‘So, Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free”’ (John 8:31-32, NASB). Jesus hereby makes a distinction between a believer and a disciple. To be a disciple, those who believe in Him must become practitioners of the biblical principles He taught.
Oftentimes, Jesus taught by way of parables. These were simple stories He used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Some who heard Him understood the gist of the parables but failed to grasp the practical truth being conveyed.
Why is it important that we understand the biblical principles Jesus taught? Because we now belong to the family of God. And before we can make any system work for us, we must first understand how that system works. We would be seriously wrong to assume that the Lord’s kingdom works the same way earthly kingdoms work. The two are world’s apart.
Imagine that you just joined a national organization. You did so because you read and heard about all the great benefits of membership. At this point, however, you have failed to realize those benefits in your life. The problem is that you don’t know how to avail yourself of those benefits. A simple solution exists for your problem. Just learn how the organization works, and then you can make it work for you
Learning and Practicing Biblical Principles
The same is true of Christianity. We became members of the family of God by grace through faith in Christ. But we must learn and practice Jesus’ teachings, if we want to operate properly in this new family we belong to. This has nothing to do with our salvation. But it has a lot to do with our quality of life. God always operates and deals with us in accordance with the biblical principles Jesus taught His disciples.
Here is an example. One day, Jesus taught His disciples the difference between greatness in this world and greatness in the eyes of God. He said those whom the world regard as great exercise lordship and authority over others. “Not so with you,” He said. “Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43-44, NIV). How about that for greatness in the eyes of God?
Those of us who serve as leaders in the Christian faith need to practice this vital biblical principle. We have received no authority from heaven to exercise lordship over God’s people. If we want to be great in the eyes of God, we must assume the role of a servant and not a lord. How committed are you to living your life in accordance with the biblical principles that Jesus taught?
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.