“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free'” (John 8:31-32).
If you hold to my teaching…
Things Jesus did not say:
- If you were born and raised in the church…
- If you sing the hymns and praise songs like you really mean it…
- If your mom has been praying for you for decades…
- If you know a bunch of stuff about the bible…
If you hold to my teaching…
- The Greek word for “hold” is meinete. We normally translate this word as “abide”
- The meaning is not that we hold this teaching in our minds but that we abide and live out the teachings of Jesus
- Not only does a disciple know the teachings of Jesus, they are living it out
When we hold/abide/live out the teachings of Jesus, we are his disciples. And when we live out the teachings of Jesus, we come to know the truth and that truth sets us free.
Too many in America’s churches want a Jesus who saves them from hell, but not a Jesus who changes them.
That’s a problem. If you hold/abide/live out the teachings of Jesus, transformation is the result. A disciple cannot remain the same. The disciple is always becoming more like Jesus as they hold/abide/live out the teachings of Jesus.
Praxis: Faith in Action 