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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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’?”
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!”
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly (important), I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
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.
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.”
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.”
They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”
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.”
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?”
This is true today. This is often the way people respond when you tell them the truth about Christ and their need for Christ.
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.”
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.
So, what does all of this mean to us?
Once you or I reject Christ and deny the truth then who do we turn to?
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.
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.”