In today's text, we see the tension rise to its peak between Jesus and the Jewish leaders as they discuss matters of core identity for Israel and Jesus. As Jesus contends with the Jewish leaders, he remarks that they are not truly children of Abraham because they do not do the works that Abraham stood for. Their works and the fruit they produce betray their true spiritual lineage of being doers of the will of the devil. In whom do we abide? To whom do we give our allegiance? Whom do we follow? As children of God, our call is to faithful obedience to God, and Jesus shows that he demonstrated this by the way he lived on earth. Although he is the great I AM--the one by which all existence is defined and in which all find meaning--he is solely driven by the Father's will and desires deeply to do his Father's work. Jesus isn't our consultant or advisor to help us accomplish our agenda. He is the redeemer king who demands our allegiance and full surrender. He calls us to a life of change--helping us transform from being enslaved by sin to free people who freely and wholly desire to glorify God and work in partnership with him to accomplish his mission.