John 8:54-58 – “…Before Abraham was, I am.”
54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
If we say that we know God and yet we do not keep His words, then we are liars. We dishonor Him by seeking to exalt and glorify ourselves. We know God if we obey His commandments. His words must be live or they will not be truth at all. Christ must be the center of our religion and not ourselves.
The Jews in Jesus’ time glory that they are the seeds of Abraham. Most of them keep the words of Abraham and yet, they failed to recognize the God whom Abraham worshipped. They failed to see the Great I AM, whom their forefathers had solemnly taught them.
The righteousness of our forefathers cannot, in any way, guarantee our salvation. The faithfulness of our parents or loved ones, even our good works cannot win our way into heaven. It is an individual work that every believer must work out with fear and trembling.
“You are to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, at the same time realizing that it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” – Ellen G. White
Only by accepting through faith the righteousness of Christ can we be saved.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”~Acts 4:12, KJV
Comments