This is the second day of our pastors school with Jimmy Evans in Texas, and I am so blessed to be in this conference. Two hundred pastors are leaning from some of the best teaching in the country, and Pastor Glenn, John and myself are getting filled and challenged is a special way.
I have discovered over the years, that if you want to grow in Christ, there is a price you will need to pay to do so. Sometimes it’s just making time to receive, and sometimes it may cost you a great deal in time and resources. The point being is that God provides many opportunity for us, but attached to that opportunity are certain requirements that motivate us to be partners with God in our development.
Going to this conference is just one example. The three of us had to first decide to go. We then had to carve out time to go. We had to buy our airplane tickets and purchase hotels rooms. All these “Costs” were needed in order for us to receive the blessing that awaited us. I’m sure this conference “Could Have” been a blessing to other pastors just like us, but for some reason they didn’t think the cost was justified. The blessing that was theirs was lost.
Jesus illustrates that there is a cost to living full and free in the gospel of John.
John 8:31-32 The Truth Will Make You Free
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.”
People don’t get freedom because they want it, they get freedom because they pursue it. Jesus said that people who “Continue” in his word are true disciples, so the first cost is choosing to believe Jesus is worth following. Some people just want to think about Jesus without really following.
Secondly, Jesus said if we follow, we will discover truth that make sense. It will convince us that the information is so valuable that it actually has power to transform. For some people they say they “Believe” the truth Jesus gives and yet never are really free. In my mind, they never really were convinced that the truth they say they believe in really had power, it was just a set of facts to observe and enjoy intellectually. Truth is meant to equip not just entertain.
Lastly, Jesus said we would find “Freedom” by embracing him and the truth He presented. So the question is, have we followed Jesus wholeheartedly, so that we can discover the wonderful truth of God, so that we can get free? Have we just embraced Jesus as a good man who had good things to say like Gandhi?
How much we are willing to extend ourselves today to embrace the real person of Christ and his teaching will determine the freedom we enjoy today! May we all find more freedom in our personal live as God has intended.
Loving to think Biblically,
Pastor Dale
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