A Character Sketch of Man

Read

John 8:42–47 (ESV)

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

Opening Prayer

Setting the Stage

Two Sundays ago we looked at the contrast between the behavior of the Jews and the behavior of Abraham.

But, this morning, while some thoughts may overlap…

I want us to look at the character sketch that Christ gives us regarding mankind since the Fall.

I want us to look at some other passages that speak to what Christ is saying…

And, learn to understand the depth of deception that mankind will go to delude themselves into believing they are right with God…

And, the lengths they will go to delude others into thinking the same thing.

My prayer for this morning’s sermon is that God would awaken our eyes to the lengths that mankind will go to appear righteous…

And, that by knowing that truth, and that there is only one way to be right with God…

We may not be deceived by self or others.

Now, first let me lay out the character sketch that Christ shows us…

And, what is shocking is that this is a character sketch understood of pagan nations…

Non-Jewish people, nations and people other than Israel…

But, Jesus takes that same pagan character sketch and says it is true of Jews…

And, all of mankind, as well.

So, let’s look at this universal…

Character Sketch

v.12 – We walk in darkness. It is our preferred path.

v.43 – We have no room in us for God’s truth.

v.45 – At our very core, we are offended by God’s truth.

v.15 – We judge according to the flesh.

We judge in spiritual ignorance.

We judge according to external appearances.

v.21 – We are dead in our sins.

We will stay there if left to ourselves.

v.23 – We are worldly and of this world.

We are of the domain of the Devil.

v.33 – We are blind to our true spiritual condition.

v.38 – Our father is the Devil.

v.44 – We have devil-like desires.

v.47 – We are not of God. We do not know God.

Not in a loving, salvific way.

Not in a true to God’s revelation way.

v.55 – We are liars.

v.28 & v.59 – Our desire is to kill God.

This is a wretched character sketch.

And one may ask, could this be an exaggeration?

Is Jesus exaggerating the character of fallen man?

The Devil would certainly like to slip in his answer to that question.

But, we know that the Devil disguises himself as an angel of light…

His answer could not be trusted.

But, if the Devil disguises himself as an angel of light…

What do you think the world does?

—> The world that is under his dominion?

When the Devil entered the Garden of Eden he presented himself as an equal to God and an assistant to man.

—> He was neither.

He disguised himself as an agent of truth.

He disguised his mission as one of delivering man to enlightenment.

—> Neither were true.

We still hear the message of the world being packaged in such a way.

The real mission is to destroy God and God’s image bearers while pretending the opposite.

We see this in Genesis 3 where we are first introduced to the Devil and his handiwork.

I want to turn there…

In the Beginning

Genesis 3:1–7 (ESV)

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

The

Why are they so infuriated?

Hosea 9:7 (ESV)

7 The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred.

The

Point 1

Point 2

Point 3

Let’s think about this...

How is Christ supremely dishonored?

—> By not believing upon Him.

What is the stumbling block to faith in Christ?

—> Self-righteousness.

Closing Prayer