John 8:31 (ESV)
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
Obedience to the words of Christ is essential for discipleship. The word “abide” in the above passage is often translated in the New Testament as “stay.” The point of the verse is to make sure we know that discipleship is not a moment in time in our lives. The word “disciple” in the above passage is from the root word, “to learn.” The thought process here is that those who “believed” Jesus are to continually learn about Jesus and that makes them a “disciple” of Jesus. We can’t confess Jesus in belief and not follow Jesus in learning about Him and staying in His word in obedience. The three key words in this verse: Belief, Abide and Disciples are all connected and intertwined.
The concept that people can say they believe in God and believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection and then go on their way with no “abiding” in Him, is foreign to the teachings of Christ, Paul, Peter, John, etc. No one in the early church days taught a view that belief without abiding was genuine Christianity. In fact, James (one of the first books in the New Testament) taught completely against it:
James 2:14 (ESV)
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
James is talking about an “abiding” that is demonstrated in works. Faith and works are not separate parts of our lives. We often get confused as to their order (faith is always taught that it is before works), but we ought not get confused about their relationship. We are to abide in Christ by learning about Christ and that makes us a disciple of Christ.
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