WHO DO YOU BELONG TO?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own; God sent Me. Why is My language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. 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. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me! Can any of you prove Me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe Me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

John 8:41-47

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In yesterday’s devotion, we found Jesus addressing the Jews who refused to believe in Him, Jews that included a group of Pharisees the Jewish religious leaders of the time. The discussion was around freedom and enslavement with the Jews asserting they weren’t in need of freedom from slavery because they were descendants of Abraham. They had a family unlike slaves who did not.

We saw that the problem in the dispute was the Jews being unwilling to realize that they were enslaved by sin and were unwilling to come to follow Jesus, the One who was truth. In fact later in this Gospel, we will find Jesus saying that He is the Way and the Truth and the Life, the only One through which anyone can be find their way to God the Father, the God the Jews insisted was their only father.

As we move further into this debate, we find Jesus challenging the Jews assertion that God was their father because it presented a clear contradiction when compared against the truth that He was God’s Son and was one with Him (John 10:30). Look again at the words of our Savior here:

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own; God sent Me. Why is My language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. 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. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me! Can any of you prove Me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe Me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” John 8:41-47

The Jews who were arguing with Jesus were clearly rejecting Him, unlike those in the group who chose to believe in Jesus after hearing His teaching (v. 30). At the same time, they claimed that their only father was God and this is what Jesus called out as being impossible because if God was really their father, they would be embracing Jesus in love instead of rebelling against Him in anger and hatred, an anger and hatred that was even manifesting itself in thoughts of murdering God’s Son. They would know that God had sent His Son to save them and break their bondage from sin.

Unfortunately, the Jews were not listening. They stubbornly closed their ears to Jesus and as a result, they were being guided by a father who they didn’t even acknowledge, the devil who was leading them to carry out his desires. For example, Satan was leading the Jews to consider murdering Jesus, even though God had forbidden this very act in the Ten Commandments given to His people through Moses. God certainly would never have led these men to consider killing His own Son and so God could not be the father the Jews believed they were following. Jesus asserted they had been deceived by Satan, the father of all liars, duped into believing what they did and rising up against Him. Satan was able to have His way with the Jews, to include the Pharisees, because they had separated themselves from God. Satan was their partner and he was doing a great job miring the Jews in sinfulness, sinfulness Jesus was trying to liberate them from. If they would have only listened to God, they would have known Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be and they could have not only found their salvation but worked with Him for the cause of the Gospel instead of against it.

The scriptures are calling out to us with one simple question today:

“Who do you belong to?”

There are really only two answers.

You see, you are either committed to Jesus and the God who sent Him or you’re committed to Satan. It’s one or the other.

One (God and Jesus) wants to lead you in truth toward living in righteousness. The other (Satan) wishes to guide you into sin and wickedness, to actions that are in opposition to what God and Jesus desire.

One (God and Jesus) wants you to seek and carry out their will and way, leading you toward goodness and a life that pleases them. The other (Satan) wants you to chase after the world’s desires, or even better, your own desires, no matter how sinful those desires may be.

One (God and Jesus) wants to save you and live with you forever in peace and joy and love. The other (Satan) wants to destroy you and leave you living forever in the eternal torment that comes with rejecting God and Jesus.

So, who do you belong to?

If it’s Satan, it’s not too late to realize the mistake you’re making and pledge your faith, hope, and trust in Jesus and the God who sent Him, sealing your salvation. My prayer is that you wouldn’t delay at the risk of losing your chance at glory but the choice is yours.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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