33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38  I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father." 39 "Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the things your own father does."  "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.

Mother Teresa said, "By blood and origin I am all Albanian. My citizenship is Indian. I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the whole world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to Jesus." That illustrates what Jesus is saying about being a true descendant.    

The Jews defended themselves by stating they were descendants of Abraham, not slaves. They believed they were sons of God because they were born of the right nationality. So, they asked Jesus, "How can you say that we shall be set free?"  

Jesus told them they were slaves to sin.  A slave has no rights in the household of its master, but a son has full rights in the household. They will have no rights to God's inheritance because they are slaves. Jesus however is the Son of God. He has the power and the right to free them from that slavery.  No one but the Father and the Son have that right. Since Jesus would pay the price for their ownership on the cross, He could be the one to set them free.

Was it any wonder that Jesus was not well received, when He accused them of sin? Jesus made a careful distinction between "Abraham's seed"/physical descendants and "Abraham's children" as spiritual descendants by personal faith (see Gal. 3:6-14).  If they really were spiritual descendants of Abraham they would have the same spiritual desire as Abraham did.        

Jesus told the people that they wouldn't act the way they did, if they really were truly children of God. They would want to have God's will first in their lives. That is how Abraham was counted as righteous. It was his faith, his heart, his obedience, his love that was the character of a righteous man.

 This is true for us as well.

Application:  Daily ask God to show you how to live out your faither.

Prayer:   Father God, You are a gracious Father.  Thank You for redeeming us from the power of sin in our lives and freeing us to live free in Jesus, our redeemer, savior and friend.