Amen. Well, if you would please take your Bibles and open them up to John chapter 8.
And I do ask that you actually have a copy of the Bible open. We're going to be looking there at God's Word.
And I want you to see it with your own eyes as we walk through this passage, John 8, verses 31 through 59 this morning.
We've been walking through the Gospel of John together over the past several months,
and we've made our way here this morning to the end of chapter 8.
So chapter 8, verses 31 through 59.
And if you found it there in your Bibles, if you're able, let's stand for the reading of God's Word out of reverence.
And follow along with me as I read John 8, 31 through 59.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him,
If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
They answered Him,
We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How is it that you say, you will become free?
Jesus answered them,
Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
The slave does not remain in the house forever.
The son remains forever.
So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
I know that you are offspring of Abraham,
yet you seek to kill Me, because My Word finds no place in you.
I speak of what I have seen with My Father,
and you do what you have heard from your father.
They answered Him,
Abraham is our father.
Jesus said to them,
If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did.
But now you seek to kill Me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.
This is not what Abraham did.
You are doing the works your father did.
They said to Him,
We were not born of sexual immorality.
We have one Father, even God.
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.
Why do you not understand what I say?
It is because you cannot bear to hear My Word.
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.
But because I tell you the truth,
you do not believe Me.
Which one of you convicts Me of sin?
If I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
Whoever is of God hears the words of God.
The reason why you do not hear them
is that you are not of God.
The Jews answered Him,
Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan
and have a demon?
Jesus answered,
I do not have a demon,
but I honor My Father,
and you dishonor Me.
Yet I do not seek My own glory.
There is one who seeks it,
and He is the judge.
Truly, truly, I say to you,
if anyone keeps My word,
he will never see death.
The Jews said to Him,
Now we know that you have a demon.
Abraham died,
as did the prophets.
Yet you say,
If anyone keeps My word,
he will never taste death.
Are you greater than our father Abraham,
who died?
And the prophets died.
Who do you make yourself out to be?
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.
But you have not known Him.
I know Him.
If I were to say that I do not know Him,
I would be a liar like you.
But I do know Him,
and I keep His word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced
that he would see My day.
He saw it and was glad.
So the Jews said to Him,
You are not yet fifty years old,
and have you seen Abraham?
Jesus said to them,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
before Abraham was,
I am.
So they picked up stones
to throw at Him.
But Jesus hid Himself
and went out of the temple.
This is God's holy, inspired word
for you, for your good,
for your instruction this morning.
Please be seated.
Let's pray once more.
Lord,
reveal Your glory
through the preaching of Your word,
we pray.
Would You give us eyes to see
and ears to hear
and hearts to understand
and to love the truth
that You've given us this morning
in this passage.
We pray in Christ's name.
Amen.
Well, there are
approximately
eight billion people
in the world,
give or take
a few thousand,
probably,
eight billion people
of the world.
And out of those
eight billion people,
there are exactly
two types
of people
in the world.
for all of the differences
that exist
in the world,
different cultures,
different countries,
different ethnicities,
different tastes,
different experiences,
different upbringings,
different generations,
different income levels,
different college football teams,
different reactions
to the Georgia-South Carolina game
yesterday.
For all the diversity
that exists
in the world,
there are
exactly
two types
of people.
you are either
in
or you are
out
of Christ.
You are either
in
or you are
out
of Christ.
This is
by far
the most significant
difference
that exists
in the world
and it has
everything to do
with how you
respond
to the words
of Christ.
Sometimes I go
into a crowd
of people
even just driving
up and down
Highway 17
and see
the number
of cars
that are
on the road
and I wonder
how many
of these people
are disciples
of Christ.
Do you ever
do that?
You are in
a crowd
of people
and just
look around
and wonder
how many
of these people
around me
right now
belong
to Jesus?
See,
the eyes
of God,
that distinction
of who is in
and who is out
is crystal clear
but to us
with our
limited perception,
our limited
understanding,
our limited
knowledge,
that distinction
is not
always so
clear,
is it?
And so we
have to ask
if we don't
have the eyes
to see the
invisible roots
of faith,
what do we
have?
Well,
we have the
visible fruit
of how someone
responds to
the word
of Christ.
What we see
in our passage
this morning,
John chapter 8,
is Jesus
laying out
for us,
describing
for us
the difference
between those
who are
his disciples
and those
who are
not
his disciples.
He's laying
out for us
those who
are in
Christ
and those
who are
out
of Christ.
And again,
the dividing
line between
the two
is his word
and how we
respond to it.
So how does
Jesus describe
his disciples
first?
How does
Jesus describe
his disciples?
Well,
we saw last
week as
Jesus preached
at the end
of his message,
John chapter 8
verse 30,
John told us
that some
of the Jews,
in fact,
many of the
Jews,
believed
his words.
You remember
that from last
week.
He said,
I'm the light
of the world.
Whoever follows
me will not
walk in darkness
but will have
the light of life.
Many rejected,
yet many believed.
And so here
in verse 32
and 31
and 32,
Jesus turns
his attention
to those Jews
who have
professed belief
and look what
he says to them
in verse 31.
He says,
if you abide
in my word,
you are truly
my disciples
and you will
know the truth
and the truth
will set
you free.
It's a condition
here.
He gives them
a condition,
if you abide
in my word,
not just
profess belief
in my word,
but if you
abide in my word,
you are truly
my disciples.
A true disciple
of Christ,
according to Jesus
here in this passage,
is characterized
by abiding
in the words
of Jesus.
How can we
look around
and tell
by our best judgment
who disciples
of Christ are?
Well,
disciples abide.
How can we
tell if we
are a disciple
of Christ?
Well,
we abide
in the words
of Jesus.
Apparently,
to Jesus,
abiding
in his words
is a greater
indicator
of belonging
to Christ
than our
initial
professing
faith
in Christ.
So what
does it mean
to abide?
Well,
that word abide,
we see it all
through the
gospel of John.
It simply
means stay
there.
Don't leave.
Take root
there for the
rest of your
life.
It's an important
concept in the
gospel of John.
He's the only
gospel writer
that uses that
word abide,
and we see it
time and time
and time again.
We saw it in
chapter 5,
where he said,
you do not
have his word
abiding in you,
for you do not
believe the one
whom he has sent.
Chapter 6,
whoever feeds
on my flesh
and drinks my blood,
Jesus says,
abides in me
and I in him.
Lord willing,
by the time we get
to chapter 15,
the whole chapter
is about abiding
in Christ 11 times.
That word comes up
in chapter 15,
that glorious chapter
about abiding in Christ.
It is clear that
in the mind of John
and in the mind
of Jesus,
a disciple of Christ
is not just someone
who has heard
and responded
to his word once,
but someone
who right now,
presently,
is abiding
in the word
of Christ.
In other words,
here is what I think
Jesus is saying
here for us.
What makes
a Christian
is not just
their one time
initial profession
of faith in Christ,
but that one time
initial professing
and their ongoing
abiding
in the word
of Christ.
Let me say that again.
What makes
a disciple
of Christ,
what makes a Christian
is not just
that one time
initial profession,
but that profession
paired
with ongoing
abiding
in the words
of Christ.
The genuineness
of a disciple's
professing
is demonstrated,
is lived out,
is seen
in their ongoing
abiding.
There's been
a shift
in thinking
in cultural
American Christianity
over the past
200 years or so
where the emphasis
has shifted
to where
churches
and pastors,
we tend to
place more emphasis
on our professing
faith in the word
of Christ
than we do
in our abiding
in the word
of Christ.
And I just want
to offer
a humble
and gentle
course correction
here.
Jesus is speaking
to those
who have professed
belief in his words.
And we see this
here.
He's speaking
to those
who have professed
belief and he says
that is wonderful.
You know how
I know how
you're truly
a disciple of Christ?
You stay there.
You abide
in my word.
The sad truth
is that there
are many
who at some
point in their
life profess
faith in Christ.
They will say
a prayer,
walk an aisle,
raise a hand,
do something
to profess belief
in the word
of Christ,
but over the
course of time
fall away.
And I'd be willing
to bet that
most of us
in the room
could right away
if we asked you
to think of somebody,
to name somebody
who fit that description,
all of us
in the room
could think
of someone
who fits
that description.
And oftentimes
it's painful
for us to think
about that
because these
are people
who we love
and these
are people
who we grew
up with,
these are people
who are members
of our own
family,
people who are
close to us.
It may be
and our prayer
would be that
these individuals
are genuinely
regenerate,
that they are
genuinely born again,
that they genuinely
belong to God
and have temporarily
fallen into sin.
And if that's the case,
then we can know
with confidence
the Lord will bring
them back.
But our posture
towards them
shouldn't be one
of assurance
based on some
past profession.
Our posture
towards them
ought to be one
of urging them
to repent
and believe
the gospel.
It may be
that they genuinely
belong
or it may be
that whatever
happened years
and years ago
was a false
profession
of faith.
We need to have
this category
in our mind
of false
profession
of faith.
I think of
Jesus' words
in Matthew
chapter 13
in the parable
of the sower.
Such a helpful
illustration
for us.
The sower
goes out
and he spreads
seeds
which represent
the word of God.
He spreads it
on different
types of soil.
Some seed
falls along
the path.
The birds
come and
they devour
the seeds.
Other seeds
fell among
thorns.
The thorns
grow up.
They choke
out the seeds.
They prove
unfruitful.
Other seed
falls on rocky
ground.
They didn't
have much
depth of soil.
Immediately
they sprang
up and it
looked like
they were
going to grow.
It looked
like they were
going to have
life.
It gave
brief appearance
of life
but they had
no root.
So when the
sun came
out it
scorched
the growth
and it
withered
away.
But still
others fell
on fertile
soil and
they took
root and
they bore
much fruit.
What does
this tell
us?
It tells
us that
professing
faith in
Christ could
be the
beginning of
a lifelong
fruit bearing
relationship
with Christ
or it
could be a
tragically
short lived
response.
It gives
the appearance
of fruit.
It gives
the appearance
of life but
it has no
root and so
over time it
withers away.
Church we
long to see
professions of
faith in
Christ.
Amen?
We long to
see non-believers
profess faith
in Christ.
but we
long to see
that profession
be genuine.
Amen?
And here
Jesus tells
us the way
we know
whether or
not that
professing of
faith is
genuine is
whether or
not it is
joined together
with ongoing
lifelong
abiding in
the word of
Christ.
Genuine
professing is
demonstrated by
present
abiding.
We have to
ask ourselves
don't we?
Are we
abiding in
the words of
Christ?
Are we
abiding in
the words of
Christ?
And what does
that even look
like for us to
abide in his
word?
Well Jesus
throughout the
rest of this
passage he gives
us a pretty
good picture of
what abiding
looks like.
Look here to
verse 42.
He says if
God were your
father you
would love
me.
Verse 42
abiding looks
like love.
Verse 47
whoever is of
God hears the
words of God.
It looks like
hearing.
Looks like
receiving.
Looks like
listening to
the words of
God.
Not just
once but for
the rest of
your life.
Verse 51
if anyone
keeps my
word he will
never see
death.
It looks like
keeping the
word of God.
Obeying the
word of God.
Following the
word of God.
You put this
together I
think we have
a pretty good
picture of a
disciple of
Jesus.
A true
disciple of
Jesus hears
the word,
believes the
word, loves
the Christ of
the word and
because he
loves the
Christ of
the word he
abides in
that word and
he keeps that
word.
Does this
describe you?
Does this
sound like
you?
Of course
none of us
abide in the
word of
Christ
perfectly.
Right?
Am I the
only one that
fails to
abide in the
word of
Christ
perfectly?
No, I
hope not.
Which simply
means that
there's room
for all of
us to
grow here.
How can
you grow to
abide in the
word of
Christ?
What area of
your life
specifically
has yet to
submit to
the word of
Christ?
And you
know, wouldn't
it be great
if there was
some sort of
community, some
sort of
gathering maybe,
some sort of
group of
people, maybe a
family of
people.
I'm just
thinking off the
top of my
head right now.
Some gathering
of people who
could help us
abide in the
word of Christ.
Wouldn't that
be great?
look around at
your brothers and
sisters to your
left, to your
right, behind
you, in front
of you.
The church is a
family of
disciples of
Christ.
The church is a
family of
disciples who
are gathered
together to
lock arms
together to
help one
another abide
in Christ.
You know, it
may be that we
need to kind of
rethink our
definition of
church a little
bit, how we
thought about
church in the
past.
It's not just a
gathering of
loosely identified
individuals who
happen to be in
the same place at
the same time,
hearing the same
guy speak the
same message, and
then we go off
on our own.
The church is a
family of
disciples.
We lock arms to
help one another
abide.
And we need
one another.
So we commit to
one another to
say, I will
gather with my
brothers and
sisters for
worship.
I will encourage
my brothers and
sisters.
I will pray for
my brothers and
sisters.
I will meaningfully
engage in my
brothers and
sisters' life.
I will send
notes of prayer
and encouragement
to them.
I will help
them obey.
I will call
them out if
they are falling
short, and I
invite them to do
the same for me.
We'll gather to
sing songs of
worship that are
preaching truth,
not just that
make us feel a
certain way, but
that equip us to
abide in the
word.
We'll gather and
we'll sit under the
preaching of the
word every week.
We'll make a
priority of prayer
gatherings.
We'll make a
priority of Bible
study.
We'll make a
priority of
gathering for
Sunday school so
that we can
abide in the
word together.
That's what church
is meant to be.
Are you abiding in
his word?
A true disciple of
Jesus is one who
abides.
Well, how does he
describe those who
are out of Christ?
We have the whole
rest of the chapter
here to deal with.
How does he
describe those who
are out of Christ?
And he does so in
three ways here,
three descriptions of
those who are outside
of Christ, and it is
not pretty.
He says first,
those who are not
in Christ are
slaves of sin.
They're slaves of
sin.
The Jews, they did
not like what Jesus
had just said in
verse 32.
He said, the truth
will set you free.
And that set them
off.
They said, well, we
are offspring of
Abraham, and we've
never been enslaved
to anyone.
How can you say
that you will
become free?
See, they didn't
understand that the
slavery he was
talking about was
not physical slavery.
He was talking
about spiritual
slavery to sin.
Now, despite what
you may have been
told, sin, living
life outside of
Christ, outside of
God, is not
freedom.
The way that the
world would talk
about Christianity,
the way the world
would talk about
the Bible, is, well,
that's so restrictive.
I just want to live
life on my terms,
make my own choices,
live how I want to
live.
Maybe I'll come to
church when I want
to, read the Bible
when I want to, but
ultimately, I call the
shots here.
That's true freedom.
Well, Jesus says, no.
No.
You are enslaved to
sin.
Romans 6.
Paul tells us, no one
is truly independent.
All of us, we're
either slaves of sin
or slaves of
righteousness.
There's two types of
people in the world.
They didn't understand
this, so Jesus told
them in verse 34,
truly, truly, I say
to you, everyone who
practices sin is a
slave to sin.
The slave does not
remain in the house
forever.
The son remains
forever.
So, if the son sets
you free, you will be
free indeed.
Everyone who is
outside of Christ,
Jesus says, is
enslaved to the
powers of sin.
He says, everyone who
practices sin is a
slave to sin.
Now, we had better
understand what that
means.
All right?
Because we all just
admitted that all of
us struggle to abide in
the words of Christ.
All of us just
admitted that we fall
short, that we are
sinners.
I'm here to confess to
you, your pastor
struggles with sin.
Your pastor is a
sinner.
All right?
We'd better understand
what it means to be
enslaved, to practice
sin.
We don't believe in a
perfectionist theology,
that when you come to
Christ, you are free
from the presence of
sin in your life.
We do not hold to a
perfectionist theology
that says that all of
us here, we are in
Christ.
That means we don't
sin.
I remember in college
every now and then, a
street preacher, when
the weather started
getting nice, a street
preacher would come.
He'd set up shop on the
front lawn, and as
students were walking
to and from class, he
would shout into a
megaphone to everybody
who walked by.
And I remember, he
would quote scripture
out of 1 John.
He would quote 1 John
5, 18.
It says, we know that
everyone who has been
born of God does not
keep on sinning.
And he would quote 1
John 3, 8, and 9.
Whoever makes a
practice of sinning, same
language there, whoever
makes a practice of
sinning is of the devil.
For the devil has been
sinning from the
beginning.
The reason the Son of
God appeared was to
destroy the works of
the devil.
No one born of God
makes a practice of
sinning, for God's
seed abides in him, and
he cannot keep on
sinning because he has
been born of God.
He would take these
verses and shout them
into the megaphone to
say that true Christians
don't sin.
He would say, I don't
sin.
True Christians don't
sin.
And all you heathen
college students on your
way to class are sinners
and you need to be born
again.
I struggled with that.
I had to wrap my mind
around that because I
was a believer.
I had been born again,
but I still struggled
with sin.
I wasn't equipped enough
to debate him at that
point, so I just ignored
him on the way to class.
But if I could go back,
I would have told him,
just would you flip like
two pages over in your
Bible?
First John chapter 1,
do you know what it
says?
John says, if we say we
have no sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is
not in us.
If we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
If we say we have not
sinned, we make him a liar
and his word is not in
us.
My little children, I am
writing these things to
you so that you may not
sin.
But if anyone does sin, if
anyone does sin, we have
an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ, the
righteous.
The point is this, the
difference between believers
and non-believers.
the difference between
those who are in Christ
and those who are out is
not that they sin and we
don't.
It's that by the grace of
God through faith in Jesus
Christ, we have been set
free from the enslaving
power of sin in our lives.
The Son has set us free and
we are free indeed, which
means the rest of our life on
this side of glory is going
to be marked by war against
the presence of sin in our
lives.
It's not freedom from the
presence of sin in our
lives.
It's not freedom from the
pain of sin in our lives.
It's freedom from the
power, enslaving power of
sin in our lives, which
means we now go to war
against it with the
confidence that we have
been set free by the power
of Jesus Christ in us.
It is so easy for us to be
discouraged, isn't it, by the
presence of sin in us
lingering, coming out of us
day in, day out, week in,
week out.
We wrestle against these sins
that we just wish would go
away.
We thought for sure by now
they would be done and gone
with.
We might have grown up a
little bit more and we're
not dealing with this old
stuff anymore.
But we want to get rid of it
completely.
We don't know why it's
still there.
Can I just suggest to you,
believer, that the very fact
that you see it, you hate it,
and you're fighting against it
is evidence of the grace of
God in you.
The very fact that you are
waging war against it, that
you're in the fight, that you're
in the battle, means that you
have spiritual life in you to
see sin for what it is and to
work by the grace of God to put
it to death.
No one has been more helpful to
me in understanding this than
John Owen.
Listen to this quote.
He says,
To kill sin is the work of living
men.
Where men are dead, as all
believers, the best of them are
dead, sin is alive and sin will
live.
In other words, if you are
battling sin this morning, don't
be discouraged.
Keep battling.
Follow the words of 1 John and
confess your sin, knowing that God
is faithful and just to forgive
you of your sin, knowing that you
have an advocate before the
Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous.
Don't be discouraged, but continue
pressing on in the fight against
sin.
Christ says,
Everyone who practices sin is a
slave to sin, but the good news of
the gospel is that the Son can set
you free.
The Son can set you free.
Not only this, Jesus says those who
are outside of Christ, they're
slaves to sin, and they are sons
and daughters of Satan.
I told you this wasn't pretty, right?
They are sons and daughters of
Satan.
Jesus says in verse 37,
I know that you are offspring of
Abraham, yet you seek to kill me
because my word finds no place in
you.
I speak of what I've seen with my
father.
You do what you have heard from
your father.
So they answered him.
Verse 39, they said, well, Abraham
is our father.
In other words, we're Jewish.
What are you talking about?
We belong to God.
We're children of Abraham.
They're putting all of their stock in
their physical lineage, in their
physical heritage, that they belong
to God because they're a part of
the physical line of Abraham.
But Jesus says, not so fast.
If you were Abraham's children, you
would be doing the works that Abraham
did.
But now you seek to kill me, a man who
told you the truth that I heard from
God.
That's not what Abraham did.
You're doing the works that your
father did.
They said, oh, we only have one
father.
We're not born of sexual immorality.
We have one father, even God.
God is our father.
And here's where Jesus draws the line.
Because that claim, it was not backed
up.
So 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.
Why do you not understand what I say?
It's because you can't bear to hear my
word.
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's no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks out of his own
character, for he is a liar and the
father of lies.
But because I tell you the truth, you do
not believe me.
Which one of you convicts me of sin?
If I tell you the truth, why do you not
believe me?
Whoever is of God hears the words of God.
The reason why you do not hear them is
that you are not of God.
They claimed to be of God.
They claimed to belong to Abraham.
Abraham.
You all know the children's song.
Father Abraham.
Many sons.
Many sons had father Abraham.
I am one of them and so are you.
So let's just praise the Lord.
Right arm.
Left arm.
I don't think the Jews knew that song.
But they believed what the song says.
I am a child of Abraham.
So are you.
We are children of God.
We are children of Abraham.
Everything is just great.
Let's just praise the Lord and get on with it.
But Jesus says not so fast.
You are not children of Abraham.
And you are not children of God.
How do I know?
Your works show that you don't belong to God.
You are doing the works of Satan.
Your heart shows that you don't belong to God.
You are rejecting the Messiah.
And your ears show that you don't belong to God
because you can't bear to hear the word of God.
You know, in our day, I have never heard anyone say,
but I'm a child of Abraham.
But I belong to Abraham.
But you know what I have heard?
Well, I've been going to this church for 30 years.
My dad was a deacon.
But my granddad was a deacon.
I grew up in the church.
I have this religious heritage.
Are you telling me I don't belong to the Lord?
Those things are wonderful, wonderful graces, wonderful gifts.
But that does not make you a disciple of Christ.
Jesus tells us here that a true disciple of Jesus,
a true disciple, a true son of Abraham,
is not a matter of physical lineage,
not a matter of physical birth,
not a matter of spiritual heritage,
but spiritual rebirth by the power of the Holy Spirit in you.
And to belong to God, to be a child of God,
means the Holy Spirit has opened up your ears to hear his word.
And as you hear the word,
you trust and accept Jesus as the Messiah.
Your heart is changed so that you love him.
And as you grow to love him with all your heart,
then you go and you do his works.
These are the fruits of someone who has God as their father.
But all of it,
all of it,
hangs on how you receive the word of God.
It's our last description here.
Those outside of Christ are scoffers and skeptics of the word of Christ.
Jesus told them,
you don't hear my words because you don't belong to God.
How did they respond?
You have a demon.
You are a Samaritan.
Look how Jesus responds to that in verse 49.
He says,
I do not have a demon,
but I honor my father and you dishonor me.
You know,
I do not seek my own glory.
There is one who seeks it and he is the judge.
Truly,
truly,
I say to you,
if anyone keeps my word,
he will never see death.
Did you hear that?
If anyone keeps my word,
he will never see death.
What a claim.
What a claim that he just made.
This is the same claim that he's been making all through the gospel of John.
This is the same offer that Christ has made again and again and again and again.
This is the offer of the gospel and he could not be any clearer.
We saw it in chapter 3.
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish,
but have eternal life.
Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty.
That water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
Truly, truly, truly, I say to you,
whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.
This is the will of my Father,
that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.
The bread that I'll give the world is my flesh.
I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.
Just over and over and over and over again,
Jesus has offered eternal life to sinners like us.
If we would only repent and believe his words.
Now, the good news of the gospel is that sinners don't have to stay on the outside of Christ.
Amen?
We don't have to remain as slaves of sin.
The good news of the gospel is that we don't have to remain as sons and daughters of Satan.
We don't have to continue to scoff at Christ and his word.
Lord, Jesus Christ offers eternal life through faith in his life-giving word.
If only we would listen and believe.
He says, my sheep hear my voice.
But those who don't belong to him scoff at the offer.
Look how they responded in verse 52.
The Jews said to him, well, now we know that you have a demon.
Abraham died, as did the prophets.
Yet you say, if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.
Are you greater than our father Abraham who died?
They had no idea, did they?
And the prophets died.
Who do you make yourself out to be?
Jesus said, if I glorify myself, my glory is nothing.
It's my father who glorifies me, of whom you say he's our God.
But you have not known him.
I know him.
If I were to say I do not know him, I would be a liar like you.
But I do know him, and I keep his word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day.
He saw it and was glad.
So the Jews said to him, you're not even 50 years old.
Have you seen Abraham?
And Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.
And finally, after all this time, what he's been saying all along, they got it.
This is the clearest I am statement in the Gospel of John.
We've seen it throughout.
These I am statements where Jesus claims his identity to be equal.
He is God in the flesh.
Not just a teacher.
Not just a prophet.
He is I am here to give life to the world.
The Jews knew exactly what he was saying.
And how did they respond?
They picked up stones to throw at him and to kill him.
But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
You know, this is an ugly picture of those outside of Christ, isn't it?
Slaves to sin.
Sons and daughters of Satan.
Skeptics and scoffers and murderers of the Son of God.
Why?
Why do we need to hear this this morning?
For one, church, we need to remember who we were before the grace of God saved us.
We need to remember the ugly picture of what we were.
Do you remember what it was like to be a slave to sin?
Do you remember what it was like to be sons and daughters of the enemy?
To scoff and to laugh, to ridicule the Son of God?
Do you remember what you have been saved from?
The result of remembering the darkness of our life before Christ ought to be gratitude and thanksgiving and praise and glory to God who saved you by his grace through his life-giving word.
Not only that, church.
We need to understand this picture of those who are outside of Christ so that we might be motivated and moved to share this word with those who remain in darkness.
Who do you know right now who remains outside of Christ?
This is a description of them.
Who do you know that needs to hear this offer of Christ?
If you would come to me, listen to me, hear my word, abide in me, and you will live, be forgiven, and have eternal life.
The response for all of us this morning, whether for the first time or for the millionth time, abide in the life-giving words of Christ.
Turn from your sin and believe in the message of the gospel.
Turn from your sin and believe that Christ is God in the flesh, crucified and risen for your sin and for your justification.
Repent and believe the gospel again and again and again and again and again, clinging to his word until he comes.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus, we believe that you are God.
That you have come to save sinners like us.
We thank you, Lord, for your grace that you've poured on us who don't deserve it, who are your enemies, who belonged to the devil, Lord.
But yet you saved us by your grace.
We pray that we would respond to that fact with praise and gratitude.
Help us never to grow tired of that truth.
Lord, remind us again and again and again of the saving power of the gospel.
that you might be glorified and that we might share that message with those who need to hear it.
We love you.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.