John 8:55

“When all is said and done,” Jesus says, “I know my Father. You, on the other hand, have never known him. So, even if I were to say, ‘I do not know the very God you claim to know,’ I would be the one who would be lying, which is what you do when you say you actually know him. But, you know? I, in fact, do know Him and I am faithful to his word.”  John 8:55 EFP 

This is quite a statement by Jesus. He repeats both his and their claim about God, in the positive and in the negative. How else can he make clear to them how far they have wandered from the truth about God? The greatest evidence of their lack of connection with God is the way they live their lives. Their lives reflect the very characteristics that God abhors—hypocrisy, legalism, a lack of compassion, an abundance of pride, and self-righteousness. 

How can I avoid falling into this level of self-deception? I cannot imagine these religious leaders set out to become so self-deluded and devoid of any genuine spirituality. Regardless, they make claims about a connection with God that, according to Jesus, they never had. I wonder what leads a person through the process of spiritual degeneration. One day you wake up and your spiritual life is nothing more than a sham, a cheap moral veneer intended to give the illusion of value and acceptability. Show over substance. Form over fiber. It is spiritual decay that ultimately leads to spiritual doom and death.

I want my life to truly be one that is the result of knowing my spiritual heritage and lineage in Christ. But also I want to know my heavenly Father, personally and intimately. More and more of Him…daily.