Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Key lessons:
• The God of the living
• Remember that after death there is life - Abraham still lives
• Abraham is called the father of the faithful
• He is the great friend of God
• Over 70 references to Abraham in the New Testament
• Abraham was accounted righteous because of his faith in the promises of God - Rom 4:19-22
• Abraham believed God could bring life from death
• True belief:
• The virgin birth
• God can produce something from nothing - Rom 4:17
• Abraham saw Christ's day - John 8:56
• Without faith it is impossible to please God - Hebrews

Who are the true children of God and the true descendants of Abraham?

The Children of God

• Who where these Jews?
• Many believed in Jesus (v30,31)
• You don't do the works of God or Abraham - you are of your father the devil!
• Were there true believers and others who didn't believe?
• The people that believed in Him did not have saving faith
• Roman 9:8 - children of the flesh
• "If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed" - Gal 3:29
• Rom 2:28-29
• The true children of Abraham are the children of promise
• The bible teaches we are not to put trust in our flesh
• If anyone could, then Paul could
• Paul put no confidence in his flesh
• What about today?
• My father is a minister
• I was born into this tradition
• I go to church
• I was baptised
• Adherence to religion and ritual
• The true children of God are those who are born again by the Holy Spirit

Those who abide in His word

• Those who receive Jesus as the very word of God
• Those who continue and abide in the truth
• John 6:60 and 66
• "It was a hard saying" (v60)
• "Many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more" (v66)
• "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life"
• John 17:6
• Those who cherish and regularly read the Bible

Those who have been set free by His word

• John 8:32
• We can say what the truth is
• We have a complete Bible - the full revelation of God
• The truth sets us free
• The truth about us:
• We are guilty before a Holy God
• We are a sinner before God and condemned
• The truth about Jesus Christ:
• He was sent from heaven
• That He would take our place
• That all our sin would be placed on Him
• We serve God out of thankfulness
• We are saved by grace
• "The truth shall make you free" - John 8:33
• The word is emphatic
• You are freed to serve God

Those who are a son (not a slave)

• John 8:33-34
• Consider Hagar and Ishmael
• A slave does not have the privileges of a son
• A true sign that we are child of God is that we have 'sonship'
• Our desires are to please God
• We love the Lord Jesus
• cf v42
• The Jews in Bondage?
• To the Canaanites, Philistines, Babylonians, etc
• Now to the Romans
• They deny being in bondage
• Jesus refers them to the bondage of sin
• Are we really free?
• Are we chained to sin?

The Children of the Devil

People who oppose Jesus

• People who deny God's divinity
• Some oppose actively and outwardly, some with indifference and scorn
• They wanted to kill Jesus - John 8:37
• Jesus knew what was in the people's heart so He did not commit Himself to them - John 2:23-24
• People can appear to be on Christ's side yet inwardly oppose Him
• They said Jesus was a Samaritan and had a demon - John 8:48
• A demon - John 8:49
• They took up stones to throw at Him - John 8:50

People who cannot listen to or abide in His word

• The rejection of the word
• My word has no place in you - John 8:37, 43
• You are not able to listen to My word - John 8:47
• They did not believe the truth - John 8:45
• Is there an appetite to hear God speak?
• The natural man cannot receive the things of God - 1 Cor 2:14
• Better communication and methods do not save
• We must pray for the Holy Spirit to give understanding

People who do the works of the devil

• John 8:41-44
• Satan has been there from the beginning
• His children are all liars
• Consider the example of politicians
• Consider the deceptions
• We as God's people need to speak the truth in love
• They want to do the works of the devil (v44)
• The 'doctrine' of incapacity is fallacious!

Concluding Remarks

• The children of God are those who are receive His word and been transformed by His truth
• The children of the devil are those who have rejected His word, haven't continued in His word and do the works of the devil
• It is only the grace of God that saves us