Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.” John 8:42 NABRE
Jesus offers divine truth and freedom to those who receive His word. But the religious authorities wonder why they need what Jesus offers in light of their being children of Abraham. Jesus knows that Abraham loves Him but doesn’t see these religious authorities as truly children of Abraham, if they were they would love Jesus as well. Jesus mentions that these religious leaders are trying to kill Him, they want an end to His message of love. Thus Jesus challenges them saying if God were truly their Father they would love – Him. Jesus emphasized that He has come from the Father. But I think Jesus could have stopped with love, if God is our Father we would love. Jesus knows these people are sinners and their father is the devil. It is how we live that shows whose we are. If we want to be known as children of God we must love. If we seek our own satisfaction, putting our needs above others, people will see our father is not truth but lies. The father of lies leads us to sin.
Sin in itself is not the end of life, though Jesus challenges us not to sin. But sin separates us from God, from the good. When we sin we look at ourselves differently, we wonder who is good that would love us. We push away from good so no one can fully see we are not good. These are the lies we are told by the father of lies. God sees sin and forgives, we see sin and think we cannot be good so we hide, we walk away from God, from good. It is this separation that makes sin so terrible. When we sin we should run back to God and learn how to forgive ourselves. It is in our weakness that God makes us strong.
What is your reaction to your sins? Are you aware of your own destruction through sin?
Sin separates us from God, from the good. When we sin we look at ourselves differently, we wonder who is good that would love us. We push away from good so no one can fully see we are not good. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #father #sin #John #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #cross #last #Matthew #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways