John 8:31–47

³¹So Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you live by what I say, you are truly my disciples. ³²You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

³³They replied to Jesus, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and we’ve never been anyone’s slaves. So how can you say that we will be set free?” 

³⁴Jesus answered them, “I can guarantee this truth: Whoever lives a sinful life is a slave to sin. ³⁵A slave doesn’t live in the home forever, but a son does. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free. ³⁷I know that you’re Abraham’s descendants. However, you want to kill me because you don’t like what I’m saying. ³⁸What I’m saying is what I have seen in my Father’s presence. But you do what you’ve heard from your father.” 

³⁹The Jews replied to Jesus, “Abraham is our father.” 

Jesus told them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰I am a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. But now you want to kill me. Abraham wouldn’t have done that. ⁴¹You’re doing what your father does.” 

The Jews said to Jesus, “We’re not illegitimate children. God is our only Father.” 

⁴²Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me. After all, I’m here, and I came from God. I didn’t come on my own. Instead, God sent me. ⁴³Why don’t you understand the language I use? Is it because you can’t understand the words I use? ⁴⁴You come from your father, the devil, and you desire to do what your father wants you to do. The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful. He doesn’t know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he’s doing what comes naturally to him. He’s a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵So you don’t believe me because I tell the truth. ⁴⁶Can any of you convict me of committing a sin? If I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷The person who belongs to God understands what God says. You don’t understand because you don’t belong to God.”