Greetings!
Thank you for joining us in prayer and reflection during this season of Lent. We will travel through daily scripture, reflection and prayer. Additional people have been joining us each day. Please feel free to forward these reflections to others. We invite you to explore the other resources for the season found at the bottom of the page as we continue the journey together. Christian Formation Commission |
Scripture
They answered him, 'We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, "You will be made free"?'
Jesus answered them, 'Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word. I declare what I have seen in the Father's presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.'
They answered him, 'Abraham is our father.' Jesus said to them, 'If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing* what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are indeed doing what your father does.' They said to him, 'We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.' Jesus said to them, 'If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in 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? Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.'
John 8:33-47
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Candidly, if we speak the truth when we know the truth, we also know that if we sin against God we are slaves to that or those who were so enticing. No matter what the excuse is sin is still sin. And when it is against the will of God it has consequences.
The question lingers is it hard to choose your father over God when you know he has sinned? The answer may be easy when you're not asked to stop loving your father. When you are told to just understand that what your father is asking you to do is against God which has consequences and you choose your Father, you have sinned.
When you are presented with examples of how you are blessed when you abide by the word of God, you have to understand that the effect of choosing to sin against the word of God even for your Father may present everlasting consequences.
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Prayer
God, give me the strength to know that your word is all encompassing. To not be afraid to choose you over relationships
and the will of those who question you.
Allow me to always recognize and
remember what the right decision looks and feels like, especially when they are made in your name. Amen.
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