Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8: 31-32

Most Christians will tell you that the “truth will set you free.” A lot fewer will recall the importance of faithfulness to the teachings of Jesus. Freedom doesn’t come in wisdom alone, but in faithfulness to what is true. It’s a matter of action. 

At the Day of Judgment, we will be not be questioned as to what we have read, but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but how holy we have lived.

Watkins, James (2016-01-12). The Imitation of Christ: Classic Devotions in Today’s Language (Kindle Locations 653-654). Worthy Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Yet it seems that Christians are wedded to the idea of learning and not to doing. The most “significant” part of Sunday service for most is the “teaching” or “sermon.” That teaching sometimes, but not always, contains a motivating call to action. What good is it to sit through a teaching without building up motivation to go out and do something. By Mondays, not only are the words of most Sunday sermons forgotten, but nothing has been done to further the Kingdom. Maybe our Sundays would be better spent gathering together somewhere to do acts of charity instead of dressing up and sitting in rows listening to teachings and watching the clock. 

Jesus was looking for followers, not scholars. It was important to Him that the disciples were faithful to His teachings and not just memorizers of them.  If you tell your child to go clean up her room, you don’t want her to memorize your words and speak them back to you, even if in Greek. You want her to clean her room. I suspect Jesus wants us to be busy making disciples not quoting Him about the need to make disciples. 

Let’s make a greater effort to HOLD to teachings and less to debating them. The freedom in truth is in the doing and not in the hearing.