João 8

João 8

Constable adds one more way to get around the fact that these "believers" were not true believers. He writes... The mark of a true disciple is continuation in the instructions of his or her teacher. A disciple is by definition a learner, not necessarily a believer in the born again sense. A disciple remains a disciple as long as he or she continues to follow the instruction of his or her teacher. When that one stops following faithfully, he or she ceases to be a disciple. He or she does not lose his or her salvation, which comes as a gift from God. Genuine believers can continue to be disciples of Jesus or they can cease to be His disciples temporarily or permanently. God never forces believers to continue following Him. COMMENT - Constable's argument is to contend that not all believers will become disciples, but that they will become disciples by continuing in Jesus' Word. In my opinion, that is a false assumption because I truly believe ALL believers are disciples. Notice Constable's words "God never forces believers to continue following Him." No, He does not have to force them! Here is what Jesus says about true believers "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27) Follow is in the present tense indicating true sheep keep on following their Good Shepherd (contrast those in 1Jn 2:19+). Jesus does not have to force them, because they are drawn to Him as their Lord. Followers of Jesus are disciples, all of whom are believers. These Jews in John 8 have not truly heard Jesus' voice and thus they do not follow Him, simply because they are not believers! Note also that by Constable's criterion that a disciple can cease being a disciple but will never cease being a believer, the question arises as to what Constable would say about the "many" in John 6:66 "As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were (absolutely) not walking with Him anymore." In his commentary on John 6:66 it is interesting that there is no specific comment on the status of these many disciples who withdrew from Jesus. Were they still believers? The Best Kind of Happiness 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 Today's Scripture & Insight: John 8:31-38 “Everybody’s doing it” seemed like a winning argument when I was young. But my parents never gave in to such pleas no matter how desperate I was to get permission to do something they believed was unsafe or unwise. As we get older we add excuses and rationalizations to our repertoire of arguments for having our own way: “No one will get hurt.” “It’s not illegal.” “He did it to me first.” “She won’t find out.” Behind each argument is the belief that what we want is more important than anything else. Eventually, this faulty way of thinking becomes the basis for our beliefs about God. One of the lies we sometimes choose to believe is that we, not God, are the center of the universe. We think we will be carefree and happy only when we reorder the world according to our desires. This lie is convincing because it promises an easier, speedier way to get what we want. It argues, “God is love, so He wants me to do whatever will make me happy.” But this way of thinking leads to heartache, not happiness. Jesus told those who believed in Him that the truth would make them truly free (John 8:31-32). But He also warned, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (v. 34). The best kind of happiness comes from the freedom we find when we accept the truth that Jesus is the way to a full and satisfying life. By: Julie Ackerman Link Lord, we confess our tendency to rationalize everything to get what we think we want. Guide us today so that we choose to obey Your commands instead of pursuing our own desires. There are no shortcuts to true happiness. Undigested Knowledge If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. John 8:31 Today's Scripture & Insight: John 8:39-47 In his book on language, British diplomat Lancelot Oliphant (1881–1965) observed that many students give correct answers on tests but fail to put those lessons into practice. “Such undigested knowledge is of little use,” declared Oliphant. Author Barnabas Piper noticed a parallel in his own life: “I thought I was close to God because I knew all the answers,” he said, “but I had fooled myself into thinking that was the same as relationship with Jesus.” At the temple one day, Jesus encountered people who thought they had all the right answers. They were proudly proclaiming their status as Abraham’s descendants yet refused to believe in God’s Son. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did” (John 8:39). And what was that? Abraham “believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). Still, Jesus’ hearers refused to believe. “The only Father we have is God himself,” they said (John 8:41). Jesus replied, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (v. 47). Piper recalls how things “fell apart” for him before he “encountered God’s grace and the person of Jesus in a profound way.” When we allow God’s truth to transform our lives, we gain much more than the right answer. We introduce the world to Jesus. By: Tim Gustafson Father, thank You that You receive anyone who turns to You in faith. Faith is not accepting the fact of God but of receiving the life of God. A W Tozer -TRUTH IS A PERSON Then said Jesus…And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31–32 Let me say boldly that it is not the difficulty of discovering truth, but the unwillingness to obey it, that makes it so rare among men. Our Lord said, “I am…the Truth” (John 14:6). And again He said, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Truth, therefore, is not hard to find for the very reason that it is seeking us! So we learn that Truth is not a thing for which we must search, but a Person to whom we must hearken! In the New Testament, multitudes came to Jesus for physical help, but only rarely did one seek Him out to learn the Truth. The whole picture in the Gospels is one of a seeking Savior, not one of seeking men. The Truth was hunting for those who would receive it, and relatively few did, for “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). F B