When different people tell you different things, it is often very difficult to know who to believe. I'm sure as a young child, when you had to choose between believing your parent or some outsider, you would always have trusted the word of your mum or dad. Parents have a great influence on what their children do and what they believe.
Did you know that every day you live, no matter how old you grow, people around will be able to recognise who your father is by observing your life?
In this short story you can learn from the Lord Jesus Christ how this can be done. Jesus was speaking to a crowd of Jews who were not willing to accept what He was saying as being the truth. They proudly claimed, "Abraham is our father."
"If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is you are determined to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does."
"The only father we have is God Himself," was their reply.
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God...He sent Me. You belong to your father.." (verses 39-44.)
Jesus recognised who their true "father" was by their language and behaviour. If God truly had been their Father, they would have recognised and trusted His Son whom He had sent from Heaven. (1st John 2:23. 2nd John 7-11.)
If God is truly YOUR Father today, then you will have recognised that Jesus Christ, whom He sent from Heaven, is your only Saviour. (Acts 4:12.) He is the only Priest God has given to forgive and save mankind. (Hebrews 7:23-27.)
But if you are refusing to trust in Jesus alone, and turn to other priests and saviours instead, that shows clearly who your true "father" is - and it is not GOD!
Jesus left those Jews in no doubt that He knew who their father was. "You belong to your father, the Devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire." They were the Devil's children! (verse 44.)
That explains why they wanted to silence Jesus forever, instead of believing His message. They were being just like their father the Devil, "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (verse 44.)
So, you see, YOU are showing who your true father is by whether or not you fully trust in the Lord Jesus, whom God sent to be your Saviour. (1st John 4:14. John 3:16-18.)
Although no one could ever prove Jesus guilty of lies or sin, yet when He claims to be the only One who can bring people to God most people will not believe Him. (verses 45-46. John 14:6. 1st Peter 3:18.)
Would Jesus have to say to you the very same as He had to say to those Jews? He said, "If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe Me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." (verses 46-47.)
Read Jesus' words for yourself in John's Gospel chapter 8, verses 39¬47.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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