Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If youabide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
John 8:31 (NKJV)
In the Bible, the word disciple indicates someone who is a student of a spiritual master. The twelve who accompanied Jesus during His earthly ministry were His disciples. They all abode in His teaching, night and day. He Himself chose them, taught them and prepared them for a specific purpose: to send them to make disciples of all nations.
Why did Jesus command the Jews who believed in Him to abide in His word to be His disciples? His main goal was to free them from the Mosaic law on which they relied, to lead them to believe in Him as the Messiah and Son of God. What the word of God alone could do. He knew He would not always be there to teach them, so He commanded them to abide in the word to know the truth that would free them from the condemnation of sin.
How does Jesus’ command concern us today? To be a disciple of Christ is to follow Him, to live as He lived. It is also serving others and living in obedience to the voice of God. There is no doubt that His command was also addressed to us, because the only way to live according to His example and to know Him better is to abide in His word. Since a disciple is one who learns from his master, as such, if you want to grow in the knowledge of the will of God, and walk in the footsteps of Christ, I encourage you to abide in His word to become an authentic disciple.
May the grace and the peace of God be with you all.
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