“What Makes a Disciple?”

John 8: 31: “Jesus therefore was saying to those who had believed in Him, ‘If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.’” Realize that Jesus was speaking to those who had withstood the “Great Purge” of John chapter six. When He had said, “There are some of you who do not believe” (John 6: 44), He wasn’t talking about them. But now He shows the need for something deeper, something greater, than believing: abiding. A disciple does the work of believing, then goes further to bear the fruit of abiding in Christ’s Word, which brings one to the freedom of truth (v. 32).