I Am Theophilus

 The Gospel of Luke is addressed to a specific person, his name is Theophilus. In Luke 1:3 he is referred to as "Most Excellent", which was a term of respect in ancient Greece, so we can assume he was well regarded in his community. The name Theophilus is a given Greek name, and can be translated as 'Friend of God', or 'One who loves God'.

I am Theophilus.

Well, I'm not the Theophilus, the one whom the letter was addressed to. Or am I?

James 4:4 reminds us that friendship with the world makes us enemies of God. Our sinful lifestyles are waging a spiritual battle against the Lord, a battle that we cannot possibly hope to win. But when we throw up our white flags and surrender to Him, we become part of His army. I don't want to be an enemy of God. Now that I know the truth, now that I have become part of the Lord's army, I can never go back to being a friend of the world. So now the equation has been flipped around. When I was a friend of the world I was an enemy of God, so does being an enemy of the world make me a friend of God?

Yes!

Jesus even says so in John 15:12-17. He says that we are not slaves, not just soldiers in his army, but his friends! He brings us into his confidence and tells us of the Fathers plans. Just like Abraham, we can now be called friends of God.

Remember that Theophilus means 'Friend of God'?

I love the Lord, and although I'm not perfect, I do my best to follow him every day. I do my best to follow his commands, and to lay down my life for him.

I am Theophilus.