Am I a Child of Abraham?

If you have your bibles today please open them up to John chapter 8 today. I have titled todays message, “Am I a Child of Abraham” Its fitting today that I preach a message about being someone’s child. Because if you didn’t know we are all the child of someone. Some of our mom’s may be in attendance today, some may no longer be with us, some may not know our mom’s personally, but we all have something in common, we all have a mom. Jesus in the text today gets in a conversation that leads us to answer Am I a Child of Abraham? Before we read todays text I want us to pray for this time in God’s word…

John 8:31–59 ESV

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” 39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 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.” 48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Powerful Interaction today indeed. For those taking notes or following along in your bulletin, the main point I have for you is this. Anyone can become a Child of Abraham if they receive the Word of Christ.

Meaning if you have your faith in Christ and him alone you can become a child of Abraham, and why does that matter? Because only children of Abraham are saved, and to become a Child of Abraham you must believe in Christ. If you are Christ’s then you are a fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham by God himself.

So if you are a child of Abraham what does that mean for them in the text, and us today? I believe the text teaches us four things about being a child of Abraham.

The first is this..

Children of Abraham are set free.

In verse 31 Jesus was talking to the Jews, and he tells them If you abide in my Word, you are my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. And like the typical Jews they say we have never been enslaved to anyone, even though that is not the case. They had been slaves in their past to the Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Syria, Rome, but most notable they are slaves to their own sin. Slaves to the world, and they for themselves dont understand they are slaves of the sin.

They don’t get how Jesus is telling them. They say how is it that you say, you will become free? But Jesus explains to them they are slaves because they make it a practice of sinning. And because they make it a practice of sin they are a slave of sin. Even though they don’t quite realize it. 1 John 3 is a good place that explains what being a slave to sin looks like. Three verses stand out.

1 John 3:4 ESV

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

1 John 3:8 ESV

8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:9 ESV

9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

Making a practice of sin shows that you may not have not been born of God. This doesn’t mean a sin will send you to hell, but if you continue to make a practice of sin, over and over again are you really born again?, only you and God know that answer. But the evidence leans more into the fact you are not.

The truth is when you are not in Christ you are a slave to sin. Listen to one man… Theologians have showed that even after the fall, that power of making choices remained intact. Fallen human beings are not robots or puppets. They still have minds that think, wills that make choices, and hearts that have affections. So they think they’re free.

But Jesus says we are not really free. We are like slaves on a galley. We still have minds, wills, and hearts, but the chains of our slavery limit our choices. When Jesus describes the natural human condition, He says: “By nature you’re slaves. You’re slaves to your own wicked desires, your own wicked impulses. Nobody else is forcing you to commit the sins you commit; you sin because you’re a slave to sin.” The pagan believes that his will is unaffected by the fall, but Christianity teaches that by nature we have sinful and corrupt natures that keep us in moral bondage.

Everyone who is outside of Christ falls under the words I just read. If you are not in Christ you are a slave to sin, you are not truly free unless you are in Christ.

Jesus himself tells them they can be set free in verse 35-36. John 8:35-36

John 8:35–36 ESV

35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Jesus is telling them. You realize a slave does not stay in the house forever, he can be sold, and he doesn’t have the same rights the son has. He could die as a slave, and will never get the same rights the son has who always remains the son , but if the son sets you free you are free. No longer a slave, and Jesus came to make those who were enslaved to Sin’s free.

A few verses help us illustrate what that looks like…

Romans 8:2 ESV

2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Jesus frees you from the penalty of death.

Galatians 5:1 ESV

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Christ dies so we dont have to go back into slavery.

One More..

Galatians 4:4–7 ESV

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Not only do we become free from sin, but we becomes sons, and heirs of God if we are in Christ. Once slaves, now sons, and set free!

Children of Abraham are set free.

A Second point this morning is this..

Children of Abraham are not children of the devil.

Jesus in the text acknowledges that they are physical children of Abraham, but not spiritual children of Abraham. They act is such a way that proves that they really are not children of Abraham. And Jesus tells them this very thing. Jesus accuses them of acting improperly to him, going so far to say they are trying to kill him. Because of what he says, and claims to be..

As physical children of Abraham they should have believed in Christ, because he was from the Father, and with the Father, but in their flesh they did not believe, because they were a slave to sin. They even told Jesus that Abraham is our Father, told them we have the linage, that they claimed Jesus did not himself have.

Yet Jesus himself told them you are not from Abraham, because you don’t even do the works Abraham does. How can you claim to be of him when you don’t even for yourself believe like he does. Abraham believed in Christ before Christ came and this is what Jesus is trying to tell them. The work that Abraham did that make him special was not some sort of works, it was that Abraham believed God, and believed in the promises that God gave him. His righteousness came from belief. Notice what a few scriptures say…

Genesis 15:6 ESV

6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

And in Romans we see the promise unfolded that Abraham believed in. It says…

Romans 4:16 ESV

16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

So the physical Children of Abraham were called to believe in Christ, yet in there sin, and in their flesh they themselves proved they were not like Abraham who they claimed was their father, rather they were more like their true father the devil.

And they proved that they were like the devil by their own actions, and lack of belief. There own actions accused Jesus of being lier, and born of Sexually Immorality( It had been rumored that Joseph was not the real father of Jesus). And most notably their actions proved that they did not believe in Christ and his word.

So Jesus tells them not only are you not children of Abraham because you don’t believe, you are children of the Devil. There is no middle ground with Jesus. And your will is to do evil, to do what Satan asks. He tells them Satan has been a murdering from the beginning. You can look at this two ways, One he murdered the covenant between Adam and Eve and God by tempting them to sin, or that the first recorded sin outside the fall was the Murder of Cain killing Abel. And sin is the root of wanting to kill. Sin produces death..

And Satan does not have any truth in him. None what so ever, He is the Father of Lies he is a liar. its in his character to lie, and the Jews are of him, and those who are not in Christ are as well. If you remember the quote from earlier those who are not free are a slave to sin. And the reason they don’t believe in the truth is because they belong to him who in him no truth dwells. That statement may seem harsh, but the reality is when you look at those interacting with Jesus in a hostile way they are more like the Devil than they are someone who follows Jesus. The world today and especially this past week shows more and more those who do not belong to Christ love false truths more than than truth. Its saddens me but the a verses like verse 44 and 45 prove what Jesus is saying is true.

The devil being the great accuser can’t accuse Jesus of sin, and neither can they at least not credibly

If you are a child of Abraham you are going to hear his voice, and if you don’t today you belong to the evil one the devil, and not Christ.

But Children of Abraham are set free, and children of Abraham are not children of the devil.

Third point today is this..

Children of Abraham live forever.

After Jesus accuses them of being of the Devil, he is accused of being a Samaritan maybe because of the rumor his father is not really his father or maybe because of the virgin birth teaching, maybe they want to bring to light that Jesus maybe not a true jew like themselves, even though they are wrong. Not only that they accuse him of having a demon. ( They seem to not like being accused of things themselves )

And Jesus tells them look I dont have a demon, I honor my father and you dishonor me by what you say and what you do. Yet I dont seek my own glory, there is one who seeks it, and he is judge. Jesus is leaving the judgement to the Father who sent him, who he is faithfully obeying. and yet now Jesus is going to offer a promise to all who follow him, and that is they are going to live forever. He uses that language, Truly, Truly, I am telling you the truth… If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. We will unpack this idea together in a few weeks, but John 11:25-26 says..

John 11:25–26 ESV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

He is telling them the same thing that he says in chapter 8, if you believe in him you won’t taste death. You will never see it. When you leave this life you will be in the presence of God. Death for the believer has no sting..

The Jews were like how can this be? Now we now know you have a demon, everyone dies, including Abraham, and the prophets. Yet, you say if we believe in you we will never die?? They thought Jesus was a mad man making such claims like this… I thought of it like this… Jesus offers life, and they chose death.

And so they tell Jesus are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died? Who do you make yourself out to be?

So Jesus tells them.... I know God the Father who you claim to know, I know him you don’t if i claimed to know him like you know him I would be a liar, I seek his glory, and honor, and I keep his word, and better yet. Abraham who you claim is your father rejoiced to see my day coming. Not only did he rejoice but he was glad… Because what he put his faith into was coming into the world....

The Jews still did not get it, So Jesus said...

John 8:57 ESV

57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”

Thinking clearly in the flesh he tells them in verse 58..

Truly Truly, which means what I am saying is true. Before Abraham was, I am. I absolutely love what one man said, Here as perhaps nowhere else in Scripture Jesus claimed for Himself equality with the Father by clearly using the divine name that God revealed to Moses (Ex. 3:14). Jesus identified Himself as eternal deity, declaring that He was alive as the second person of the Trinity before Abraham was born.

And because of this, he can tell someone if you believe in me you can live forever. If you believe in my you are set free, and if you believe in me, you can be a child of Abraham.

And guess what? He backed up that claim going to the cross, dying for sinners, laying in the tomb three days and rising again, so all who believe in him can rise and live forever, and receive all the promises he has for us…

This must have really got under the skin of all those who were talking to Jesus, because The claim that Jesus was the I am led them to stone him, rather than receiving him, but because it was not his time he did not perish.

One bit of take home application for you today is this… Forth point…

Children of Abraham abide in the Word of God.

The problem with the Jews, with people outside of Christ, and even Christians today, is we don’t abide in the word of God. And as one man said to Abide in the bible means to hold on to the teachings of Christ and never let go. It means every area of our lives is being brought under the control of the Word of God. Every thought, deed, and action seeks conformity to the scriptures. It means even when we don’t like something in the bible, we still obey, asking God to change our hearts so the truth of the bible will find a warm and friendly reception in us.

So I ask you church family, those listening online, do you sit under the word of God or over the word of God. Do you let the word of God direct you, or do you try to let your words direct the word of God.

Do you bring the ideas that you want to the bible or do you let it formulate your ideas.

Because if you bring your ideas, and your expectations on who you want God to be you are creating for yourself an idol of God. And you know who loves that? Satan, you know who else loves that the world? There is a clear war outsides of these walls, but make no mistake there is a war in your own heart as well. There is a constant fight for me, and I am sure for you each and every day, moment by moment this idea of am I going to walk in the truths of what the bible says, or am I going to hop on board with the world, and his demons.

You know what the Father of lies and the world wants from you, compromise.. Compromise on what you believe about Jesus, compromise on what you believe about his word, compromise about what you believe about things like marriage, about abortion, about being made in the image of God, about sexuality, about men’s and women's roles, about sin, and everything. When we let go of the Word of God we will let go of what he is trying to teach us.

The Father of lies, knows that compromise leads to more lies, that our fed with more lies, and that leads to destruction of your faith. Don’t believe me look what has happened to other Christian denominations.. They over time decide the bible which is our authority in all things no longer has weight in this area, and then over time its this area, and overtime the bible to them becomes more of a book of suggestions, than something to be followed.

If and only if we are going to be people who abide in the word of God then we must hold on to teachings and Christ and never let go… If we dont hold on to his word, how do we know that Anyone can become a Child of Abraham if they receive the Word of Christ.

How do we know we have a Savior who came to save us if we don’t hold on to the word of God.

How do we know how to address the lost if we don’t hold on to the word of God.

How do we know what is right and wrong if we don’t hold on to the word of God.

Don’t be like the people in this text who thought just because they was born a Jew, I am good, they thought they were a child of Abraham, For you today, dont say because I was born into a Christian Family, or because I go to church, or because I do good things mean for you are a child of Abraham.

Jesus is clear in the text today IF, Notice the word IF all the way back in verse 31… IF you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, do you believe that. Faith is the beginning of becoming a disciple. Do you having saving faith, by repenting of your sin, and trusting in Christ to save you… If you do you will never taste death.

SO.... Whose child are you? Abraham’s, or the Devils? You are either one of those there is no in between. If you are Abrahams you are free, free to live for Christ, free from the bondage of sin, free to obey the Lord Jesus Christ. Free to live in light of eternity. Free knowing you will live forever.

However if you are the Devils child repent today. Don’t buy into the lies of Satan that Jesus is not the great I am, that he is not Lord, that he can’t save, because the father of lies has been sinning since the beginning, and he is going to continue lying to this world about Jesus is and what is right, but make no mistake Jesus is the only way, and Anyone can become a Child of Abraham if they receive the Word of Christ.

How will you respond to the word this morning? Let us pray…