Rich Lineage, Poor Life

"I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you."  (John 8:37)



You couldn't ask for a better family tree than the one the Jews of Jesus' day could claim. After all, they had Abraham for their ancestral father. Yet, by the time we get to the New Testament, we find they have strayed so far from their heritage that they are now prepared to kill the Son of God. Jesus provided us with the reason for their degenerative state. The Word of God had no place in their hearts and lives.

And there it is: the main reason why second, or even third generation self-proclaimed Christians, who seemingly have everything going for them, find themselves lacking so sadly in "life skills," much less Spiritual aptitude. Notice, Jesus didn't say that His word had second place; He said it had no place. With individuals like these, when any question in life arises, the Bible is the last place they go for the answer. And even when they do, they seldom follow its precepts. There would be ample reason to question the Spiritual condition of anyone who cannot (or will not) find any light in the Word of God. If he or she is truly saved, growth has become so retarded that trying to reason with him or her becomes an exercise in futility. I have seen this scenario played out down through the years.

A "goodly heritage" is a good start—an excellent start, in fact, with the prospect of a good life. But it's not a guarantee. It's what you do with what you have received that determines the outcome. Whether the advantage is seized or squandered.