John 8: 31-32
“To the Jews who had believed him, 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.'”
I appreciate this opportunity to walk through the Gospel of John with you. Each time I sit down to look at the next passage, whatever it is, I find myself challenged in new ways. In this passage we see Jesus setting out a causal statement ending with three promises. He begins with, “If you hold to my teaching…”
What does it mean to hold to the teachings of Jesus? What does that look like? I suppose this question could be considered the essence of Christianity.
Q: What do you think it means to hold to the teachings of Jesus?
I think it means slide walking in faith, accepting who he is and what he has done for us.
There is a difference between being a “believer” and being a “disciple.” While Jesus call us to faith in Him and that is salvation, He also calls us to follow Him. If we follow Him as Lord then we will desire to do what He says and grow in that walk with Him. Matthew 28: 20 (After commanding us to make disciples of all peoples): “And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” These commands are not burdensome – they are freeing.
I think for Jesus, the two concepts are intrinsically connected. Those who believe and those who obey go together. In the OT it is often those who hear/listen and obey. We get ourselves into trouble whenever we divide the two. While I love using these combined concepts, I also like the description of “followers”, or “walking by/in faith” or “walking by the Spirit”. It highlights the growth and sanctifying aspect of salvation while affirming both belief and obedience.
‘To help people become faithful followers of Jesus’ – I have always liked this phrase as a way of describing our Church’s purpose of discipleship.
Thanks for your comments this morning! As always I tend to think that they are the best part of the blog!
As I think about “holding on” to the teachings of Jesus the first thing that comes to my mind is the need to know what those teachings are. For whatever reason, I find that Jesus’ teachings seem infinitely challenging. Being his follower is definitely a full time job!
Being a follower is a full time job, but there’s in the journey. The phrase “if you hold to my teaching” compells me into action. When I don’t act upon missed God’s word, I feel like I’ve His truth.