So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32.
Jesus says we are to abide in his word. What does it mean to abide? To abide means to “bear patiently” or to “endure without yielding”. Other definitions include: “to wait for or to accept without objection”.
These definitions speak to a person’s being. We can bear patiently, endure, and wait because as Christians that is who we are. Our lives are no longer our own; we have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20), and it is no longer we who live but Christ lives in us (Gal 2:20)!
Jesus continues and says that we will know the truth. Jesus himself is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Every word he spoke was pure truth. We cannot know truth without knowing Christ and his word. Our abiding in His word will lead us to know truth.
Jesus then brings us to the wonderful conclusion that this truth we will come to know through our abiding will set us free! Free to follow Him and love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. (Mark 12:30) We will be free to do anything and everything He calls us to do.
One of the best ways to Connect with God is through knowing the Word of Christ. We abide – we come to know the truth – the truth sets us free. What a beautiful picture of what God wants to accomplish in our lives for His glory!
Know the Word of Christ and we will be free indeed.
Connecting with God
BE a Worshiper of Christ
KNOW the Word
DO the Will of Christ