Go and Sin No More
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“Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet, if I judge, my
judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent
me.” Thus he declared that he was sent of God, to do his work. He
had not consulted with priests nor rulers as to the course he was to
pursue; for his commission was from the highest authority, even the
Creator of the universe. Jesus, in his sacred office, had taught the
people, had relieved suffering, had forgiven sin, and had cleansed the
temple, which was his Father’s house, and driven out its desecraters
from its sacred portals; he had condemned the hypocritical lives of
the Pharisees, and reproved their hidden sins; and in all this he had
acted under the instruction of his Heavenly Father. For this reason
they hated him and sought to kill him. Jesus declared to them: “Ye are
from beneath; I am from above. Ye are of this world; I am not of this
world.”
“When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I
am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught
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me.” “And he that sent me is with me; the Father hath not left me
alone; for I do always those things that please him.” These words were
spoken with thrilling power, and, for the time, closed the lips of the
Pharisees, and caused many of those who listened with attentive minds
to unite with Jesus, believing him to be the Son [of] God. To these
believing ones he said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free.” But to the Pharisees who rejected him, and who hardened
their hearts against him, he declared: “I go my way, and ye shall seek
me, and shall die in your sins; whither I go, ye cannot come.”
But the Pharisees took up his words, addressed to those who be-
lieved, and commented upon them, saying, “We be Abraham’s seed,
and were never in bondage to any man; how sayest thou, Ye shall be
made free?” Jesus looked upon these men,—the slaves of unbelief and
bitter malice, whose thoughts were bent upon revenge,—and answered
them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin, is the
servant of sin.” They were in the worst of bondage, ruled by the spirit
of evil. Jesus declared to them that if they were the true children of
Abraham, and lived in obedience to God, they would not seek to kill
one who was speaking the truth that was given him of God. This was
not doing the works of Abraham, whom they claimed as their father.