“And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” John 8:45-47
Because of their own religious views, Jesus’ hearers were unwilling to believe the truth He, the Son of God in human flesh, told them. Their erring beliefs got in the way of their acceptance of the truth revealed by God in His Word and explained to them by Jesus, the very Son of God.
Because they failed to see the perfect righteousness demanded by God and did not recognize their own sinfulness and shortcomings, they failed to recognize their need for the sinless Son of God to come into this world as a man to be their Messiah and Savior and redeem them from all their sins and make them acceptable to God by faith in Him and His atoning sacrifice.
The same is true today. People reject the Bible’s clear and straightforward teaching because it reveals their own imperfections and sins and shows their need for Jesus, the sinless Son of God who came into this world as a man to atone for their sins. They reject the simple truth taught by Scripture that faith in Jesus Christ and His cross is the only way to be counted righteous and acceptable in God’s eyes.
Another example is people’s attempts to make Jesus and the Bible’s teaching fit into the mold of their personal beliefs or that of a particular church or denomination. When Jesus teaches the truth, they do not believe it, or they twist it to say something Jesus never said or taught.
Which one of us can find fault in Jesus or accuse Him of sin or false teaching? No one! He is the sinless Son of God, and His words and teachings perfectly reflect the truth revealed by God in His Word!
So, why are we, at times, unwilling to accept and believe the truth Jesus taught, that which is plainly revealed to us in the Bible? Jesus’ answer? “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”
We let our own views and opinions get in the way. We fail to see our utter sinfulness and corruption, and we fail to see that Jesus is the sinless Son of God who came into this world to redeem us from our sins and make known to us the way of salvation — through repentance and faith in Jesus’ name!
Those who refuse to repent of their sinful ways and look in faith to Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for pardon and forgiveness are not of God. They do not hear and believe the truth, whether it be the words spoken by Jesus or that which God revealed in the writings of the apostles and prophets.
But those who, by the working of God’s Spirit, hear and believe God’s Word and accept Jesus’ words as true see and acknowledge their own utter sinfulness, and they look to Jesus and His cross for mercy, forgiveness, and life everlasting.
God grant that I hear and believe Jesus’ words and place my faith in Him and His cross for life everlasting. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]