Amen.
You may be seated.
Kiddos, you are excused to your King's Kids class,
! and as they are going,
would you please open up your Bibles to John chapter 8.
I'm going to be preaching on verses 39 through 59 this morning.
And as you're turning there, I want you to imagine,
imagine an incredibly wealthy man.
He's a billionaire.
And he's as promiscuous as he is wealthy.
Sleeps around.
And he finds himself to be the regular recipient of letters from law firms.
He's a woman.
Representing women whom he has slept with.
And these women are filing some kind of paternity suit.
And they wanted to get money, financial support,
for the children they claim that he has conceived.
So this wealthy man gets his own law firm.
And there are so many paternity suits
that the law firm has to get their own paternity rights specialist
to handle the load.
Do you know what this paternity rights specialist is going to do?
As these claims come in,
this paternity rights specialist is going to have
these moms and their children do what's called a paternity test.
Where they'll take a DNA sample of the child
and a DNA sample of the parent father.
And they will see if there's a DNA match.
Because if there's a match,
that child is set for the rest of their life.
Because they have legal standing.
But if that DNA doesn't match,
well, that child's got another father.
This morning we return
to a dialogue between Jesus
and some Jews in Jerusalem.
This is all taking place in a conversation in the temple.
And these Jews have claimed to be believers in Jesus.
But Jesus has shown them to be impostors.
Just pseudo-believers.
And in chapter 8, verse 37,
or excuse me, 38,
Jesus essentially says,
hey, there are two ways to live.
Either you are a slave to sin,
or you are a child of God.
And if you are a slave to sin,
you have another father
other than the God of the Bible.
And what we're going to see this morning
is if God of the Bible is not your father,
then your father is none other than the devil.
So in this morning,
here's how we're going to approach this dialogue
between Jesus and these Jews.
Think of it as a spiritual paternity test.
And if you were to take this spiritual paternity test,
whose father is yours?
God or the devil?
This dialogue consists of three exchanges,
and I'm going to read through each one at a time.
So let's first take a look at exchange one
between Jesus and these pseudo-believers.
And it's in verses 39 through 47.
Hear the word of God.
They answered him.
These Jews 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're not illegitimate children.
We're not bastards.
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 he 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,
do you not believe me?
You do not believe me.
Which one of you convicts me of sin?
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.
So here,
in verses 39 through 47,
this first exchange between Jesus and these Jews,
these Jews make two paternity claims.
They claim that Abraham is their father,
and then claim that God is their father.
And what Jesus does,
is he denies them both,
like a big fat stamp,
denied.
Let's look at verse 39,
with the first claim.
The first claim,
they say,
is Abraham is our father.
Remember,
in verse 38,
Jesus has just said,
I speak of what I have seen with my father,
and you do what you have heard from your father.
And then the Jews stomp their foot.
They're like this,
Abraham is our father.
How dare you suggest otherwise?
Jesus has already acknowledged
that they are,
in fact,
physical descendants of Abraham,
verse 37,
but they're not true spiritual children of Abraham.
We see why,
in verses 39 through 41,
there's this if-then argument.
In verse 39,
Jesus responds to their claim,
and he says,
if you were Abraham's children,
then,
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.
If you were truly Abraham's children,
then you would be doing what Abraham did.
And what is that?
By faith,
acting in obedience to God.
We see that in Genesis chapter 12,
one through three,
where God shows up to Abraham,
and he says,
leave the land that you were raised in,
and go to the land that I will show you.
And Abraham does just that.
And so what's going on here is,
Jesus is saying,
sorry guys,
you are not Abraham's children,
not spiritually,
because you're not obeying God by faith.
The second claim comes in verse 41.
They say,
we were not born of sexual immorality.
We have one father,
even God.
It's like,
okay,
you can deny us Abraham,
but we're going to play the God card.
We are Israel.
God is our father.
In Exodus chapter 4,
in verses 22 through 23,
God sends Moses to Pharaoh,
and he says,
through Moses,
Israel is my firstborn son.
Let him go.
So this is what they're thinking,
these Jews,
that God is our father.
I mean,
we're Exodus 4,
children of God.
And when they say,
we're not born of sexual immorality,
they're saying,
we're not illegitimate children.
We're purebreds.
We have the bloodline.
And what we see happening here
is that their identity
is wrapped up in their genetics,
their lineage,
their bloodline.
And so they're like,
yeah,
we're descendant of him.
He is our father.
Now,
one commentator this past week
made a very interesting comment
that not only is this,
these Jews claiming
their paternity right
to God the Father,
but it could very well be
a little bit of a zing on Jesus.
Because they know
that Jesus,
his own paternity
is in question.
Oh,
but Jesus,
yeah,
we know that Mary
was pregnant
before she got married
to Joseph.
We're not
bastards.
Jesus denies them.
And he again uses
an if-then argument.
Look at verse 42.
If God were your father,
then 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?
And so the if-then argument
goes like this.
If God were truly your father,
then you would love me.
You would totally accept me.
You would enter into
a relationship with me.
You would see me
for who I am.
You would take my words
to be true,
and you would be welcomed
into the family.
But they don't.
Jesus' point is that
they're not God's children
because they don't believe
in Jesus.
They're not born of God.
And then in verse 44,
Jesus lowers the boom.
You are of your father,
the devil,
and your will is to do
your father's desires.
Now, this is not the way
to make friends, is it?
Here's what Jesus goes on to say.
You can imagine them like,
what?
And then look what Jesus says
about the devil,
about the devil's desires.
He was a murderer
from the beginning.
He 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 a father of lies.
Here's what he's saying.
Your father is a murderer
and a liar.
And you know what he's saying
about them?
Like father, like son?
You're murderers too,
and you're liars as well.
Just right at him.
In the temple.
Your father was a liar
and you are liars.
My truth is not abiding in you
and you're murderers.
You're seeking to kill me.
And so what Jesus does is
he denies their claim
that they are God's children.
Maybe you've come into the room
claiming that God is your father.
Have you denied Jesus?
Because if you've denied Jesus,
God is not your father.
You've got another father.
In verses 45 through 47,
Jesus peppers them
with some more questions.
But because I tell the truth,
you do not believe me,
which of you,
which one of you
convicts me of sin?
If I tell the truth,
why do you not believe me?
These are rhetorical questions.
He's making the point
that you don't understand
because you're not born of God.
But what I want to point you to
is in verse 46,
which one of you
convicts me of sin?
Do you know what Jesus
is saying here?
Which one of you
has any grounds
to accuse me
of any sin
for my entire life?
What this is happening,
what he's saying
is that I am without sin.
You can't put any claim on me.
Any charge will not stick.
And the only way
that Jesus can be sinless
for the 33 years he lived
is because he's God in the flesh.
So this first exchange,
we have these claims,
paternity claims,
the Jews saying,
Abraham is our father
and God is our father
and Jesus denies them both.
And in the midst of that,
we learn that Jesus
is without sin.
Did you notice
that Jesus is judging them?
He knows their hearts
and he knows ours as well.
This all takes place
in the temple.
Exchange number two
in verses 48 through 56.
Let me read it.
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.
Then 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.
In the second exchange,
the Jews make two more claims.
They claim that Jesus has a demon twice,
and Jesus is going to deny them twice.
Let's look at the first claim
in verse 48.
Are we not right in saying
you are a Samaritan,
have a demon?
So when these Jews
called Jesus a Samaritan,
it is not a nice thing to say.
Samaritans were seen by Jews
as religious half-breeds,
kind of the scum of the earth.
Samaritans questioned
Jewish kind of heritage,
lineage,
whether they were to the true people of God.
And so these Jews are saying,
why are you questioning
our legitimacy,
Samaritan?
What's even more striking
is like,
is it not true that you have a demon?
What are you, nuts?
Yes.
That would be the only way
that they can understand
why Jesus would make such a claim.
The only reason
why you would think
that we're not
God's sons and daughters
is if you had a demon.
And what you need to understand there
is they are actually blaspheming.
They're attributing to Jesus
God in the flesh
demonic activity.
In verse 49,
Jesus denies them outright.
I do not have a demon.
And then he says,
I honor my father
and you dishonor me.
So Jesus was sent
by his father to earth.
He knows where he's from.
He knows where he's going.
He knows why he came.
And he's seeking to honor his father
by obeying him,
by doing what he was sent to do.
But the Jews,
by not believing Jesus,
dishonor Jesus.
And they show that
God is not their father.
And in fact,
in verse 50,
we read,
they will be judged for it.
And the judgment
of dishonoring Jesus
is eternal death.
It's being cast out
into outer darkness
for an eternity
of weeping
and gnashing of teeth.
It's talking about
hell.
In verse 51,
we read,
this,
truly, truly,
I say to you,
if anyone keeps my word,
he will never see death.
death.
What Jesus is doing here
is like,
you know what?
There is something
you can do
so as not
to taste death,
not to be judged.
If only you would
keep these words
that I'm telling you.
If anyone keeps my word,
he will never
see death.
These Jews,
by not believing
in Jesus is,
they are dishonoring him
by rejecting
his words of truth
and are attributing
to him
demonic activity.
What's striking
about this is
here they are
accusing him
of these things
and yet Jesus
continues to offer
out lifelines
to them.
Opportunities
to believe.
Opportunities
to live.
Claim two,
they say,
now we know
that you have
a demon.
Is that not clear,
verse 52?
They're like saying,
now that you've said that,
you've just made
our case.
You definitely
are demon-possessed.
And what they're
actually doing
is persisting
in their blasphemy.
What they are
convinced of
is that Jesus,
by saying,
that whoever
keeps his word
will never taste
death,
what they're
convinced of
is that he
is making himself
out to be
greater than
Abraham and
the prophets.
And they think
that's absolutely
ridiculous.
Their point is,
hey,
even Abraham
and the prophets
died.
They seem to be
misunderstanding
what Jesus is
saying when
he says,
never taste
death.
Jesus is speaking
about eternal
life,
that once you
believe,
it comes,
you are given
eternal life,
and then after
you physically
die,
you continue
to live.
These Jews
seem to be
thinking,
he's talking
literally that
you will never
die again,
physically die.
And then the
point is,
Abraham and the
prophets died.
Are your words
able to do
something that
their words
couldn't?
Are you greater
than Abraham?
Are you greater
than the prophets?
Who do you
make yourself
out to be?
You've definitely
got a demon.
They're unable
to believe
who Jesus
truly is.
Who do you
think you are,
Jesus?
And in verses
54 through 56,
Jesus responds,
he denies them
with another
if-then
argument.
Look at
verse 54,
if I glorify
myself,
then my glory
is nothing.
It's 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.
Jesus'
response is,
hey,
I'm not here
to promote
myself.
My father
is going
to glorify
me.
He's going
to do
that.
I am
just
obeying
him.
I'm here
to speak
the truth.
I'm here
to be glorified
at the
right time
because he
sent me.
I know
where I
come from.
I know
where I'm
going.
I know
why I'm
here.
And even
though you
call my
father
your God,
you do
not know
him.
God.
And what
he's talking
about is
not an
intellectual
knowledge.
He's not
talking about
do you
know the
omnis of
God or
not.
The
knowledge
is a
knowing
as in
being in
a relationship
with.
A saving,
life-giving
relationship
with.
Jesus is
like, I
know you
know of
God, but
you don't
know my
father.
You're not
in a
relationship
with him.
You're not
his children.
Jesus does
know him.
Jesus is
in a
relationship
with his
father.
God the
father,
God the
son.
And he
demonstrates
this by
keeping his
word, by
doing what
God the
father has
told him,
sent him
to do.
He's not
a liar.
Not like
them.
He's a
legitimate
son.
In fact,
what they
share in
common,
God the
father and
God the
son, is
God-ness.
In 56,
Jesus circles
back to
Abraham in
verse, what
they asked in
verse 53.
Remember this,
are you
greater than
our father
Abraham who
died?
And look at
verse 56.
Your father
Abraham rejoiced
that he would
see my day.
He saw it and
was glad.
Does anybody
else in the
room think
that this is
a rather
kind of strange
way of
speaking?
Let me read
it again.
Your father
Abraham rejoiced
that he would
see my day.
He saw it and
was glad.
Do you know
how Jesus is
speaking of
Abraham?
Like he
knows him.
Like they've
talked about
this.
Like they've
interacted over
this.
Like Jesus
was somehow
with Abraham
when God
promised Abraham
that he would
bless all the
nations of the
earth through
one of his
offspring.
And from that
point on,
Abraham started
to anticipate
with gladness
how God
would fulfill
that promise.
promise.
And God
fulfilled that
promise by
sending Jesus.
Paul in
Galatians makes
the argument
that Jesus
is through
whom God
would bless
all the
nations with
salvation.
Abraham was
looking forward
to my day.
That is a
remarkable
statement.
Abraham was
looking,
rejoiced that
he would
see my
day.
Jesus wasn't
looking forward
to Abraham's
day.
Abraham was
looking forward
to Jesus'
day.
The day
when the
offspring of
Abraham,
the Messiah,
the Son of
God,
Son of Man,
totally God,
totally man,
would come
and usher
into our
world
salvation,
eternal life.
That's
my day.
It's a
huge claim.
Abraham
looked forward
to my
day,
and he
saw it,
and was
glad.
Jesus
knows
Abraham.
He's not
demon-possessed.
God
bless
God.
He's the
offspring of
Abraham,
through whom
God would
bless all
the nations
of the
earth,
through the
death and
resurrection
of this
offspring,
Jesus.
This is all
taking place at
the temple.
people.
And so
Jesus denies
these claims
of demon
possession.
He's in
fact,
the Son of
God.
In
exchange
three,
in verses
57 through
59,
we now
have a
claim of
Jesus that's
denied by
the Jews.
This,
verse 58,
is the
climactic
moment of
this whole
dialogue in
chapter 8.
So the
Jews said
to him,
you're not
yet 50
years old,
and have
you seen
Abraham?
Abraham lived
2,000 years
earlier to
Jesus.
Jesus said
to them,
truly,
I say to
you,
before Abraham
was,
I am.
So they
picked up
stones to
throw him,
but Jesus
hid himself
and went
out of
the temple.
In
verse 57,
we see
how the
words of
Jesus,
in terms of
how he was
talking about
Abraham,
how they
struck his
audience,
these Jews.
You're not
yet 50
years old,
and have
you seen
Abraham?
They heard
him right,
but they
couldn't
believe it.
The word
of Christ
was not
dwelling
in them.
They're
asking a
question,
but
there's no
question to
what they're
asking.
There's no
way,
there's no
way you
know Abraham
like that.
There's no
way you
knew this
man who
lived 2,000
years before.
There's no
way that he
was looking
forward to
your day.
No
way.
They are
denying
his claim
that he
knows
Abraham
personally.
And so,
in verse
58,
Jesus
drops
another
truly,
truly.
The truth,
the truth.
Not a
lie,
not a
lie.
Let me
set the
record
straight,
listen
carefully to
what I'm
about to
say.
And in
one sentence,
he answers
three of
their questions.
He's going
to answer,
are you
greater than
our father
Abraham and
the prophets?
He's going
to answer,
who do you
make yourself
out to be?
And he's
going to
answer,
you're not
even 50
years old,
and have
you seen
Abraham?
This one
sentence
answers all
of them.
Truly,
truly,
I say to
you,
before Abraham
was,
I am.
Before
Abraham
was,
I am.
I existed
before
Abraham.
We saw
something similar
back in
John 1,
verse 30,
with JTB,
John the
Baptist.
He said,
he who
comes after
me,
speaking of
Jesus,
he who
comes after
me,
ranks
before me
because he
was before
me.
And what
John the
Baptist was
saying there
is that the
second person
of the
Trinity,
the Son
of God,
Jesus had
existed before
him.
Though physically
born after
him,
he had a
greater rank
than he was
greater than
John the
Baptist.
The second
person of
the Trinity
has eternally
existed.
And so when
he says,
before Abraham
was,
I am,
what he's
saying is,
I'm greater
than Abraham.
I existed
before Abraham.
And so he's
answering the
question,
yes,
I am
greater than
Abraham.
I was
before him.
But the
wording is
weird.
This isn't
good grammar,
Jesus.
Before Abraham
was,
I am.
Shouldn't
he be
saying,
before Abraham
was,
I was?
What's up
with that?
Jesus very
intentionally
doesn't say,
I was.
He's purposely
saying,
before Abraham
was,
I am.
God
goes to
the question,
who do you
make yourself
out to be?
Remember,
this is
happening at
the temple.
Who do you
make yourself
out to be?
And the
one that
Jesus is
making himself
out to be
is the
great I
am.
Of Exodus
3,
burning
bush,
Moses,
who do I
tell Israel
is sending
me?
And God
says,
tell them
I am
is sending
you.
The
ever
existent
one.
The
present
present.
The
eternal
present.
I am.
Self-sufficient.
God
of all.
The
Greek word
is
ego
amy.
Before
Abraham
was,
ego
amy.
And that
little phrase
shows up
in Isaiah
41.4,
43.10,
48.12.
I am.
There is
no other.
There is
no other
savior.
Jesus is
grabbing onto
that and
broadcasting it.
He's making
a paternity
claim.
He's saying,
the same
godness in
me is the
same godness
of my
father.
Who do you
make yourself
out to be?
I am.
So yes,
he has
seen
Abraham
who lived
2,000
years
earlier.
And he
also saw
him the
moment
before he
was conceived
in Mary
when Abraham
saw his
death
as he's
claiming
to be
God.
There's
no question
to what
Jesus is
claiming
about
himself.
He's
claiming
to be
God
in the
flesh.
The Jews
hear this
audacious
claim.
In verse
59,
they pick
up stones
to stone
him
because they
think that
he's
blaspheming,
which is
really rich.
rich.
It's
doubly
ironic
because
Jesus is
not
blaspheming.
He is
God.
And they
just accused
him of
being demon
possessed.
Now that's
rich.
And what
I don't
want you
to miss
is the
last little
phrase
in verse
59.
Jesus
hid
himself
and God
is now
leaving the
building.
He leaves
the temple.
He came
to his
own and
his own
did not
receive him.
He has
given them
countless
opportunities
to believe
and now
he's
leaving the
building.
Just like
the glory
of the
Lord
departed
the temple
in Ezekiel.
So we've
seen three
exchanges.
Jesus
denies
the Jews
claim of
paternity
to Abraham
and God
the Father.
Jesus
denies
their double
claim that
he is
demon
possessed
and that
Jesus
is denied
when he
claims to
be God.
What's
the point?
Very
simple.
Three
words.
Jesus
is God.
Jesus
is God.
And
what that
means is
it's either
true or
false.
If it's
false
don't waste
your time
with Jesus.
If it's
true
it puts
him in
a category
all by
himself.
And if
it's
true
that
makes
what
Jesus
has
done
it's
called
effectual
powerful.
He lived
a sinless
life.
None
of us
in the
room
can
live
a
sinless
life.
My
guess
is
a few
of us
have
sinned
once
or
twice
already
today.
Jesus
because
he's
God
in the
flesh
is
sinless.
He
did
what
none
of
us
could
do.
And
not
only
is
he
sinless
Jesus
the
incarnate
God
died
in the
place
for
sinners.
He
bore
all of
God's
wrath
for all
of our
sin
and then
when we
believe
God
in his
mercy
and his
grace
not only
forgives us
those sins
he gives
us
the
righteousness
of
Christ
and
by
right
he
brings
us
into
his
family
you
see
not
only
is
this
claim
true
not
only
is
it
effectual
it
is
transformative
you
were
delivered
from
one
family
when
the
devil
was
your
daddy
into
another
family
and
now
you
have
a
heavenly
father
and
it's
all
through
this
one
who
claimed
to
be
God
if
he
wasn't
God
none
of
it
could
happen
so
let
me
ask
you
a
question
of
spiritual
paternity
who
is
your
father
is
your
life
marked
more
and
more
by
trusting
in
God's
word
by
keeping
Christ's
word
by
his
word
abiding
in
you
are
you
living
in
the
truth
are
you
walking
in
the
light
are
you
loving
Jesus
more
and
loving
others
more
if
you
are
that's
an
indicator
that you've
been brought
into the
family
that you put
your faith
in Christ
and he's
brought
about
this
transformation
and he's
bringing
about
more
and more
transformation
but if
you are
murderous
if you
hate
people
if you
go after
people
if you're
regularly
lying
you're
spinning
the
truth
even
denying
that
Jesus
is
God
you
are
in
darkness
and what
that shows
is that
your daddy
is the
devil
there are
just two
ways to
live
you're
either
a slave
to sin
and your
daddy's
the devil
or you
are a
child
of God
and the
blood
of Jesus
has set
you free
to live
as a
child
and live
for God
now if
you're
in the
room
and you're
kind of
like
well
how
can
God
truly
become
my
father
if
I'm
a
sinner
under
his
wrath
how
do
I
how
do
I
get
into
the
family
it's
by
believing
in
his
son
trusting
in
Jesus
and
this
morning
you're
given
an
opportunity
to
believe
in
Jesus
don't
let
this
opportunity
leave
the
building
without
trusting
Christ
did
you
know
none
of
us
in
this
room
is
promised
tomorrow
none
of
us
in
this
room
is
promised
tomorrow
so
trust
Christ
today
if
you're
not a
Christian
in
the
room
you
can't
bank
on
tomorrow
but
you
can
bank
on
the
salvation
that
God
provides
through
Jesus
forgiveness
eternal
life
being
welcomed
into
the
family
of
God
because
Jesus
is
God
there's
one
last
encouragement
I want
to give
to you
for those
of us
who
have been
brought
into the
family
of faith
by the
blood
of
Jesus
because
he's
God
in the
flesh
I can't
get over
this
little
sentence
before
Abraham
was
I am
can't
get over
it
thinking
about
it
all
week
before
John
was
I
am
before
Mary
was
I
am
before
Isaiah
was
Ezra
was
Jeremiah
was
Amos
Jonah
was
I
am
before
Solomon
was
before
David
was
I
am
before
Ruth
was
before
Deborah
was
before
Samson
was
I
am
before
Joshua
was
before
Moses
was
before
Jacob
Isaac
Abraham
was
I
am
before
Noah
was
before
Adam
and
Eve
was
I
am
before
the
scriptures
was
I
am
all
the
scriptures
are about
him
before
I
was
before
you
was
I
am
if
we're
to do
some
Jesus
math
greater
less
than
or equal
to
in light
of all
these
I am
that
he
is
the
I
am
before
you
was
is
Jesus
greater
than
less
than
or equal
to
you
is
greater
than
before
I
was
I
am
which
means
today
is
his
day
my
day
and
I
hope
your
heart
rises
like
Abraham
to
see
that
his
day
has
come
and
that
he
is
bringing
salvation
to
the
nations
because
he
is
the
offspring
of
Abraham
and
he's
gathering
together
a
people
for
himself
and
he's
transferring
them
from
the
domain
of
darkness
into
the
kingdom
of
his
beloved
son
and
making
them
worshipers
and
uniting
together
in
his
name
imagine
an
incredibly
holy
God
who
is
as
loving
as
he
is
holy
and
out
of
his
holy
love
for
you
he
sent
his
one
of
a
kind
son
totally
God
totally
man
the
great
I
am
and
this
great
incarnate
I
am
not
only
lived
a
sinless
life
he
died
in
your
place
so
that
you
could
be
adopted
into
the
family
of
God
so
that
you
could
legitimately
call
your
God
your
heavenly
father
the
paternity
test
of
knowing
whether
you
belong
to
God
and his
family
as a
son
or
daughter
is
twofold
do
you
believe
the
truth
about
Jesus
he's
the
great
I
am
and
are
you
becoming
like
your
holy
and
loving
father
let's
pray
thank you
God
thank you
God
for
sending
Jesus
for us
Lord
Jesus
thank you
for
willingly
dying
on the
cross
for
sin
our
sins
but
thank you
Lord
Jesus
for
living
a
life
that
we
could
not
father
thank you
for
adopting
us
as
our
sons
and
daughters
and
that
we
no
longer
fear
but
we
walk
in
the
freedom
that
Christ
has
achieved
for
us
in
Jesus
name
Amen
Thank you.