with the Lord helping me this
morning I will direct your prayerful attention to John chapter 18
and verse 37 and the words of the Lord Jesus Christ
in that verse at the end of that verse to everyone it's the last sentence
of the verse everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice. Everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. on the three previous occasions
when I've preached from this ball pit we've considered the
words of the Lord Jesus in verse 36 my kingdom is not of this
world and so I would continue this morning I trust with the
Lord's help to consider with you these words at the end of
verse 37 everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice and
here we see the Lord Jesus Christ, before Pontius Pilate, witnessing
a good confession. Paul refers to this in writing
to Timothy. He says, I give thee charge in
the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ
Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession. Here in John 18, We see the Lord
Jesus Christ witnessing a good confession before Pontius Pilate. This testimony of the Lord Jesus
Christ is not spoken of in detail by the other evangelists, though
it is mentioned by Luke. Luke 23, verse 3, and Pilate
asked him, saying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And he answered
him and said, Thou sayest it. thou sayest it in modern parlance
we might say you said it you said it it seemed good to the Holy Ghost
and to the Apostle John to hear recalled more fully something
of the examination of Christ by Pontius Pilate. 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. Everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. In the previous verse the Lord
Jesus had spoken of his kingdom, 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. And this had caused Pilate then
to ask the question, art thou a king then? And it is then that
the Lord Jesus Christ witnesses this good confession, Thou sayest
that I am a king. He answers in the affirmative
and he declares his purpose in coming into the world. To this
end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I
should bear witness unto the truth. The Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, is the faithful witness and the first begotten
of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth. and in
him is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. Behold, I have given
him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the
people. And that which was spoken by
the prophet Malachi, in Malachi chapter 2 concerning Levi, was
fulfilled in Levi's antitype which is Christ. My covenant
was with him of life and peace and I gave them to him for the
fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name. The
law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found in
his lips he walked with me in peace and equity and did turn
many away from iniquity for the priest's lips should keep knowledge
and they should seek the law at his mouth for he is the messenger
of the Lord of hosts yes the law of truth was in his mouth
he came into the world to bear witness to the truth For the
law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. He came to reveal the truth of
God, and he came to reveal the God of truth. 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 bore witness to the truth
by his life, by his preaching, by his miracles, and he sealed
his testimony to the truth by the shedding of his precious
and innocent blood. Now in the words of our text,
having spoken of his kingdom that it is not of this world,
he then goes on to say something concerning those who are the
subjects of his kingdom. Everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. There are two things that we
see in these words. Firstly, a line drawn and then
secondly a language described and these shall be our two headings
this morning as we consider these words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. We see firstly then a line drawn. Everyone that is of the truth
Not as the Armenians would have it, everyone indiscriminately,
no. But everyone that is of the truth. A line is drawn between those who are of the
truth and those who are of the lie. And all of us here assembled
this morning are either on the one side of the line or on the
other. and so it is with all men we
are either of God for he is the truth, the God of truth or we
are of the devil who is the father of lies we know that almost as
soon as Adam and Eve were created the devil ensnared them with
a lie now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the
field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman,
Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the
garden. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the
fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree
which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall
not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And
the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die, For God doth know, that in the
day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye
shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman
saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant
to the eyes, and a tree to be desired, to make one wise, she
took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her
husband with her, and he did eat. The first sin And by ensnaring our first parents
by a lie, the devil has ensnared the entire human race. Because
we were all in the loins of Adam when he sinned. Ah, but little did the devil
know that before the world was formed, a covenant was made.
And in that eternal covenant, a people was given to Christ.
And Christ, the eternally begotten Son of God, was set up from everlasting
to be the surety of that covenant for an elect people. That people
was foreknown to God, in that even before He gave them existence,
He loved them. Because His love is eternal. And in His eternal love, He placed
them in the hands of the surety who should pay their debts and
redeem them should they fall into a state of sin. That surety
was and is the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the
living God. And oh what love the surety had
for those who were given to Him! In His love and in His pity,
He redeemed them. This is that people that Christ
is speaking of here when he says, everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. They are the elect of God. They
are those who were given to him in the eternal covenant of grace.
They are those whom he has redeemed by his precious sin atoning blood. Now we see the line drawn in
Genesis 3.15 where we have the first prophecy concerning the
Messiah in the words of God to the serpent and I will put enmity
between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed
it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel there
we read of the seed of the serpent and of the seed of the woman The seed of the woman is of course
the Lord Jesus Christ who was born of a virgin. There is enmity between the seed
of the serpent, those who are of the lie, those who are of
the devil, and Christ who is the truth. And there is enmity
between the seed of the serpent and those who are in Christ. who are the seed of Christ, the
generation of Christ, who are the Lord's people, those who
are of the truth. And I will put enmity between
thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. And we
see the ancient enmity in the case of Cain and Abel. We read
of Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because
his own works were evil and his brother's righteous. We see it
in the case of Ishmael and Isaac. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was,
are the children of promise. But as then he that was born
after flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even
so it is now. The reference is to Genesis 21
verse 8. And the child grew. That's Isaac. And the child grew, it was weaned.
and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned
and Sarah saw the son of Hagar this is Ishmael Sarah saw the
son of Hagar the Egyptian which she had borne unto Abraham mocking
mocking well the mockers are with us
are they not to this very day as Jude says But beloved, remember ye the
words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus
Christ, how that they told you there should be mockers in the
last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. Our Heavenly Father has made
us, who are of the truth, who are the children of promise,
a great feast. and it's a far greater feast
than that which Abraham made for his son Isaac. Hear what
the Lord Jesus Christ says to the Jews in John chapter 6 verse
53, Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood,
ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh
my blood, hath eternal life. and I will raise him up at the
last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink
indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh
my blood dwelleth in me and I in him as the living Father hath
sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he
shall live by me. This is that bread which came
down from heaven not as your fathers did eat manna and are
dead He that eateth of this bread shall live forever." Ah, but the worldling, the carnal
professor, indeed the carnal non-professor, would mock us
because we live by faith on the Son of God and upon His finished
work. They would rather have this present
world and their lusts They would rather have their false religion
and their irreligion than Christ and heaven. They would rather
have the meat which perisheth than that meat which endureth
unto everlasting life. Or they are as Esau who for one
morsel of meat sold his birthright. What a line is drawn in the scripture
the scripture of truth between Esau and Jacob as it is written Jacob have I
laughed but Esau have I hated the line is drawn as Paul says
there in Romans 9 that the purpose of God according to election
might stand for the children being not yet
born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose
of God according to election might stand not of works, but
of him that calleth. It was said unto her, The elder
shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved,
but Esau have I hated. There are those that tell us
God loves everyone. Well, that's not what my Bible
says. Esau have I hated. and we see the line most significantly
drawn at the cross we've mentioned the dying thief before but I'll
just turn to that portion again in Luke 23 verse 39 and one of
the malefactors which were hanged riled on him saying if thou be
Christ save thyself and us but the other answering rebuked him
saying does not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation
and we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds.
But this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus,
Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said
unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in
paradise. Oh, Christ was crucified between
two thieves, the one on the right hand and the other on his left.
and see the line drawn between these two dying malefactors. One was a vessel of wrath fitted
to destruction. And so he continued in his impenitency
and in his unbelief and in his mocking. The other, however,
was a vessel of mercy, aforeprepared unto glory. and so he was brought
to call on the name of the Lord that he might be saved. The Lord
Jesus Christ drew the line of demarcation after he had risen
from the dead when he gave his disciples that great commission. In Mark 16 verse 15, and he said
unto them go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved
but he that believeth not shall be damned and you know the line is drawn
every time the gospel is preached the line of demarcation is being
drawn even this very morning I believe to Corinthians chapter
2 verse 15 but even for we are unto God a sweet saver
of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the
one we are the saver of death unto death and to the other the
saver of life unto life and who is sufficient for these things and at the last day At the last
day every eye shall see the line drawn and a great gulf fixed
between those who are of the truth and those who are of the
lie. In Matthew 25 and verse 31 we
read the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Son of Man shall
come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall
he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be
gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And
he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on
the left. The sheep are those who know
and love the truth. My sheep hear my voice, Jesus
said. Everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. are the goats however the goats
they love the lie see how Paul solemnly draws the line between
the sheep and the goats between those who are of the truth and
those who are of the lie in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 what a solemn chapter
that is he speaks of them that perish
because they receive not the love of the truth that they might
be saved for and for this cause God shall send them strong delusion
that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned
who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness
but we are bound to give thanks all way to God for you brethren
beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We see then a line drawn
between the elect of God, the sheep of Christ, who are of the
truth, and who know and love and believe the truth, and the
reprobate, the goats, who received not the love of the truth and
who believed not the truth. Jesus said... If I can find the verse... when he was asked how he would
manifest himself to his disciples he said if you keep my words he would come to them I can't find the exact verse
at the moment but we pass on we see then a
line drawn and we see it right from the very beginning from
the book of Genesis even in Genesis chapter 1 the division between
the light and the darkness and we see it throughout the whole
of the scriptures this line drawn but we see in the second place
a language described everyone that is of the truth heareth
my voice you see truth is the language of the king of Zion. He says in Proverbs chapter 8,
For my mouth shall speak truth. This is his language. And truth
is the language of the city of the great king as it is written
in the book of the prophet Zechariah. Thus saith the Lord, I am returned
unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem
shall be called a city of truth. And that scripture is fulfilled
in the gospel church. How different it is with the
false church, the harlot church of Rome, and with the followers
of Islam, the false prophet. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly
that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith.
giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking
lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot
iron, forbidding to marry, that's what Rome does, isn't it? Forbidding
to marry and commanding to abstain from meats, that's what Islam
does, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving
of them which believe and know the truth. The inhabitants of Zion are such
as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness. Truth is the language
of the king of Zion and truth is the language of the inhabitants
of Zion. You see, those who are of the
truth recognize Christ's voice when he speaks because he speaks
their language. I don't know if you've ever been
in a foreign country and you hear a lot of people talking
in a foreign tongue and suddenly you hear your own language and
it jumps out at you, you hear it even amongst all the hubbub
around you they recognize the language,
the sheep of Christ recognize the language of the King for
he speaks their language, it's the language of truth and so
he says here, everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice
now there's an interesting verse in Zephaniah in Zephaniah chapter
3 verse 9 for then will I turn to the people
a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the
Lord to serve him with one consent that pure language or pure lip
as it is in the margin is the pure doctrine of the gospel For
then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may
all call upon the name of the Lord to serve Him with one consent. This is the remnant according
to the election of grace, as Zephaniah goes on to say in verse
12. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and
poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The
remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, Neither shall a deceitful tongue
be found in their mouth, for they shall feed and lie down,
and none shall make them afraid. There are those, then, who through
grace are made to hear that pure language, that pure lip. Every
one that is of the truth heareth my voice. But how are the elect
made to hear when, as we've said, they were all ensnared by Satan
in the fall of their first parents? Well, they were born, as it were, in
a foreign country, it's true, where the only language spoken
was the light. In their first birth, they were
all born under the power of darkness. While they're in the state of
nature, they're all in the snare of the devil, who are taken captive
by him at his will. Or they may go to synagogue,
they may go to temple, they may go to mosque, they may go to
church or chapel. But while they're in a state
of nature, they are in the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him
at his will. They're all under the power of darkness. They are
under the dominion of the devil or Satan. Now the Lord Jesus
says concerning the devil, he was a murderer from the beginning
and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When
he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own. That is, he speaks
his own native language. For he is a liar and the father
of it. And all those who are born in
the devil's territory soon learn to speak his language. The wicked
are estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they
be born, speaking lies." That's what the scripture says. Now that's not to say that no
one ever speaks a word of truth except they're in a state of
grace, no. Any more than to speak of the doctrine of total depravity
means that there is no restraint to the wickedness of men. There
is clearly a restraint to the wickedness of men though all
men are by nature totally depraved. That is, all men are fallen from
God and from communion with God into a state of sin and rebellion. Now what that scripture, Psalm
58 verse 3, is saying, the wicked are estranged from the womb,
they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. What
that verse is saying is that men, by nature, are deaf to the
truth of God. Their ears are ever open to the
devil's lies. Which is why there are so many
different religions in the world. Which is why the theory of evolution
is so popular. which is why so many are deceived
by the narrative of the mainstream media these days, which is why
there is so much wickedness in our nation, in our government,
and in the world. Now the elect of God who believe
and know the truth are no different to any others, as they are born
into this world, as they are born of the flesh, Paul reminds
the believers at Ephesus, in times past, he walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in
times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath even as others. Ah, but then the appointed time
comes, you see. when the Lord God Almighty does a work in the
soul of the elect sinner which the devil cannot thwart and the
sinner cannot resist. It is the work of God's irresistible
grace who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. It's the work
of the Spirit of God in the new birth there is a translating
into the kingdom of God's dear son remember what the Lord Jesus
Christ said to Nicodemus verily verily I say unto thee except
a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God that which is born of the flesh is flesh
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not
that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The only means
of entering into the kingdom of God and into the kingdom of
his dear Son is by the new birth. Ye must be born again. And the
Holy Spirit comes as the Spirit of truth into the heart of the
elect sinner. and being born from above, being
born anew, the baby in Christ begins to learn a new language.
He hears the word of truth concerning his lost and ruined state as
a sinner before God and the grace of God teaches him the language
of contrition and confession. God be merciful to me a sinner
God be merciful to me a sinner like the leper in the gospel
the sinner comes before the Lord Jesus and behold there came a
leper and worshipped him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst
make me clean he hears the word of truth the
word of the gospel from Christ's own pure lip, I will be thou
clean. Is that not the gracious experience
that Paul is speaking of when he says, in whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation? You know, they who are of the
truth, who have the spirit of truth in their hearts, who are
made to hear the word of truth, who are begotten again with the
word of truth, as James says, of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth. All those who hear the voice
of the Son of God, they can never be finally deceived. Never! They will never be deceived by
the voice of strangers. And the sheep hear his voice,
and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them,
and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger
will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of
strangers. A stranger is a foreigner to
the sheep of Christ, He speaks a foreign language.
It's not a language they recognize. They discern, you see, that what
that false teacher is saying is not the language of truth. It's the language of error. It's the language of the lie. That's why the Lord Jesus says,
for they know not the voice of strangers. They only know his
voice. Everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. Now we're warned by the Lord
Jesus Christ of an attempt to deceive the elect. In Matthew's
Gospel, for instance, in Matthew 24, verse 24, for there shall arise false Christs
and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders
in so much that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. And in Mark's Gospel, Mark 13
verse 22. For false Christs and false prophets
shall rise and shall show signs and wonders to seduce if it were
possible, even the elect. You see, an attempt is made to
deceive even the very elect. How may we be sure then that
we are of the number of the elect and that we're not deceived or
seduced? It's an important question, isn't
it? Well, we can be sure by taking heed to what Christ says. And
it is the only way that we could be sure. Every one that is of
the truth, heareth my voice. The Lord Jesus speaks in and
by the scripture of truth. Thy word is truth, Jesus said
in prayer to the Father. To the law and to the testimony,
says Isaiah. If they speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them. There's no light in them, there's
only darkness and confusion. We are to try the spirits. As
John says, to try them by the word of God. You see, this is
Christ's voice. This is Christ's voice. The scripture of truth. Everyone
that is of the truth, heareth my voice. In conclusion, if we
are those who have learned the language of truth, well then
let us take heed to the word of truth and to the precepts
of the gospel. Everyone that is of the truth,
heareth my voice. If we are those who truly hear
his voice, then we will be those who truly hearken to his voice. We will be those who are walking
in truth. As John says in his third epistle,
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to
write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for
me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith. Oh, it's in Jude, sorry. It's
John chapter 3. The third epistle of John, verse
3, for I rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified
of the truth that is in me, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to
hear that my children walk in truth. You see, we are to be
doers of the word, not hearers only. We are to walk in the truth. What is it to walk in the truth?
It's to walk according to the Gospels, to walk according to
the Word of God, and it is by this that we show that we do
indeed hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that we
understand the language of truth. Behold, the fear of the Lord,
that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding. Again, with good understanding
have all they that do his commandments. Paul speaks of the hearing of
faith, yes, but he also speaks of the obedience of faith. We are to be doers of the word
and not hearers only. And not only are we to walk in
truth, we are to speak the truth too. But speaking the truth in
love may grow up into him in all things which is the head,
even Christ. And Paul goes on to say there
in Ephesians chapter 4 wherefore putting away lying speak every
man truth with his neighbour for we are members one of another. And do we not have this promise
in the book of Proverbs the lip of truth shall be established
forever but a lying tongue is but for a moment. We are to walk
in truth, we are to speak the truth and by this do we show
that we hear and understand the voice and the language of our
Heavenly King. Everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. And if we are those who hear
and understand the voice and the language of our heavenly
King, the King of Zion, then we can have an assurance that
we are indeed in a blessed state, that we are blessed of the Lord.
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates,
waiting at the posts of my doors. See the redeemed of the Lord
portrayed there in the book of the Revelation. we draw to a
conclusion Revelation chapter 14 verse 4 these are they sorry
verse 5 and in their mouth was found no guile no falsehood no
lying these are men of truth you see and in their mouth was
found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God
Ah, but of the reprobate, it's written in that same book, in
verse 21 of the Revelation, and how solemn are the words. And
all liars shall have their part in a lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Well, may the
Lord bless His word of truth to each of our souls this morning.
And may we each be found at the last day. among the 144,000,
the elect of God, the sheep of Christ, who are redeemed from
among men. God grant that we might be as
those described in the book of Exodus, such as fear God, men
of truth, hating covetousness. Or may not be said of any of
us, as was said of Israel of old, Yet the Lord hath not given
you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear. Unto this day, O may God give us ears to hear. Everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. Amen.