(John 8:39-47)
Jesus was in discussion with the leaders of the Jews and teaching the people at the same time. He was showing them there is a distinction between the people of God and others.
One thing we must note that many people in the world ignore, there is no middle ground. This is a matter of life and death and there is no sitting on the sidelines as a spectator. Every person must make a choice and take a stand.
Even making no choice is a choice so it is critical for every person that they make this decision. It is my belief that one of the prime reasons, if not the prime reason for life as we know it on this earth is to make the choice, are you with Jesus or not. So let’s look at the choices.
Who are the Children of the Devil
Jesus makes no bones about the family from which the Jews who were arguing with him came. In verse 44 he said,
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 has nothing to do with 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.
The children of the devil are liars because they inherit the devils nature. He was a liar and there is no truth in him. Every thing he says is a lie and a deception. He is cunning and uses lies to decieve and try to tear people down. His desire is domination and will destroy any opposition and anyone that gets in his way. He does not know or show love even to his own children. Instead he treats them as slaves and their end will be death.
Perhaps Isaiah says it best speaking of the devil and his children in Isaiah 14:16-21.
16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,
17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb;
19 but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot.
20 You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. “May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named!
21 Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.”
As we see here, the children of the devil are not loved, they are prisoners and he will not let them be free. And his children are doomed to the point where the offspring of evildoers may never more be named. The lot of the sons of the evil one is summed up in verse 21, “Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.”
So who are the children of the devil? As Jesus shows us back in John 8 they are all those who do not follow the truth but seek the darker places and lie like their father the devil.
Who are the Children of God
But the children of God are different. Those who come to Jesus come seeking a better way. They are seeking the truth and a way to escape the difilements of the flesh and the evils of this world. They are not kept in captivity as slaves but are set free to worship God.
Unlike the children of the devil, the children and the family of God have a free choice for they are not snared and enslaved. As Paul shows in Romans 8
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
In Christ we are adopted as sons of God and form the family of God. We are not forced for the spirit we receive is not a spirit of slavery, but a spirit that will transform us into the image of Christ and thus become sons and daughters of God.
And look at the benefit we receive as the children of God! We become inheritors with Christ of all the glory and riches and wonders that the Father has prepared for those who love Him and whom He loves. The lot of the children of God is to receive an eternal and abiding inheritance and to live forever with the Father and the Son.
You Must Choose
So the choice is clear and whether anyone wants to or not, a choice MUST be made. There is no option. Every person on this earth is born as a child of the devil unless and until they choose to follow Jesus Christ. That is the choice of all mankind.
And look at the choice in the scriptures above. The promise for those who choose the ways of the devil and the ways of this world is destruction. As Isaiah said, “Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.” The guilt that resides with the devil will be passed to his children and together they will go into damnation.
But the promise of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for those who are obedient to His ways and choose to follow him, is life. Eternal life free from sin, death, sickness and suffering of any kind.
The choice is clear and it must be made. Every person must choose and the will be no escape. All will be judged by the choice they make, whether to become the children of God and find life, or to remain the children of the devil and lose their life.
(Picture sourced from Google Images. Artist unknown)
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Hi! I’m John, the owner, author, and editor of this site. Over the past 50+ years as a Christian I have been teaching, preaching and writing about the Bible to help Christians gain a deeper insight into the scriptures that are easily understood. I also answer specific Bible related questions, so feel free to contact me.
