Tag: the truth will set you free

Friday Morning: 01 Feb 2019 – John 8:31-47 ~ Why can’t you understand what I am saying?

Friday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
__________

Morning Reading – John 8:31-47 (NLT)

Jesus and Abraham

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.”

“Our father is Abraham!” they declared.

“No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. No, you are imitating your real father.”

They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.”

Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”
__________

Morning Reflection:

Why can’t you understand what I am saying?
It’s because you can’t even hear me!
For you are the children of your father the devil,
and you love to do the evil things he does. – John 8:43-44

Only the children of God can understand what Jesus is saying – those who believe in him, and remain faithful to [Jesus’] teachings…. They will know the truth, and the truth will set [them] free.

But freedom from what? The bondage to sin and death, the bondage to false religion, the bondage to false prophets, the bondage to false ideologies, the bondage to their father the devil.

What does this bondage look like? Jesus gives us some signs to watch out for –

+ Relying on religion, instead of a relationship with Jesus to make them right with God.

+ Following the evil desires of their sinful nature, instead of the desires of a new nature formed by God’s Word and Spirit.

+ Following the deceitful teachings of this world, instead of the truthful teachings of Jesus who is not of this world.

+ Attacking anyone or anything that exposes their sin, instead of repenting and seeking forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

To whom do you belong? Unless you are born again, of water and the Spirit, you are in bondage to your father the devil.

Questions for consideration:

  • Have you been born again? Do you belong to God? Please explain what that means to you. Not sure? Click here.
  • How has the “father of lies” influenced your life? How has the truth of God set you free? Please explain.
  • What steps can you take to increase your understanding and faithfulness to the teachings of Jesus?

__________

Morning Prayer:  Renewal of Baptismal vows (Anglican Church in North America)
[Please respond as God’s Word and Spirit leads you.]

  • Do you, here in the presence of God and the Church, renew the solemn promises and vows made at your Baptism and commit yourself to keep them?
  • Do you renounce the Devil and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?
  • Do you renounce the empty promises and deadly deceits of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?
  • Do you renounce the sinful desires of the flesh that draw you from the love of God?
  • Do you turn to Jesus Christ and confess him as your Lord and Savior?
  • Do you joyfully receive the Christian Faith, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments?
  • Will you obediently keep God’s holy will and commandments, and walk in them all the days of your life?

Almighty God: I do and I will, with your help. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
__________

“Born Again” – Austin French

__________

Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

24 Days of Prayer for America – the triumph of truth

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”    – John 8:31-32 (NLT)
__________

“Never before have I seen such a sharp rift in the moral and spiritual fabric of our country. America the beautiful is under assault by rocks of terrorism, by dirty birds that feed on immorality, and by political correctness that tangles like briars, choking the very life out of a nation that once proclaimed ‘In God we trust.’”

– Franklin Graham (Rocks, Dirty Birds, and Briars)

Prayer: The Triumph of Truth

truth-will-set-you-free-america

Merciful God: You alone have the power to spiritually transform America from a godless nation into godly nation. You alone offer freedom to all who humble themselves before You in repentance and prayer. In this spirit, I ask You to heal our broken land – politically, morally and spiritually. Intervene in this presidential election cycle that truth may triumph over lies to Your glory and honor.

+ Lord, embolden Your people to be sowers of the Gospel of truth even in this season of lies and deceit.
+ Lord, give us the discernment to distinguish between truth and lies and to speak and act accordingly.
+ Lord, shield us from evil rock throwers of accusation and the deceitful messaging that dominates the media.
+ Lord, protect us from evil thieves and predators who would steal our country’s heritage and leave us wounded and dying in sin.
+ Lord, deliver us from temptation and painful entanglements that drain our energy and leave us useless.

Gracious God: Draw us back to the truth of Your Word and enable us by Your Spirit to clarify eternal fact from contemporary fiction. Produce in us truthfulness, holiness and obedience that truth may triumph over lies to Your glory and honor.

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit – one God forever. Amen.

Morning Prayer, 18 Feb – John 8:31-38 ~ freedom

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences – Brendan the Navigator (c. 486-575)

Christ of the mysteries, can I trust You to be stronger than each storm in me? Do I still yearn for Your glory to lighten on me?

I will show others the care You’ve given me. I determine amidst all uncertainty always to trust.

Morning readings

John 8:31-38 ESV:

paid in full

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

Reflections:

trust

Jesus tests his disciples by giving them further revelation that stretches them and requires them to put their trust in him, rather than in their understanding of all he is saying and doing. They need to understand him well enough to recognize that he is from God, but the very fact that he is from God means he is going to speak and act in ways that are not in keeping with this world.

truth

To know Jesus is to be liberated from all error and evil, for it is to know God himself, who is truth and purity and life. In Jesus’ teaching and in the teaching of Judaism obedience to God is true freedom. This truth is quite different from the thinking of most people today, for it takes God, rather than our own personal feelings and ambitions, as the one good. The freedom in view is not a freedom to do whatever we wish according to the dictates of our own fallen selves, but a freedom from our fallen selves and the power and guidance to act in accordance with God himself, the source of all goodness and life.

freedom

Jesus is speaking of inner spiritual freedom – freedom from sin, and sin, at its heart, is an alienation from God. This alienation is caused by sin in the sense of both error and evil. The antidote, faith, corresponds to both of these aspects since it is the appropriation of knowledge of God (which replaces the error) and of forgiveness for our rebellion against God (which overcomes the evil). Jesus is offering a restored relationship of intimacy with God, which brings life in place of death.

union

The freedom Jesus is offering is union with the Father, the source of all true life. The way to receive this life, with its freedom from sin’s alienation and death, is to remain in his teaching. This involves an actual remaining in the Son himself, which includes remaining in his commands. In order to receive the power to become children of God we must receive the Son of God and share in the Son’s own relationship with the Father.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

__________

__________

Canticle:

Christ, as a light… illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield… overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

_____________________________________

Peanut Gallery: A brief word of explanation – the general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) The Scripture readings are primarily from the Gospel of John, with the intent to complete the reading by Easter. Other Scriptures which illuminate the Gospel of John will be included along the way.

Reflections from various saints will be included as their memorial days occur during the calendar year.

On Sundays, I’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world.

Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.