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NASB | John 8:31 ¶ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 8:31 ¶ So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. |
Subject: Profile of A Disciple |
Bible Note: Dear Dr. Aixen, John Gill writes on John 12:42, regarding the chief rulers who believed: "[They believed] that he was the Messiah, though they did not believe in Him in a spiritual and saving manner, as their Redeemer and Saviour, only in their minds, being convicted by His miracles, gave an assent unto Him, as the promised Messiah. The two persons just mentioned may be thought truly to have believed in Christ." Your suggestion that there can be half-way, uncomitted, marginal, or "stealth" Christians is contrary to Scripture. Furthermore, Christ was not an idealist Who set standards impossible to attain. He was thorougly and continually a realist. More than that, He gives FULL provision for His own to do what He has commanded. The Scripture is clear that to be saved is to be a disciple of Christ. Further, it is very clear as to what a disciple looks like. If you find yourself coming up short in that perfect mirror of the Word, let us strive today to be what we ought to be. After all, "by His divine power [He] hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue." (2 Peter 1:3) He didn't even spare His own Son for this purpose? (Romans 8:32) Am I denying that growth in holiness is not a process? God forbid! Clearly it is a process! Clearly some are behind and some are ahead of us. My call is for us to stop watering down the standards, either for ourselves or for others! All we end up doing by such things is making the lost more comfortable in their lostness and hindering the process of sanctification in the rest of the body. Shame, shame, shame on us! In Him, Doc |