Jesus, God’s Son, coming to earth precipitated the greatest decision any man or woman must make. To accept Him or reject Him? There is no other Way to Heaven!

Both Jesus’ Words (verse 22, things “spoken”) and Jesus’ works (verse 24, things “done”) put mankind “without excuse” in terms of God’s Judgment!

“22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.”

The greatest sin ever committed? Rejecting the Grace of God as offered through Jesus, through the old, rugged Cross, through our Lord’s shed Blood!

Those who had been with Jesus “from the beginning” (verse 27) are of necessity eyewitnesses of our Lord’s Ministry. It is important to believe that the New Testament’s four Gospels are written by men who were indeed on-the-scene eyewitnesses or at least men who had direct access to such eyewitnesses!

Rejecting Jesus … a sin of “unparalleled magnitude!”

Hating God, verse 23?

Yes, Romans 1:30 … “Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, etc.”

Paul gauges sin by the Law of Moses. John gauges sin by one’s acceptance or rejection of Jesus!

I liked this quote: “The Holy Spirit works through the LIVES and the LIPS of Christain men and women!”

Our Text closes with the Holy Spirit aiding us while we are being hated and persecuted! He is the General Who rallies the troops for battle!

The Holy Spirit in Scripture is also called “the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of His Son,” and “the Spirit of Jesus Christ!” (See Romans 8:9, Philippians 1:19, 2 Corinthians 3:17, and Galatians 4:6.)

In Judges 6:34 we are told the Spirit of God “came upon” Gideon! That Hebrew verb is spelled “labash” and means “to put on as clothing!” The Holy Spirit “wore” Gideon (as a garment) and led him to military victory over Israel’s enemies!

Are we that “yielded” to the Spirit? Can He also “wear” us?

Watch the Lesson now …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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