The Lie of Hopeless Fate

Scripture: “We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered Him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will become free’?” John 8:33

Observation: In the midst of this long debate with the Jews about Jesus' claim as the Messiah is this direct message from the Pharisees. They claim Abraham as their patriarch, but then say they have never been enslaved. This is most perplexing because ... the Jews' national history is defined as beginning in slavery, two other times they were taken as an enslaved people, and at that very moment they are under the occupying command of the Roman empire.

For the Jews to claim they have always and are already "free" is nonsensical. However, this also reinforces one reason they are rejecting Jesus, which is that they do not see a need for God to provide the Messiah. If they have never been slaves, then they did not really need God to help them out of Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon. And they don't need him now to help with the Romans. Or more to the point ... they need God to physically help them out of those situations, but reject the idea they need God's spiritual correction and teaching to help them with eternal salvation.

Application: If a person does not need salvation, they don't need Jesus. This is the first lie of Satan ... "surely you will not die." It is a lie that says there is no future option ... either you are going to die, or you are going to live forever, but there is no future decision point that will influence that outcome. Believing that first lie takes the possibility of judgment for sins and eternal life in heaven off the table, without which there is no need to someday stand before God and wish for a savior who, by your faith, has washed away your sin.

I know people - and meet people - with this lie in their hearts. They are not sure what happens when they die, but they are not holding any belief of a future fork in the road. They will either terminate to exist, or transcend into some other form of reality, and the path is the same for all. This idea removes room for hope. This is sad.

I hope, I know, I trust, I even fear, and therefore I need.

Prayer: Jesus, you are my savior and my lord. Please show me this day your right way. May I obey you because I know who you are, acknowledge your authority, and trust in your love. Amen.