WHO IS YOUR FATHER?

I often get told that my daughter, Emma, looks like me.  I always enjoy hearing that. I once saw a picture of my dad in high school and it looked almost exactly like my older brother at the same age. It is interesting how children often take after their parents. Yet, children tend to resemble their parents in more ways than appearance.  So many times children act, speak, and think in similar ways as their parents. It is this principle that is eluded too in John 8. The Jews stood before Jesus and clamed to be children of Abraham. "Jesus said to them, 'If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father'" (John 8:39b-41a). They claimed to be the children of Abraham; yet, they did not resemble him. They when on to say "we were not born of fornication; we have one Father - God" (John 8:41b). Yet Jesus then pointed out that they do not behave like God either. "Jesus said to them, 'If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me'" (John 8:42). They did not love Jesus but rather hated Him and attempted to kill Him. How is it that they can claim to be children of God though they act nothing like Him? The truth is they can only claim to be children of God, but Jesus pointed out that they are not, because children resemble their parents. Jesus then said, "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44). Jesus said they do not act like Abraham or God so they cannot claim to be children of theirs; however, they do act very similar to Satan. Jesus said that their father is the devil because that is who they behave like. The question of the moment is this, who is your father? If you take an honest examination of your life what will you see? Do your actions reflect God? If not then it is time to become a child of His. Do not live your life claiming to be God's children but acting in a contrary way. Rather, be children of God.

 

Garrett Bookout

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