the perfection of Christ and has lifted us up to his side, to be his partner, brothers/fellow heirs with Christ. 
  I have been increasingly humbled and blown away by this thought.  Even now I can hardly comprehend it and to dwell on it invokes awe and worship and a strong sense of overwhelming love/gratitude and unworthiness.  Consider this, really.  God the Father sees you as He sees Christ: perfect, coheir, partner.  Now, by the Holy Spirit, and extension and part of Himself.  Go figure!  Behold what manner of love.  Oh that you would begin to comprehend what is the height, width, length and breadth, to know the love of God. 
  He crowns us with glory and honor.  He is the vine, we are the branches.  He makes Himself the plain, unrecognized, unnoticed roots and vine that produce the DNA that we might be the radiant splendor of His image.  How well do we display his majesty, His DNA?  He honors us so richly. He elevates us. 
   I don't know about you but his makes me want to shout! Makes me want to sing!  He, the most honorable and worthy, and I in myself the total opposite.  ME, He honors and crowns with glory and lifts me up to be one with Him, the Almighty God.  That is a mystery worth magnifying and applauding.  Who but God Himself could and would do such a thing!