"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."  John 8:31

     According to the book of John if we abide (dwell, live, reside) in His words we are His disciples and we shall know what is truth and that truth will bring freedom.  Jesus is inviting us to live a certain way. His way.  If we make being a Christian just about just saying "yes" and having a head full of facts, rather than a metamorphisis of how we live, we may have missed the message.  In other words, if we want to know truth than we need to begin to live a certain way.  Does knowing then come from living?  
     Is living the way of Jesus the best possible way to live?  Does a church then become a community of people learning how to live the best possible life?   First century historians often describe first century believers as "living" differently.  They called them "followers of the way".  They described, not what christians "knew" but how they "lived".  Simply put, they lived differently and it stood out ... that is what defined them as "the way".  Does that describe the church today?  The early church earned the name Christian.  They didn't have to define themselves because their lives defined who they were.  So does this pose a problem-- if we call ourselves Christians?  Okay so Christians do have a tainted name and we often put up some pretty good grace excuses.  But if I have been invited by Jesus to live a certain way and if I take him up on that and desire to live this life, shouldn't that have some effect in the community that I live in?  Do I have to remind everyone who I am and what I live for?  In other words --does my life define me as a Christian or just my mouth.