Jesus’ Words in Red Real Disciples

Jesus’ Words in Red

Real Disciples

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”

Real or Fake

True or False

Truth or Lie

It is not always easy to tell the difference

"If you hold to my teaching,” Jesus said

Who are the real disciples, those who “hold to Jesus teaching”

You can’t hold to something you don’t know

To stay free and not a slave we have to know the truth

Therefore it is important that we live daily in the teachings of Christ

Learning and Living

We have to develop the language of our Heavenly Father

This process is life long

Don’t deceive yourself be a “real disciple” 

Real Disciples

Real or Fake

True or False

Truth or Lie

It is not always easy to tell the difference.

Deception…

 I am sure you are like me you can’t count

the times you have been deceived in life.

 

I once found a Rolex in

a storage unit I had bought.

Being the pessimist that I can be

I did not get my hopes up and for

good reason the watch was a fake.

Sometimes when the truth comes to me

I have a hard time believing it because

there are so many lies and fakes in our world.

Jesus says…

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”

The word really is
also translated “truly”.

Jesus is telling us how a person can

know if they are a real or true disciple. 

The word “disciple” means disciplined learner.

 We see the meaning goes beyond just a

follower or believer even though a disciple is both.

 

A real or true disciple according to

Jesus is one who holds to His teachings.

The result of holding to the teaching

of Christ is you will know the “Truth”.

So true disciples know the truth.

It is that truth that sets the disciple free.

Now it is interesting to see the response

from many who heard Jesus say…

 “…. the truth will set you free." 

These were the people who thought they

were the religious followers of God.

They thought they were free because

they were not slaves to anyone because

they were descendants of Abraham.

Jesus draws our attention back to the spiritual.

There are only two fathers that matter…

The father of truth and the father of lies

God the Father and the Devil

Many times the fake, the false, the lie, don’t realize it.

Jesus says…

"I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”

Jesus says there is a slave

family and a free family.

The slave family has a father

and that father is the devil.

Jesus describes both Father’s…

"If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say”

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Both Father’s have a language.

The language of God the Father is truth

and the language of the devil is lies.

The devil doesn’t mind you

claiming to be Abraham’s children.

The devil doesn’t mind you

claiming to be a Christian.

The father of lies is always

trying to keep you in deception. 

Remember when the devil tempted

Jesus in the wilderness…

 The devil even used scripture to deceive Christ.

So how can we know the truth?

Then you will know the truth,

and the truth will set you free." 

We can only know the truth…

"If you hold to my teaching” 

Jesus said.

Who are the real disciples those

who “hold to Jesus teaching”.

You can’t hold to something you don’t know.

To stay free and not a slave

we have to know the truth.

Therefore it is important that we

live daily in the teachings of Christ.

Learning and Living

We have to develop the language

of our Heavenly Father.

This process is life long.

Don’t deceive yourself, be a “real disciple”.

Scripture Reading

John 8:31-47 NIV

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said,

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 

33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father." 

39 "Abraham is our father," they answered.

"If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the things your own father does."

"We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."

42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? 47 He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."