John 8:31-36 “hold to” meinayte Jesus says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” What does it mean to “hold to” something? The Greek word translated here has a base meaning of “live in, abide, remain.” What does it mean to “live in” a place? When I was in high school, I had a good friend named CJ. I spent a lot of time at his house. I called his mother “mom” (and he returned the favor with mine). At least one night a week I stayed overnight at his place. His dogs and his sisters welcomed me as family. Did I live in his home? Well, no, I didn’t. I visited. And while I was a regular visitor, I didn’t live there. I lived in my parent’s house, where I slept most nights and spent a good deal of my time when I wasn’t at school or work. That’s where I went when I was tired. That’s where I went to be alone. That’s where I went to find solace. It was home. Living in a place is about more than spending time there. It means you’re comfortable there. It’s where you rest. It’s… it’s home! How do you approach what Jesus teaches? Is it something you visit on occasion? Do you even visit it regularly? Good! I’m glad you visit regularly! But do you “live in” Jesus’s teaching? Is it where you find rest? Is it where you go at the end of the day to find solace? Sure, I trust that if you’re reading this, you’re at least interested in becoming familiar with it. Excellent! The next step is to become so familiar that you can say you’re “living in” Jesus’s teaching. To be so familiar with it, you know where to find things (just like in your own house). And sure, more than once you’ll “misplace” a verse or a topic and not know where it went – just like when you can’t find something in your own house. But live in Jesus’s teaching. We’ll dig into what that teaching is tomorrow, so there’s more coming! For now, though, get familiar with God’s Word. Don’t just review your favorite passages. Live in all of it! Go Deeper: • Read Psalm 119. Yes, it’s long – read some of the “sections” of the Psalm. That ancient song talks about the importance of being in God’s Word and how important it is to the writer. • Go to the table of contents of your Bible. Which books can you say, “I have a good idea of what that book’s about,” and which ones do you say, “I have no idea!” Instead of feeling ashamed of what you don’t know, take the time to find out what’s in each book. Find a survey of the Bible, or ask Pastor to borrow one. • Do you have a trusted friend you can read the Bible with – a spouse, a buddy, another person from church? Encourage another person to read their Bible by reading together. Perhaps you can both attend the same Bible study, or regularly ask each other how your personal studies are going.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 12:45:16 +0000