Thursday, August 10, 2006
John 8:31-33
31Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. 32And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Jesus is speaking to beleivers. Here he tells us how he identifies his disciples, they are the ones that "continue in His word", those who "obey his teachings". Not every beleiver is a disciple! Jesus told his disciples to "make disciples". It is the disciple by staying in the word will discover the truth and as a result be free. It is not the truth that makes one free, that statement is qualified by "continuing in the word."
33"But we are descendants of Abraham," they said. "We have never been slaves to anyone on earth. What do you mean, `set free'?" It seems interesting to me that it is a religous group asking about "being free." Religous people think that they are free, but are really in bondage. The also despise those who seek and desire freedom. They are quick to judge and are threatened by people who are truly free. What does it mean to be "free" they asked. If they knew what freedom was, they would not have to ask, therefore they were in bondage. Religous people look through the bars of freedom and observe those who are really free and have decieved themselves into thinking they are free when in all actuality they are bound.
# posted by Patrick @ 6:04 PM 
