Do You Believe? (John 8:31-47)

The overarching theme of the Gospel of John is belief in Jesus. He wants those who do not believe to begin believing. He also wants those who believe to continue believing. He makes this clear in John 20:31, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” We have eternal life by believing in His name; that is, through who Jesus is and what He has done. In John 8:31-47, Jesus is speaking to a group of Jews who are described as believing in Him, but Jesus quickly demonstrates that they are not true believers. Jesus said “to the Jews who believed in Him…‘If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

Hold to My Teaching

Jesus said that true believers hold to My teaching. Literally, this means to continue in/abide/remain in His teaching. Christians obey Jesus’ commands. What are the commands of Christ? George Patterson has helpfully identified the seven basic commands of Christ:

1. Repent & Believe (Mark 1:15) Story: The Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-50)
2. Be Baptized (Matthew 28:19) Story: Philip and the Ethiopian Official (Acts 8:26-39)
3. Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19-20) Story: Jesus’ Last Supper (Luke 22:7-20)
4. Pray (Matthew 6:9-13) Story: Jesus’ Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15)
5. Go…Make Disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) Story: The Samaritan Woman (John 4:4-42)
6. Love (Matthew 22:37-39) Story: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
7. Give (Luke 6:38) Story: The Generous Widow (Mark 12:41-44) 

Only one of these commands involves receiving salvation. Command #1 is Jesus’ call for unbelievers to repent (e.g., turn away from) of their sin and believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God. The following six are commands Christians obey so that they will glorify God, grow in their faith, and do good to others. These are not commands of service to earn God’s favor, but are commands of service as you abide/remain in His love. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). D.A. Carson wrote: “A genuine believer remains in Jesus’ word, His teaching: such a person obeys it, seeks to understand it better, and finds it more precious, more controlling, precisely when other forces flatley oppose it. It is the one who continues in the teachings who has both the Father and the Son.”

What does it mean to believe? According to Greg Stiekes: “out of about 250 times the New Testament uses the verb “believe” (pisteuō), nearly 100 of them occur in John’s gospel alone…For John, belief is always an active idea, a verbal idea.” Just as DC Talk reminded us that “Luv is a verb!”; we need to hear John’s reminder that believe is a verb as well. To genuinely believe is to do more than just profess faith. It is a profession that comes from receiving the Holy Spirit, being reborn (John 3:3), and being transformed. Genuine faith endures. James said the “testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:3).

You Will Know the Truth

Jesus has come that we would know the truth. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus told the crowd of Jews, “As it is, you are determined to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God” (John 8:40). The Father sent the Son to reveal to us the truth and discern error. 

Christians must not live by lies, even if the world does. It was Pontius Pilate who asked a very relevant question: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). He said this in response to Jesus’ declaration “I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me” (John 18:37). The Apostle Paul told Christians that when we take up the full armor of God we need to remember to “stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” (Eph 6:14). Christians must remember that we fight with the truth, not power, cunning, craftiness, or deception. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” and we are upheld by the truth.

The crowd did not hold to Jesus’ teaching and therefore did not know the truth. The Son of God was in their midst and they could not see Him. Even though they professed to believe, Jesus pointed out a glaring issue with their supposed belief by reminding them that they seek to kill Him (8:37, 40), they are slaves to sin (8:34), they do not love Him (8:42), they follow their father the devil (8:44).

The Truth Will Set You Free

Jesus came to bring us knowledge of the truth and then made an amazing promise that the truth will set us free. The crowd did not comprehend what He said as they argued about never being a slave of anyone. Jesus answers that they are slaves. He says, “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. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (8:34-36). Jesus offered them freedom and yet they refused. What does Jesus free us from? Consider:

• Freedom from sin. We do not have to be burdened by its yoke of slavery (Gal 5:1). We do not have to sin, we can choose obedience over sin. Our sins are forgiven through Jesus.
• Freedom from guilt. We do not have to bear guilt for sins that have been forgiven. John wrote, “And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28).
• Freedom from wrath. Paul told the Romans, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness of men” (Rom 1:18). John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
• Freedom to love. The truth sets you free. Jesus brings freedom. This is not a freedom to live however you want, but freedom to live a life worthy of the Gospel and a life that glorifies God. If the son sets you free, you are free indeed.

Are you a genuine believer in Jesus? Do you hold to His teaching? Do you know the truth?