John 8:37-47 “Having a Spiritual Father”

Introduction: Jesus had told Nicodemus that he must be born again. Jesus said that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Every human being has both a fleshly, physical, earthly father and a spiritual father. Every human being belongs to both an earthly family and a spiritual family. There is a doctrine call the “Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man.” This doctrine teaches that all men have God as their father and that all men are children of God and thus brothers one to another. This doctrine is not correct in its teaching. All men are descendants of Adam physically and thus are brothers in the flesh but Spiritually those who are saved are spiritually in the family of God. Those who are lost, as we shall see in this text, are spiritually in the family of the Devil.

I. Separating the physical from the Spiritual.

(John 8:37) I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

II. The evidence that there are two father’s spiritually.

(John 8:38) I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

(John 8:39) 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.

(John 8:40) 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.

III. Lying about who your father is.

(John 8:41) Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God.

(John 8:42) 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.

IV. Inheriting spiritual deafness.

(John 8:43) Why do ye not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my word.

V. Imitating your spiritual father.

(John 8:44) 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.

(John 8:45) And because I tell [you] the truth, ye believe me not.

VI. God’s word is the conclusive DNA evidence that proves whose child you are.

(John 8:46) Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

(John 8:47) He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear [them] not, because ye are not of God.