John 8:42-46, NKJV Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears Gods words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God. Thursdays with the Disciples Now this is a challenging statement. In fairness to the Jews, reason makes the journey to faith more complicated. To imagine that a peasant carpenters son from a small, insignificant town is somehow the Son of God would be beyond most of us. Reason says this man is delusional. But reason is rarely a major marker on the path to faith. Instead of a rational review of who He is and where He might have come from, those who believed saw something in what He did, how He spoke, whom He loved. They looked beyond the moments and saw the presence of God, and thats how faith is born. You wont argue people into faith. So where does reason often lead? Most people imagine a middle ground between God and Satan, a sort of undecided vote they hold in their hands. Here, Jesus tells these religious leaders that because they dont believe in Him, they belong to their Father, the devil. Yes, thats right! The murdering, lying, prince of darkness is the author of the lives they now live. In a few sentences, theyve gone from children of Abraham to children of the devil. No surprise that they found such words offensive. But Jesus isnt trash talking these Jews. Hes telling them a truth they are reluctant to process. They are trapped in their sin and blinded by the pride Satan has dished out in abundance. They cant see, and with Satans help, they refuse to see the truth that stands before them--the truth that could set them free. Abraham would see it, but then again, Abraham lived by faith. ---Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 08:49:07 +0000
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