Hi Angel of God,
In the passage, John 12:42-50, Jesus teaches us some very important truths. First a person can believe in Jesus, but not confess Jesus before men. What is the idea here? Strength or depth of faith! If you believe with all your mind and all your heart that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, then you would become a witness for Christ. But if you do not turn loose of all your worldly treasures, such as your possessions or relationships, then your faith is half-hearted, you love Jesus but you also love the world. You cannot serve two masters. Thus you still belong to the world.
When we believe in Jesus, we must first believe in God, the One who sent Jesus as His Christ, His Anointed One, His Chosen One. If we have heard and learned from the Father, then we come to Christ, John 6:45. We are drawn to Christ by the Father who reveals His lovingkindness which draws us. John 6:44.
When we behold Jesus, who is light, we have the opportunity to believe in Him fully, forsaking the world and all its treasures, and thus not remain in darkness.
But if we do not believe fully, we remain in darkness, just as John 3:18 says.
Turning now to John 15:12-17, lets consider what Jesus is saying. When Jesus uses the word "friends" he is telling his disciples they are more than slaves for they know the mission that Christ is completing in accordance with His Father's command. Soon, Jesus will lay down His life, and so He gives us the command to lay down our life for Him. If we are unwilling to confess Jesus before men, we are unworthy of Him. If we are unwilling to suffer for Christ, we are unworthy of Him. But if we are a friend of Christ, we too will say, "shall I not drink the cup the Father has given to me."
We are saved by grace alone, throught faith alone, and not by works such as water baptism. But the belief and trust and reliance upon Christ must be full blown, not half-hearted, and from that full blown faith will flow obedience to Christ's commands such as confessing Christ before men, being water baptized, and loving our brothers and sisters in Christ in the same way, foresaking everything, that Christ did. God bless.
