Let's take our Bibles once again
and turn with me to the book of John 8. The gospel that is penned by the Apostle
John. I'd like to read verses 30-32.
John chapter 8, verse 30. As he, that is, the Lord Jesus
Christ, spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on him, If ye contend ye in my word, then are
ye my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free. I know this. I know that as we preach the gospel, I know that the scripture sets
forth that the Spirit of God takes the word of God, as that
word goes forth, the scripture speaking of itself
says that his word shall not return unto him void. It is going
to accomplish the purpose for which it was sent. I know this,
that God has sent his word. As I've said many times, it's
a miracle of God's grace that any of us are sitting unto the
sound of the gospel. Whatever he's pleased to do today,
through the preaching of his Word, he's going to do it. I don't know. I don't know what
happens. I don't know the extent. I don't
know the fullness. I know this. I know that sitting under the
gospel is the only way that God speaks
to His people. He speaks through Christ. God,
who at sundry times, this is Hebrews 1.1, in a diverse manner,
spake unto the fathers by the prophets. hath in these last
days." And the last days are all the days since the Lord Jesus
Christ was born into this world. He who has ever been was made
flesh. He didn't begin there. He's always
been. But he was made flesh and dwelt
among us for a little while. And now, it is Him He speaks. Therefore, I thank Him and praise
and bless and ask this morning, Lord, would you speak to me?
I need to hear. Last time we looked, and the
time before that, I had broken the last two previous messages
into two different ones, and it was concerning the Lord's
revelation of Himself. And the Lord had revealed in
the last two services seven things concerning Himself to these people,
not only that stood by Him that day, but to us today. Seven things. Here's what we looked at. I'll
just list them. In this chapter, in chapter 8,
verse 12, He said, I am the light of the world. There is no illumination. There is no spiritual illumination
except the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. I am the illumination
of the world. If we know anything, He taught
us by His Spirit, through His Word. Anything that men learn
or think they learn that is inconsistent with the Scriptures, the Lord
didn't teach them that. That was a lie. If it's not according
to this Word, it's a lie. Secondly, he said in verse 16,
he said, I'm not alone. I am the Father that sent me. When He came and told these people
who He is, He declared unto them, His deity. The best you believe that I am,
You're going to die in your sins. He is the anointed of the Father.
Thirdly, verse 19, to know Him is to know the Father. That is
to know the Father's will. To know the Father's purpose.
To know what Almighty God has eternally purposed to do. You
know Christ. What does He say concerning Himself? We come together By God's grace,
every Sunday morning, two services here, every Wednesday night,
have a service. And this is what we want to know.
Lord, what do you have to say? That's all I want to know. What
does God have to say? I'm not concerned about, you
know, well, I might listen to it. I might be concerned what's
going on in the world. I mean, I've got to keep up a
little bit with what's going on in the world, but I'm going
to tell you something. That's not the issue. Extracurricular
activities, that's not the issue. What does God Almighty have to
say concerning Himself? That's the only thing that's
going to matter. In that day, You let a man or woman take their
last breath, and let me tell you what's going to matter. What
think ye of Christ? What do you think of Christ?
Who is He to you? People can hear this gospel,
and here it is set forth. And I try very hard, if I tell
you something, you that sat here since I came, I try very, very
hard to not make a statement that I don't back it up. If I
make a statement and I can't back it up with the Scriptures,
you have no reason to believe me. But if I can back it up,
then I wasn't the source of that statement. I'm just a messenger. Just a word. Just a voice. Here's
the fourth thing I know concerning him. Verse 23, he said, I'm not
of this world. I'm not as the world sets forth
salvation to be. And you know what? You know what
I'm going to say. This world makes salvation dependent upon
man. And it's not. Here's the fifth thing, verse
24. He is God Almighty, and to disbelieve Him is to die in your
sins. Here's the sixth thing, verse
26. He's the final word from God. And He said, I speak to
the world those things which I have heard of Him. Miss Him. As He is revealed in Scripture. Nobody, I would say, Well, as
a general rule, I guess there are some really far out things
that are being said, but I dare say that there are very many
assemblies where somebody is not at least acknowledging the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They'll speak of and use the
name, the Father, the Holy Spirit. What He says, concerning what
he's heard. Now, as deity, he's never learned
anything. But as the God-man, there's a
great mystery. Great mystery. Great is the mystery
of godliness. And that means that you and I
can't understand it. We believe it, we acknowledge
it by faith, we bow to it, but to understand it? Great is the
mystery of godliness. God was manifest in flesh. God. God was manifest in flesh. God lives in His people. God. And here's the seventh thing.
He said, I'm not alone. He that sent me is with me. The Scripture picks up right
here, verse 30. As he spake these words, as he
set forth those things concerning himself, the Scripture says, many believed on him. Now on the surface, if that's
where you stopped, right there, if you stopped, you'd think,
boy, that's some encouraging words. And I do know this, that
the only way that a man or a woman will ever believe on Him is hearing
those things that He says concerning Himself through the preaching
of the gospel. When Paul said, we beseech you
in Christ's stead, this is the Lord speaking. I'm
just trying to say that as simply as I know how we beseech you
in Christ's stead. If you'd say, I've come to speak
to you, I've come to tell you in Carl's stead. I'm going to tell you something
that Carl told me and I'm going to tell you. As an ambassador,
I'm going to tell you exactly. We beseech you in Christ's stead.
Preaching those words that he preached. I want to be so careful. I don't want to add a word or
take away a word. I'm not saying that there's times
that I won't misread it or just miss it, but not knowingly, not
intentionally. I don't want to do that. I want
to be faithful to exactly what He says. I don't want to misrepresent
our precious Lord. But I know this, many, the Scripture
says, in this instance, believed on Him. Now, when you get a chance,
I won't read it right now for the sake of time, but when you
read it, when you get a chance, I want you to read, starting
in verse 33 and on, and Lord willing, I'm going to preach
on this, not next Sunday, but following Sunday. And you're
going to find out that as the Lord continued to speak to them,
What happened was, they didn't truly believe unto salvation.
Scripture says they believed. But now, the belief that these
people had, and the reason I'm saying this is because I read
ahead. And I know what's going to happen. I know what's going
to be said. The belief that these people possessed was basically
no different than what The demons believe. That's what James says. The devils believe. And they
tremble. Knowing what I've read ahead,
if I didn't read anything else, and the reason I'm saying that
is because what I'm getting ready to preach is based on what I
know is getting ready to happen. Therefore, I know this. First of all, there is a belief
which is really unbelief. There is a belief that is really,
truly unbelief. The scripture says they believed.
But reading ahead and seeing what will be said, have we not
read in scriptures before of instances of an empty, vain belief? False belief. John 2, 23, 24
says, Many believed in His name when they saw the miracles which
He did, but Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He
knew all men. I told you before, when it says
that word commit, it's exactly the same word when it says many
believed in His name, but He didn't commit. It's the same
word. He didn't believe them. He didn't
believe them. Why? Because He knew all men.
John 7.31, many of the people believed on him and said, When
Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this
man does? Many believed on him when they
saw the miracles. There was some kind of belief.
Acts 8.13, then Simon. I've used these scriptures before,
but I want to make a point here. Everybody and their brother is
a Christian. You ever notice that? Everybody and their brother
is a Christian. Well, based on these Scriptures
right here, there's something that is inconsistent with people
always saying, I believe. And I'd like to know about it.
This side of the grave, I'd like to know. as your Holy Spirit
has written these words through this apostle right here. Lord,
would you speak to me? Lord, I want to know. I don't
want to leave this world ignorant. Ignorant of God. I don't want
to be an ostrich and just stick my head in the sand and just
say, well, that's not for me. Like the lady that I talked to
not long ago, She told me, she said, I've just never really
been that interested in all that religious stuff. One day you
will. One day you will. Then Simon
himself believed also, and when he was baptized, he continued
with Philip and wondered, beholding the miracles in Zion which were
done. And you know that Peter later
told him, he said, you have no lot. Your heart is not right
with God. Now, I believe the key to understanding
this vain, empty, false belief is found in the words of James
2 that we've looked at and I just quoted a minute ago. James 2.19,
Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well, the
devils also believe and tremble. Now, the explanation of this
empty, vain belief is found in the context of the Apostle James
setting forth that a claim of faith, a claim to have faith
without the evidence of true faith is actually said to be
dead faith. If there is a claim to believe
and there is no evidence of that belief, not that we trust in
our works for salvation. I'm not saying that. Here's what
I'm saying. Quoting James 2.17. Even so,
faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. Verse 20
says, but wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works
is dead? Now let me tell you the difference.
Paul the Apostle set forth. that men are justified. Again, let me explain what that
word means very easily, very quickly. There is absolutely
no, in the sight of God's law, there's nothing there to judge,
justify. The law looked at it, looked
at the case, Look at my standing before God Almighty, and the
law declares, no guilt. No guilt. Nothing judgeable. Why? Because I've already been
judged by God Almighty in Christ. God's wrath has been put away
in my substitute. Is sin still present with me?
Yes! What about that sin? It was judged
too. It was judged too. And I grieve
it is still there. And one of these days, by the
grace of God, I won't be with it anymore. You take me out of this world,
and I won't dishonor Him anymore. And I won't think disrespectfully
anymore. But while I'm here, I know this,
and I'm justified by the grace of God. There is absolutely no
judgment at all before God. Justified freely by grace. But you can't see it. You can't
see that. How do you know that I'm justified
before God? James the Apostle sets forth
that faith without works is dead. The manifestation of faith. I believe God and you can't see
it. The only thing you can see is the evidence. The evidence
of true faith. Not that works. You know this. Not that works. What we do, how
faith is manifested, not that works, is what justifies us before
God. We're justified by the grace
of God. But, there's an evidence of true
faith. There's an evidence of faith,
and it's before men. Men are justified totally by
grace before God and by men before men by works. Works does not
justify them. It evidences. It's evidence. It's the evidence. It's the evidence.
These people right here told the Lord, we believe on you.
We believe on you. Read it ahead. The more he talked
to them, the madder they got. The more he exposed them, they
said they believed. And the more he talked. But our
Lord, secondly, in verse 31, sets forth the proof of true
faith. My friend, if there's ever been
a verse of Scripture that I need light on, that I need for the
Lord to teach me, Lord, teach me this truth right here. Then
said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him. That's what
they said. That's what they say. I believe on you. He said, if
you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed,
and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free. You continue in my word. If you
continue in my word, now our Lord spoke to those that indicated
and described themselves to be believers. But what is the mark? What is the mark of true faith? Lord, what is it? What is it?
I read of this. I read about the belief of demons,
and the demons believe that there is a God. And these men right
here, Simon said he believed baptized. The Spirit of God revealed
it. No. No. Lord, what is it? You continue. What's the mark?
I'll tell you this, where true faith is found. And this is not
something that men can drum up. I'm telling you, unless Almighty
God puts this in a man. It's not there. Where true faith
is found, there is a willingness, a resolution, a desire, a faithfulness
to Christ as He is set forth in the Holy Scriptures. That's as simple as I can say
it. Where there is true faith, faith from above, Almighty God
has made His people Willing. There's a new heart there that
desires Him. There is a faithfulness. There
is a longing. There's a desire. Lord, I want
to hear what You say. Don't tickle my ears. Don't lie to me. There's enough lying going on
in this world. I don't want to be lied to. I
want to hear those that Almighty God has given
a new heart. I'll tell you what they do. They're
faithful to hear the gospel of God's grace. They support it.
They support it with their presence. They support it financially.
They support it with prayer. They support it. They're faithful,
faithful people. Faithful people. They meet with
Him in prayer. Believers don't forget to pray.
Well, I just forgot. Forgot? When you pray, enter into your
closet. Get alone. Have some time with
God Almighty. Take His Scriptures and read
them. God's people. He said, you continue
in My Word, then are you My disciples. God's people are faithful to
the hearing, faithful to prayer, faithful to the Scriptures. There's
a love for Him as the prophet of the Most High God, the sovereign
of this universe. Lord, I love You. Because you first loved Me. Lord,
I sought You. You sought Me first. If You continue
in My Word. And there's a continuance in
the Word to the end. Because it kept. Here's what
the Lord said, Matthew 10, verse 22, He that endureth to the end
shall be saved. What about those that don't?
Well, the Scripture says, They went out from us because they
were not of us. Had they been of us, surely they
would have remained. Now does the Scripture set forth that
or what? Is that what God has to say?
Is that what Almighty God has to say? Lord, we believe You. He said, if you continue in My
Word. If you're faithful, made so by the grace of God, And God's
people are not robots. God's people, they want to be
here. They want to hear. They want
to seek Him. They want to read His Word. You
want to hear exactly what this Word has to say. You want to.
You know Him. Yes, you do. Yes, you do. And
if you heard me say something, and you're reading it, And you're
reading this, and I'd say, well, if you do the best you can. And if you don't continue, I'll understand. Somehow I'll see it. You may not be my disciples completely,
but you're thinking, you know what? That's not funny. That
is not funny. And that's not truthful. And
I'm not going to hear it. I want to know what does God
have to say. Here's what God Almighty has
to say. You continue, in my word, then are ye my disciples. If you hold fast to what I've
said concerning myself, that's what Christ said, those that
continue, in His Word. Do you have to be faithful to
the Lord as He's revealed in these Scriptures? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Is there any leeway? No. No. And you that believe know
that. You know that. You know that. But there's a great promise or
reward Through faith. In closing, here's
verse 32. You shall know the truth, and
the truth shall make you free. You're going to know Christ.
Here's the reward that He's given. He's a rewarder of those that
diligently seek Him. He is the reward. That's what
He told Abraham. He said, Abraham, I am your shield. and your great reward. What else do we need if we have
Him? What else? You shall know the truth. You
shall know Christ and the truth. And Christ shall make you free. Knowing Him, knowing the truth
is what Paul expressed in Philippians 3.10. He said that I may know
Him that I may know Him personally, that I may know Him intimately.
And the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings
being made conformable unto His death. Knowing Christ, and knowing
Him, and knowing Him, and learning, being taught. That's the desire
of a converted soul. To enjoy the fullness of His
blessed Word, that my sin has been put away. Not by my free
will. Not by my choice, but by His. That He would put away my guilt
and then tell me about it. Lord, thank You. I desire to
know Him. To know Him afresh. Lord, I need
to hear today again I need to be taught today through the preaching
of your blessed gospel. Lord, would you enliven my soul
again. Lord, would you refresh me with
the drink of the precious fountain of life Himself. You shall know
the truth. The truth is going to set you
at liberty. I'll tell you this. I know this. I know that I can't keep myself.
I know I'm kept by the power of God through faith. But I'm
going to tell you this. I don't want to be disrespectful
to Him. I don't want to be irreverent
to Him. I want to be faithful. I want to be. I don't want to treat His Word
with disrespect. I don't want to let it take anything
other than top priority. I want that. And I struggle. I struggle just like you do.
But Lord, thank You that You'd give me a heart to want to continue
to the end, knowing all the while that, Lord, You're the One that
kept me. That You kept me. That You allowed me to walk with
You. To agree with You. To have fellowship
with You. And with Your people. Lord, would
You bless these words to my heart, for Christ's sake. Amen.