LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Contradictions bother me. A simple example would be to declare a belief in airplanes but always travel by bus. Other examples are much more serious. It is a contradiction to believe that human life bears the image of God and then support the killing of that life in the womb. It is a contradiction to believe in freedom and then support political positions that undermine the very constitution that provides for freedom and protects it. It is a contradiction to believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and then pursue the desires of the flesh as a necessary means of personal fulfillment.  

Now, as upset as some of you may be right now, think of how upset the Jewish people in Jesus’ day were when He told them that their belief system was a contradiction to truth.

As I read John chapter eight I see Jesus pointing out the contradictions of people’s belief system. Jesus addresses the contradiction of claiming belief in Him and not being free from sin. In verse 30, we are told that many believed in Him. Verse 31 says that Jesus spoke to those who had believed Him. Do you see the distinction between believing “IN” Him and believing Him? Jesus tells us the difference. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The people argue with Jesus. They declare their freedom based on being descendants of Abraham. Jesus points out the contradiction of their belief system in this critical statement.

John 8:34-38   “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.”

Please break this down carefully. Jesus is revealing serious contradictions in our hearts.

• Our religious heritage means nothing if it is contradicted by a heart that pursues sin.
• Our pursuit of sin identifies us as slaves to sin, contradicting our self-assessment that we are free.
• Our belief that we are children of God and belong to His household is contradicted by our lack of application of God’s word to our lives.
• Our confidence in our spiritual position is contradicted by our continual choices to sin.
• Our claim to be children of the heavenly Father is contradicted by our choice to obey Satan as our father.

Only the True Son of God can set you free to become a true child of God. Jesus declared that He is true. Jesus declared that the Father who sent Him is true. Jesus declared that everything He told us is true. In Jesus there is no contradiction. That’s called holiness, and for us it comes from reading, absorbing abiding in, and obeying the words of Jesus.

Spend today looking for contradictions in your life. Bring them all into the light of God’s Word. Pursue holiness.

Pastor John