John 8:31–47

³¹So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, ^abyou really are My disciples. ³²You will know the truth, ^cand the truth will set you free.”

³³“We are descendants ^dof Abraham,” ^ethey answered Him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴Jesus responded, “^•I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a ^•slave of sin. ^f35A slave does not remain in the household forever, ^gbut a son does remain forever. ^h36Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. ³⁷I know you are descendants ⁱof Abraham, ^jbut you are trying to kill Me because My word ^kis not welcome among you. ³⁸I speak what I have seen ^lin the presence of the Father; ^mntherefore, you do what you have heard from your father.”

³⁹“Our father is Abraham!” they replied.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did. ^o40But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth ^pthat I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! ⁴¹You’re doing what your father does.” ^q

“We weren’t born ^rof sexual immorality,” ^sthey said. “We have one Father—God.” ^t

⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, ^ubecause I came from God ^vand I am here. For I didn’t come on My own, but He sent Me. ⁴³Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to ^wMy word. ^x44You are of your father the Devil, ^yand you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer ^zfrom the beginning ^aand has not stood in the truth, ^bbecause there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, ^cbecause he is a liar and the father of liars. ^d45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. ⁴⁶Who among you can convict Me of sin? ^eIf I tell the truth, why don’t you believe Me? ⁴⁷The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.”