No One Fools Christ

Q: What does the Bible say about true faith?

True faith is a gift from God that not only believes in His existence but seeks His glory and obeys His will. The Bible clearly distinguishes between true faith and mere mental assent. True faith, as defined in Scripture, is not only acknowledging God but also seeking His glory and the beauty of His presence. The faith of God's elect is a deep, effective trust in Him that transforms lives and endures. As stated in Romans 10:17, faith comes by hearing the Word of God, suggesting that the Holy Spirit actively works in believers to instill this gift. Thus, true faith is a product of God's sovereign grace that creates a heart inclined towards Him and His righteousness.

Q: How do we know the resurrection is true?

The resurrection of Christ is the infallible proof of His divinity and the cornerstone of Christian faith. The resurrection is central to the Christian faith as it validates Jesus' claim to be the Son of God. In John 2:19, Jesus foretold His resurrection by saying, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,' emphasizing the significance of His bodily resurrection. The event is historically attested and spiritually significant, affirming that Jesus conquered sin and death. The Scriptures provide evidence that after His resurrection, numerous witnesses remembered Jesus' words, which reinforces the truth of His resurrection. Ultimately, it is this resurrection that assures believers of their own eternal hope and the authenticity of their faith.

Q: Why is belief in God's sovereignty important for Christians?

Belief in God's sovereignty assures Christians that all events work together for their good according to His divine purpose. Believing in God's sovereignty is crucial for Christians as it assures them that He is in control of all aspects of life. According to Romans 8:28, all things work together for good to those who love God, demonstrating that nothing occurs outside of His sovereign will. This belief provides comfort in times of trouble, knowing that God is working for His glory and the good of His people. Additionally, understanding God's sovereignty cultivates a genuine faith that responds in worship and obedience, recognizing that every event is under His authority and serves His ultimate purpose. It encourages believers to trust deeply in His plan, even when circumstances seem unfavorable.

Q: How does God draw people to Himself?

God draws people to Himself through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the Gospel. God draws people to Himself in a sovereign manner through the work of the Holy Spirit and the faithful proclamation of the Gospel. As stated in John 6:44, 'No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.' This highlights the necessity of God's initiative in salvation. The Spirit, through the hearing of the Word, reveals truth to the heart, enabling individuals to come to faith. Christians are encouraged to be diligent in prayer and in sharing the Gospel, as God may bring about a response in hearts that have heard His message even years later. Ultimately, the drawing of God is a demonstration of His grace that cannot be resisted when He chooses to act.

Q: What is the difference between true faith and mere belief?

True faith is a heartfelt trust that seeks God's glory, while mere belief is often just an intellectual acknowledgment. The distinction between true faith and mere belief is vital in Christian doctrine. True faith goes beyond intellectual acknowledgment of God's existence to a personal trust that seeks His glory and righteousness. As mentioned in James 2:19, even demons believe and tremble, demonstrating that mere belief does not equate to true faith. True faith, as expressed in the lives of the elect, involves a commitment to God's will and desires His honor, reflected in Psalm 27:4 where David seeks to dwell in God's house and behold His beauty. Thus, true faith results in transformation, obedience, and a heart aligned with God's purposes.

and turn to the Gospel of John,
chapter 2. I've entitled this message, No
One Fools Christ. I'd like to read these three
passages of Scripture, the last three verses, 23, 24, 25, and
then we'll pray together. John 2.23, now when He was in
Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, 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, and
needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was
in man. Our Father, we thank You this
morning for the blessed privilege to be able to call upon You by
faith, faith that is given the very instant it is needed, faith
that cometh by hearing. to believe You, oh, the miracle
of Your grace and compassion to keep us right now. Lord, would You bless the Word
today to our hearts and help us to worship, help us to know,
help us to remember, help us to believe. Speak, we pray. by Your Holy Spirit, cause us
to see with the eyes that You have given and ears to hear what
You have taught. For Christ's sake we pray, Amen. The Lord had driven some disrespectful
Jews out of the temple. Afterwards, the powers that be
asked him, said, what authority did you have to do that? What
sign? Show us thou unto us, seeing
that thou doest these things. And he told them, we looked last
week, that they would only have one sign. I'm going to give you
one sign, and this is what He said, destroy this temple and
in three days I will raise it up. Now here's the one sign that everybody's got. Here's
the one infallible truth. Here's the one sign. This whole world has got it. It's the resurrection. He's alive. He's alive. Now listen. You know this. He's alive, first of all. You
know He's seated in the heavenlies at the right hand of the majesty
on high. I don't understand all that,
but I do know this, I think I've got just enough spiritual sense
to know this, that Almighty God, Jehovah God has exalted Him and
given Him a name which is above every name. I don't understand
the fullness. I see through a glass darkly,
Don, but I see. I know that there are some things
that I can't perceive. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not
heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man that which God
has prepared for them that love Him." I don't know. I don't know
all things. I know that, and I'll admit it.
But I'll tell you this. I know this. He's alive. I know
that He's alive in the hearts of His people. Christ dwelleth
in you. In you, the hope of glory. Or there's another thing that
I just... Christ living in me. I know this. I know that He's
in the midst of His people. Two or three are gathered together
in His name. I'm convinced of that. I believe it. Two or three
believers here. I believe there are many more
than that. But two or three gathered together in My Name. I'm in the
midst of you hearing. He's alive. What sign? Show us
thou. Destroy this temple. Three days
I'll raise it up. Now when He told them that truth,
it says that the disciples believed that word that he told them.
The Lord told them that when he ran them out. What sign? He told them, he said,
destroy this temple, three days I'll raise it up. And after the
scripture says, after verse 17, his disciples remembered that
it was written, the zeal of Van Houten had eaten me up. He told
them in verse 18 when they asked Him what sign. He told them in
verse 19, destroy this temple. Forty-six years they said, you're
going to raise it up in three days. He spake of the temple
of His body, verse 22, and when therefore He was risen from the
dead. Those disciples remembered. Oh, I'll tell you what. There's
two things that I know about that right there. When He was
risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said unto
them, and they believed the Scripture. There are two things that I know
about that. Now listen, because this is going to be of great
comfort to you that believe. Two things. They remembered after
He was risen from the dead. They remembered. Two things. The Spirit of God
is pleased to reveal truth and to make that truth understood. Now, I know that. They remembered. The Spirit of God reveals truth
and He is able to make it understood. But here is another thing that
I know. They remembered after He was risen from the dead. may be blessed by the Spirit
of God many years after someone originally heard it. God may
be pleased to bless and to quicken a heart. Never assume, never
suppose that the gospel once heard will never have an effect. There was a prodigal son. And
he was a son. And he left his dad's house. Give me what's mine. I'm out
of here. I ain't fooling with you. And
he wasted all of it on riotous living. And the Scripture says,
while he was out there, he would fain have eaten the husk that
he was giving to those hogs. And the Scripture says, he came
to himself. Now, I know this. I know that
no man, no woman is able to make themselves come to themselves. Without me, you can do nothing. I know that. I know that it's
going to take quickening, powerful, effectual, sovereign grace to
make, to give, a new heart and to cause a man to remember, spiritually
remember. I know that. I know that things
that once is heard, no one has the ability years later to say, I think I'm going to go ahead
and believe that. No man can come except it were given unto
him by my Father. So I know this. If this boy in
that parable came to himself, there's a lesson here. Don't you ever quit praying that God bless that
word. You may have some in your family
that are not showing right now any apparent sign of interest. Who knows? God may be pleased
to bless it. Who knows? I don't know. He may
not. He may not. But I do know this. When God's pleased, Paul said,
when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb to reveal
Christ in me, when it pleased God. When did Paul first hear
the Gospel? Well, I can tell you for a fact
Based on Scripture, Paul was standing there holding the coats
of the men that stoned Stephen. And here was Stephen preaching. Go back and read the message
that Stephen preached. He preached Christ and Paul sat
there while they stoned him. Paul sat there and heard what
he was saying. Heard it. I don't know. How long? I don't know how many times.
I don't know. But I do know this. When it pleased
God, the Apostle Paul, Saul of Tarsus, was on his way with letters
of authority to take all of those who were of the way, those believers. And Almighty God took that Word
and bore it to his heart and called him out of darkness. God
Almighty who separated him from his mother's womb called him
in power, in grace, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Who
are you? I don't even know who you are.
I'm Jesus whom you're persecuting. And Saul of Tarsus said, Lord,
what would you have me to do? Let me tell you something. Men
are called out of darkness when God calls them. Men are called
in power. Men are called in grace. Men
are called according to God's mercy. But Almighty God does
as He will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth. You pray for those. Has there
been some that's heard the gospel? That's either going to be to
their life or to their eternal damnation. God might be pleased
to call them out of darkness. How do you know He won't? He
called you. How long did you hear? How long
did you sit? How long did you sit and hear
Brother Scott preach before He called you? Why didn't you believe before? You know why. Well, belief. I want to make a few statements
about belief, faith. I know this. I know that belief and true faith
comes one way. I know it does. Paul the Apostle
said in Romans 10, 17, So faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God. Faith cometh. I said before,
you're believing right now. God just gave you faith to believe.
Faith cometh. Faith cometh by hearing. Make much of hearing the Gospel. And before you hear the Gospel,
ask, Lord, would You speak to my heart today? Lord, let these
words be true to me. Let these words come in power
to me. Lord, bless these words to my
heart. Lord, set my heart aflame if only You can. Ask Him. He said, You have not because
You asked me. You didn't ask. Well, I didn't
get much out of that today. It's coming from me. I can understand
that. But what if the Lord was pleased to bless it to your heart
in spite of me? What if He would take it and
bless it to your heart? What if He called one of your
own? What if He called you out of
darkness? Faith cometh by hearing. Hearing
by the Word of God. Ask. And then after you've asked,
And after you've heard, take your Bible. Go home and search
the Scriptures. Find out if these things were
so. Make much of the Word of God.
Faith cometh by hearing. Well, it says that the Lord,
there were some that believed. When He was in Jerusalem, verse
23, at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name. when they saw the miracles which
he did." They believed. Now, based upon the scripture
that follows in these next couple of scriptures, and we'll look
at it for just a second. Based on those scriptures, these that are said to have believed
did not believe from the heart. They believed. They believe. I've told you this before, the
scripture that says the devils also believe and tremble. I've
looked it up. It's the same word. It would
be very, very, it would have made, you know, humanly speaking,
it would have made sense if I would have said when the Philippian
jailer said, what must I do to be saved? And Paul said, believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. If that word believe was different
from the word the devils believe and tremble, then I'd say, oh,
well, that's a different word. See? But it's not. It's not. It's the same word. Believing has to do, it has to
do with a mental assent. There's no doubt about it. The devils believe, they believe,
I'll tell you this, they believe that God's sovereign. Now you think about this, there's
a lot of folks in this world that don't believe God's sovereign.
Devils believe that. Are you come to persecute us,
to, you know, torment us before our time? Remember that? They knew what He was going to
do. And they knew He could do it. Have you come to Tormuz before? They knew that He was sovereign. They believed it. These believed
it. I'm going to show you, Lord willing,
what it was that they actually believed and why the Lord didn't
commit Himself to them. That mental ascent, they saw
the miracles. And this is what they believed.
I'll tell you, based on Scripture, I'll tell you what they believed.
We're not going to get into chapter 3 today. It says in verse 23
of chapter 2, they believed in His name when they saw the miracles
that they did. Nicodemus expressed exactly what
they believed. Chapter 3, verse 2, the same
came to Jesus, that is, Nicodemus, a Pharisee, ruler of the Jews,
said unto them, Rabbi, we know, we believe that thou art a teacher
come from God. No man could do these miracles
that thou doest, except God be with him. They believed. Here's what they did. At Jerusalem
on feast day, they believed. This man must be a teacher come
from God. Nobody could do the miracles
that he's doing. I mean, listen, this world looks at Benny Hinn
and says, that man, he's got to be a teacher come from God.
Nobody could, you know, Ernest Ainsley, Some of you may have
never heard of Ernest Ainslie. Some of you have. You know what
I'm talking about. He's got to be a teacher come
from God. They believed. They believed that the Lord was
nothing more than a man, a preacher, a teacher come from God. They believed. They saw. Nicodemus bears that out. We
know you. must be the devil's belief. But obviously that belief right
there and the faith of God's elect is not the same. Listen to Titus 1.1, Paul a servant
of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith
of God's elect. Now these believed something.
They saw some miracles. They believed it. Here's the
bottom line. I want to know what does the
Scriptures have to say about true faith. With that faith,
it's impossible to please God. They believed in His name when
they saw the miracles, but, it says, Jesus did not commit Himself
unto them because He knew all men. The word commit there is
the same word believe. Here's what it's saying. They
believed Him, but He didn't believe them. Same word. He didn't commit
Himself. That word commit, see, there's
a key to what true faith is. Pick that up. There's one true,
genuine faith in the midst of all false faiths
in this world. It's the faith of God's elect.
Let me tell you what. true faith, committal belief. What is that? Here it is. The faith of God's elect has
the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ as its
desire. Let me read Psalm 27. I'll read
this for you. I don't want to quote it. Psalm
27, verse 4. One thing, David said, have I
desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after. This is the
faith of God's elect. One thing, that will I seek,
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my
life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His
temple. Here is the faith of God's elect. Your glory. This is the only
thing. This is one thing I desire. Your
honor. Your glory. Your praise. One thing I've desired of the
Lord. That I'm going to seek after. That's what I'm going
to do. Dwell in the house of the Lord. Behold the beauty of
the Lord. True faith desires God's glory. They saw the miracles that he
did. The Lord later told some that when he fed them, remember
this, he took five loaves and two fish, and he said, you didn't
seek me. For any honor in me, you sought
me because you were hungry. That's the only reason you're
here. He had no hunger for his glory. No hunger. Let me tell
you something. True faith. The faith of God's
elect desires God's honor against my honor. Here's the second thing. I know that true faith, the faith
of God's elect, it's a gift of God that sees from new eyes. It sees God's will, God's purpose,
God's decrees, God's pleasure as the only thing that's going
to stand. This is true faith. True faith. Now, men in this
world, they have faith. Let me just show you. Let me
show you this. It's in Philippians 3. We've read this numerous times,
but this is, here again, I'm going to show you. Philippians
3. Paul, the apostle, who was Saul
of Tarsus, he had faith. He had faith. He had some belief.
He believed something. before the Lord called him out
of darkness." Philippians 3, 4, "...though I might also have
confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath
whereof he might trust in the flesh." I'm more. You talk about
faith. You talk about believing something.
He said, listen, I was circumcised the eighth day of the stock of
Israel, the tribe of Benjamin. Hebrew of the Hebrews, touching
the law. Pharisee. concerning zeal, persecuting
the church, touching righteousness, which is in the law blameless,
but what things were gain, profit to me, those I counted loss for
Christ. Yea, doubtless, I count all things
but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things, and do
count them but dung, dung, dung, that I might win Christ and be
found. in him, not having mine own righteousness
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Here's true
faith. Here's true faith. I believe that his faithfulness, his faith,
he believed God. He believed God. He believed
God perfectly. As a man, he believed God. Scripture says Abraham believed
God. But I'm telling you, Abraham's
righteousness was the imputed righteousness of him who truly
of himself believed God. Here's the faith of God's elect.
I believe that his faith, his honor, His faithfulness, His
obedience is charged to me. That's faith that will stand.
They believed when they saw His miracles, but the Lord did not
commit Himself. The Lord will share His glory
with no one else. Many believed with natural acknowledgment. When they saw the miracles, miracles
impressed people for just a little while. There was a rich man. There was Lazarus. The rich man
fared sumptuously every day. Lazarus, the dogs licked his
sores. The rich man died and went to
hell. Lazarus died and went to the
bosom of Abraham, Scripture says, and the rich man lifted his eyes
out of hell, Scripture says, and he said, these flames have
torn at me. Father Abraham, would you come,
would you allow Lazarus one time of their earthly abode? This rich man wouldn't give Lazarus
the time of day. Would you have Lazarus come just
dip his finger in water and come touch my tongue? My tongue, I'm
in torment. Father Abraham says no. There's
a great gulf. Nope, can't pass. Would you have
then, Father Abraham, would you have Lazarus go back? Go back. Back to the earth. I got some
brothers. And they're not believers. They're
lost. They don't want to come here.
They don't know it, but they don't want to come. If you have
one come back from the dead, they'll believe. Father Abraham says no. They
don't believe Moses and the prophets. They won't believe even though
one come back from the dead. One did come back from the dead,
and they don't believe. impress people, you know, for
a little bit. Even the miracles that people
saw the Lord, they saw the Lord perform these miracles. He actually
caused the blind to see and the dead to be raised and turned
water into wine. He took five loaves and two little
fishes and He fed 5,000 men plus the women and children. They
saw, they believed, you must be a man A teacher comes from
God. Nobody could do that unless God
was with him. But they didn't see His glory.
The Scripture says the Lord didn't commit Himself unto them. What the Lord does not initiate,
He does not honor. He does not bless. And it's never
accepted by Him. There's the omniscience of Almighty
God. Christ Jesus did not commit himself
unto them because he knew. He knew all. That's what it says.
Men's italicized. He knew. Stony ground hearers,
thorny ground hearers, temporary, temporary, temporary. The faith
of God's elect endures. It endures. It stays. God keeps
His people. The faith of God's elect sees
themselves as needy. I need Him. The faith of God's
elect, the faith of the natural man sees man. Two men went into
the temple to pray. Pharisee and a publican. Pharisee
stood, prayed thus with himself. God, I thank Thee that I'm not
as other men are. Oh, I fast and I tithe. I'm so glad I'm not like this
publican over here. And the publican, the Scripture
says, would not so much as lift up his eyes toward heaven, beat
upon his breast. God have mercy on me. That's
the faith of God's elect. The faith of the natural man
looks at himself and thinks that he is able. The Scripture says in verse 25, the Lord needed not that any
should testify of man. He knew what was in man. They gave an outward consent Man can believe a lot of things. I've said this before. It's amazing
to me how much men can outwardly believe and Christ has not committed
Himself to them. I told you just down in Mexico,
it's amazing to me, The sacrifices that they make. Here's people
in absolute darkness. They knew that their God was
offended. They knew they needed a sacrifice. They knew that the
issue was a heart. They'd cut the hearts out of
that. They would take virgins, pure. They knew that their God
was not going to accept something unpure. And you're thinking,
I can see, you know, What you're seeing is the conscience of a
man dead. He knows. He knows. He knows.
He knows that God's offended. And they believe. There's an
outward... How many examples? But the Lord
did not commit Himself to them. If God Almighty ever commits
Himself to a man, He's always committed Himself to a man. If
God Almighty loves a man now, He's always loved that man. If
Almighty God is purpose to show mercy and grace and compassion,
He's always purpose. He never changes. He needed not that any should
testify of man. He knew what was in man. He didn't
have need of another's testimony, of those who merely profess to
believe Him. He's a discerner of the thoughts
and the intents of the heart. Men are deceived in their estimation
of others and themselves. The heart, the heart, desperately
wicked, deceitful above all things. Man, based on this scripture,
has a natural faith. There's a natural faith. They
believe in the existence of God. They believe in the existence
of God. As I said before, demons believe that. The Lord did not commit Himself
unto them, and He had the right to. He's the potter, Brother Clay. He's the surety of the sheep.
And He commits Himself to His people according to that everlasting
covenant of grace. Men and women in this world,
Believers who before and after conversion you'll find acting
like men that never knew Him. Acting just like the world. Let me give you the example I'm
thinking of right now. King David. Now what David did with Bathsheba. Was it right or wrong? Wrong. Let me give you the answer. Wrong. Did he do what he wanted to do?
Yes. Did God forsake him? No. David smarted for it the rest
of his life. The sword never left his house.
Go back and read the Psalms. He said, My sin is ever before
me. He went through this world bearing the scars of that rebellion. Here's the point. Did God Almighty
ever leave him? My friend, we would never presume
on God. Never. Never. Never. My advice to anybody, especially
to myself, what would you do? I follow after righteousness.
I follow after Christ. Hunger. I'm going to deal with
this, Lord willing, in the next message. Do we sin that grace
may abound? Don't you ever presume on God.
God forbid. But I'm telling you, Almighty
God does not leave His people. His people, they're plagued with
the same sinful, the old wretched man
Paul said that I am. But here was a group right here
that Christ never committed Himself to. Call on the Lord. Call upon Him while He may be
found. If Almighty God has given you a heart and you need Him,
oh, there's faith. That's true faith. I need Him. Help me. Lord, I believe. Help
Thine unbelief. For Christ's sake, amen.

No One Fools Christ

What does the Bible say about true faith?

How do we know the resurrection is true?

Why is belief in God's sovereignty important for Christians?

How does God draw people to Himself?

What is the difference between true faith and mere belief?

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About Marvin Stalnaker

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No One Fools Christ

What does the Bible say about true faith?

How do we know the resurrection is true?

Why is belief in God's sovereignty important for Christians?

How does God draw people to Himself?

What is the difference between true faith and mere belief?

Sermon Transcript

About Marvin Stalnaker

Comments

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