Tag Archives: really my disciples

JESUS DID NOT SAY THAT THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE

Apologetics, ,

JESUS DID NOT SAY THAT THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE

“O yes He did!” you might vehemently protest, and I will just as vehemently protest that He did not, at least that is not what He meant.

Let’s read what He said, in context, of course.

To the Jews who 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.’ (John 8:31-32)

How many times have you heard someone quote Jesus’ words out of context: ‘The truth will set you free’?

The whole truth of what He said hangs on the issue of being His disciple. Unfortunately, even being a disciple of Jesus is misunderstood today. In Jesus’ day, a disciple was a person whom a rabbi (teacher and model) called to follow him. The rabbi had implicit confidence that, after spending time with him day and night, not only learning what he believed and taught, but also learning to imitate him in every way, those who followed him would become a replica of him. They, in turn would teach his yoke to others.

A disciple had to learn his rabbi’s yoke – his understanding of Yahweh’s original intention in the Torah – His instructions for living that would guide him on his journey towards his destination which was Zion, the place where He had established His name. Only a rabbi with sh’mikah, the authority recognised by two witnesses, was permitted to have his own yoke and to teach his yoke to his disciples.

Jesus had sh’mikah, authority from the Father to which both the Father and John the Baptist bore witness at His baptism, to override every other yoke and “bind” His yoke on His followers. Unlike the yoke of rabbis like Hillel and Shammai, who placed heavy burdens on people which the Pharisees and religious leaders slavishly followed, Jesus’ yoke was easy and His burden light.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matt. 11: 28-30)

It was in this context of discipleship, not to the casual observer who had no commitment to follow Jesus as his model and mentor, that Jesus spoke these words. True freedom can only be experienced by those who understand Jesus’ yoke and put it into practice in their everyday lives. The core of His yoke lies in His disposition as the Son of God and His representative on earth. He said, ‘I am gentle and humble in heart.’ Slavishly trying to follow a set of rules can never bring the rest He promised. 

What is this rest He promised? It is the rest of soul that has received forgiveness of sin through Jesus and has been reconciled to the Father by faith in Christ. He is no longer obligated to keeping a set of rules to gain favour with God. He has been reinstated into His family as His son or daughter; he has received God’s gift of righteousness through Jesus; he has been redeemed from the slave market of sin and transferred from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of God. He has a new nature and a new Master.

All this is God’s doing; it cannot be taken from him. He can rest in what God has done for him, and he is free to walk in God’s truth through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the freedom Jesus offers to those who throw in their lot with Him in loyalty, trust, and obedience.

This is a far cry from what some people believe He said, if they even know the source of the statement! There can never be true freedom outside of Jesus and outside of being His disciple by holding to His teaching. It is not the truth that sets us free but the experiential knowledge of the truth when we believe and practise the teachings of Jesus in the disposition of the Master that keeps us from living in the sin that produces fear, guilt, and shame.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

IF YOU HOLD TO MY TEACHING

Christian Life, ,

IF YOU HOLD TO MY TEACHING

To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.’ (John 8:31)

Jesus’ promises often came with a condition. “If you do this…I will do that.” In this instance, being a disciple of Jesus is only possible if we hold to His teaching. In other words, as we have already come to understand, we can only learn to be a follower if we are in the yoke with Him, in close association with Him and learning to “plough a straight furrow” like a young ox learning from an older one.

The first question we must answer is, “Did Jesus change the rules in the New Testament?” Why does what He taught seem so different from the laws of the Old Testament? Did He do away with everything God taught His people before He came, and set up a whole new set of teachings for us to follow? Remember that He said:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish but to fulfil (Matt. 5:17).

Did He mean that by fulfilling the requirements or the Law and the Prophets, they are no longer applicable to His followers? He certainly did not mean that God’s Word as recorded in the Old Testament, is longer valid. That cannot be because God’s Word is a revelation of who He is, and He does not change.

For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished (Matt. 5: 18).

If Jesus did not do away with the Law by fulfilling it Himself, what did He do?

First of all we must remember that the essence of God’s character is love. Everything He taught His people to do was the fleshing out – the practical application – of the two greatest commandments.

‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied, ‘”Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’ (Matt. 22: 36-40).

However, over the centuries, the great rabbis of Israel gradually added their interpretations of God’s teaching and created an ever-increasing set of instructions (called the Talmud) to help God’s people understand what He meant by His Laws and to protect the people from inadvertently misunderstanding (so they thought) and misapplying what God wanted from them. These interpretations and restrictions gradually overtook God’s original intentionto teach His people to fear the Lord and to treat one another with honour and respect. 

The Law with its additions became a noose around their necks rather than a way of life that expressed God’s love. Jesus’ intention was not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater” but to peel off all the man-made additions and take His people back to the way God wanted them to live.

Jesus was constantly bumping up against the religious leaders in His attempt to show His people what God meant by His teachings (Torah). Their focus was on strict adherence to the letter of the law to the exclusion of love because they wanted the people to applaud them for being “holy”. They were more concerned about what the people thought of them than what God thought of them.

Jesus expressed His love for people, especially those whom the Pharisees held in contempt, by treating them with compassion, not judgment. He called Matthew, a despised tax collector, for example, to follow Him. Matthew was obviously a wealthy man from his dishonest extortion of money from his people. He made a banquet for Jesus and invited his unsavoury, outcast friends to the party. The Pharisees were outraged. Didn’t Jesus know who these people were? How could He mix with them?

Jesus heard them complaining to His disciples.

On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ (Matt. 9: 12-13).

Did you get the point? He was quoting from the Old Testament Scriptures. God had spelled it out to His people in Hosea’s day – mercy, not sacrifice.

Jesus bumped into the Pharisees again soon afterwards. They were on His trail because His disciples had picked grain and rubbed it in their hands on the Sabbath. How could Jesus allow them to do that? Didn’t He know that they were “breaking” the Sabbath, according to their superimposed laws?

Once again Jesus tackled them about their attitude. God did not judge people in the Old Testament for ignoring His rules when they were hungry (read Matt. 12:1-6). He concluded with this accusation:

If you had known what these words mean: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent (Matt. 12:7).

No, Jesus had no intention of abolishing the Law. He came to show His people what God meant from the beginning and to put them back on the road to loving God and their fellow men by showing them how to love. When love is the motivation of our lives, we don’t need rules because love will always express itself through mercy.

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE?

Christian Life, ,

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE?

To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Have you ever heard it said, “The truth will set you free?” This is not true. “Wait a minute!” you protest. ‘” Isn’t that what Jesus said? How can it not be true?”

No, it’s only half of what Jesus said. Without the first half, the second half makes no sense at all. First, although the truth is objective – it can stand alone – yet, at the same time, the truth is embedded in a Person. Jesus said, “I am the truth.” Whatever is true, is only true because it comes from God. The law of gravity is true – if I jump off a cliff, I will not fly. Gravity will pull me towards the ground. However, if God had not instituted the law of gravity, it would not work.

What did Jesus say that qualified the statement? Let’s read it again. 

“If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The power to be free lies in obedience to Jesus’ teachings, and obedience to His teachings is the qualification for being His disciple.

Then you may ask the question: “Free from what?” As I have written in a previous post, God has set boundaries for us – instructions and prohibitions – to protect us from self-destruction. In the beginning, Adam chose to live outside the one boundary God set for the first pair – His restriction on one tree. Why did He put it in the garden? Was it not to test the reality of their love? Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.”

God said, “Only one tree is out of bounds”. The devil said, “God does not love you. He doesn’t want you to enjoy the fruit of that tree. If you do, you’ll be just like Him, knowing good and evil.” Of course, he didn’t remind them that they were already like God, made in His image to have fellowship with Him. By stepping outside the boundaries of God’s protection, they fell right into the hands of the devil and his deception.

By heeding him, they learned through bitter experience that his lies bring bondage to fear, guilt and shame – the inner “slave-drivers” that torment us day and night. They believed that, by throwing off God’s restriction, they would be free to make their own rules. They found out that their rules destroyed them in the end – what God called “death”.

Jesus offered His disciples the solution to their “slave-drivers” – His teachings, His “yoke” that would set them free from the habits, behaviour and selfish way of life that alienated them from their fellow men and left them empty, dry and without love, joy, and peace. What is it that so many people in the world are desperately seeking? Is it not peace of mind? Every religion in the world offers a way to find peace by doing. Doing what? Doing whatever they think their god (or gods) requires to please him/them so that they can be at peace with him/them.

Unfortunately, the harder they work, the more the devil laughs because he knows that he has them in his power. Lies! No one can find inner peace by trying to appease their god. Every false deity is the devil wearing a mask – masquerading as a god when the gods who represent him do not exist. If they did, why do they not respond to the millions of prayers people pray, prayers for help and healing for the distress they are in?

The solution to human pain is centred in Jesus. He is the truth, and He speaks the truth. When we take His words seriously and embrace what He said, we will not only experience a deep change in our hearts, but we will also find the inner rest He offers to those who follow, learn, imitate, and obey Him.

We are not alone in this venture. The Holy Spirit, whom He sent to be with us and in us, is our helper. When we heed Him, he is the energy that drives our lives. Jesus promised that the Spirit would lead us into all truth. He would reveal Jesus to us and remind us of His teachings during our daily living, keeping us on track as He takes us to the Father.

No, we will never find inner peace of mind and conscience, freedom from fear, guilt, and shame, hope for the future and the awareness of God’s love, simply from the truth. We will only know these blessings when we obey Jesus’ teachings. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot obey Him. Without faith in Jesus and in the truth of what He taught us, the Holy Spirit cannot help us.

It’s a sort of chain reaction beginning with believing what Jesus said because of who He is – the Son of God – and committing to follow Him. He responds by giving us the Holy Spirit as His “other self” to be in us forever. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth and enables us progressively to live it out in our daily lives. Old ideas, habits and behaviour patterns fall away as we follow Jesus and then – the truth will set us free!

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Truth Will Set You Free

Bible Study, , ,

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE

To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(John 8:31-32)

Have you ever heard it said, “The truth will set you free.” This is actually not true. “Wait a minute!” you protest. ‘”Isn’t that what Jesus said? How can it not be true?”

No, it’s only half of what Jesus said. Without the first half, the second half makes no sense at all. First of all, although the truth is objective – it can stand alone – yet, at the same time, the truth is embedded in a Person. Jesus said, “I am the truth.” Whatever is true, is only true because it comes from God. The law of gravity is true – if I jump off a cliff, I will not fly. Gravity will pull me towards the ground. However, if God had not instituted the law of gravity, it would not work.

What did Jesus say that qualified the statement? Let’s read it again.

“If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The power to be free lies in obedience to Jesus’ teachings.

Then you may ask the question: “Free from what?” As I have written in a previous post, God has set boundaries for us – instructions and prohibitions – to protect us from self-destruction. In the beginning, Adam chose to live outside the one boundary God set for the first pair – His restriction on one tree. Why did He put it in the garden? Was it not to test the reality of their love? Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.”

God said, “Only one tree is out of bounds”. The devil said, “God does not love you. He doesn’t want you to enjoy the fruit of that tree. If you do, you’ll be just like Him, knowing good and evil.” Of course, he didn’t remind them that they were already like God, made in His image to have fellowship with Him. By stepping outside the boundaries of God’s protection, they fell right into the hands of the devil and his deception.

By heeding him, they learned through bitter experience that his lies bring bondage to fear, guilt and shame – the inner “slave-drivers” that torment us day and night. They believed that, by throwing off God’s restriction they would be free to make their own rules. They found out that their rules destroyed them in the end – what God called “death”.

Jesus offered His disciples the solution to their “slave-drivers” – His teachings, His “yoke” that would set them free from the habits, behaviour and selfish way of life that alienated them from their fellow men and left them empty, dry and without love, joy and peace. What is it that so many people in the world are desperately seeking? Is it not peace of mind? Every religion in the world offers a way to find peace by doing. Doing what? Doing whatever they think their god (or gods) requires to please him/them so that they can be at peace with him/them.

Unfortunately, the harder they work, the more the devil laughs because he knows that he has them in his power. Lies! No one can find inner peace by trying to appease their god. Every false deity is the devil wearing a mask – masquerading as a god when the gods who represent him do not exist. If they did, why do they not respond to the millions of prayers people pray, prayers for help and healing for the distress they are in?

The solution to human pain is centred in Jesus. He is the truth and He speaks the truth. When we take His words seriously and embrace what He said, we will not only experience a deep change in our hearts, but we will also find the inner rest He offers to those who follow, learn, imitate and obey Him.

As I have said before, we are not alone in this venture. The Holy Spirit, whom He sent to be with us and in us, is our helper. When we heed Him, he is the energy that drives our lives. Jesus promised that He would lead us into all truth. He would reveal Jesus to us and remind us of His teachings in the course of our daily living, keeping us on track as He takes us to the Father.

No, we will never find inner peace of mind and conscience, freedom from fear, guilt and shame, hope for the future and the awareness of God’s love, simply from the truth. We will only know these blessings when we obey Jesus’ teachings. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot obey Him. Without faith in Jesus and in the truth of what He taught us, the Holy Spirit cannot help us.

It’s a sort of chain reaction beginning with believing what Jesus said because of who He is – the Son of God – and committing to follow Him. He responds by giving us the Holy Spirit as His “other self” to be in us forever. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth and enables us progressively to live it out in our daily lives. Old ideas, habits and behaviour patterns fall away as we follow Jesus and then – the truth will set us free!

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                              eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or Kindle version, on www.takealot.com  or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), a companion volume to Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart, has been released in paperback and digital format on www.amazon.com.

For more details, check my website:

http://luellaannettecampbell.com/

Have you read my blogs on www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com ?