I'll echo Winston's sentiment.
I'm glad to see you. Glad to see you all out this
morning. Glad you've come where the gospel is preached. It's
certainly a delight and a wonderful opportunity to be in a congregation
where the gospel's heard week in and week out. Well, as you
can see, the title of my message is Disciples Indeed. Now, you
and I already know that a disciple is a learner and a follower. We're talking about learners
and followers of Christ. So what's a disciple indeed? Well, that's one who's not a
disciple, a learner and a follower in name only or in appearance
only. There are lots of those around,
but one who truly is a learner, one who truly is a follower of
Christ. That term, disciples indeed,
Christ used in the discourse here in John chapter 8, and we'll
see that as we look at this first verse. Look with me at John chapter
8, verses 31 and 32. Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on him, 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. Now we know one important rule
of interpretation is to know who's being addressed here. Christ
is not talking to people here who have taken up arms against
him. He's not talking about those
who are resisting him at this time. You can see he's speaking
to those Jews which believed on him. They believed that at
this time, at least, they believed that he was the Messiah. They
believed that he was the one prophesied to come, that prophet
that Moses wrote about. They believed on him in that
sense. They were embracing him in that
way. To continue in my word presupposes
that these to whom he's speaking already had some interest in
his word. They already had some interest in him. They were following
him and listening to his stories and watching his miracles and
perceiving him to be a son of God. Now we can see from these
verses that we're gonna look at, we'll look at more than just
verses 31 and 32, but we can see three things that will characterize
those who will be made known in each generation as disciples
indeed, not just in name only, but truly learners and followers
of Christ. They will continue in God's word.
That's the first thing. They will know the truth. and
they will be set free by the truth. Three characteristics
that will identify those who are disciples indeed in each
generation. All right, first, we'll go through
these three points here. First, those who are disciples
indeed will continue in the word of Christ. This doesn't just
mean that they'll continue to study, continue to avail themselves
of teaching, continue to learn, to continue to fellowship with
believers. Certainly, disciples, indeed,
will do all those things. They'll do that. But disciples,
indeed, will do more than that. It means that minds have been
changed, and they continue to be changed. It means that error
in doctrine is corrected and continues to be corrected. It
means that interpretations begin to honor and continue to honor
God. It means that understanding of
the Scriptures won't rest until they exalt Christ and God as
a just God and Savior. Continuing in the Word of Christ
means that the Word has become the standard of judgment in these
who are disciples indeed. The Word is the final authority
of these. That is, they'll adhere to no
doctrine that cannot be clearly defended by the Word of God. They will abide in the doctrine
of Christ. And when men come to them apart
from this doctrine, they obey God. They reject the men, and
they reject their doctrine. They do not become partakers,
sharers in the evil of those who come to them apart from Christ.
Look at 2 John verses 9 through 11. It says, whosoever transgresseth
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that
abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the
Son. If there come any unto you And bring not this doctrine,
this doctrine of Christ. Receive him not into your house,
neither bid him God's speed. For he that biddeth him God's
speed is partaker of his evil deeds. Do you see the criteria
here for identifying and distinguish preachers that are truly sent
by God, those whose messages honor God, whose messages exalt
Christ, whose messages exclude boasting and sinners? You see
the criteria? They abide in the doctrine of
Christ. This becomes the criteria of
those who are disciples indeed. What do men say about Christ?
What do they preach about Christ? Do they tell their hearers that
Christ's righteousness alone, His righteousness imputed, is
the only thing that makes it right for God to justify ungodly
sinners? Do they tell their hearers that?
Disciples indeed just judge the message they're preaching or
supporting by this criteria, and they judge the messages of
others as well. The writer of Hebrews said in
Hebrews 3.14, for we are made partakers of Christ if we hold
the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. If, now
that sounds like a condition, It's an evidence. You see, those
who've truly been brought to Christ, who've been brought to
the gospel, to whom this gospel has made a standard of judgment,
they will hold their confidence, the confidence that they heard
in the gospel, that they heard of Christ. They'll hold that
confidence steadfast until the end. That will be an evidence
that they are disciples indeed. We go back to the outline, the
first characteristic of disciples indeed, they continue in the
word of Christ, they continue in the gospel. The second characteristic
of those who will be known as disciples indeed, they'll know
the truth. Look back at John 8 in verse
32. Christ told his hearers here,
he said, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free. Now, again, this is more than
just knowing truthful facts. I mean, they're facts. I mean,
a lot of people know where Christ was born and that he went to
a cross, that he died for sinners. They know a lot of facts, true
facts. They're truths that come out
of this Word. Why do disciples, indeed, though,
continue in the Word of Christ? Why do they insist that the Gospel
be preached every time? It's because the Gospel alone
contains the truth. I want us to look at some verses
in John chapter 17 here. In his high priestly prayer in
John 17, Christ prays to his father on behalf of his people.
And it's important for us to understand that his prayer here
is not for the world in general. His prayer is for specific sinners. Who are those specific centers?
Look at John 17 verses 1 and 2. These words spake Jesus and
lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has
come. Glorify thy son that thy son
also may glorify thee as thou has given him power over all
flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou has given
him. I underline that last phrase,
as many as thou hast given him. That identifies those that Christ
is making his prayer for here, as many as the Father has given
him. In a covenant made in the Godhead before time, the Father
gave the Son a people. What does that mean? It means
He entrusted the complete salvation of a particular people, of every
kindred, tribe, and nation. He entrusted the salvation of
that people to the Son. He made him their substitute,
as Bill preached about in the first hour. He made him their
surety. He put all the burden and responsibility,
the legal responsibility of doing all that was required of a just
God, he laid that on the shoulders of Christ for that people. And
Christ came in time and met all those conditions. God the Father made Christ legally
responsible for the spiritual and eternal well-being of that
people. That's who Christ is praying
for in this prayer. He's praying for them throughout
this prayer. This is not a general prayer for all without exception.
It's rather a prayer for specific centers. Look at John 17 in verse
9. Christ goes on to say, I pray
for them. those that the Father had given
Him. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine. Christ
makes His prayer for those whose complete salvation is entrusted
to Him. He does not make His prayer for
the world in general. These specific sinners that Christ
makes His prayer for are separated into two distinct parties. First,
Christ prays for His immediate disciples, those that walked
with Him while He was on the earth. Look at John 17, verses
6 through 8. He said, I have manifested thy name unto the
men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were,
and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word. Now
they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me
are of thee. For I have given unto them the
words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have
believed that thou didst send me. These are those that Christ
walked with in his incarnation on the earth. They are those
which Christ sent into the world with the gospel. They are his
disciples. Look at John 17, 18. He says, As thou hast sent me
into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
What I'm telling you here is that Christ prayed first of all
for his immediate disciples, and then he prayed for those
who would believe on him through the gospel, the word that these
disciples would carry out to the world. He commissioned them
to preach the gospel to every creature, go out into the world.
And he also prays for those who would believe on him through
that word gone out. Look at John 17 and verse 20.
He said, neither pray I for these disciples alone, but for them
also which shall believe on me through their word. Now, that
includes those of this generation who would believe on Christ through
the gospel preached. It includes those, perhaps, of
the next generation. However long the world goes on,
however long the gospel is preached, Christ is praying for all these
that would believe on him through this word. Now you might be asking
how all these verses in John 17 are connected to our lesson,
Disciples Indeed, and more specifically, how they're connected to the
fact that Disciples Indeed will know the truth. Well, here's
the answer to that question. What Christ declares of Disciples
Indeed in John 8, That's what he prays for in John 17. In John
8, he declared that disciples indeed would know the truth.
Here in John 17, he prays that they be given that knowledge.
And not only that they be given that knowledge, but that they
be set apart by that knowledge, sanctified by that knowledge.
Look at John 17, verses 17 and 19. This is a continuation of Christ's
prayer. He's praying to his father. He
said, sanctify them as many as thou has given me. Sanctify them
through thy truth. Thy word is truth. And for their
sakes, I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified
through the truth. Now, one meaning of sanctify
is to make holy, which is not the meaning in this context.
Sanctify also means set apart. separate, distinguish, and that
is the meaning in this context. Christ is asking his father to
set his people apart, to separate them, to distinguish them out
from the world in each successive generation. Christ is praying
for those who would in time in each successive generation become
known as disciples indeed. He is asking for those who would
know the truth. And this is not just a request
for them to know the truth in an intellectual way. He's asking
that every sinner his father gave him be sanctified by the
truth. He's asking that they be set
apart by this truth, that they be distinguished by it, that
they be separated from the religious world in their generations by
the truth. The truth. There is a truth. You met here this morning because
of this truth. You didn't go down the street
to meet because this truth is not preached down there. What
is this truth that distinguishes true believers from the world
in every generation? The truth that God is just to
justify ungodly sinners such as you and me on the basis of
Christ's imputed righteousness alone. The truth that sinners
are saved by Christ's righteousness imputed exclusively. and that
is without any contribution from the sinner whatsoever. That truth,
that's truth, that's the truth that distinguishes you and me
under the gospel from the others religious people in the world
in our generation. God has a specific people. They're
born into the world in each generation, and they are made known by the
truth. They're distinguished from their
religious family, their friends, their co-workers, by the gospel
they believe, the gospel they support, the gospel they preach
and teach. They're set apart from the religious
world they live in by their knowledge that God is right. He's doing
right. He's just. He's a righteous judge. He judges righteously. And he
does it, and he justifies ungodly sinners on the basis of Christ's
imputed righteousness alone. He's just to do that. Look back
at the outline. The second characteristic of
disciples indeed, they will know the truth. Then the last characteristic
of those sinners who will be identified as disciples indeed,
they will be set free. This truth will set them free. They will be made free by the
truth that they hear from the word, the gospel they continue
in. Look back at John chapter eight
in verse 32. He said, and you shall know the
truth and the truth shall make you free. Now the idea of being
made free here is one of liberation. It's one of deliverance. What
do sinners need to be liberated from? We'll see three different
things here, really all one, but I'm going to distinguish
them out a little bit so we can understand a little bit. First,
sinners need to be liberated. They need to be delivered from
a bondage that they're not even aware of. Look at John 8 and
verse 33. These Jews that Jesus spoke to
answered him, we be Abraham's seed and were never in bondage
to any man, how sayest thou you shall be made free? Now, of course,
they're thinking about a physical bondage and Christ is talking
about a spiritual bondage here. He's talking about a bondage
that no unconverted sinner will ever recognize or ever admit
to. It's a spiritual bondage and
it's hidden from the natural mind. None of us by nature sees
ourselves as servant of that sin that holds us in its bondage. We don't see it by nature. We
don't recognize it. We don't understand it. We don't
see ourselves in bondage. We don't acknowledge it and we
won't admit to it because honestly, We don't see it. I mean, it's
there. We just can't see it. It's a
reality, but none by nature will admit it because none by nature
can see it. The only way to see this sin
and the only way to see its bondage is to believe God's testimony.
Now, the Word of God tells us of the religious activity of
every single sinner born into this world before they hear the
gospel. It tells us of that. Look at
Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 through 3. Paul is writing here to those
that he would consider believers. We'll see that as we talk about
this context. It says, and you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sins. He's saying you were dead. That's how all of us are born
into this world. Wherein in time past you 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 time past. Paul said, I was there too, I'm
not just saying you did this, I'm saying the apostle Paul,
I did it as well. We had our conversation in time
past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and we're by nature the children of wrath,
even as others. Now, as I said, Paul is writing
to what he believes to be converted sinners. He uses the past tense.
He said, in time past you walked. We all had our conversation in
time past. You were aligned with the children
of disobedience. You were, by nature, children
of wrath. You were. You looked like them. You walked with them. You went
to church with them. You said the same things they
did. You had the same confidence before
God they have. Unlike those in John 8, these
Paul writes to would recognize the bondage that they were in
until God regenerated and converted them. Those in John 8 said, we've
never been in bondage. These in Ephesians would recognize
it. And the reason they would recognize
it is because they've been delivered from that bondage. It's bondage,
and every sinner whom God delivers from it recognizes and admits
this former bondage. You can't see it while you're
in it, but if God delivers you from it, then you can readily
see it. Have you seen this bondage? You have if you've been delivered. It's easy to see if you've been
delivered, impossible if you haven't. That's the first thing sinners
need to be liberated from. It's a bondage that we don't
recognize by nature. Just like these Jews said, we're
not in bondage. What are you talking about? The
second thing sinners need to be liberated from is a sin that
they don't recognize as sin. They need to be liberated from
committing sin. Look at John 8 and verse 34.
Now, they said, we've never been in bondage. And Jesus answered
them, verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever commits sin is
the servant of sin. Committing sin is what keeps
sinners in bondage. What is committing sin? Well,
I'm going to give you the bottom line and then we'll look at it
in a little more detail. The bottom line, committing sin
is not finding all of salvation in the doing and dying of Christ
alone. That's what committing sin is.
That's a pretty broad definition. A sinner commits sins who imagines
that anything in them Even faith, even repentance, even reformation,
anything in them makes up any part of the cause of God saving
them or favoring them in this world. Committing sin is failing
to abide in Christ and in Christ alone. It's failing to see all
of salvation conditioned on and accomplished by Christ for every
sinner he lived and died for. Now who does that? Who in this
world commits sin? Who does that? every sinner who
is ignorant of the complete salvation Christ has accomplished for every
sinner he died for. To be ignorant of Christ, his
person and his work, to be ignorant of his righteousness, to be ignorant
that God is just to justify sinners on the basis of Christ's imputed
righteousness alone, to think that any sinner Christ died for
could end up under the eternal wrath of God, To imagine that
you could be favored of God, blessed of God, or saved by God
on any basis but Christ's imputed righteousness alone? That's to
commit sin. And there's not a sinner born
into this world, born into religion, or who comes into religion, who
does not think that they are received and accepted by God,
not by Christ's death alone, but by Christ's death plus something
found in them. Whether you think it's walking
an aisle or praying a prayer or just getting right with God,
whatever you might think it is, it's something added to the death
of Christ. That's committing sin. And whoever
commits sin is in bondage to sin. Whoever commits sin is the
servant of sin. Sinners need to be liberated
from committing sin. That's the second thing we need
to be delivered from. And then the last thing sinners
need to be set free from, made free from, and this is the bottom
line on what we need to be set free from. Sinners need to be
set free from the mentality, the dependence of a servant.
This is the mentality of one who's committing sin, the one
who's in bondage but don't know it yet. It hadn't been revealed
to them yet. Look at John 8 in verse 35. Christ said, and the servant,
whoever commits sin is a servant of sin, and the servant abides
not in the house forever, but the son abideth ever. What is
the dependence, the mentality of a servant? Well, a servant
knows that his place in the household depends upon one thing, and that's
his continued service. His place in the household is
not fixed, it's not permanent, it's not unchangeable. A servant
can stay only as long as they continue to serve. If they stop
serving, they can't stay in the household. If they stop serving,
the master will kick them out of the household. That's the
place, the standing of a servant. Sinners need to be made free
from thinking that their place in the household is dependent
upon their continued efforts, their works, their obedience. their reformation. Now, as I've
already said, all need to be set free from this sin, this
bondage. All need to be set free from
it because that's what we all think by nature. We think we
got into God's kingdom, that he received us because of our
efforts, and we think we stay there by our efforts. This is
bondage, but it's a bondage that none of us recognize by nature. Now, how is this mentality? We
need to be delivered from the mentality of a servant. Now,
how is this mentality, this dependence of a servant, overcome? How can
that be? How can we be delivered from
it? Only by the Son. Look at John 8, verse 35b and
verse 36. He said, the servant abide not
in the house forever, but the son abideth ever. If the son
therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. Unlike
the servant whose place in the household is based upon his continued
service, the son has an abiding place in the household. His place
is permanent. It's fixed. It's unchangeable. And how did the son get his place
in the household? He earned it. He worked for it. He acted as a representative.
He offered himself as a substitute. He fulfilled his duties as the
surety of his sheep. He humbled himself to become
a servant in order that his people would be sons. Look at Philippians
2 and verses 5 through 8. Paul writes to the Philippians,
let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who
being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with
God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of
a servant and was made in the likeness of men. And being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. By Christ's obedience,
sufferings, and death, he earned his place as the head of God's
household. That's why the Father highly
exalted him. Look on in Philippians at verses 9 through 11. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, things in heaven
and things in earth and things under the earth, and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of
God the Father. Christ earned his place as the
head of God's household, and he didn't just earn his place.
You see, he earned the place of every sinner who's in that
household. He earned it. They didn't earn
it. They don't work for it. They're
there because of His work. Every sinner who's in the household
of God is there because of Christ's service on their behalf and not
there because of any effort on their part. Now, disciples indeed
are those in each generation who are given eyes to see this
truth. They're those whose hearts have
embraced this truth. Disciples indeed are not those
who worked in order to be adopted into God's family. But rather
disciples indeed are those who have received the adoption of
sons. That adoption that Christ already
worked out before the foundation, worked out in time, but was given
before the foundation of the world. Look at Galatians 4 verses
4 through 5. It said, but when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman,
made under the law. That's the incarnation of Christ.
And he came to redeem them that were under the law that we might
receive the adoptions of sons. Sinners are not adopted. We're
not saved when we believe. On the contrary, believing sinners
receive an adoption that took place in eternity. based on Christ's
finished work alone. Now that's why the Spirit is
sent to them in regeneration, in conversion, in time. Look
at Galatians 4 through 6. It says, And because you are
sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father. Because you're sons. See that? The Holy Spirit's work in the
sinner is not what makes them sons. His work reveals them to
already be sons. That's why the Spirit is sent
to them. Because they're already sons. And they need to be delivered
from thinking that they're adopted into God's family based on something
they do. Disciples indeed are those whom
the Son in each generation makes free indeed. He makes them truly
free. They're those whom the Son liberates
from a servant's mentality. They're those who are made free
from thinking that they're in God's household because of their
efforts and obedience. They're those who are given the
liberty of sons and those made to see that they are adopted
by God, in eternity, based on what Christ would come in time
and accomplish on their behalf. Look at Galatians 4 and verse
7. Paul writes, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a
son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Does that
mean that they were servants, but they became sons? No, that
would be improper to say that. Sons are always sons. They've
always been sons. But sons start out thinking and
acting like servants, see? We have the mentality of a servant.
All by nature have that servant's mentality and that servant's
dependence. The Spirit liberates us from that sin, that bondage,
by convincing us that we're in God's household and are certain
for final glory because of Christ's work alone. Our obedience and
efforts totally excluded. Paul the Apostle wrote on this
same subject in Romans, and I couldn't leave this subject without going
to these infamous verses here. Look at Romans chapter 6 and
verses 17 through 18. Paul writes, but God be thanked
that you were the servants of sin, but you've obeyed from the
heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then
made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.
Now Paul's writing here about the same liberation that John
is writing about in John chapter 8. Those who become known as
disciples indeed in each generation don't start out as servants of
righteousness. We start out in bondage. We start
out as servants of sin. We start out ignorant of and
unconcerned. about how God can justly, rightly
declare sinners such as we are just in His sight. We have no
regard for God's redemptive glory. We're not even concerned about
how God can be just in doing it. We just want to know that
He's done it. But the Spirit of God delivers each for whom
Christ prayed in his prayer. He delivers each of them whom
he was given the responsibility of the complete salvation of.
He delivers them to the gospel. And he sets each of them free
from the mentality, the dependence of servants. He sets them free
from thinking that anything in them makes up any part of God
saving them or keeping them saved. He sets them free to the liberty
of son, the true liberty. We thought we had liberty before.
This is true liberty. This is liberty based on God's
testimony. This is liberty based on the
work of Christ alone. That's true liberty. Let's look
back at the outline and I'll close. Disciples, indeed, are
known in each generation by these characteristics. They continue
in Christ's Word. It becomes their standard of
judgment. They know the truth. They will
be set apart by the knowledge that God can be just and show
mercy to sinners on the basis of Christ's imputed righteousness
alone. And they are set free. set free from a bondage they
didn't see, set free from committing a sin they didn't recognize,
set free from thinking that they were saved or kept by something
found in them. They are set free by Christ's
finished work alone. In the light of God's Word, we
must judge ourselves. You judge yourself. I must judge
myself. Am I a disciple in appearance, in name only, or am I truly a
disciple in deed?