John chapter 8.
Our text for today is John chapter 8 verses 31 through 47.
!
This, the first proclamation of the gospel called the Proto-Evangelion,
the promise of one who will come to crush the head of Satan,
establishes a thematic line that should be carefully traced all throughout the Old Testament and to our text today.
I can't under-present the emphasis that should be made in thinking in these terms as we read the Bible.
A careful reader of the Old Testament will note the conflicts that arise between those who oppose God,
metaphorically offspring of the serpent,
and those who are shown God's favor, metaphorically offspring of the woman,
all of which culminates in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Children, you may have heard him called the Snake Crusher
in some of the reading that your parents do with you.
This theme should be present on our minds as we look at today's text.
The conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day has been growing in John's gospel.
In chapter 5, his opponents didn't like him healing on the Sabbath and calling God his Father.
They make a plot to kill him at that point.
In chapter 6, they didn't like him telling them they would have to eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life.
Last week, we saw in chapter 8 that Jesus tells them that they will die in their sin,
that he is the great I Am, that is, God incarnate,
and that he is the source of truth on earth,
all of which they do not like.
The conflict is white hot where we have arrived in chapter 8.
You know where it's headed.
It is reaching its high point here.
Jesus' opponents, just like that crafty serpent in the garden,
undermined Eve's faith in saying,
has God really said our feigning moral superiority
while murderous intentions dwell in their hearts?
Jesus has no tolerance for this tactic.
Jesus stopped pulling punches at all at this point.
He will state in today's text without question
that they are offspring of the serpent,
bent to his will, set against the one who can set them free.
So you see, when the most important of matters are considered,
there are really only two categories of people.
The offspring of the serpent,
the offspring of the woman.
We're presenting it in a different way
as we've been preaching through this text.
What are we to do with Jesus?
Are we to accept him as he presents himself,
Lord of the universe,
the one in which we must believe to be saved,
or are we to reject his teaching,
call him a liar or a lunatic?
What we do with him determines
whether we are offspring of the serpent
or offspring of the woman.
Which are you?
This question deserves the severest of our attention.
It's an incredibly important question
to ask and to answer.
And I hope we might answer it
in the affirmative offspring of the woman
born of the son.
So let's look together at verses 31 through 47,
but let me lead us in prayer before we do.
Father, help us this day as we take up your word.
Brief moments we have this morning together.
We want to rightly understand it.
We humbly recognize
that it was written for your glory
and for our good.
And we recognize that we need your spirit
to work in our hearts
that we might believe its promises
and obey its commands
and have affection for you, its author.
We pray, Father, our time together
will honor and glorify Christ.
And we pray this in his name.
Amen.
I'll begin reading in verse 31.
So, Jesus said to the Jews
who had believed in 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 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.
Boy, if they weren't mad at him before,
they certainly are now.
Two groups, you see.
One free, to put it differently.
The other enslaved.
Our outline for this morning
will center on the freedom
that Jesus promises in verse 32.
The first point will be
the path to freedom
and the second,
the pretense of freedom.
Number one,
the path to freedom.
Verses 31 through 32
and then 35 and 36.
First, in order for us to be free,
we must believe in Christ.
Our text starts,
so,
Jesus said to the Jews
who had believed him.
This is a response
to what?
The previous verse.
You'll notice verse 30.
You look up your page.
As he was saying these things,
many believed in him.
Now, you may recall
that John doesn't exclusively use
the term the Jews
to refer to the religious leaders
that opposed Jesus.
We talked about that last week,
if memory serves me.
But that he does most regularly
use the term in this way.
This makes it really important
for us to ask the question,
why this phrase,
in this place?
Why does he state it this way?
He's most often using this phrase
to speak of Jesus'
Jewish religious opposition.
So, why here?
We see,
many believe.
So, Jesus said to the Jews
who had believed.
Certainly, John could have said
those who had believed in him,
referring back to verse 30,
but he doesn't make that choice.
In fact,
John records what Jesus says,
and then the response
in the rest of our text,
beginning in verse 33,
they answered him.
And then John records
Jesus' indictment
of those who answered him.
What are we to do with this?
I want to separate them out.
I want to make them
two separate groups of people.
I want to apply some conjecture
that there's different groups
standing around
as he's teaching
in the treasury,
in the temple.
The text doesn't give us
any clues
that that's what's happening here
at all.
Last week,
in speaking of those
who will die in their sin,
I concluded with hope
because of verse 30.
But to my shame,
I had not gathered
the full context
of what is happening here.
precursory read it through,
but didn't really think
what's going on
in these verses.
Now,
I read a slew
of explanations this week
trying to hang on
to the individuals
in verses 30 through 32
as genuine believers.
believers.
But I found them
all wanting.
Really,
don't want to say,
I think I got that wrong.
I think I misunderstood
verse 30,
but none of the explanations
really held much
muster.
If we are faithful
to the words presented to us,
and yes,
even to the original language
in which they were written,
some of you might be
running off on your devices
to try to sort it
out.
You'll be disappointed.
We must conclude
that the Jews
being addressed
have not
truly
believed.
Jesus,
as he is God,
knows the hearts of men,
and he knows
these men are fickle
just like those
encountered
previously.
Do you recall,
this isn't the first time
we have seen
this issue
in John's gospel.
I'll take you back
to John chapter 6,
beginning in verse 60.
After Jesus
had spoken
of eating his flesh
and drinking
his blood,
metaphorically,
to be sure,
when many of his disciples
heard it,
disciples,
followers of him
heard it,
they said,
this is a hard saying.
Who can listen to it?
But Jesus,
knowing in himself
that his disciples
were grumbling
about this,
he's aware of it,
said to them,
do you take offense
at this?
Then what if
you were to see
the Son of Man
ascending to where
he was before?
It is the Spirit
who gives life.
The flesh
is no help at all.
The words that I have
spoken to you
are Spirit
and
life.
But there are
some of you
who do not
believe.
For Jesus knew
from the beginning
who those were
who did not
believe.
You see the exact
same thing happening
in our text today.
Those who said
they believed,
Jesus already knew
they did not
believe
and who it was
who would betray him.
And he said,
this is why I told you
that no one
can come to me
unless it is granted
him by
the Father.
After this,
many of his
disciples
turned back
and no longer
walked
with him.
What's happened
before,
I think we're
seeing it happen
here again.
Professions,
we believe,
and Jesus
exposes
their unbelief.
But all the same,
Jesus is
presenting
the path
to freedom.
His listeners
are hearing it
and we're
hearing it
as well.
If these people
who are said
to have believed
did not believe
savingly,
then what are we
to think
of our own
belief?
We must believe.
We must believe
that Jesus
is the Christ,
the God-man
sent to live
the life
demanded of us
that we
have not lived,
to die the death
that we
deserve
because of our sin,
to resurrect
as a defeat
of death
that we may have
eternal life.
Is saving
belief
just about
getting the
gospel equation
right?
Were the people
in our text
just missing
some bit
of detail?
Not at all.
Of course,
we must believe
certain things
to be saved.
But the biblical
idea of belief
steps beyond
just logging
some facts
in our minds
and acknowledging
them
as true.
This is not
the picture
of belief.
The word,
the Greek word,
doesn't really
even allow
for that.
The word
believe
can also
be translated
trust.
It's a
throwing yourself
upon
the truth
you say
that you
believe.
So last week
I very briefly
talked about
the parachute
analogy
and me
and the boys
lining up
on our couch
and jumping off
and trying to
explain faith
to them,
what it means
to believe
in something.
If you're
to believe
that a parachute
will save
your life
if you were
thrown out
of a plane,
you put it
on differently
than if you
just were
on the ground
saying,
sure,
parachutes
catch people
when they
fall.
There's
actually some
action that
follows.
I genuinely
believe
that this
will catch
me,
will save
me in
the end.
Or perhaps
an accident
is imminent
or you're
going to
crash your
car into
a brick
wall
and your
seat belt
is on
and you
know that
there's an
airbag
that will
deploy
and as much
as it may
hurt when
that happens,
you believe
that it will
in fact
save you
from destruction.
This is the
way we grasp
hold of the
truth of the
gospel.
We understand
our sin
and we understand
what is bought
for us
and we know
that eternal
damnation is
just and
right.
It's what
awaits us
if we don't
turn from
our sin
and place
our faith,
our trust
in Christ.
We must.
We must
believe.
We must
believe in a
way that
evidences
our belief.
We take
hold of
Jesus in
that way.
We give
our very
life that
we might
belong to
him.
It's going
to work
out in
the way
that we
live.
We're
going to
hold on
to him
not just
as our
savior but
also as
our
Lord.
All of
me.
I'll give
all of
myself
to you.
We live
in an age
of cheap
grace and
decisionism
where what
it means
to be
saved is
to raise
a hand,
walk an
aisle,
sign your
name on
a card.
Many
people have
done those
things and
the Lord
has saved
them but
not because
of the things
that they
did.
And then
salvation
and some
perspective is
granted to
those
individuals.
No follow
up,
no discipleship,
no meaningful
church membership,
no effort to
watch and be
careful,
to see what
happens when
the son of
tribulation
comes.
Do these
people dry
up and not
produce fruit?
Are they
actually in
Christ?
Do they
press on
in him?
Persevere
to the
very
end.
Beloved,
good trees
produce
good
fruit.
Those of
you who
may be out
of Christ
this morning,
bad trees
produce
bad fruit.
Apples
don't grow
on pear
trees,
right children?
Now you
may be
thinking that
is all
well and
good.
This kind
of active
faith.
But are
those ideas
found here
in Jesus'
words?
Yes,
they are.
He says
to those
who believe,
profess to
believe,
if you
abide in
my word,
you are
truly
my
disciples.
And you
will know
the truth
and the
truth
will set
you free.
So we
must believe
that Jesus
is the
Christ
and we're
going to
evidence that
by obeying
his
word.
The evidence
of belief
is an
abiding
or remaining
continuing
in
Jesus'
word.
faith.
D.A.
Carson
said of
this text,
quote,
holding to
Jesus'
teaching not
only establishes
the genuineness
of faith,
it also has
its own
authenticating
power.
We come to
know truth
not simply by
intellectual
assessment but
by moral
commitment.
Not only do I
see that it's
true but I
arrange my
life according
to it.
Judaism,
you may not
know,
taught that the
study of the
law is what
makes a man
free.
The study of
it, not the
obedience to it,
but the study of
it is what makes
a man free.
Jesus taught
that the law
serves to
point to
him.
John 14
and verse
6,
Jesus there
said,
I am the
way and
the truth
and the
life.
No one
comes to the
Father except
through me.
You may
recall John
1 and verse
14,
and the
word became
flesh and
dwelt among
us and we
have seen
his glory,
glory is of
the only
son from
the father
full of
grace and
truth.
In
John 5
and verse
39,
Jesus
indicts the
Pharisees by
saying,
you search
the scriptures
because you
think that in
them you have
eternal life
and it is
they that
bear witness
about me.
It's all
meant to
take us
savingly
to
Jesus
Christ,
to be set
free in
him.
And
having been
set free,
we are
free to
follow him.
John 14
and verse
15,
Jesus says,
if you
love me,
you will
keep my
commandments.
The evidence
of your
love for
me is that
you will
obey me.
John 15
and verse
10,
if you
keep my
commandments,
you will
abide in
my love
just as I
have kept
my father's
commandments
and abide
in his
love.
And then
verse 14
of the same
chapter,
you are my
friends,
if you
do what
I command
you.
We
must
get
this
right.
So
many
Christians
misunderstand
this teaching.
We are
justified
by grace
alone,
through faith
or belief
alone,
in
Christ
alone.
I want
that to be
programmed in
your brain.
if you've
been around
here for
a while,
we have
said this
again and
again.
We are
justified
by grace
alone,
through faith
alone,
in Christ
alone.
We are
not,
we cannot
be saved
by our
works.
But
saving
faith
is a
faith
that works,
that evidences,
that it's
real in
it's
working.
So
what are we
to do
with our
belief?
Invited
examination.
Help me
faithfully
follow Jesus
to the
end.
I plead
with you,
help me
faithfully
follow Jesus
to the
end.
Show me
if there's
any error
in my
way.
Show me
where I'm
not being
obedient to
the word.
And thank
you for
all the
times you've
done this
for me,
that I
might repent
and believe
and show
that my
faith is
a saving
faith.
Now we
have thought
briefly about
the path
to freedom,
but let's
look just
for a
moment at
the nature
of that
freedom.
Hop down
just a bit
in the text
to verses
35 and
36.
There Jesus
says,
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.
Jesus
uses an
analogy to
show us
the glory
of the
freedom
found in
him.
If we
have been
justified,
it's a
courtroom
scene,
right?
Our sin
expunged,
it's taken
away,
perfect
law keeping
given to
us by
grace alone
through faith
alone in
Christ alone.
If this
is true
of us,
we're
forgiven.
What a
wonderful thing.
We're
counted as
righteous.
What a
wonderful thing,
but that's
not
all.
I think
in the
past,
I've
spent too
much time
on
justification,
so important,
very vital
Christian
doctrine,
I don't
want to
neglect it
in any
measure,
but if
we have
been
justified,
we have
been
justified
for
something.
If it
doesn't
spring into
your mind,
I've
failed you.
I want
it to
start
springing
into
your
mind.
We've
been
justified
so that
we are
adopted.
Not so
that we
might be
adopted,
but so
that we
are
adopted.
God
can
welcome
us
back
into
fellowship
with
him
as
sons.
Ladies,
you want
to be
sons.
Sons
get all
of the
inheritance.
This is
Bible
language,
so just
accept it.
It's
fine.
Now,
at times,
I am,
and I
hope it
presents
itself as
humble,
because
they're
the
translators.
I
just
think,
ah,
I
could
have
gotten
that
a
little
bit
better.
But
here,
I
want to
commend
them
on
their
punctuation
of
these
two
verses.
I
think
it's
just
right.
He
says,
the
slave
does
not
remain
in
the
house
forever.
The
son,
lower
case,
the
son
remains
forever.
And
for those
of us
in
Christ,
I
think
we
should
find
ourselves
right
there.
Set
free
from
the
power
of
sin,
now
justified,
adopted,
a
son
who
remains
forever.
And
then
note
who
accomplishes
that
work,
right?
By
grace,
through
faith,
in
Christ.
So,
if
the
son,
capital
S,
the
son
sets
you
free,
you
will
be
free
indeed.
Indeed.
Really,
truly
free.
Right?
Not
some
flawed
facsimile
of
freedom,
a
real
freedom.
Free
indeed.
If
this
thought
doesn't
enliven
your
mind
and
warm
your
heart,
then I
fear that
you have
never
really
felt
the
weight
of
your
captivity
to
sin.
Whether
former
or
present
captivity
to
sin,
you've
never
really
comprehended
what an
offense it
is to
God
and how
ensnaring
it can
be.
you
have
difficulty
identifying
with
Paul
at the
conclusion
of
Romans
7
and
into
8.
And
yes,
I
believe,
I
believe
with
fervency
that
Paul
is
talking
about
his
present
set
free
from
sin
state.
Just
spiritual.
But I
am of
the
flesh
sold
under
sin.
For
I
do
not
understand
my
own
actions.
For
I
do
not
do
what
I
want,
but I
do
the
very
thing
I
hate.
Now,
if I
do
what
I
do
not
want,
I
agree
with
the
law,
that
it
is
good.
So
now,
it's
no
longer
I
who
do
it,
but
sin
that
dwells
within
me.
For
I
know
that
nothing
good
dwells
in
me,
that
is
in
my
flesh.
For
I
have
the
desire
to
do
what
is
right,
but
not
the
ability
to
carry
it
out.
For
I
do
!
the
do
right,
evil
lies
close
at
hand.
For
I
delight
in
the
law
of
God
in
my
inner
being,
but
I
see
in
my
members
another
law
waging
war
against
the
law
of
my
mind
and
making
me
captive
to
the
law
of
sin
that
dwells
in
my
members.
Wretched
man
that
I
am,
who
will
deliver
me
from
this
body
of
death?
Thanks
be to
God,
through
Jesus
Christ
our
Lord.
So
that
I
myself
serve
the
law
of
God
with
my
mind,
but
with
my
flesh
I
serve
the
law
of
sin.
There
is
therefore
now
no
condemnation
for
those
who
are
in
Christ
Jesus.
For
the
law
of
the
spirit
of
life
has
set
you
free
in
Christ
Jesus
from
the
law
of
sin
and
death.
If
you
have
understood
the
depth
of
your
sin
then
you
rejoice
at
being
free
indeed.
Truly
!
Really
free
from
slavery
to
sin.
Charles
Wesley
wrote
in his
famous
hymn
And
Can It
Be?
This is
in your
bulletin
if you
care to
see it.
Long
my
imprisoned
spirit
lay
fast
bound
in
sin
and
nature's
night.
Thine
eye
diffused
a
quickening
ray
I
woke
the
dungeon
flamed
with
light.
My
chains
fell
off
my
heart
was
free
I
rose
went
forth
and
followed
thee.
So
Jesus
presents
a
pathway
to
freedom.
When we
believe
in
Christ
and
so
evidence
that
faith
in
the
way
that
we
live.
A
second
point
and
we'll
move
fairly
quickly
through
this.
I
think
I'll
pick
up
some
of
this
language
the
next
time
we're
in
John
together.
It
builds
as
the
chapter
proceeds
on.
So
if
this
is
unsatisfying
to
you
I
hope
perhaps
I'll
come
back
to
it.
We
see
secondly
the
pretense
!
the
pretending
or
the
shamming
of
freedom
the
putting
on
as if
it's
true
when
it's
not.
Notice
verse
33
they
answered
him
to
this
the
truth
will
set
you
free
they
say
we
are
offspring
of
Abraham
and
have
never
been
enslaved
to
anyone
how
is
it
that
you
say
you
will
become
free?
Now
the
Israelites
have
been
enslaved
by
Egypt
Syria
Babylon
Medo
Persia
Greece
Syria
and
at
the
time
of
this
exchange
by
Rome
undoubtedly
no
debate
about
they
were
enslaved
so
they
must
not
have
been
referring
to
physical
enslavement
when
they
say
this
but
rather
spiritual
enslavement
this
is
important
to
note
because
what
is
happening
here
is
not
a
confusion
of
terms
Jesus
isn't
just
talking
past
them
leaving
them
scratching
their
head
right
he's
not
talking
on
one
level
and
them
on
another
they
fully
understand
the
spiritual
nature
of
what
Jesus
is
saying
and
yet
they're
in
this
debate
with
him
he
reinforces
I
say
to
you
everyone
who
practices
sin
is
a
slave
to
sin
they
are
talking
about
the
same
thing
spiritual
enslavement
you need
to be
set
free
we don't
need
to be
set
free
we're
not
slaves
to
sin
yes
you
are
Nathan's
summary
of it
clearly
we see
what's
going
on
here
is
the
very
opposite
of a
faith
that
works
here
Jesus
presents
people
whose
normative
activity
their
practice
is
sin
not
as
sons
but
as
slaves
those
of us
who are
in
Christ
this
morning
do
we
still
sin
yes
we
do
we
are
like
Paul
at
the
end
of
Romans
chapter
7
yes
we
do
but
it
is
not
the
normative
practice
we
don't
love
it
we're
pursuing
holiness
even
as
we
are
frail
and
still
find
this
battle
within
for
our
souls
the
rest
of
the
chapter
if
you
were
to
do
that
you
might
do
it
on
your
page
I
don't
know
probably
not
that
compelling
but
if
you
did
that
on
your
page
two
columns
one
you
could
title
slaves
or
to
connect
back
to
my
introduction
seat
of
the
serpent
the
second
could
be
titled
sons
or
seat
of
the
woman
in
the
first
column
we
can
note
that
the
seat
of
the
serpent
number
one
does
not
believe
the
truth
does
not
believe
it
let me
just
hop
around
the
text
a
little
bit
with
you
verse
37
Jesus
says
yet
you
seek
to
kill
me
because
my
word
finds
no
place
in
you
verse
38
Jesus
says
I
speak
of
what
I
have
seen
with
my
father
and
you
do
what
you
have
heard
from
your
father
he's
going
to
elaborate
the
father
of
lies
you
will
not
hear
the
truth
but
you
do
hear
lies
verse
39
Abraham
is
our
father
they
say
Jesus
said
to
them
if
you
were
Abraham's
children
you
would
be
doing
the
works
of
Abraham
the
works
Abraham
did
which
was
what
his
faith
which
was
counted
to
him
as
righteousness
he
heard
God
and
he
believed
God
and
he
acted
in
accordance
with
that
belief
verse
40
but
you
seek
to
kill
me
a
man
who
has
told
you
the
truth
that
I
heard
from
God
this
is
not
what
Abraham
did
verse
44
you're
of
your
father
the
devil
and
your
will
is
to
do
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
you're
the
son
of
him
but
because
I
tell
the
truth
verse
45
you
do
not
believe
me
verse
46
if
I
tell
the
truth
why
do
you
not
believe
me
verse
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
the
seed
of
the
serpent
does
not
believe
!
truth
the
seed
of
the
serpent
the
slave
does
not
love
God
verse
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
on
my
own
accord
but
he
sent
me
there's
no
affection
in
their
hearts
for
the
God
for
Yahweh
right
Jesus
says
I
am
him
and
he
sent
me
you
would
love
us
both
and
thirdly
the
seed
of
the
serpent
does
the
work
of
the
serpent
of
Satan
verse
41
you
are
during
the
works
your
father
did
verse
37
you
seek
to
kill
me
verse
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
suppress
the
truth
do
away
with
Jesus
as
a
liar
or
a
lunatic
none
of you
who
might
be in
this
column
find
yourself
here
are
thinking
about
murdering
Jesus
Christ
but
you
would
rather
him
not
be
around
you
want
to
do
away
with
him
suppress
the
truth
that
he
speaks
treat
him
as
a
liar
or
as
a
lunatic
what
would
belong
in
the
second
column
that
one
labeled
son
or
seed
of
the
woman
the
opposite
of
everything
in
the
first
the
sons
of
God
believe
God's
word
we
seek
to
align
our
lives
with
it
because
it
is
good
and
it
is
true
and
it
is
beautiful
we
love
the
God
of
it
the
one
who
authored
it
and
the
one
to
whom
it
points
when
we
take
it
up
we
more
clearly
see
him
as
he
is
and
desire
to
honor
him
as
such
we
want
to
bring
him
all
the
glory
that
is
due
him
by
being
about
the
work
he
has
set
us
to
do
setting
captives
free
by the
power
of the
gospel
redeeming
his
people
for
his
glory
we
want
christ
exalted
it's the
great high
aim of the
christian life
and whatever
god has
called us
to do
we want
christ
exalted
we want
to declare
his
person
and his
work
here
and to
the
very
ends
of the
earth
and so
you find
yourself
in one
of those
two
columns
i pray
it's the
latter
of the
two
the most
important
of matters
when they're
considered
are two
categories
the
offspring
of the
serpent
the
offspring
of the
woman
which
are
you
let's
pray
those