The Scottish historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), a leading author of the Victorian era who had a profound influence on 19th century literature and philosophy, observed, "No iron chain, or outward force of any kind, could ever compel the soul of man to believe or disbelieve." We are free to choose what we believe or disbelieve. Coerced belief does not equate to conviction, and seeking to impose beliefs upon others against their will is tyranny. Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899) rightly stated, "He who endeavors to control the mind by force is a tyrant, and he who submits is a slave." In the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom (dated 1786), Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) wrote, "Almighty God hath created the mind free." In the closing words of the classic work titled "The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology" (dated 1796), Thomas Paine (1737-1809) wrote, "When opinions are free, either in matters of government or religion, truth will finally and powerfully prevail." This brings to mind the words of Jesus in John 8:32 - "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

What many Christians seemingly do not realize, especially those who would call us back to a system of law and religious regulation, is that one of the major messages of Jesus is that "you are FREE" from such institutional imposition! Jesus Himself declared, "If the Son, then, sets you free, you are really free" (John 8:36). The apostle Paul reminded the Galatian brethren, and us as well, "You were called to freedom, brethren!" (Galatians 5:13). Indeed, "it was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). Nevertheless, as has been true in every generation since Christ set us free, there have been some among us who reject this freedom, and who seek to undermine it and return us to the bondage of religious restriction and regulation. Paul stated it this way: "False brethren sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage" (Galatians 2:4). I like the way this passage is rendered by J. B. Phillips in his translation: "Some pseudo-Christians, who wormed their way into our meeting to spy on the liberty we enjoy in Jesus Christ, then attempted to tie us up with rules and regulations" [The New Testament in Modern English]. Because "the truth of the Gospel was at stake," Paul wrote that the true believers "did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour!" (vs. 5). Freedom is too precious to surrender to those who prefer slavery!

There are many people, and even religious groups, who are sadly far more attached to the Scriptures than to the Savior to whom those writings seek to direct them. They are book-bound believers. They believe their salvation is tied to observing all the rules they can deduce from these scriptures. This is nothing new. Jesus even had to deal with it, telling these religionists, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; but it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me that you may have life" (John 5:39-40). The eternal life we seek is not to be found in a book, but in a Person. "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11-12). It really is that simple! Eternal life is not achieved by keeping a long list of religious rules and regulations; it is given as a gift by God to those who believe in His Son, and who by that belief/faith enter into relationship with Him. The Scriptures are a guide; they provide information that directs us to the One who saves; they themselves are NOT the source of our salvation. Paul told Timothy that these writings "are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). The Message phrases it this way: "There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Jesus freed us from systematic religion; He freed us from institutionalism and legalism and sectarianism. We are now simply sons and daughters of the Father, who seek in our daily walk to look and act more and more like His Son.

How tragic, then, that so many have virtually made an idol of the Bible! For some, it is viewed with more reverence than the Lord Himself. I dealt with this several years ago in an article titled "From Biblicism to Bibliolatry: Have We Made the Bible an Idol?" (Reflections #829). Along with such a twisted view of the Scriptures comes a twisting of various texts within these writings to promote this misunderstanding. One such text is John 8:31-32 - "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'" (NASB). At first glance, one might wonder how this passage could be misapplied. It comes down to how one deals with the phrase "My word" and the word "truth." Also, what does it mean to "continue in" His "word"? If one regards "My word" as a reference to the NT scriptures, as some do, and if "truth" consists of the various "commands" deduced and inferred from these writings which must be obeyed to be in right standing with God, then such a view will lead one in the direction of religion rather than relationship. Further, it will tend to promote a pattern rather than a Person, leading to the horror of legalistic patternism.

Before we delve more deeply into that, however, there is something else in this passage that needs to be highlighted, for many miss it entirely. The text informs us that Jesus was addressing these remarks to "those Jews who had believed Him" (vs. 31a). This statement is in stark contrast to one made just one verse earlier, where, following some teaching given by Jesus, we are informed that "many came to believe in Him" (vs. 30b). Though the casual reader might not notice the distinction in these two statements, biblical scholars have spotted it immediately. The noted Greek scholar Dr. Marvin Vincent wrote, "Note the different phrase, distinguishing the Jews from the mixed company in John 8:30" [Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 2, p. 49]. In verse 30 we find people believing in Him, whereas in verse 31 we are told that some merely "believed Him." The Scottish pastor Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910) wrote, "The variation in these two contiguous clauses can scarcely be accidental in so careful a writer as the apostle John. And the reason and meaning of it are obvious enough on the face of the narrative" [Expositions of Holy Scripture, e-Sword]. John is making a distinction between those who had come to a faith that embraced Jesus as their Savior, committing themselves to following Him, and those who simply believed what He said, but who had yet to be moved in their hearts to accept Him as their Lord. The latter "believed Him," but they had yet to "believe IN Him." It was to these Jews that Jesus spoke about what constituted true discipleship and what was needed to find liberating truth.

"To believe in/on the Lord was to trust Him as a person; merely to believe Him was but to accept His words as true without necessarily submitting to His will. True discipleship is not by profession but by action; it is a life one lives and not simply or solely a doctrine to which one subscribes. Jesus discerned in these men who are said to have 'believed Him' shallowness and want of full commitment, and He proceeded immediately to make clear to them in what real discipleship consisted, rather than superficial profession produced by momentary excitement in religion" [Guy N. Woods, A Commentary on the Gospel According to John, p. 172]. Yes, some of the Jews believed what Jesus was saying, or at least believed some of it, but they were not sold on Him. Indeed, by the end of the chapter these Jews were calling Him a demon-possessed Samaritan and were picking up stones to kill Him. If they would have continued learning from Him, they would have come to know the truth that "would liberate them from legalism and superstition" [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 9, p. 95]. They were still in bondage to a legalistic system by which one sought to merit God's favor through the externals of a rigid religion. "Their minds were still held in the bondage of a carnal understanding. Their idea of discipleship was that of an external adherence to Christ. They were caught in the meshes of the same delusion which to this day holds the minds of so many so-called Christians captive" [Dr. Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible - The NT, vol. 1, p. 458]. These Jews "who believed Him, accepted the Messianic claims, but persisted in interpreting them, not by His word, but by their own ideas" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 17, pt. 1, p. 360]. The Greek scholar Dr. A. T. Robertson wrote, "They believed Him as to His claims to being the Messiah with their own interpretation (cf. John 6:15), but they did not commit themselves to Him" [Word Pictures in the New Testament, e-Sword].

Jesus informed these individuals that mental assent to what He taught did not constitute genuine discipleship. "You are truly disciples of Mine," He declared, "if you continue in My word" (John 8:31). "Continue" is a translation of the Greek verb "meno," which means "to remain, abide; to dwell or settle down in; to lodge, sojourn" [The Analytical Greek Lexicon, p. 263]. "Continuance in the word (i.e., teaching) proves the sincerity or insincerity of the profession. It is the acid test of life" [Dr. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the NT, e-Sword]. "The genuine disciple continues, abides, in the word of Him who is the incarnate Word" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 17, pt. 1, p. 360]. Our abiding place, in which we are to settle, is far more than a "what" or a "where" - it is a Whom! It is the Lord Jesus Christ in Whom we continue to remain; we settle down IN HIM. Jesus IS the Word or Message of the Father to mankind. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:1, 14). "The Logos of John is the real, personal God, the Word, who was before the creation with God, and was God, one in essence and nature, yet personally distinct; the revealer and interpreter of the hidden being of God; the reflection and visible image of God, and the organ of all His manifestations to the world" [Dr. Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the NT, vol. 2, p. 32].

The message of God to mankind was encapsulated in JESUS. His teaching, His attitude, His actions, the way in which He lived His life in harmony with the will of God - this was what the genuine disciple would "continue in" as he/she lived their lives in this world. The Scriptures serve to point us TO this Word; they do not constitute it. To suggest, as some do, that Jesus was referring to the Scriptures in John 8:31-32, and inferring that "the truth" was reference to rules, regulations and commands regarding "how to do church," and that these are to be found in the NT side of the Bible, is to completely fail to perceive the intent of the passage! Not a single sentence of those 27 books would even be written for several decades when Jesus uttered His statement. Yet to "continue in" this "word" and to come to know "truth" was something those individuals could do right then. Jesus wanted them to do more than just believe Him; He desired for them to believe in/on Him: to commit their lives to Him, to abide with Him, to walk with Him, to embrace Him in fullness of faith. Jesus was/is the Message of God to mankind: the Word in the form of flesh. We are urged to trust/believe IN THIS WORD. As for "truth," again, it was Jesus Himself, not just certain facts that were true. "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through ME" (John 14:6). In the Greek phrasing of the John 8:31 text, "the expression is intentionally stronger than 'My word.' Literally, it reads, 'in the word which is characteristic of Me'" [Dr. Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 2, p. 49]. "The Truth is embodied in Jesus Christ, and revealed by Him" [Dr. Alvah Hovey, An American Commentary on the NT, p. 345].

Just prior to His arrest, Jesus prayed His great High Priestly prayer in John 17. In verse 17 of that chapter, we find this appeal to the Father on behalf of His beloved disciples: "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." This, as noted by Alexander MacLaren, is "the truth as revealed and embodied in Him" [Expositions of Holy Scripture, e-Sword]. "Christ Himself has always been His own chief Lesson, far greater than any words can embody and convey. ... His character and His message are Truth" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 17, pt. 1, p. 384]. "Since the Word of God is Truth, it provides the unchanging standard for the course and character of life. The form of the expression 'Your word' raises the possibility that Jesus may have been referring to Himself when He spoke. He had said that He was 'the Truth' (John 14:6); so, as the Logos of God He embodied Truth in its totality. ... If 'word' ('logos') in this phrase is applied to Christ, the expression would be singularly appropriate because Jesus was the full and original expression of the Father's nature and mind and could have only come from Him" [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 9, p. 165-166]. Although some may choose to "search the Scriptures" for eternal life, I choose to embrace the Word which became flesh; I choose to "hear ye HIM," for only HE is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In my journey to the Father, I shall journey through Him, and Him only!

From an Author in Texas:

Good Morning, brother. I'm contacting you because your book "Down, But Not Out" was recommended to me as I begin research for an exegetical paper that I plan to publish on MDR. I'm sending funds to you via PayPal to purchase a copy of this book. Thank you so much! I'm really excited about reading it, and I am certain, based on what I've heard about it, that you will get quoted (and cited) in my research paper. MDR has been debated for so long in the church that I don't believe it will ever get resolved until we reach heaven. There are just so many opinions and interpretations of Matthew 5 & 19, Romans 7:1-3, and 1 Corinthians 7, that it's no wonder the One Body of Christ is divided on the matter!

From a Reader in Trinidad:

Good Morning, Al. I am from Trinidad, and I've been reading your Reflections for some time. It is good stuff. I just completed reading your article titled "The Transfiguration Command: The Important - Oft Ignored - Imperative" (Reflections #891), and I am really pleased to say it is so real and complete, and I am going to read it again and then share it with some of my brethren here! This particular article is really good stuff and the right stuff from the Scriptures! I would also like to order a couple of your books. I'm still learning! Thank you very much.

From a Reader in Barbados:

Thank you, Al, for your article on "The Transfiguration Command." It was a very timely piece as we transition into 2025. "Hear ye Him!" It is a life-saving and a life-sustaining command, for HE is the Word who holds everything in place!

From a Minister in New Zealand:

Al, thank you for this article on the transfiguration and God's command to "Hear Him!" Like someone once said of you, "Ask Al Maxey what the time is, and he will tell you how to make a watch" (LOL). But, you show us all just how amazing the Bible is, and sometimes how unfathomable and unsearchable are His ways! Thanks again, brother, and blessings in the new year.

From a Reader in Oklahoma:

Al, I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season. My wife and I celebrated our 67th wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve. Next to the Lord, she is the best thing that has ever happened to me! I just read your Reflections article on the transfiguration, and I loved it. We are called to hear/listen to HIM. I am sometimes afraid we are fixated on everything but the Lord Jesus!

From a Reader in Texas:

Al, I always love your articles, and I have learned so much from your writings over the years. Once again, you have nailed the true meaning and message of the transfiguration and why it is important to focus on that message rather than any disputes over differences in the gospel narratives of the event. Thank you, Al, for always being the voice of truth and wisdom. You help keep us sane! Happy New Year to you and yours. May the Lord continue to bless you with good health, wisdom, and with more great articles!

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