Our Spiritual Standing
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Introduction
Introduction
After today I will have baptized all four of my children...
My greatest pride comes from the fact that we have done all we know how to pass on a spiritual heritage to our children.
But, a spiritual heritage does not necessarily guarantee that someone will actually be a disciple of Jesus.
Background:
Verse 33...
Dealt with the part about not being enslaved last week...
Now Jesus will focus on the part about them being offspring of Abraham and therefore being in right standing with God.
They presumed that their spiritual heritage was enough to save them. Jesus will show them that they are wrong to presume this.
John 8:37-47
Verses 37-38
Verses 39-41a
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Throughout the OT and the NT we find that Abraham is the father of the faithful.
Verse 41b
Verses 42-47
Timeless Truth: Our spiritual heritage does not determine our spiritual standing.
Timeless Truth: Our spiritual heritage does not determine our spiritual standing.
Your spiritual standing is not determined by your family.
Good family, bad family, or somewhere in-between.
Your spiritual standing not determined by your church.
Membership in a local church is a vital part of our spiritual growth, but it’s not a guarantee of being in good spiritual standing.
Your spiritual standing not determined by your country.
You are not Christian because you are an American or because you are from the western world.
Your spiritual standing not determined by your ethnic background.
One culture or ethnic group doesn’t own the rights to the Christian faith.
The Christian faith has been a multi-cultural religion from the time of Pentecost.
Your spiritual standing is not determined by the color of your skin.
Christianity is not “the religion of the white man.”
What determines our spiritual standing?
What determines our spiritual standing?
Our spiritual standing is not determined by our actions, but by the action of Christ Jesus in forgiving our sins and cleansing us of all unrighteousness.
Our spiritual standing is not determined by our actions, but by the action of Christ Jesus in forgiving our sins and cleansing us of all unrighteousness.
If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Our spiritual standing can only be reflected.
Our spiritual standing can only be reflected.
Our spiritual standing is reflected in our love for Christ. (v. 42)
This love for Christ is both emotional and active:
We love because he first loved us.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Our spiritual standing is reflected in our response to God’s Word. (v. 47)
How do you respond to God’s Word when you read it?
When God’s Word is preached?
God expects us to act upon His Word. If we do not, we are like these people who “cannot bear to hear my word.”
Our spiritual standing is reflected in our actions of obedience. (vv. 39-41a)
We obey Jesus not to earn His love and acceptance, but because we have been loved and accepted by Him.
When we obey Him we are showing that we indeed are the true descendants of Abraham and the children of God, because we are doing the works for our Father.