Let us turn again to that portion
of Scripture that we were reading in the third chapter of the Gospel
according to St. John. And drawing your attention for
a while this evening to the words that we find in verse 27. John
3, 27. May the Lord be pleased to bless
to us what we consider from these words. spoken by John the Baptist. John answered and said, a man
can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. This is very much part of the
Baptist testimony concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. As we
see in the context previous to this, we We read of some dispute between
John's disciples and the Jews concerning baptism and purifying. And John is answering these Jews. And here from verse 27 through
to the end of the chapter we have John's testimony. concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a testimony it is that
John is able to bear to the Lord Jesus. How he speaks so well
of Christ and his gracious ministry. At the end of the chapter, he
makes mention of him as that one who is evidently the promised
Messiah. How he is anointed, how the Father
hath given the Spirit unto him without measure. an unction of the Spirit was
upon the Lord Jesus, the Father loveth the Son, and hath given
all things into his hand, says the Baptist. He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. And all of this arises from this
dispute. about baptism because it's not
just that John was one who practiced that baptism unto repentance,
but we read also that the Lord was baptizing, although we know
from what we read subsequently that it wasn't the Lord Jesus
who was baptizing, it was his disciples. In the next chapter,
at verse 2, Jesus himself baptised not but his disciples. But that
was what the dispute was all about, baptism and purifying. But John seeks to bear a faithful
testimony to the truth of this one whom he is the forerunner
of, being none other than he that had been promised in the
Old Testament Scriptures. that one to whom all the word
of God bears its testimony. Well, as we come to consider
the words that we have here in verse 27, I divide what I want
to say into two principal parts. First of all, to say something
with regards to Christ's authority, And then in the second place,
more by way of application, I want to say something about Christian
authenticity, or we might say, what is it that constitutes authentic
Christianity? But first of all, to consider
what he said here concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and his
authority. As I say, John, in the whole
passage, from verse 27 through to the end, is speaking of the
Lord. Not surprisingly, he is the harbinger. He has come to prepare the way
for the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says in verse 28, You
yourself bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ,
but that I am sent before Him. And John's own ministry, remarkable
as it was, was as nothing compared with that that would follow.
Verse 30. He must increase, says John. I must decrease. Why? Who is this one of whom John
is speaking? Well, as we see there at the
end of the chapter, he is the son of the Father. Verse 35,
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his
hand. Now, John does speak quite clearly
of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's when we think
of Christ's deity that we see how his authority is superior. to any other authority. He has
all that authority that belongs unto God Himself. Verse 31, He
that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth
is earthly and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven
is above all. Who is this One who has come
from heaven? Oh, this is that One who is the
Eternal Son of God. God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish but have everlasting life. Why? Those words of the
Lord Jesus are found, as you know, earlier in this chapter,
the familiar language of John 3.16. God was pleased to send His Son. Remember the language of the
prophet back in Isaiah 9, unto us A child is born. Unto us a son is given. Or the child was not until the
child was born. But that child that was born
to the Virgin Mary was one other than the Eternal Son of God.
The Son was always there. He is the Eternal Son. And God
gave His Son. And there in the great mystery
of the Incarnation The eternal Son of God was pleased to take
to himself a human nature. Mary was told, that holy thing
that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God, the
great mystery of godliness. God's manifest in the flesh. And now, of course, in this Gospel,
the Gospel of John, not to confuse the two Johns, John the Baptist
is the one who is speaking here, but the apostle John, the author
of this remarkable gospel so different to the others. And
now, throughout this gospel and also again in his epistles, John
speaks so clearly concerning the identity of Jesus of Nazareth,
that he is none other than the eternal Son of God. You know the language that we
have in the opening chapter concerning Him who is the Word. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not
anything made that was made. All by the Word of the Lord,
the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath
of His mouth. and the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, the
only begotten, the eternally begotten, or the eternal generation
of the Son of God. What does he say again? Verse
18, No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son,
which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. He's in the bosom of the Father.
He was ever always the delight of the Father. Then I was with
Him as one brought up with Him. I was daily as delight, rejoicing
always before Him. the language that we have there
in Proverbs chapter 8 concerning him who is not only the eternal
word but also the eternal wisdom. But as John bears his testimony
as an apostle, so also we see how John the Baptist bears testimony. What does John say previously
here? In the In the first chapter,
verse 32, John Bear Record, this is the Baptist, John Bear Record
saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and
it abode upon him. And I knew him not, but he that
sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom
thou shalt see the holy upon whom they shall see the Spirit
descending and remaining on him, the same he see which baptizes
with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bear record, that
this is the Son of God." There is a testimony of John the Baptist.
He was told what he would witness when the Messiah was to be revealed
that he's baptizing. And he saw it. the heavens opened,
the Spirit descending in the form of a dove, the Father uttering
those words, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And so John can utter those words,
I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God. The authority that belongs to
the Lord Jesus Christ belongs to him in that sense because
he is God. the Eternal Son of the Eternal
Father. Now, having said all of that,
when we come to the context here, we see another great truth. It's
not so much Christ's authority that belongs to Him as divine,
it is Christ's authority in His mediatorial offices that we really
have here, in the context. Look at what they say at verse
26, They came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that
was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness,
behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. And this is John's answer. A
man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. The ministry of this man, and
the authority that he is exercising in that ministry, And the fact
that he's making such an impression and so many people are coming
on to him is because he has authority from heaven. It's his authority
here in terms of the outworking of the eternal covenant of grace. We're not to think so much of
the deity of the Lord Jesus as God manifest in the flesh. He
is that. But here we are to think more
particularly in terms of the covenant and His offices in that
covenant. Remember what God says concerning
Him. He is the Son of God but God
says, Behold My servant whom I uphold, Mine elect in whom
My soul delighteth. I have put My Spirit upon Him. He is the Eternal son of God
but in the covenant he becomes the servant of God in that eternal
covenant of redemption he becomes the son of God and how does he
sorry he becomes the servant of God and how is it that he
serves God well he serves God in a threefold sense He comes
as that One who is the Great Prophet, the fulfillment of the
prophetic office. Verse 34, He whom God hath sent
speaketh the words of God. That's the mark of the Prophet.
The Prophet utters those words, Thus saith the Lord. He whom
God hath sent speaketh the words of God, for God giveth not the
Spirit by measure unto him." Or the Lord Jesus is that One
who has come as the fulfillment of the prophetic office. Remember
those words that we find back in Deuteronomy 18 concerning
the prophets. Moses says, verse 15, The Lord
thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet, from the midst of
thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken."
He's speaking, of course, as the Lord's servant, speaking
there in verse 15, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
but then it's repeated in verse 18, but now God speaks directly. I will raise him up a prophet
from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words
in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command
him." And how true this is with regards to the ministry of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, surely we have to recognize
that He is that One who is the true Prophet of the Lord. In chapter 7 verse 16, Jesus
answers them, My doctrine, my teaching is not
mine, but here's that sent me." And what do those say who were
sent by the Pharisees? Those who really wanted to catch
him out? The officers answered, never
man spake like this man. A man can receive nothing. except
it be given him from heaven. The words that the Lord Jesus
Christ speaks then in his mediatorial office as the Prophet are those
words that he received from the Father. He is faithful, you see,
in serving the will of the Father. He comes not to do his own will
but the will of Him who has sent him and to finish his work. But we see him not only as that
one who has authority from heaven as prophet, he is also priest. And he has not taken that office
on to himself. We are told how he is a priest
after the order of Melchizedek this afternoon at Hedgen. Mr. Tim Field was preaching. Tim
Field from Tombridge. He's preached from Hebrew 7,
which speaks of Christ as that one, a priest after the order
of Melchizedek. But previously in chapter 5 also
we see the same truth concerning the priesthood of the Lord Jesus.
Verse 4, No man taketh this honour unto himself, But he that is
called of God, as was Aaron, so also Christ, glorified not
himself to be made an high priest. But he that said unto him, Thou
art my son, today have I begotten thee, as he saith also in another
place, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. His authority as priest is to
be understood in terms of the covenant. in which he is serving
the purpose of God. He has authority from heaven
as priest as well as prophet. And then also we see there's
that one who is the King. He is the King of Kings. He is
the Lord of Lords. And here, when we come to the
end, when we see him there at that mockery of a trial that
he must endure before Pontius Pilate. Chapter 18, verse 36,
Jesus answers Pilate, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom
were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should
not be delivered to the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from
hence. Pilate therefore said unto him,
Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that
I am a king. To this end was I born, and for
this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto
the truth. Every one that is of the truth
heareth my voice." Or even as a king, you see. He comes in
that office as one who has been sent. A man can receive nothing
except it be given him from heaven. He is equal to the Father, when
we think of him in terms of his deity. The great doctrine of
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons, co-equal, co-eternal. He can say, I and my Father are
one. But then also, when we think
in terms of the covenant, that covenant wherein He is the Lord's
servant, He says, My Father is greater than I. For the Father loveth the Son,
and hath given all things into His hand. That's the testimony
of John. Christ's authority. Christ's authority. Christ's
authority in terms of the covenant, Christ's authority in terms of
His deity. And we know that ultimately the
cause of His death was because the Jews recognized that He was
declaring Himself to be equal to the Father. What do they say
to Pontius Pilate? We have a law, by our law he
ought to die, because he made himself the son of God. Sonship
equals equality there. That's why they crucified him.
They accused him of blasphemy. They nailed him to the cross.
Here we see then something of the authority that belongs to
the Lord Jesus. But let us turn in the second
place. to see how this verse relates
to us. If there's any prophet in scripture
it must bear some relationship to us. What of ourselves? If
all that the Lord Jesus Christ exercises of authority here upon
the earth is to be understood in terms of His covenant office. Remember He is the mediator of
that covenant. And remember also that he is
the head of that body, the church, which is the fullness of him
that filleth all in all. And what is true of the head
is also true of his body. And when we think of individual
believers, is there not a truth in this statement that we can
receive nothing except it be given us from heaven? That religion,
that Christianity that is real, is not something that men bring themselves to, that men
can give to themselves or obtain by their own endeavors and efforts. It's not something that they
acquire by making decisions and commitments. That real Christianity
is the gift of God. And we see quite clearly that
the Lord Jesus Christ himself has authority for a very specific
reason. And he says as much in that high
priestly prayer in the 17th chapter. There in verse 2 of that great
chapter, he says, "...as thou hast given in power over all
flesh." that He should give eternal life to as many as thou hast
given Him. As thou hast given Him, He is
speaking to the Father, you know the language there in the 17th
chapter, the high priestly prayer of the Lord addressing His Father
now. As thou hast given Him power, literally
authority over all flesh that is given to the Son and to what
end that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast
given him. If we have anything of real religion,
we have received it. What is it ultimately to be saved? It's to receive that sovereign
revelation from God. Paul says, have it please God. to reveal His Son in me. That's how he became a Christian.
If you're a Christian tonight, you have known something of that
inward revelation. The Lord Himself must come and
He must work. He has to work all our works
in us. You know how impossible it is for any man to savingly
believe. It's absolutely, utterly an impossibility. Who has believed our reports?
asks the Prophet. No one can believe that report,
that doctrine. Who has believed our report?
asks Isaiah. And to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed? In order for anyone to believe
that doctrine that he is speaking of, and it's the words that we
have of course at the beginning of Isaiah 53, that chapter that
speaks to us of the Lord's offering servant, that's the report. It's
the gospel, that gospel that centers in the person and work
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who has believed it? No one can
believe it. The natural man receives not
the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to him.
Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Oh, you know it. You know these
scriptures. The carnal mind enmity against God, not subject to the
Lord of God. Neither indeed can be. How can
the natural man of himself believe? No good talking to that natural
man of his duties. Oh, there are duties in terms
of law, but what does the law do? It condemns. It's administration
of condemnation. No nun are able to believe, except
they receive it from heaven. And here, with regards to this
authentic Christianity, we have to recognize the extent of the
authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. What does He say to the Father
in that prayer, chapter 17? "...as Thou hast given Him power,
authority over all flesh." His authority is universal. All power,
all authority is given unto me, he says, in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Now, that authority that belongs
to the Lord Jesus is going to be made so plain in that great
day that will be the end day. the consummation of all things,
the day of judgment that is yet to come, then it will be clear
that His authority is truly a universal authority. Look at the language
that we have here in chapter 5, verse 25, verily, verily. And you know the significance
of those words. Two verilies. And no word of scripture is an
idle word or a redundant word. Every word is the word of God,
verbally inspired. Verily, verily, literally it
says, Amen. Amen. I say unto you, the hour
is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of
the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. For as the Father
hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life
in himself, and hath given him authority to execute judgment
also, because he is the Son of Man. Judgment is committed into the
hands of the Son. Again, previously there, verse
21, "...as the Father raises up the dead and quickeneth them,
even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judges
no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." In that
day, that day of judgment, it will be seen that all power,
all authority, is in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
is to return in power and glory. He is to sit as the judge of
all. But as we've already intimated,
it's not just in the Day of Judgment, it's also a truth that we're
to recognize in the Day of Grace. Those words at the end of Matthew's
Gospel. all power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth." This is as the Lord is about to ascend
to heaven, exalted at the Father's right hand, entering now into
His mediatorial kingdom, that One who is revealed in the Revelation,
King of Kings, Lord of Lords. All power, all authority is given
unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all
nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and know I am with you always, even
unto the end of the world. Oh, he has authority now. God hath put all things under
his feet, and given him to be the head
over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness
of him that filleth all in all. Think of that. or a man can receive nothing
except it be given him from heaven. And who is the one who rules
and reigns in this world? We see all the machinations of
men, the shenanigans that go on even in our own Parliament,
what men do. Men who deny God, men who have
no regard for the laws of God, men who desecrate the Lord's
Day, and trample on the foot his works and yet all of these
are but in the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ isn't this a comfort
to those who are the true people of God that the heavens reign
and all power, all authority belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ
and so when Paul is writing writing to the Corinthians there in 2nd
Corinthians 4.15, he says, all things are for your sakes. In
everything that God is doing, His eye is upon His people. His
eye is upon His church, His eye is upon every individual member
of that church. All things, if you're a child
of God, all things are for your sakes. And this is a remnant.
This is a remnant. Remember the language that we
have there at the beginning of the prophecy of Isaiah, except
the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very little remnant. We
should have been as Sodom and like unto Gomorrah. Oh, what
a remnant! Not just a remnant, not just
a little remnant, except the Lord had left unto us a very
little remnant. That's how it was in the day
of Isaiah. That's how it is in our day.
We feel it. It is a day of small things.
But we're not to despise the day of small things. It is the
Lord's day. It is the day of grace. And all
authority still resides in the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ. He says, fear not. Fear not,
little flock. It is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. And this is the Lord speaking
not so much as God's, not His authority really in terms of
the Godhead as the eternal Son of God, it's Christ manifest
in the flesh, it's Christ in His mediatorial offices. the outworking of that great
covenant of grace he knows that his people oft times are afraid
full of fears fear not little flock it is your father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom what comfort for those who are
the true people of God let us examine ourselves and prove ourselves
and know ourselves that Jesus Christ is in us except
we be reprobate. Oh are we those who are not only
in the Lord Jesus Christ but Jesus Christ is in us. We are
his purchased possession. Here is comfort for those who
are the true people of God and comfort also for that people
when they're in the midst of trouble. And our God's children
do know many troubles. The Lord Himself has told us
so plainly, in the world ye shall have tribulation, He says. You
cannot escape it. We must, through much tribulation,
enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. That's the decree of God. In
the world's tribulation, God says, Christ, be of good cheer.
I have overcome the world. Or think of the language of dear
William Gadsby, there in the hymn, the 129th hymn, the language really of Joseph
Hart in Gadsby's selection. What a statement in verse 2,
with power he ruled. and wonders, performs, gives
conduct to fools, and courage to worms, beset by sore evils,
without and within, by legions of devils and mountains of sin. Then be not afraid. All power
is given to Jesus our Head, in earth and in heaven. Through
Him we shall conquer the mightiest foes. Our Captain is stronger
than all that oppose. We sing these words, but do we
really mean the words we sing when we're rendering praises
unto God? Do we mean these things, or do
we just let them trip off our tongues? We're so familiar with
them. They mean very little to us, really. Oh, He is that One,
you see, who is able to comfort all His troubled people. And
how the Apostle speaks of it, you remember the great statements
that we have in that 8th chapter? of the Epistle to the Romans.
There at the end, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's
elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that dieth. Yea, rather that he is risen
again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword,
as it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long.
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For
I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And so what does he say? We know
that all things work together for good, for them that love
God, to them who are the caught, according to His purpose, or
the extent of the authority that belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ
as the Saviour of sinners. It's all extensive. All things
are under His sovereign hand. That is the position that He
has been exalted to. Having humbled Himself to that
death of the cross, God also has highly exalted Him. given
him a name which is above every name, and ultimately at the name
of Jesus every knee is to bow and every tongue to confess that
he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. But think then also
of the end of the authority of the Lord Jesus. You see in the
covenant there's an end in view. And what is the end in view?
It's salvation. It's the glory of God in the
salvation of His people. That is the real purpose of the
authority that He's given to Christ. Thou hast given Him power
over all flesh in order that He should give eternal life.
That's why He has the authority. To that end, He gives eternal
life. Oh, and what a life it is that
He gives. It's eternal. It's that life in the soul that
carries the believer through the very gates of death. That
life can never be destroyed. That's why we believe in the
perseverance of the saints. If you're in Christ, you're in
Christ forever. Thus the eternal covenant stands.
That life can never be destroyed. No one can pluck them out of
my hand, he says. My Father that gave them me is
greater than all. No man can pluck them out of
my Father's hand. They're safe, they're secure.
But what does this eternal life involve? Let me just mention
as we begin to conclude a few details as to what this eternal
life involves. This is that genuine, that authentic
Christianity. that we receive from heaven the
man can receive nothing can take unto himself nothing
it says in the margin it has to be given him from heaven what
does it involve? it involves first of all the
gift of the Lord Jesus Christ himself all that gift God so loves the
world that He gave, and He gave His only begotten Son. Thanks
be unto God for His unspeakable gift. We know every good, every
perfect gift cometh from above, cometh from the Father of lights,
in whom there is no variableness, nor any shadow of turning. Every
good gift, every perfect gift. What a gift is this? That God
does not withhold His eternal Son. the Son of His love, the
Son of the Father in truth and in love and yet the Father does
not withhold when the fullness of the time was come God sent
forth His Son made of a woman, made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law He's not only the seed of the
woman, the seed of Abram, the seed of David He's made under the law. And
He must honor and magnify that law and He does it by the life
that He lives, that life of perfect obedience to every commandment
of God. All that robe of righteousness
that He wove, wherewith He clothes His people whereby they are justified,
the counted righteous, not in their own righteousness. No,
what does Paul say? All he desires is that righteousness
which is of God by faith in Jesus Christ. But it's not only obedience in
living, it's obedience in dying. It's not only the law that must
be honoured in regard to all its precepts and statutes and
commandments, More than obedience in living, there must be that
that will satisfy the law in terms of all its dreadful penalties. The soul that sinneth, he shall
die. He has to die. He has to die. He's obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. So, it's not just
that God grants that gift of Christ, but Christ coming, what
does He do? He gives His life. He gives his
life. Even the Son of Man came, he
says, not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give
his life a ransom for many. And there we see him, of course,
in his office as the Great High Priest. He's a sacrificing priest. But he's not only the Great High
Priest of our profession, he's the Lamb of God. that taketh
away the sin of the world, is the sacrifice. For this is the end of His authority,
He has come to accomplish a great work, even the work of redemption. The Lord Jesus Christ gives His
life in dying, a sacrificing priest, He gives his prayers. He's not only a sacrificing priest,
he's an interceding priest. He prays. We have it there later
in that 17th chapter of John that we've already made some
reference to. I pray for them, speaking of
his disciples, those that the Father had given to him out of
the world. I pray for them. I pray not for
the world, but for them which thou hast given me out of the
world, for they are thine." Oh, what a truth here, the great
truth you see of particularism. As a priest, he prays not for
the world, but for all those that the Father has given to
him. And the Lord knoweth them that are his, he prays for them.
There's a purpose. And as a priest surely, If he prays for a specific and
a particular people, did he not also die for a specific and a
particular people? I pray for them, I pray not for
the world. But then he says, neither pray
I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me
through their word. So he comes down through the
ages, he prays for all those who come to faith. Oh, if we believe as friends,
the Lord Jesus is that one who prays for us, has prayed for
us, and does pray for us. He gives us His prayers. Even now in heaven, His very
presence here in the presence of God is a constant plea on
behalf of all those for whom He shed His precious blood. That
blood could never be shed in vain. So much to encourage you,
sir. So much to comfort you. what else does he give? he gives
faith by grace are you saved through faith and that not of
yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man
should boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto
good works from whence you obtain faith you cannot work it up You cannot weave it
out of your own bowels like the spider mites weave his web. A
man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven.
It has to come from heaven. And that's where the Lord Jesus
is. We have to be looking away unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith. He's the author of faith. He's
the finisher of faith. He gives faith, and as He gives
faith you know He also gives repentance. He gives repentance. Him hath God exalted, says the
Apostle, with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour
to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins.
Oh, there's the way of forgiveness, repentance. How these all go
hand in hand, faith, repentance, It's all the gift of God. All
of it comes through Him who is the mediator of the covenant,
our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, this precludes all idea of
merit. All idea of merit has gone. God
gives. What do we do? God gives, we
receive. That's what salvation is. It's
the gift of God. the language that we find in
the New Testament, the language of the Apostle. In 1 Corinthians
2.12, now he says, we have received not the Spirit of the world,
but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God. If we have the Spirit of
God, we know that all these things are given to us freely. It's all without bonnet and without
price. Everyone that thirsteth, come
ye to the waters. Come, buy, eat and drink, yea,
come buy wine and milk without money and without price, it says.
No price to be paid, no money required. It's all freely bestowed. Nothing sold, it's not even offered,
it's just given. That's what the Lord does. He
doesn't just offer it and then the sinner has to come and take
it. No, the Lord gives it, the Lord applies it. He makes it
a blessed reality in the soul of the sinner. The Spirit and
the Bride say come, and let him that hear it say come, and let him that is a thirst
come, and whosoever will let him take of the water of life
freely. It's all free. And that's authentic Christianity.
A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. And what does he give? What do
we receive? Oh, there's so many scriptures.
Are they crowding upon us freely? In Romans 5.11 we read, "...by
whom we have now received the atonement." Have you received
the atonement? What is that atonement? Why?
It's the shedding of the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's Christ pouring out his soul
unto death. It's Christ dying in the sinner's
place, in his room. bearing in his own person all
that punishment that was the sinner's. What a blessing to
receive the atonement, to be reconciled to God. Again there
in Romans 5, 17 Paul says they which receive abundance of grace. It's an abundance of grace where
sin abounded. Grace did much more abound. Again, going back to the opening
chapter of this great, this remarkable Gospel of John, and there at
verse 16, of His fullness of all we receive, and grace for
grace. All that fullness of salvation that's laid up in
the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's grace,
and it's grace upon grace, and grace upon grace. This is that
Christianity then, I say, that is authentic, real Christianity.
It is all of God, it's all the gift of God. Well, what prevents
any man from receiving it? As many have believed, to them
gave he power, authority to become the sons of God, or to be those
friends who believe him. I would commend to you then this
gracious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. What a person this is,
what authority is vested in this man. He is God. He has all the authority
of God and yet he humbles himself. And as that humble man, submitting
to all the will of the Father, serving all the purpose of the
Father, he comes to accomplish a great salvation. And this is
that that John is bearing his testimony to. John answered and said, a man
can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. And then at the end he says he
that has received his testimony that said to his seal that God
is true, for he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God,
for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father
loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that
believeth not the Son of God shall not see life. But the wrath
of God abideth on him. Amen.