IQ #244 Know the Truth

JOHN 8:31-32   To the Jews who believed in 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.”

This morning I was helping teach our Senior High Sunday School class, and the topic was about finding a scripture that represented each person’s New Year’s resolution. Up until this morning I really hadn’t come up with a new resolution for this year, but I thought I would let the Bible give me one.

I turned to the book of JOHN, and as I was turning the pages, the words, “The Children of Abraham” in the middle of Chapter 8, caught my eye. As I read verses 31 and 32 I decided that those verses would be my new resolution. When asked to explain the passages I chose, I said:

“To fully understand the teachings of Jesus Christ is to understand how I must live. To live as a true disciple of Christ does not keep me free of hardships and persecutions, but gives me the strength to overcome these obstacles, and show the world the strength, power, love and grace of God.”

Usually, the resolutions I have chosen in the past have been on a more personal level that centered on making me a better person. But, as I continue to learn more about God and grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ I am reminded about a line I comically use in reference to Dr. Phil, “It ain’t about you!” For me to fulfill this resolution I must focus my efforts in being a true disciple of Christ, and for Christ, by teaching God’s word to the youth I work with, and walking that ‘talk’ with them, my family, the people I work with, play sports with and those with whom I am with in social functions. How I conduct myself around strangers is just as important, as it says in 1 CORINTHIANS 9:19 “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.”

How can I be a true disciple of Jesus if I only went to church services, listened to sermons, sang a few songs and read the Bible? Jesus Christ, the son of God, physically committed his life to me and to you, freed us from our sins, and through his teachings showed us the way to live, and with that the promise of eternal life in God’s kingdom.

I have made plenty of mistakes and have felt the hardships of life, and persecutions. I may be broken, but they have NOT broken my spirit, because my faith in God gives me the strength to overcome, the patience to endure, the power to continue his work, the love of Christ to share, and the grace of God to pass on.

My resolution is to keep growing in my relationship with Christ, that fuels my faith in God, and to physically commit my life to help others learn about God’s son, Jesus Christ, his teachings, and to know the truth.

Papa John 9:24:15