“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:31-32).

Did you catch the relationship between obeying and knowing? There are a couple of surprises in what Jesus tells us about obeying and knowing.

First, we tend to think that knowing and understanding comes first. But Jesus leads with obedience. “If you hold to my teaching…” If you obey, you are really my disciples. Obedience leads to knowing. So many of us have this backwards. We don’t obey because we understand. Disciples obey because Jesus is Lord. Obedience comes first. Obedience is a given.

Did you catch the “If…then…”? Jesus says, “If you hold to my teaching…then you will know the truth…”

Obedience comes first, then knowing. Obedience leads to greater knowledge and truth.

Second, knowing the truth has nothing to do with whether we like it or agree with it or not. Truth is truth because Jesus said it. Truth doesn’t care about our feelings or our likes and dislikes. Truth is truth.

I say this because we live in a world that has changed our fundamental question regarding truth. The question our culture asks regarding “our” truth is whether we like it or agree with it. That’s why you hear people say, “What is true for you works for you. But leave me out of your truth.” Unfortunately, truth doesn’t work like that. Truth is true regardless of our likes and dislikes.

When a society determines truth by asking, “Do I like it? Do I agree with it?” instead of asking “Is this true?” that society is in trouble.

So disciples of Jesus at the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace, listen to what Jesus tells us: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick'” (Matthew 9:10-12).

Jesus ate with sinners.
Jesus hung out with sinners.
Jesus welcomed sinners.

And sinners had no problems eating with Jesus.
Sinners had no problems hanging out with Jesus.
Sinners loved being welcomed into Jesus’ presence.

These things are absolutely true. And we are called to do the same. After all, we are followers of Jesus. Therefore, we ought to do what Jesus did.

But where our society and the modern church gets confused is to think that because Jesus ate with, hung out with, and welcomed sinners that Jesus was ok with their sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus accepted sinners just the way they are so that he can transform and change them.

Listen to what Jesus says, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” The doctor has to heal, change, and transform sick people into healthy people. That’s what Jesus does.

Jesus ate with, hung out with, and welcomed sinners to call them to a transformed life. And when the church forgets that, we mess up the entirety of the gospel.

I came across this on the internet and wanted to share it with you. It’s called “My Church” by an unknown author.

My church is composed of people like me. We make it what it is. It will be friendly, if I am. Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them. It will do great work, if I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver. It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship, if I bring them. It will be a church of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, a church with a noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these traits. Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of being all the things I want my church to be.