Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:31-32
Not everyone who names the name of Christ is a True Disciple. There are many out who claim to be Christians but never read the Bible. There are many who claim to be Christians who have never submitted to Christ as King of their lives. There are many who claim to know Christ, but have never spent time getting to know Him, learning His ways and following in His steps.
In the above passage, Jesus is talking to people who "believed" in Him. That is crazy! You think He might have thanked them for believing in Him. No. He is helping them understand what it means to be His True disciple. The definition of the word disciple simply means "a follower". It is someone who has chosen to submit to the teachings and principles of another. In the above passage, Jesus gives a clear definition of what His disciples do. The abide in His word. The word abide means to dwell or remain. We abide in houses. We remain in our places of work. It really is so simple. We often make things so complex and yet Jesus is just telling us to stay in His Word.
How do we stay in His Word? First, we have to receive it. We can do that by hearing it, reading it, studying it, memorizing it, and thinking about it. That is just the beginning! Second, we have to obey it. Abiding in His Word means that we obey it. We can't remain in something we won't follow or do. James says it like this: "Be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22-25) If we don't do what Jesus tells us we are not His disciples.
The awesome thing is the wonderful promise that He gives to those who are True Disciples. They get to know the truth! His Word is truth. And the exciting thing is that we gain freedom when we know the truth! Defeat comes when deception is believed. Victory comes when truth is substituted for deception. Absolute truth and authority is found in God's Word--the very standard for our lives. Lets be those believers who are "True Disciples".
Blessings to you!
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