John 8:42

Having prior staked the claim that God was their Abba Father; Jesus now sets the record straight for these Pharisees: no man is really a child of God who does not love Jesus Christ. The basic Truth stands firm: the reality of sonship to God - entailing all of its blessings and privileges and high standings – belongs solely to the one who loves the Lord Jesus with sincerity. This brings up a good question for us to ponder as well – do we love the Lord Jesus with sincerity of heart? He is the embodiment of God providing a way for all people who desire to come to the Father – He is our only access. Jesus tells us:

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." John 14:6-7 (NIV)
44 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. John 12:44-46 (NIV)

The writer of Hebrews states the following broadening our knowledge regarding the One bringing us life:

3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Heb 1:3 (NIV)

While these Pharisees were perhaps children by nationality and covenant they certainly missed the mark regarding grace and spiritual birth. There is nothing more common in any era than the vague talk regarding the universal Fatherhood of God – meaning God is everyone’s Father no matter what is believed or practiced. While this certainly sounds palatable and carries wide appeal, Jesus makes it clear that this is simply not true. In clarion terms Jesus tells us if God is really our Father then we will love His Son – love to Christ being the infallible mark of all true children of God. Where there is no love of Jesus, there is no sonship to the Father – Jesus being the One and Only sent straight from the Father full of grace and truth:

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NIV)

There are many passages in Scripture attesting to this Truth. John tells us:

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 1 John 5:1 (NIV)

22 Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2:22-23 (NIV)

2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 1 John 4:2 (NIV)

23 He who hates me hates my Father as well. John 15:23 (NIV)

Next Jesus tells His hearers that He was sent from God on a mission – He did not come on His own whims rather His pursuit was backed with poise and purpose. God had sent Him and He was ever about His Father’s business.

17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." John 5:17 (NIV)

Another good question for us to consider: are we, like our Savior, living our lives with purpose and passion? As believers, we are not left here to simply be entertained. God has rich, purposeful and meaningful plans for our lives that we are the ultimate losers if we miss – and believe me, we can miss them through our own poor choices. Distractions, tyranny’s of the urgent over the important, feeding and fueling our fleshly appetites, entertaining ourselves to exhaustion all signs in our day of wasting our lives. As believers, we do well to keep the proper perspective that earth is not our ultimate home, heaven is. This was how the great men and women of faith kept proper perspective stated in chapter 11 of Hebrews:

9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Heb 11:9-10 (NIV)

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Heb 11:13-16 (NIV)