Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Jesus told the Jews who believed on Him that remaining in His teaching is what makes a believer His genuine disciple. To remain means to hold fast His word, let it abide in the life as a living power, and learn and do His will in obedience. His words are spirit and life, and they renew the mind and shape the character away from pride and love of the world toward humility. Remaining in His teaching brings knowledge of the truth and freedom by the truth, for He Himself is the truth and oneness with Him by willing surrender frees from sin. That freedom is liberty from bondage to sin under the divine law, shown in trusting obedience to God's commandments and in holding unswervingly to accepted truth even under bitter opposition and pressure.
Setting and Audience
The saying was uttered in the court of the temple in direct connection with the services of the Feast of Tabernacles. At that feast the great evening illumination commemorated the pillar of light that had guided Israel in the desert. That same illumination expressed the hope that the Messiah would come to shed His light upon Israel. In the morning of that setting Jesus presented Himself as the light of the world.
It was addressed to those Jews who believed on Him. This belief followed His declaration that when the Son of man should be lifted up they would know who He was. It followed also His declaration that the Father had not left Him alone because He always did the things that pleased Him. His words to these believers were then taken up by the Pharisees, who answered with their claim to be Abraham's seed.
Continuing Defines True Discipleship
To continue in His word is what proves a believer to be His genuine disciple, for abiding in His teaching marks those who truly belong to Him. Belief in Him is confirmed only by remaining faithful to what He teaches. Continuing in His word is what makes a person His true disciple, and obedience decides fitness for discipleship. Continuing means holding fast His word, learning His will, and putting His teaching into practice by hearing and doing what He says. In this way continuing leads to knowing the truth and being made free.
Continuing requires letting His words abide in the life. Those words renew the mind, thoughts, and speech, producing humility and contrition rather than self-esteem, pride, or confidence in human wisdom. The truth must abide in the soul as a living, working power and shape the life and character.
His words are spirit and life, while men's words only express human thoughts. To be His disciples indeed means to continue in His word and give His divine utterances place in the heart. One who is of the world and loves its pleasures does not receive them, and so fails the test of true discipleship.
Truth Freedom and Faithful Living
Remaining in His teaching brings knowledge of the truth, and that truth makes free, while His words and His life reveal the Father with whom He acts in harmony as the One sent by Him. He Himself is the truth, so becoming one with Him is the only condition of human freedom, and that oneness comes by surrender of the soul to Him. The surrender is left to free choice without compulsion, and in it sin is expelled by the soul itself empowered by the Holy Spirit. Subjection to God restores a person to himself and to true glory and dignity, bringing him under the divine law which is liberty.
The freedom given is freedom from sin, for whoever commits sin is the servant of sin, while the Son abides forever and makes free indeed. Those who boasted to be Abraham's seed and never in bondage, yet sought to kill Him because His word had no place in them, showed they were in bondage to the cruelest of all tyrants. They had placed themselves under Satan's training and treated God's people as he directs, hearing the word of truth yet hating the message and the messenger because the truth disturbs them in their deceptive practices. Believing in Him means living by God's word, trusting and obeying God's commandments and loving His law, and following the light received brings freedom in Him.
Continuing in His word together with knowing the truth shows the way to follow, so that those who yield to God and obey His word can seek His wisdom and be guided in each step to know whether their actions are right. A physician who shapes his actions by God's ways and does what Christ teaches demonstrates by continuing in His word that he has been with Jesus and learned from Him. Those who receive its light are to communicate it to others rather than remain mere learners without acting on the truth.
True disciples do not cast Him off when great pressure comes but hold unswervingly to accepted truth such as the Sabbath even when father, mother, and family bitterly oppose and every inducement to give up is presented. If such a soul does not draw back but endures to the end, stands fast in the faith, holds fast what she has, and overcomes, the Lord in compassion can reach her wherever she is taken and preserve her from evil. He can work the trial for His glory and keep her crown from being taken and her name from being blotted out of the book of life.
Jesus told the Jews who believed on Him that remaining in His teaching is what makes a believer His genuine disciple. To remain means to hold fast His word, let it abide in the life as a living power, and learn and do His will in obedience. His words are spirit and life, and they renew the mind and shape the character away from pride and love of the world toward humility. Remaining in His teaching brings knowledge of the truth and freedom by the truth, for He Himself is the truth and oneness with Him by willing surrender frees from sin. That freedom is liberty from bondage to sin under the divine law, shown in trusting obedience to God's commandments and in holding unswervingly to accepted truth even under bitter opposition and pressure.
Setting and Audience
The saying was uttered in the court of the temple in direct connection with the services of the Feast of Tabernacles. At that feast the great evening illumination commemorated the pillar of light that had guided Israel in the desert. That same illumination expressed the hope that the Messiah would come to shed His light upon Israel. In the morning of that setting Jesus presented Himself as the light of the world.
It was addressed to those Jews who believed on Him. This belief followed His declaration that when the Son of man should be lifted up they would know who He was. It followed also His declaration that the Father had not left Him alone because He always did the things that pleased Him. His words to these believers were then taken up by the Pharisees, who answered with their claim to be Abraham's seed.
Continuing Defines True Discipleship
To continue in His word is what proves a believer to be His genuine disciple, for abiding in His teaching marks those who truly belong to Him. Belief in Him is confirmed only by remaining faithful to what He teaches. Continuing in His word is what makes a person His true disciple, and obedience decides fitness for discipleship. Continuing means holding fast His word, learning His will, and putting His teaching into practice by hearing and doing what He says. In this way continuing leads to knowing the truth and being made free.
Continuing requires letting His words abide in the life. Those words renew the mind, thoughts, and speech, producing humility and contrition rather than self-esteem, pride, or confidence in human wisdom. The truth must abide in the soul as a living, working power and shape the life and character.
His words are spirit and life, while men's words only express human thoughts. To be His disciples indeed means to continue in His word and give His divine utterances place in the heart. One who is of the world and loves its pleasures does not receive them, and so fails the test of true discipleship.
Truth Freedom and Faithful Living
Remaining in His teaching brings knowledge of the truth, and that truth makes free, while His words and His life reveal the Father with whom He acts in harmony as the One sent by Him. He Himself is the truth, so becoming one with Him is the only condition of human freedom, and that oneness comes by surrender of the soul to Him. The surrender is left to free choice without compulsion, and in it sin is expelled by the soul itself empowered by the Holy Spirit. Subjection to God restores a person to himself and to true glory and dignity, bringing him under the divine law which is liberty.
The freedom given is freedom from sin, for whoever commits sin is the servant of sin, while the Son abides forever and makes free indeed. Those who boasted to be Abraham's seed and never in bondage, yet sought to kill Him because His word had no place in them, showed they were in bondage to the cruelest of all tyrants. They had placed themselves under Satan's training and treated God's people as he directs, hearing the word of truth yet hating the message and the messenger because the truth disturbs them in their deceptive practices. Believing in Him means living by God's word, trusting and obeying God's commandments and loving His law, and following the light received brings freedom in Him.
Continuing in His word together with knowing the truth shows the way to follow, so that those who yield to God and obey His word can seek His wisdom and be guided in each step to know whether their actions are right. A physician who shapes his actions by God's ways and does what Christ teaches demonstrates by continuing in His word that he has been with Jesus and learned from Him. Those who receive its light are to communicate it to others rather than remain mere learners without acting on the truth.
True disciples do not cast Him off when great pressure comes but hold unswervingly to accepted truth such as the Sabbath even when father, mother, and family bitterly oppose and every inducement to give up is presented. If such a soul does not draw back but endures to the end, stands fast in the faith, holds fast what she has, and overcomes, the Lord in compassion can reach her wherever she is taken and preserve her from evil. He can work the trial for His glory and keep her crown from being taken and her name from being blotted out of the book of life.