kjv@John:8:37@ I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
kjv@John:8:38@ I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
kjv@John:8:39@ They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
kjv@John:8:40@ But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
kjv@John:8:41@ Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
kjv@John:8:42@ Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
kjv@John:8:43@ Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
kjv@John:8:44@ Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
kjv@John:8:45@ And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
kjv@John:8:46@ Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
kjv@John:8:47@ He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
kjv@John:8:48@ Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
kjv@John:8:49@ Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.
kjv@John:8:50@ And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.
kjv@John:8:51@ Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
kjv@John:8:52@ Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
kjv@John:8:53@ Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
kjv@John:8:54@ Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
kjv@John:8:55@ Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
kjv@John:8:56@ Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
kjv@John:8:57@ Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
kjv@John:8:58@ Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
kjv@John:8:59@ Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
It is amazing at how far distant these two extremes are; the ones who claim to know God by being the seed of Abraham, and the one who claims to be Abraham's "I Am". If they the chosen are this far off, imagine how far we gentiles are. Previously, we were told of being servants of sin, now we are told of being children of sin. The two are important to understand. Though sin did not create us we are born under sin, we naturally become it's property, there is no free will left to us in this initial transaction. What remains is a limited free will in how that we will serve sin, there is no escape from serving however, there is a bit more leeway as to the means. For one to say that they have never served nor are serving now are truly deceived for it is not within us to serve any other unless serving the Lord in full.
A famous song "Hydee Ho" (Blood Sweat + Tears) played on the radio last night depicting a very popular belief - not being any ones servant/tricking the devil out of the contract owed for ones indulgences but, not serving the Lord either. The belief that one can serve ones self and not have to serve either of the other two is prevalent in modern culture. The imagination that one can trick either entity out of the pleasures and comforts derived is nothing but vain. Often, in times of need we in fact attempt to extort comfort from the Lord without signing. From the Devil's standpoint all he really cares is that you not sign the Lord's contract. Whether you think you've tricked him or that you haven't in turn signed his contract is of little concern to him, even amusing knowing that you are then his.
The crucial mistake of the Reprobate Mind is to reduce sin down to mere actions and to compare actions with other more active sinners. Sin becomes relative rather than legitimate. Sin becomes something one step beyond that the conscience could do but hasn't done yet, thus it can applaud itself for having not done that (even though it has done all of this other). It is justified itself no matter what it has done or hasn't done in beneficial terms.
2012 - pBiblx2 Field Wise Bible System Version 2.0.9d - GPL3
