Who is your Father?

Jesus taught his disciples to pray “Our Father, who is in heaven.” Is your Father in heaven? Some religionists are children of the devil.

John 8:21-59

• “If you believe not that I am, you will die in your sins” (v. 24). “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you shall know that I am” (v. 28). “Before Abraham was, I am” (v. 58). “Then they took up stones to cast at him” (v. 59). It took them quite a while to understand what Jesus was saying, but when the Jews realized that Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God, they would have killed him.
• Many believed on him (v. 30), and Jesus spoke to those Jews who believed on him (v. 31). Apparently there is a faith which saves and a faith which does not save, for Jesus engages them in a conversation about their Father. They claim to be the children of Abraham (v. 33); and Jesus tells them that Abraham’s children would not be engaged in the thoughts and actions which so engrossed them (v. 37, 39).
• Children imitate their father. God’s children follow Him; the devil’s children follow him (v. 41-44). Are you more like God or the devil?
• These believers were unbelievers (v. 45). Many believers today are unbelievers, too. Look at how they live. Listen to their conversation. What do they think of Christ?
• When the Jews accuse Jesus of being a demon-possessed Samaritan  (v. 48), he introduces them to the reality of his pre-incarnate existence(v. 56-58). The matter of who Jesus is often is the telling point of a person’s true faith.

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