Seven Marks of a DiscipleSample

Mark Four: A disciple abides in and obeys the Word of God.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” —John 8:31-32

Jesus said that those who hold to and abide in His teaching will know the truth and that the truth will set them free—God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). Jesus invites us to meditate on His Word.

This is one reason it’s so important to memorize Scripture. When we are in difficult situations and unsure how to respond, God’s Spirit can bring to mind a verse or passage that we’ve committed to memory. When God’s Word dwells in our hearts and minds, it affects how we think, what we say, how we feel, and what we do.

God’s Word is living and active, and it searches the heart (Hebrews 4:12). God uses it to take what is hidden—the secret things we don’t want anyone to see—and bring them into the light. God wants the truth of His Word to go deep inside us where damaging lies are buried. Truth is powerful.

A disciple obeys and abides in the Word of Truth. Jesus warned us that our enemy is a liar (John 10:10, 8:44). Proverbs reminds us that there is a way that might seem right, but leads to death (14:12, 16:25). It is the truth of God’s Word that extinguishes the power of the enemy’s lies.

The enemy will do everything he can to keep us out of God’s Word because the truth we trust will change our lives. When we trust something we place ourselves under its influence. So when we trust God’s Word we obey it and it changes us from the inside out. Then we don’t have to “act” or “pretend” like the actors (hypocrites) of New Testament times because we become a different person. We live out of a character God has transformed.

God’s Word plays an essential role in our spiritual growth. His Truth frees us to live out of what is now true about us as His disciples. A disciple abides in and obeys the Word of God!