John 8:42-45

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 

43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

Who is the Enemy of Truth? How Do We Recognize Him?

“We have one Father—God.” This is the claim that the Jews made in John 8:41. Jesus then gives them some reasons why God cannot be their Father. In verse 42, Jesus says, paraphrasing, “If God is really your Father, then you would love Me, because I came from God. I didn’t come on My own, but I came because God sent Me.”  For my consideration: If I love God, then I will love and obey Jesus. This leads to some questions for myself. Do I love Jesus more than anyone or anything in this world? More than my husband? My children? My grandchildren? Do I enjoy being with Jesus? In His Word? With His church? What do I hold as most dear?“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). Do I obey Jesus? “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). 

In verse 43, Jesus asks, paraphrasing, “Why do you not want to understand what I am saying? I’ll tell you why… because you don’t want to listen and accept My Word as the truth.” For my consideration: If God is my Father, then I will want to understand God’s will for me. I will want to know the absolute truth. It was the will of God that Christ came to earth and spoke the truth. Jesus was revealing the truth to them, but they rejected it. It’s almost as if they were saying, “If this Jesus guy is the will of God, then I don’t want any part of it.” Do I understand God’s will for my life? Do I want to know the truth? Do I accept His will? Will I accept the pure truth? 

Then, in 44 comes the cold, hard truth. Jesus says, paraphrasing, “Your father is the devil, and you want to do what he wants you to do. The devil has always been a murderer. He is a deceiver and does not stand in the truth. In fact, he has no truth in him at all. Everything your father, the devil, says is a lie. He is the father of lies.” This had to hit these Jews hard, because all this time they had thought that they were God’s chosen ones… the elite ones. However, because these people refused to acknowledge who Jesus was, believe in Him, and accept God’s will, they were just like their father. Who is their father? Jesus said their father was the devil. They were just like their father, the devil. The truth was not in them. For my consideration: If God is really my Father, then my will has to match up with His will. So question…..Do I conform my will to the Father’s will? Or do I try to manipulate God’s will to suit my own agenda? Following my own will equals following Satan. 

Then in verse 45, Jesus says, paraphrasing, “Because your father is the devil, you are incapable of believing the truth, and what I say is the truth.” For my consideration: If God is my Father, then I will believe His Word, because His Word is truth. If I am caught up in the world, then I am blind to the truth. If I am blind to the truth, then God is not my Father. Sadly, if God is not my Father, then there is only one other option…Satan. Satan is my father until I am willing to open my eyes to the truth. Until then, I will stay in the darkness and continue to believe the lies of my father, the devil. Scary thought, right? It sounds like a horror movie. And friends, I was in that horror movie for a long time. It is also scary that Satan is called a roaring lion and an angel of light. That’s confusing, right? Sometimes Satan is easy to spot, like a dangerous roaring lion. But sometimes, he is not so easy to spot. He is so very deceptive. We can think that God is our Father, but in reality, we might be following Satan disguised as an angel. So, the question… who is truly my Father? I, myself, want my Creator, the One who made me and sent His Son to die for me, to be my Father. So, how can I be sure that I am following the real Jesus, and not Satan in disguise? Well, I have to get in His Word daily. And I need good sound uplifting, but biblical, preaching that convicts my heart, not just motivational fluff with no real spiritual food. I don’t need someone telling me that I’m right with God when I’m not. I don’t need someone telling me that my sin is ok with God when it most certainly is not. That is how I can recognize the real Jesus. He doesn’t tell me just what I want to hear, as Satan does. Jesus never glossed over anyone’s sin. He loved the woman caught in adultery, and he forgave her, but what else did He say to her? He said, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:1-11).

Everything we need to know about Him and how to follow Him is in His Word. There is only One way to heaven, and we can know that One way by opening the pages of His Word. Everything we need to know is there. Maybe you need some help figuring it all out. The world is a confusing place with a lot of conflicting ideas about salvation and worship out there. Do some digging in the Word, or reach out for help if you have questions. Please don’t hesitate. There are so many in the Lord’s church who would love to help you find and learn the truth, including me. 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)