What is the meaning of John 8:44? You belong to your father, the devil • Jesus is speaking to people who prided themselves on being Abraham’s descendants, yet He looks past genealogy to spiritual paternity (see John 1:12; 1 John 3:10). • Scripture presents only two families: those born of God and those still under the rule of “the ruler of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:1-2). • To “belong” means to live under another’s authority; apart from Christ, we are “slaves to sin” (Romans 6:17). and you want to carry out his desires • Desire reveals allegiance. People who reject Jesus naturally pursue the devil’s ambitions—self-exaltation, rebellion, destruction (Ephesians 2:3; 1 John 3:12). • These cravings oppose the will of God and manifest as hatred, envy, deceit, and violence (Galatians 5:19-21). • Only the Spirit can change those desires (Philippians 2:13). He was a murderer from the beginning • In Eden, Satan’s lie led directly to human death (Genesis 3:4; Romans 5:12). • He moved Cain to slay Abel (1 John 3:12). • Whenever hatred or violence reigns, the devil’s hand is evident (John 10:10). refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him • Satan’s nature is anti-truth; he distorts or suppresses whatever God has spoken (Revelation 12:9). • By contrast, Jesus is “the way and the truth” (John 14:6). • The devil’s refusal shows that truth is not merely information but moral reality; rejecting it is sin (Romans 1:25). When he lies, he speaks his native language • Lying is effortless for him; deceit is his mother tongue (Genesis 3:1; Acts 5:3). • Every temptation contains a falsehood about God’s character or our own identity (2 Corinthians 11:3). • Recognizing the accent of those lies helps believers resist them with Scripture (Matthew 4:4). because he is a liar and the father of lies • “Father” points to origin; all falsehood traces back to him (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). • Persistent deception in the world, the flesh, and false religion confirms his paternity (2 Timothy 2:26). • Only those born of God can break free from this lineage and live by the truth (James 1:18). summary John 8:44 exposes the stark spiritual divide. Everyone is either a child of God through faith in Christ or, by default, under the devil’s parentage—sharing his murderous, lying nature. Satan’s history of death and deceit marks all who follow him, but Christ offers a new birth into God’s family, replacing distorted desires with love for truth and life. |
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