D
Delivery
Guest
The basic premise of op is correct, but you mentioned in your OP that the verse you're basing your assertion that I am of the devil on is John 4:44. But I think you probably meant John 8:44;
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.
Here Jesus was talking to the scribes and Pharisees who rejected Jesus and, therefore, were of their father, the devil. But, of course, it doesn't apply to those who received Jesus. But I can see where you're coming from. Everybody is born in sin, as the following verses tell us:
3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
We're all sinners and fall short of the glory of God, and that's why, as you said, we need Jesus. So I agree with you that we all are children of the devil until such a time as we decide to believe in Jesus.
But we become Children of God by receiving Jesus.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
You're right, we're all walking dead people because of our sins.
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
So Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the forbidden tree and they immediately died. And all men have been born dead ever since.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5)
We're all made sinners and are dead because of Adam and eve's transgression in the Garden of Eden. But once we receive Jesus we are automatically translated from death unto Life, because Jesus is the Life.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (john 5)
So once we receive Jesus we are no longer children of the devil, and we are no longer dead because of sin. Now we are children of God and we have eternal life. We will never die.
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
What else happens when we receive Jesus? Our whole body becomes full of light without a single tiny speck of darkness in it. Jesus is the light of the world.
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8)
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (IJohn 1)
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Mathew 6)
Your eye is single and you are 100% full of light, because you have Jesus. What you do or how you wish to live your life is irrelevant. The only thing that makes your eye single and your whole body full fo light is the fact that you have revived Jesus. And all those who don't have Jesus are 100% walking in darkness.
So what else happens when we get saved. We immediately change from being a liar into an honest person.
2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;
Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
You are of the Truth, not because you tell the truth, but because you believe in Jesus. No other reason. All men are liars just like all men are sinners. but when you become born again you cannot sin any more and you are no longer a liar, but an honest person. These are the things that automatically happen to you when you receive Jesus. Your flesh and the things you do or say every day have nothing to do with it. It is immediate, automatic, and forever.
The reason we can't sin is because we are born of God, and, therefore, Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness and all our sins. We've washed our robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:
3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
(You have done righteousness by receiving Jesus. Therefore you are righteous just like He is)
3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness(Does not believe in Jesus) is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.(IJohn)
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.
Here Jesus was talking to the scribes and Pharisees who rejected Jesus and, therefore, were of their father, the devil. But, of course, it doesn't apply to those who received Jesus. But I can see where you're coming from. Everybody is born in sin, as the following verses tell us:
3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
We're all sinners and fall short of the glory of God, and that's why, as you said, we need Jesus. So I agree with you that we all are children of the devil until such a time as we decide to believe in Jesus.
But we become Children of God by receiving Jesus.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
You're right, we're all walking dead people because of our sins.
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
So Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the forbidden tree and they immediately died. And all men have been born dead ever since.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5)
We're all made sinners and are dead because of Adam and eve's transgression in the Garden of Eden. But once we receive Jesus we are automatically translated from death unto Life, because Jesus is the Life.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (john 5)
So once we receive Jesus we are no longer children of the devil, and we are no longer dead because of sin. Now we are children of God and we have eternal life. We will never die.
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
What else happens when we receive Jesus? Our whole body becomes full of light without a single tiny speck of darkness in it. Jesus is the light of the world.
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8)
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (IJohn 1)
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Mathew 6)
Your eye is single and you are 100% full of light, because you have Jesus. What you do or how you wish to live your life is irrelevant. The only thing that makes your eye single and your whole body full fo light is the fact that you have revived Jesus. And all those who don't have Jesus are 100% walking in darkness.
So what else happens when we get saved. We immediately change from being a liar into an honest person.
2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;
Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
You are of the Truth, not because you tell the truth, but because you believe in Jesus. No other reason. All men are liars just like all men are sinners. but when you become born again you cannot sin any more and you are no longer a liar, but an honest person. These are the things that automatically happen to you when you receive Jesus. Your flesh and the things you do or say every day have nothing to do with it. It is immediate, automatic, and forever.
The reason we can't sin is because we are born of God, and, therefore, Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness and all our sins. We've washed our robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:
3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
(You have done righteousness by receiving Jesus. Therefore you are righteous just like He is)
3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness(Does not believe in Jesus) is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.(IJohn)
