In the book of Acts chapter 3,
we'd like to begin with verse 13 again. We noticed in the previous
verses that Peter and John were on their way up to the temple
area to pray, being about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and there was
a crippled man, crippled from his birth, and later in this
book we find that he was at least over 40 years of age. We don't
know his exact age, but he had been crippled from birth. He
did not have any ability to walk and he was dependent upon someone
else to bring him up there. We mentioned last week, we do
not know how many times Peter and John passed by that same
route and went up to the temple to do what they were planning
to do that day. But this special day, we find
that the purpose and providence of God were overriding all things
And it was in the time of God, Peter noticed this man. And Peter asked him a question
and he said, supposing to get some money, he was a beggar,
supposing to get some money. And Peter's comment was, Acts
chapter three, And it says there in verse six,
let's back up to verse six. And Peter said, silver and gold
have I none, but such as I have, give I thee in the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And down in verse 13 we
have a whole host of people have gathered around him because this
cripple has quite a note variety about him. They have recognized
him there for many years and when they saw him jumping around
and praising God and hanging on to Peter and John. They noticed
that, and as a result, there was a great crowd that gathered
there that day. Now, by and large, this crowd
was like the same people that Jesus met as he was tried and
then crucified. These Jews were given to the
law. They felt that their hope was in keeping of the law. Moses
was the lawgiver. They had a great affinity for
Moses. They kept the Sabbath to a turn. They tithed of all they had.
Circumcision was required for salvation. And they said they
still kept the law. Well, As we notice here in verse
13, we looked a little bit at this last week and I'd like to
continue with it. In verse 13, we do not find that
Peter started with the law. We do not find that Peter started
with Moses. Peter did not start with the
Ten Commandments. Peter did not start with the
sacrifices that they used in the Levitical priesthood. Peter
did not talk about a physical priest. Peter went far, far back
from Moses and began here in verse 13, the God of Abraham
and of Isaac and of Jacob. How important it was, the Holy
Spirit led Peter to go back far beyond the law. And that's the
same purpose we have, the same direction we have. We don't start
with the law, we go far beyond the law. We go to the covenant
of grace. We go to grace in Christ Jesus. So the God of Abraham and Isaac
and of Jacob, We find how true it is that these men were not
under what we know as the Mosaic Law. And if you would turn with
me, keep your finger at that point, but turn with me, if you
would, to the book of Galatians chapter 2. As this same subject
is picked up again in Galatians chapter 2, we find no place in
the Bible that anybody was ever saved by the keeping of the Ten
Commandments or by the keeping of the Mosaic Law. There was
nobody saved as a result of that. In fact, we find that the law
was given that sin might abound. It was a revelation that we are
not holy and God is really holy. Holy, holy, holy. We find that
our holiness is not holiness at all. It is unholiness. We're
born that way. Adam brought us into this world
that way because of his fall. So here in the book of Galatians
chapter 2, if you join me there in Galatians chapter 2, and there
in verse 16, we have these words recorded for our benefit, knowing
that a man Galatians 2, verse 16, knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law. And that word justified
has an important meaning to it. Remember the Pharisee and the
Publican? The publican went down to his
house justified. That's what Jesus said about
that man. The only reason he was justified is because God
justified him by the blood of Jesus Christ. This man went down
to his house justified. Now here, nobody is justified
by the keeping of the law. We're not made right in the eyes
of the God. In fact, when we make an attempt
to keep the law, we're only fooling ourselves. We cannot do it. But
we all do in our religious fervor, try to keep it. And I will say
this, the Holy Spirit has never led anybody against the Ten Commandments. but we find ourselves unable
to keep it. There is one that did, the Lord
Jesus Christ the righteous, he kept it and by his righteousness
he justifies many and he makes them before God perfect in the
eyes of God. Sin is put away. So knowing that
a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith
of Jesus Christ, Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that
we might be justified by the faith of Christ, not our faith,
His faith, and not at works of the law, for by the works of
the law shall no flesh be justified. Nobody will ever stand before
God and plead the keeping of the law made him acceptable in
the sight of God. Only the blood of Christ can
make us acceptable in the sight of God. So it's no wonder that
the Apostle Peter was led to go back before the law, go before
it many, many years and Talk to us, share with us the truth
about God when he said, he's the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Another verse we'd like to look
at are a couple of verses is found there in the book of Hebrews,
Hebrews chapter 11. In Hebrews chapter 11, we find
that great chapter that describes faith, tells us what faith will
give us. By faith, we know the worlds were made of things that
were not. We trust God with the matter. We believe God with all
things. When he speaks, we say, I don't
understand it in many times, but I believe it. By faith, there
was a woman, a harlot there in Jericho. By faith, she understood
that she was going to be delivered. Here in the book of Hebrews chapter
11, verses beginning with verse 17, Hebrews chapter 11, verse
17, we have some words about this man, Abraham and Isaac and
Jacob. And it tells us in Hebrews 11,
verse 17, by faith, Abraham. You know, if we follow this out,
it tells us there in verse 20, by faith, Isaac. And verse 21,
by faith, Jacob. Well, let's read that. By faith,
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received
the promises offered up his only begotten son. Abraham believed
God. Abraham's faith was in God. It
says, of whom it is said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called. So he's already been promised
that through Isaac, the promised one, the Messiah is coming. And
now he's been asked to offer him up as a sacrifice. In verse
19, accounting that God was able to raise him up, You know, that's
another thing about Peter, starting with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
These three patriarchs had faith in God, even to the point that
Abraham was asked to offer up his only son. He already had
another son, but he's not the son of promise. Here he's offer
up a son. And Abraham believed, as it says,
accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the
dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. It was a picture,
it was a type, but the reality would be in Christ. So he said,
Abraham had that faith. In verse 20, by faith Isaac blessed
Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. And then in verse 21,
by faith, Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons
of Joseph and worship, leaning upon the top of his staff. So
here we have Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They had one thing
in common. They had been given faith to
believe God. They had been taken from darkness
to light. They had been taken from sin
to justification. They had all of these rich blessings
that God had granted. We find, turn with me just a
little further there in the book of Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews
chapter 13, verse 20. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse
20. Why did Peter start with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? It
unhitched those Jews from the law. By the law, no flesh shall
be justified. And here in the book of Hebrews,
chapter 13 and verse 20, now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of
the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant."
Now, we're going to get to that covenant relationship in just
a moment, but there was a covenant that God had made with Abraham,
a covenant He'd made with Isaac, and a covenant He'd made with
Jacob. It's the same covenant that He made with David. It's
the same covenant that Jesus Christ has exemplified when He
went to the cross, that a substitute had already been given in the
Council Halls of Eternity In the covenant of grace, Jesus
Christ was already the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
So we have a covenant and we have an exercise and it's being
brought out. And here God in a dispensation
set up the law and he demonstrated to all of Israel All the descendants
of Israel, all of those that were on that day that Peter and
John went up to the temple, he had demonstrated to them that
they could not keep the law and yet they were dependent upon
it. So this covenant of grace. Before we move from this, turn
with me to the book of Matthew though. Let's look at the book
of Matthew. Matthew and Luke, and then we'll go back to our
passage there in the book of Judges. The book of Matthew chapter
22, as we think about this covenant relationship that God had with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he had it before the foundation
of the world, it had a people in mind, their names were written
in the Lamb's Book of Life, Jesus Christ had already promised to
die for them, and he had promised to die for them before they were
even born, before Adam was even created. and knowing full well
what was going to happen when Adam was given the instructions,
thou shall not eat of the fruit of this tree, and the day you
eat you shall surely die, God knowing full well what they were
going to do. Adam ate, he died. His physical death was over 900
years later, but his spiritual death happened instantly. He
was hiding from God. He covered himself with fig leaves.
He went through everything that religious people do in trying
to be right with God, and that is stay out of his way, cover
ourselves with our own self-righteousness, and do the best we can. Well,
here in the book of Matthew chapter 22, as we think about this covenant
relationship that God has with his people, it tells us here
in the book of Matthew chapter 22, beginning with verse 31,
Matthew chapter 22 and verse 31, but as touching the resurrection
of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken unto you
by God saying, if we go back to the book of Exodus, we're
gonna find out that the God that spoke from that burning bush
is I'm not the God of the dead, I'm the God of the living. I
am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And how do
we live? Evolution tells us that we live
by our own ability. I don't know how many people
I've met, and I've mentioned this in the past, it's still
astonishing how many people I've met that believe in creationism.
God created the heavens and the earth. He did it with great glory. We still look out, how many saw
the moon last night? I mean, it's the first time I'd
seen the moon in some time. It was beautiful. There was a
clear sky. He hung it in space. He hung
all the planets in space, all the solar systems in space. He
did it all without anybody's permission. He raised Adam out
of the dust of the ground without Adam's permission. He just did
it. And Adam was a living soul that
day. He created Eve from his rib. She was a living soul that day.
And then when it comes to spiritual things, God has to ask our permission
to get the job done. How evolutionary is that? That
is just pure evolution to the core that God would have to ask
permission from us, that he'd have to depend upon our free
will to do it. And if we don't do it, then God
can't do a thing about it. Well, if God's not powerful enough
to deal with us, he couldn't have done the creation either.
He is all-powerful and His power extends to our dead in trespasses
and sin situation and He again raises us just like He did Adam,
raises us from the dust of our own death that we have in Adam
and He brings us to newness of life. That's why He calls it
the new birth. That's why he calls it resurrection.
He is involved in it. And we are dead in trespasses
and sin. And the moment that God gives
us that, we recognize something about Jesus Christ that we never
saw before. Thou art the Christ, the son
of the living God. never saw that. He was Jesus
of Nazareth. He was a good man, born in a
manger, died on the cross, and we knew the historical events,
but it takes the spiritual quickening of God. Matthew chapter 22, verse
31, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of
Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
And if you go ahead just a little bit into the book of Luke, Luke
chapter 13. In the book of Luke chapter 13,
beginning with verse 26. Luke chapter 13, verse 26. Then shall ye begin to say, Luke
chapter 13, verse 26, Then he shall begin to say, We have eaten
and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not, whence ye are. Depart from me, all ye workers
of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all
the prophets. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and
all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust
out. And they shall come from the
east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the
south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. Who are those? Who are those that can assemble
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets? The only
ones that can do that are the ones that God has raised to the
spiritual life. Recognize him as God and his
salvation is true. God's people don't argue with
God. They are at peace with God. And
what he had to say, just like he asked Abraham, you know, I've
thought a lot about that if God had asked me to do that. Take
your son up on Mount Moriah and offer him up. But I know the
pattern. If I couldn't, Abraham did. Abraham
believed God. Abraham did what God asked him
to do. Abraham came down from that mountain with his son, Abraham,
Isaac, and his type of God the father and God the son, because
on that mountain was a substitute to take the son's place. Just
like we have a substitute to take our place. So here we are,
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob sit down in the kingdom with all the prophets and all
the saints are gathered around them. What a covenant blessing
God has promised to His people. Remember what David said in his
last few days? God hath made with me an everlasting
covenant. Now, my children are not the
same way. You know, as we follow David, his personal life was
a calamity. Calamity. All the things that
David did, all the problems he had in his family, And yet he
could say towards the end of his life, God hath made with
me an everlasting covenant, both sure and steadfast. It's not gonna change. God's
not gonna alter his view of me. I had a conversation with a young
man the other day, and he was telling me that when we sin,
we're gonna have to take that to God. We're gonna have to ask
for forgiveness. Well, the Bible does tell us to go and ask for
forgiveness, but we don't go asking for forgiveness. We go
knowing he's forgiven us. If we have to answer for one
of our sins, we're gonna have to answer for all of them. There's
not one that can be exempt if we have to answer for one time
playing cards. Now, I remember a young lady
in church where I grew up, she went to a dance and she had to
answer to the church for that. And she was gonna have to answer
to God for that. How pitiful, how pitiful. God's people answered
for their sin in Jesus Christ. He's the one that took the penalty
of our sin. And if we have to answer for
one, he didn't take care of our sin. So we're doomed. All right? As we follow this
out, we find that David said that, he mentions that, the covenant
of God was made with David was like the covenant that God made
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And the same covenant he makes
with every one of his children. When He raises us from the dead,
we find out what we have. It's not that we didn't have
it before, we just find out what we have. God has never changed. God is not going to change and
He will not change in the future. He will not change towards His
covenant of grace. He will not change towards His
covenant people. He will not change towards His saved born-again
believers. He will always count them as
jewels in His crown. We find that in If ye be Christ,
you be Abraham's seed. People are looking to be a Jew.
My goodness. The Bible tells us that we're
Jews when we're born of God. We're looking for a spiritual
kingdom. We're looking for spiritual blessings. We're not looking
for a physical place. In fact, this earth, we're just
passing through. What are we looking for acreage
for? We're just passing through. It's just a temporal place that
God gives us. And when he saves us, we find
out that this place is not near as good as we thought it was.
It's just filled with trials and tests and temptations, heartache,
broken hearts, and all kinds of things. And yet he points
us to looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Romans chapter four, would you
turn with me there? Romans chapter four. Romans chapter four, verse 13. Covenant blessings. Why did Peter start with Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob? It was before the law and God
had a covenant with them. And he's going to declare that
covenant to these people as we read there in the book of Acts.
In the book of Romans chapter four, verse 13, for the promise
that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham
or his seed through the law, but through the righteousness
of faith. What a covenant. I'll give unto
them faith. He's the author and finisher
of our faith. In the day of his blessing, He
will give his people faith to believe. It will be his gift
to them. He will raise them from the spiritual
dead and they shall have faith in him. So we find out through
the scriptures that this covenant God made with Abraham, he made
it with every one of God's children. All of the children of Abraham,
they are his. It's not a Jew that's one outward,
but a Jew that is one inward. And then we have all the spiritual
blessings. Well, number three, would you
go back to the book of Acts one more time? And we'd like to look
at this verse just a little bit more, read it again, and make
sure that we have some thoughts here. In the book of Acts chapter
three, verse 12, or verse 13, the God of Abraham, Acts chapter
three, verse 13, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the
God of our fathers, hath glorified his son Jesus, whom ye delivered
up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined
to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One, and
the just, and desired a murder to be granted unto you." What
is Peter bringing up here? historical facts about what happened
recently in Jerusalem. And he goes on to verse 15, and
killed the prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead,
whereof we are witnesses. Now, what could we say about
the Jews? What would they say about themselves
when it come to their knowledge of God? First thing we looked
at in this section, we saw God is going to teach us some things
before the law happened. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. God is going to deal with us in a covenant relationship.
He's going to deal with us as he did in the covenant of grace
with all his people. And now he's going to deal with
some people that would tell you bold face, I know God. Those Jews all said, I know God.
They know the God of the Old Testament. They can read Isaiah
and say he's holy, holy, holy. But turn with me, if you would,
to the book of John chapter eight. In John chapter eight, the Lord
brings up this subject about their knowledge. And you know,
their knowledge, well, I'm gonna get ahead of myself. I will just
stop right there. In the book of John chapter eight, verse
54. Notice this verse with me. Now I should read this whole
chapter, but just notice verse 54. Jesus answered. Now there's
been a question brought up. There's been an issue brought
up. Jesus answered, if I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my father that honoreth
me. Of whom ye say, now did you notice
that last phrase? That he is your God. You say that He is your God. Now, if we asked them, they'd
say, oh yeah, God is my God. I keep the law. I count my tithes. I do all that's necessary and
required. And yet, by that, they are admitting
that they don't know the first thing about God or about God's
grace. They know about God, but they
do not know God. There's a difference. To know
historical facts or to know him in a personal spiritual relationship
are two different things. Those Jews knew historical facts,
but they did not understand spiritual things. And when can we understand
spiritual things? When we're given a spiritual
birth. The lost. The lost have no relationship
with spiritual things. That's what we read in the book
of First Corinthians, or Romans, excuse me. The natural man receiveth
not the things of God, for they are spiritually discerned. We
can teach and teach and teach and teach and teach and teach
all of our lifetime, and still make no inroads with anybody,
except God honor it with the new birth, and then they will
say, oh my. What a blessing I have missed
all my life. He's opened me up to the spiritual
things of God. He is my savior. He's my father. He's my keeper. He is the one
that I sing about. This is what we have. And here,
these Jews were saying, we know him. They knew about him, but
they didn't know him. You know, the Bible has a lot
to say about this very subject of knowing about God and knowing
him in a spiritual relationship. In the book of James, let's travel
clear over to the book of James for just a moment. James is dealing
with the same thing that we deal with. I have a number of people
that have shared with me that they know they're saved because
they believe Jesus was born of a virgin and they believe that
He grew up perfect, that he was tried, he went to the cross,
he died on the cross for my sins, he rose the third day, he sits
in heaven, and on and on they go, but they don't know the first
thing about covenant mercies. Peace and salvation. It's all
fear all the time. What's God gonna do to me for
doing that? Well, here in the book of James
chapter two, James is dealing with this issue too. Thou believest
that there's one God, Thou doest well. James 2, verse 19. Thou believest
that there's one God. Thou doest well. The devils also
believe and tremble. The devils believe the same thing. They have far more knowledge
about this oneness of God than we do. The devils. All right, let's look at this
subject. Turn with me, if you would, to the book of Matthew,
chapter 8. Devils have a lot of knowledge. They have a lot
of historical knowledge and they'll even say some things that just
surprise you as it's recorded here in the scriptures. Matthew
chapter eight and verse 29. It's not enough to know historical
things about the Lord. It's not enough to say, I believe
the Bible from the beginning to end. Well, what do you say
about this verse? Well, I don't believe that. Matthew chapter eight. In Matthew
chapter eight, We read these words, Matthew chapter eight
and verse 29. Matthew chapter eight and verse
29. There were two possessive devils,
it tells us in verse 28, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fear
so that no man might pass by that way. Can you imagine the
trail that went around? Up there where Nathan and I elk
hunt, boy, sometimes the water makes puddles. And you just see
that they go out into the woods and come back around to the road.
Well, that's what these people did when these people came out.
It tells us here, behold, they cried. And it tells us in verse
29, and behold, they cried out saying, what have we to do with
thee? Now, these are the demons. Notice
what they say. Jesus, thou son of God, Now that's
demon speaking. That's not a saved man speaking,
that's demon speaking. Now a saved man is gonna say
the same thing because of regeneration. They know things about God. The
average person on this earth do not know about God. They said,
your name is Jesus, thou son of God. Art thou come hither
to torment us before the time? They know what lies ahead for
them. And here they are crying out, Jesus, the son of God. Well,
to most people, most preachers, that's a confession of faith,
and we're gonna get you in the baptismal tank. Well, we're talking
about demons in this point. We're not gonna do that. All
right, turn with me, if you would, as we follow this out. Mark chapter
one, the book of Mark chapter one. It's not enough to believe
historical truths about God. We must be born again. We must
have that spiritual resurrection. We must have the light of heaven.
We must have the light of the glory of God that's in the face
of Jesus Christ. Mark 1, verse 24, saying, let
us alone. What have we to do with thee,
thou Jesus of Nazareth? Here's some more speaking. Art
thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the
Holy One of God. This is not Peter speaking. This is not James speaking. Now,
they'll confess that as a spiritual truth, but this is somebody,
some thing, some entity that knows from a historical point
of view, thou Jesus, thou Son of God, Holy One of God. It's
not enough to know historical things about God. We can go to
the grave with historical knowledge and open up our eyes in hell
being in torment. All right, let's look at another
place here in the fifth chapter of the Book of Mark. In this,
the Bible is full of these verses of scripture that share with
us the relationship that those beings have. God used them. They are God's demons. We said
this about the devil. He's God's devil. He will use
him any way he sees fit to use him. He's not on a loose chain. Bound up. God uses him just like
he did with Job, just like we find out he did with David, by
permission of Almighty God. He's not omnipotent, he's not
omnipresent, and he's not omniscient. I've had preachers tell me they
don't open their Bible until they get into the pulpit because
they don't want the devil knowing what they're going to preach
before he does. Foolishness, foolishness, foolishness. Satan
is not omnipotent on the present or omniscient. All right, here
in the book of Mark chapter five and verse seven, and cried with
a loud voice and said, what have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou
son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God that thou
torment me not. Thou son of the most high God. My, they're confessing things
that most people would never confess. The son of the most
high God. Well, as we follow this out,
we find that this type of passages of scripture are found throughout
the scriptures. These men are the servants of,
Demas said, these men are the servants of the most high God.
Speaking of some preachers of righteousness. which show unto
us the way of salvation. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of Acts chapter 19. Acts chapter 19, the subject
is brought up, and in fact, it gets pretty pointed in this passage
of scripture, Acts chapter 19 and verse 15. Knowing the Savior is something
never learned, never educated into us. Now we're thankful after
the God of heaven gives us the new birth that he does educate
us. He does teach us. He teaches us in the things of
God, spiritual matters, faith, trusting God. Here in the book
of Acts chapter 19 and verse 15, it says, and the evil spirit
answered and said, Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are
you? And the man in whom the evil
spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed
against them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.
And this is all known to all the Jews and Greeks, also dwelling
at Ephesus. And fear fell on them all, and
the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. I forgot this incident
took place in Ephesus. That's one of the places Nancy
and I got to visit. You know, of all the places you
go, you're going to find many temples of idolatrous worship
and Ephesus is full of them. Paul said on the Mount there
at Athens, I perceive that thou art overly religious. and I'm gonna talk to you about
a God you have over here on a stone. You have a altar here to the
unknown God. Him, I'll declare unto you. The
rest of them are worthless. Well, here we have Jesus I know,
and Paul I know, but who are you? You know, as we find with
regard to the Lord, he never, there's never something when
to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ is not an educated thing. I remember my father telling
me about being, what was that in the church,
confirmed. And I said, what is that? He
says, well, they ask us questions. And when we got them all right,
we got our name in a book and a certificate that we're confirmed.
And I said, what's that mean? He says, I was saved. Well, you
know, that's not salvation. quoting some facts is not salvation.
Knowing the earth is round is not salvation. Knowing that God
sits in heaven is not salvation. You know what Peter confessed? Jesus asked him, who do men say
that I am? And he mentioned some things.
And then he says, who do you say I am? Thou art the Christ,
the son of the living God. And Jesus responded to that comment
in such clarity that it carries down to this very day. Flesh
and blood did not reveal this unto you, but my Father which
is in heaven. It is revelation. It's a revealing. We are not saved by quoting some
facts, by naming the books of the Bible in order, by having
quoted the entire Bible by heart. That is not salvation. Salvation
is in Jesus Christ, the Lord, in His resurrection. Turn with
me, if you would, to the book of Luke. Luke chapter 10. Luke
chapter 10. In Luke chapter 10 and verse
22, So we think about the Jews said, oh, we know you. Well,
they knew no more than those demons knew. In fact, those demons
knew more about it. They didn't believe that Jesus
was the son of God. They didn't believe that he was
the most high. In fact, one of the reasons they crucified him
was for blasphemy because he made himself equal with God.
Well, here in the book of Luke chapter 10, verse 22, all things
are delivered to me of my father, this is the Lord speaking, and
no man knoweth who the son is, notice this, but the father,
and who the father is, but the son, and he to whom the son will
reveal him. It's revealed, it's revelation. Can I explain that? No way. is being able to see God in his
greatness and might from a spiritual birth. A baby is born, their
heart's beating, lungs are working, they have vocal cords, all these
things. They still don't know what it
is, but they have something that they didn't have before. Now,
I'm not saying they don't have life in the womb, but they're
exercising life out here. No, God's people are all lost
sheep until he finds them and brings them in. He gives them
life. All right, as we follow this,
just a few verses more. John chapter six. Would you turn
with me to John chapter six? As we think about this, the Jews
said they knew God. Well, Peter's gonna share with
them, no, you didn't, or you would not have crucified him.
He was hidden from you in that. In the book of John chapter 6
verse 44, John chapter 6 verse 44, we read these words, we're saved without the law,
we're saved because of a covenant of grace, and we're demonstrated
the salvation that God gives us by knowing Christ. All right, here in John chapter
6 verse 44, no man can come to me. except the Father which hath
sent me draw him, and I'll raise him up at the last day. It is
written in the prophets, and they shall be taught of God.
Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the
Father cometh unto me. There has to be some work of
God, and then we will come. Arms wide open. accepting, believing. And then it goes on to tell us
there, not that any man has seen the Father, save he which is
of God, he has seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. What did Jesus
tell one of his disciples? Show us the Father and it sufficeth
us. You know what he said? If you've
seen me, you have seen the Father. We are oneness together. There
is no difference in us. Second Corinthians chapter four.
Second Corinthians chapter four. Would you turn there with me?
Second Corinthians chapter four in verse six. This has a, In it, some of that great truth
of creation, but he's gonna carry it to the second creation, the
necessity of God doing this from a second birth. Here it says,
for God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness. What
a statement. God created the heavens and the
earth, and then he said, let there be light. For he created
the sun, moon, stars. Let there be light. He commanded
the light to shine. out of darkness has shined in
our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ. By whose command do we see God? Is it the preacher's command?
Is it our command? Is it our parents' command? Is
it the priest's command? No, the same one that created
heavens and earth. It's his command. that we have
life. He's the only one that could
do that. And then finally, if you turn with me over to the
book of 1 John chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5. So, it's not of the law, it's
of a covenant, an everlasting covenant, and it's more than
knowing historical facts. It's more than knowing about
Jesus or spelling his name correctly. It is a spiritual birth that
God gives to his people. Here in the book of 1 John 5,
1 John 5, in verse 20, it says, and we know, 1 John 5, verse
20, and we know that the Son of God has come and has given
us an understanding that We may know Him that is true. And we are in Him that is true. Even in His Son, Jesus Christ,
this is the true God and eternal life. What a statement. I mean,
that is just full and running over verses of scripture. We
know the Son of God has come. He's given us understanding. What's that understanding? Thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God. I have no hope in
myself. I have no hope in keeping the
law. I have no hope in promising God anything. I have no hope.
Oh God, if you get me out of this mess, if you just get me
out of this problem, if you get me out of here. No, it's not
historical truths. It is a spiritual relationship
with a spiritual God that he forgives us our sins for Christ's
sake. All right.