The Most Dangerous Condition

THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITION

John 8:31-32

I would ask you to look at vs. 31 again. In this verse Jesus speaks to “those Jews who had believed in Him.”

We just read over this but this is an extremely dangerous spiritual state to find yourself in.
These Jews “had believed in Jesus” and now, they don’t.

At some point they were convinced that what Jesus said and taught was true; perhaps they had heard Him teach in the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles.

John doesn’t tell us when or where these people heard Jesus but he does tell us that at some point and time they “believed” in Jesus; they recognized the truth in Jesus; and now they have rejected that truth!
And once again, this is a most dangerous spiritual condition to find oneself in!

In fact, the Hebrew writer in Heb. 6 starting in vs. 4 expresses just how dangerous this situation is. He says: For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age (miracles) to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame.

The writer says: “It is impossible to renew them again to repentance.”
Why is it impossible? God has no more evidence to give to you.
But Jesus “desires that none should perish” so He tries. Look at vs. 31 again:

Speaking to these “Jews who had believed” Jesus says: “If you abide (remain, continue, endure) in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

These people are not interested in the truth! They have already believed the truth and rejected it! To acknowledge the truth now would be to admit they are wrong in rejecting Jesus.
So, look at their response in vs. 33.

They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You shall become free’?”

Do you see why it is so hard to renew someone to repentance?
These people are still refusing to believe the truth!

Jesus says, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” and these Jews say, “We have never been enslaved to anyone!”

Really?! What about Egypt? What would you call that? If they weren’t enslaved why did God tell Pharoah, “Let My people go!?” And Babylon? Have they never heard of Nebuchadnezzar?
And what are all these Roman soldiers doing here in Judah? And isn’t that why you are looking for the Messiah, to drive the Romans out?
They were even captive to their religious system; a system of justification by Law keeping.
And worse than that, they were enslaved by sin!
But, they weren’t going to accept the truth.
Still, Jesus tries. Look at vs. 34:

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly (important), I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

Where Jesus says, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin”; that word “commits” is present tense and speaks of a continuous action.
Jesus is not talking about every individual act of sin; He is saying that every man who continues to sin; that lives a life of sin is a slave of sin whether he realizes it or not.
It has a hold on him and he cannot free himself from it or its condemnation.
But there is One who can set Him free; vs. 35:

35 “And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

The Jews saw themselves as sons in God’s house; but when they sin, what happens? No longer welcome.
But Jesus is a Son; He has no sin; in fact, He has the authority to forgive sin and He can set them free from their sin and restore them back into a right relationship with God.

Do they need what Jesus can do for them?

Look at vs. 37. Jesus concedes their claim to be Abraham’s descendants. But are they doing what Abraham’s descendants should do. Look at what He says:

37 “I know that you are Abraham’s offspring (Abraham was a man of faith; a man who trusted God. But look at what these Jews are doing); yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 “I speak the things which I have seen with My Father (What Jesus says and does reflects who His Father is. And, what they say and do is a reflection of who their real father is also. Look at what He says); therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”

Are they doing what Abraham would do?

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 “But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do (Abraham would never do what they are doing).

41 “You are doing the deeds of your father.”

Sometimes the truth hurts. Still, they refuse to hear it. In fact, now they get mad and dirty. Look at the end of vs. 41:

They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”

They have heard the “talk.” And that is the way people often are. They would rather believe the talk than believe the truth.
They are accusing Jesus of being born of an illegitimate relationship!
They are slandering Mary! And they are calling God, the Holy Spirit, and the prophets liars!
Do you see why it is so hard to restore those who reject the truth back to Christ?
They often make things worse.

For these Jews or anyone else to get to this point there has to be a powerful spiritual force behind them. And Jesus is going to tell us who it is. Look starting in vs. 42:

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 43 “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. 45 “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 “Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

When an individual believes in Christ; believes the truth; and then kicks Christ out; and kicks out the truth; and in the process kicks out God and the Holy Spirit; guess who is waiting to slither right in their place?

Look at what Jesus says in Matt 12:43-45. This is a pretty good explanation of what is happening I John 8.

“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 “Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

To come to Christ, and then to reject Him, is the most dangerous spiritual situation to find oneself in.

Now, look at John 8:48. The Jews are really upset now. Look what they say:

The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

Another insult and another attack.
I guess their insult back in vs. 41 didn’t have the effect they thought it would so they try this one.
“You are a Samaritan and you have a demon.”
They knew this wasn’t true. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. And a demon doesn’t do or say what Jesus did and said…but they don’t care about the truth!

This is true today. This is often the way people respond when you tell them the truth about Christ and their need for Christ.

They get angry! And, they respond with what they know isn’t true.

49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 “But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

Keeping the word; staying faithful to Christ reaps eternal life; this was “good news”; and these Jews can’t stand it! Look at vs. 52:

52 The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he shall never taste of death.’ 53 “Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?”

Now vs. 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 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you (that is pretty straight forward isn’t it), but I do know Him, and keep His word. 56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 The Jews therefore 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 born, I am.” 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple.

His going out of the temple may be a symbolic way of Him saying, “If people reject Me, then I will reject them.
After all, what good does it do to tell them or anyone else the truth if they won’t listen?

So, what does all of this mean to us?

First, everyone who has a desire to come to Christ and be baptized needs to understand the seriousness of falling away; the seriousness of learning the truth and then denying the truth.
We often push our young people to be baptized.

Once you or I reject Christ and deny the truth then who do we turn to?

And if you reject the truth once, then it will be easier to reject it again and again and again until all you will believe if a lie.

Second, if you or I decide to kick Jesus out; if we decide to kick out the truth we can be sure that the devil will slither right into the void and our spiritual state becomes worse than if we had never known the truth at all.

Just like these Jews the truth won’t mean anything to us anymore. It is just something else to ignore.

Finally, John wrote this gospel so that “we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we might have life in His name.”

Jesus says here in vs. 51: ”If anyone keeps His word he shall never see death.”
No matter what life might throw at you be committed to keep His word; because the reward for staying faithful is more than words can express.