Children Of The Devil — Daily Bible Study

Wednesday, September 25 2002

Children Of The Devil

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; 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 has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But, because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” (John 8:42-47 RSV)

Why Do So Many Of All Nations and All Religions Not “Hear”?

Although many over the past nearly 2,000 years have misused the above verses (and others) as a misguided excuse to persecute Jews (Jesus was a Jew, nearly all of the first Christians were Jews, see Hate Jews?), what Jesus was describing actually applied to all people, then, and ever since. There is a reason that not all have the Ears To Hear – yet: “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the likeness of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4 RSV)

“This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.” (James 3:15 RSV)

“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit. The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:12-16 RSV)

God Allows The Truth To Be Hidden, Except To The Elect, For Now

In the Messiah’s own words, as shocking as it may seem:
 
“Then the disciples came and said to Him,Why do You speak to them in parables?” “And He answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: ‘You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for Me to heal them.'” “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.” (Matthew 13:10-16 RSV)

When Will The Others Be Able To “Hear”?

Those who are alive:

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on My menservants and My maidservants in those days I will pour out My Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and manifest day. And it shall be that whoever calls on the Name of The Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:17-21 RSV)

Those who have died:

“And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am The Lord … And you shall know that I am The Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O My people. And I will put My Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, The Lord, have spoken, and I have done it, says The Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:6,13-14 RSV)

What About Those Who Reject The Truth After They “Hear” It?

Some “hear” sooner (i.e. The Elect, who will be resurrected from the dead, or changed to spirit if alive that day, at the Return of Jesus Christ), while many more will “hear” later, but there is still the matter of, after one “hears,” whenever that is, whether or not one accepts the Truth and repents, or rejects the Truth and continues on their own way 

There are no “second chances” for anyone, ever:

“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.” (2 Peter 2:20-21 RSV)

“For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of The Word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold Him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.” (Hebrews 6:4-8 RSV)

Fact Finder: Is the earth someday going to experience another “flood”?

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