Musing – What does it mean to ‘accept’ Jesus?

Hebraic Musing – What does it mean to ‘accept’ Jesus?

Remember as children we sang “Father Abraham had many sons…”  The Hebraic or Biblical thinking behind this little ditty comes from Jesus’ red letter teachings to His disciple ‘wannabe’s in John 8:31-47.

In vs.31-32 Jesus defines what it means to be one of His disciples – To the Jews who had believed 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.” NIV   By definition, to be a disciple one needs to hold to the Master’s teachings.

Then Jesus goes on to define those who are still slaves to sin in vs.34-38 – Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.”  And how many obvious ‘slaves to sin’ do we find gleefully attending Christian fellowships?

After further argument over their heritage and relationship with Abraham, Jesus explains why those who do not listen to what God says do not belong to God.  Again vs. 42-47 in red letters He says “If God were your Father, you would love me, …  Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.  You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. …  He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Yeshua’s clear answer differentiates a disciple as one who wants to and does hear from God. Is it safe to assume that a true disciple would have a hunger and thirst for God’s Word?

Points to ponder

Then what does it mean to ‘accept’ Jesus?

Can one claim to have ‘accepted Christ’ and not be interested in
studying their Bible

or attending Sunday school

or seeking out Bible study groups?

BTW – I think Jesus’ half-brother James understood this when he penned his epistle.  James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Shalom,

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                             August 8, 2012