John 8:31-59 KJV 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. 37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 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. 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. 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. 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. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 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. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 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. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 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: 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. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 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.

The bondage of who gave one birth or one's ancestory lines is not an issue with God. There is a day coming when the personal background will no longer matter as far as who was your ancestors. Today it seems many want to know their history and how they came to be where they are. Jewish culture is no different in regards to desiring to know one ancestory or family origin and in the Jewish tribe what tribe you came from can be important. The fact that family lines and migration can be traced over a thousand years is a miracle to me. The fact is there is a record that is older then dirt still in existence today. Yet in truth if man traces his recordes all the way back to Adam or at the most Noah, you would be able to trace your records to the first three tribes of human origin that went in different direction after the flood, which then can be traced to Adam. Yet in truth would we really need to trace back that far. Only way geneology helps a person to know is for basic health information that may speak the origin of a health issue. Now beyond health does the truth of your history help you in regards of your faith the answer is no it does not. When one accepts Christ as Lord and Savior it matters not the origins of original belief of a person. Personal faith is different or may be the same ancestory beliefs. Yet these things does not make you cast out of the kingdom of heaven you are now part of the family of God. Some of the Jews believe the promise of future generations of Abraham was saved based on the fact they were children of Abraham. Some could not handle the truth that they were a child of sin then children of Abraham, because of the context they believed that because they were of this one group their sin were not counted against them. In fact it further from the truth. This is why the unbelievers would not hear the truth of what Jesus was implying or saying concerning sin and faith. The idea that blood is thicker then water means simply that if you are related then your more likely to be defended by family, yet it is not always true. Your true family is those that defend you because you were telling the truth, which might be family. In some culture the blood thicker then water idea means that if you side with family you too could be just in as much trouble as the original lawbreaker. Yet in a good bar fight blood being thicker then water might have its advantages. Also with the law blood is thicker then water might mean that when you get home, you might be in another fight with family, because of your actions. The war not ending because the first war was not of your tribe, but the second one is. See you will pay the price if you are in the wrong either way. Some feel better to die or be bruised at the hands of family is better then a total strangers. Simple the truth is one's own sin causes death, but salvation comes by Jesus our Lord. Now kin lines or family origins can not save a person only Jesus can. Abraham being the father of the Jewish people could not save his own family beyond sharing who he knew God was and is. To share and testify who God is does not make anyone other then yourself a believer. However to believe in God as Abraham did will make you a believer, and your obedience to God will be a part of your faith. Abraham not only believed but he even obeyed God. We all are a child of sin until the day of salvation. This type of speech would anger the Jewish people. There faith system being built upon a man and not on God. What then is our faith in Jesus dead if we sin. No our faith is based first on belief unto salvation and our works only testify of who child we are. A child of God or a child of sin, A child of God or a child of the devil. Jesus called the unbelieving jews sons of devils, because they did not practice the faith of Abraham in belief in and obedience to God. One goes to work and does the work the boss says to do, but leaves work not to re enter or use the place they work when off duty is not subjection to their work beyond work time. If one enters a church and is only subject to church during the time of service and when gone lives like the devil, he is a devil that goes to church. Yet if application of faith being greater then just regular church attendance what is learned in church is used outside and around the church. These non believers were using their ancestory as their saving grace and not there faith. They probably even went to the temple only and paid their tithe, and even helped with a few people only to go out and live however they desired. The question is who is Jesus? The non believers believe Jesus to be a devil, to be child of the Samaritans and pure Jew, and they did not even believe Jesus spoke truth. The verse that said Jesus was Samaritan is speaking about a tribe of people that were mixed of Jewish and foreign bloodlines. They were stating Jesus was of two families, one of earth and one of the devil. The non believers took Jesus saying to the point of only half hearing. They could not see Jesus was the Son of God. There is point can you see Jesus as the Son of God by His works. Jesus was healer, and teacher. Is this enough evidence to convince Jesus is at least a Son of God? It not about blood lines or even origins at this point, the crowd could not see his actions were of God. They were so convinced that what Jesus taught was not of God. See Jesus often spoke of spiritual things for example that Abraham and Moses were in heaven, yet how could this be so if they died. Let us back up and look at two characters that never tasted death. Enoch who walked with God in Genesis 5 was translated to heaven and Elisha who went up in a flaming chariot to God before Elijah own eyes. The perfection of a person based on testimony of a person not dying and going upward to heaven. There would be those that would testify of the resurrection yet still die in their sin. How can we die in our sin, and still be saved. Still pay the human price of sin as far as dying, but still live for eternity with God. If the sacrifice for sin was a lamb why was sin not paid for and eternal life just given to the believer before the human death even occured? Christ was said to have ascended into hell, and to set the captives free. We know that people came out of the tombs on the day of his death on the cross. The holy men of old walked into Jerusalem. We know he also ascended to His Father in heaven before the final ascension. He told Mary not to touch Him at the tomb because he had not ascended to his Father. One more verse to be absent from the body is to present with the Lord. If we be dead in our bodies, we are then taken to heaven spiritually. Our earthly bodies having no value at this point so we leave it behind to go to God our Father or the devil depending on whether or not you receive Christ as Lord and Savior, and yet we all stand in the presents of God to be finally judged. Do we march into heaven gates only to be cast out. The parable of the one man not belonging at the banquet feast is cast out. Does the believer face death only before the eyes of the human witness, and not the eyes of our Lord. For our Spirit lives with Him, when our body needs our not our spirit no more. Our bodies being only shell of our spirit. And though our inperfection are human origins, Jesus walked in perfection without yield to temptation because of who he was. He gives us His Spirit to help us overcome temptation, but our own spirit is not God's Spirit. God's Spirit wines and dines with our spirit upon salvation, teaching us to be more like him. There are things our human body goes through that may take us from having the appearance of faith. There is heart break so strong that will take our action from being godly. There are things of this world that will cause our human action to react stronger then our spiritual ones. If we say we are not trusting God enough when this occurs, I will speak to you about the human shock factor. When time has passed for the shock factor to leave that human emotion that cause sin, will leave. Why because it is our cry at a deep wound that beyond our own comprehension that causes the emotion. No Christian lives in perfection of Christ and it is okay, but our strive and goals need to be Christlike to be His child, it not just belief but our actions. Did not Ezekiel see both the city of devils and the city of God in visions. Did He not envision God's throne room from both a chiefly state to an creation state of mind. Let us not fall into not accepting Christ at the minimum as the Son of God because of his teachings and works, but let us deal with why we are not child of God in the same way Christ is. Jesus went in perfection to the cross saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do and his body was racked in pain. Human suffering can take the believer to place of remorse and repentance for actions, but it does not change who he belongs too. A child of God is always a child even in our imperfection for we are cover by cleansing power of the blood of Jesus upon belief. Jesus is at the minimum the Son of God and is at the maxium the same and equal to God the Father for He is the same as God the Father. Dear Heavenly Father Help us to understand the equality that you have with your Son Jesus. Teach us the truth of your word today. In Jesus precious name, Amen. Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: 1John 5:7 KJV 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. http://www.turtle30cshell.com