John 8:42-47
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.
This chapter has an extended argument between Jesus and the Jewish leaders about the claims of Jesus and why He was rejected by the Jewish leaders. In the midst of this argument Jesus says about the devil that "when he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (verse 44). It is important to recognize the lies that we have been told, and to realize the source of those lies. Lies about how a certain fantasy will make us happy, lies about how we deserve better, lies about how God made us a certain way. Our culture surrounds us with a lot of lies and myths, which are part of a coordinated attack from Satan. Our only hope is to listen to the truths from Jesus, to learn to discern lies from truth.
Lord, help me to recognize and combat the lies of the enemy.
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.
This chapter has an extended argument between Jesus and the Jewish leaders about the claims of Jesus and why He was rejected by the Jewish leaders. In the midst of this argument Jesus says about the devil that "when he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (verse 44). It is important to recognize the lies that we have been told, and to realize the source of those lies. Lies about how a certain fantasy will make us happy, lies about how we deserve better, lies about how God made us a certain way. Our culture surrounds us with a lot of lies and myths, which are part of a coordinated attack from Satan. Our only hope is to listen to the truths from Jesus, to learn to discern lies from truth.
Lord, help me to recognize and combat the lies of the enemy.