Based on John 8:31-59 (New King James Version)
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. ‘I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.’ They answered and said to Him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.’ Then they said to Him, ‘We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.’ Then the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’ Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
We read in this passage that it begins to talk about some Jews (that is, the religious people who were Hebrews) who believed in the Lord, and that after the Lord and they spoke, they ended up trying to stone the Lord. And if the Lord had not hidden Himself and left the temple, they would have killed Him. How do you explain this extreme change in a group of people, from believing to wanting to kill the Lord? When we seek the explanation through the Word, we can come to understand that it is not so difficult for there to be such a sudden transition, so to speak.
One of the passages that help clarify this issue is found in the book of James, where it says this: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:19-20. What can we see here? The demons also believe, and even tremble, and that it is a sign of fear. Now, does that mean that because the demons believe and even tremble that they can be saved? Of course not. James clarifies that faith must go far beyond mere belief, but that for a faith to be valid for salvation, there must be a product, there must be works or actions that demonstrate such faith that is acceptable before God for salvation. This is also what the Lord said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. So, this passage defines what works one must accomplish to attain salvation: doing the will of the Father. That is the product that faith must have: obeying God. And this is obviously not what demons do, nor what these Jews who believed in the Lord do either. Because of course it should be clear, and just as the Lord said: ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?’ Obeying God consists of abiding in His Word. That is why the Word of God should not become something intellectual or for knowledge only. If we do not live out the Word of God, doing as God's counsel guides us, then we will never do the Father's will, and there is no salvation for those who do not choose to do the Father's will, because again: “…faith without works is dead.”
So, what must happen in a person's life for their faith to be genuine? This is what the Word says precisely what happened to the vast majority of people during His coming to this world: “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:10-12. The world did not know Him, nor did the religious people receive Him. These Jews we read about believed in Him, but they simply did not receive Him, they never accepted Him as the Messiah, as the Only Begotten Son of God. Receiving the Lord consists of complete repentance and conversion from all sins (the great purpose of John the Baptist's ministry was the baptism of repentance), and of course, not only just believing, but receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord in our heart, surrendering the deepest part of our being. True faith begins with this and continues through obedience and doing His will. Those who receive Christ are those that are given the right to become children of God. These Jews who believed, but never received Him, never abandoned their true position, being slaves and children of the devil. That's the truth. And if a person does not receive the Lord as Lord, they are not leaving the darkness behind. And by persisting in that feeling and state, they will even come to hate God at a given moment, because of the dominance that sin continues to have over them. They will never come to the Lord.
What is ultimately the proof of true faith? This is what the Word says: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” Romans 8:8-9. If you do not live and even die for the Lord, if necessary, you are not doing the will of the Father. And as such, you will not gain entry into His kingdom no matter how much you say: “Lord, Lord.” So, do you believe only in Christ, or have you received Him as the Lord of your life to live and even die for Him? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!