Getting the Labels Straight

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:34-36)

As I read through the last part of this chapter I feel challenged to graphically position these statements in such as way as to make them more clear to my dull mind. I sense that the main issue here besides real belief is the issue of identity. Jesus, in the face of stubborn unbelief and constant contradictions, is trying to convey some vital truths about salvation. Unless we come to rightly understand our true condition and the real truth about Jesus and the God He came to reveal to us, we also will be unable to come into right relation to God or experience saving belief.

I took primarily the statements of Jesus here and sorted them according to who they applied to. As I did so I felt this arrangement was already helping to clarify some connections in my mind and is helping me to better grasp some of the implications that Jesus is trying to convey to me personally here.

I am the Light of the world		he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life
Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true	"You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true."
I know where I came from and where I am going	you do not know where I come from or where I am going
I am not judging anyone. But even if I do judge, My judgment is true	You judge according to the flesh
I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me		Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true
I AM [He] who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me	“Where is Your Father?” You know neither Me nor My Father	if you knew Me, you would know My Father also
I go away, where I am going, you cannot come	you will seek Me, and will die in your sin
I am from above	You are from below
I am not of this world	you are of this world
	you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins	if anyone keeps My word he will never see death
What have I been saying to you from the beginning? ...know that I AM	“Who are You?” When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM	When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM
I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world. I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me	They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father	As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him
He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone	you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you	Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine
I always do the things that are pleasing to Him	everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin	you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free
I know that you are Abraham's descendants	We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?	Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad
the Son does remain forever	The slave does not remain in the house forever
the Son makes you free		if the Son makes you free you will be free indeed
I speak the things which I have seen with My Father	you also do the things which you heard from your father – You are doing the deeds of your father
	“Abraham is our father.”	If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham
a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God	as it is, you are seeking to kill Me – this Abraham did not do
I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me	“We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.”	If God were your Father, you would love Me
	Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word
	You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father
	He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies
Which one of you convicts Me of sin?
Because I speak the truth	you do not believe Me
If I speak truth	why do you not believe Me?
I proceeded forth and have come from God	for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God	He who is of God hears the words of God
I do not have a demon	“You are a Samaritan and have a demon.”
I honor My Father	you dishonor Me
before Abraham was born, I AM	The Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon. Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, and the prophets also"
I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God'	whom do You make Yourself out to be?
I know Him	You have not come to know Him
if I say that I do not know Him	I will be a liar like you
I do know Him and keep His word		if anyone keeps My word he will never see death