Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

Q: What does the Bible say about believing in the Son of God?

The Bible emphasizes the necessity of believing in the Son of God for salvation, as seen in John 9:35-38. In the Gospel of John, specifically in John 9:35-38, Jesus encounters a man who had been born blind and poses a critical question: 'Dost thou believe on the Son of God?' This question highlights the importance of faith in Jesus as the means of spiritual illumination and salvation. The passage not only addresses the physical healing of the blind man but emphasizes the spiritual awakening that occurs through belief in Christ. It teaches us that recognizing Jesus as the Son of God is foundational for our relationship with Him and essential for receiving eternal life.

Q: How do we know the doctrine of salvation by grace is true?

Salvation by grace is confirmed through Scripture, emphasizing God's mercy and the completed work of Christ. The doctrine of salvation by grace is affirmed throughout the Bible, showcasing God's sovereign mercy and love for humanity. Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches us that we are saved by grace through faith and not by our works, underscoring that salvation is a gift from God. In John 9, the man's healing serves as a reminder of God's sovereign grace in individual lives, illustrating how He chooses to reveal His light to whom He pleases. This reinforces the truth that our salvation is based solely on God's initiative and grace, not on our merit.

Q: Why is believing in Jesus important for Christians?

Believing in Jesus is essential for salvation and the foundation of a Christian's faith and relationship with God. Believing in Jesus Christ is fundamental to the Christian faith as it secures our redemption and eternal life. In John 9:35-38, the blind man's interaction with Jesus illustrates this truth; he recognized Jesus as the Son of God and responded with faith and worship. This act of belief transforms one's life, indicating a personal relationship with God and a new identity in Christ. An authentic belief leads to a desire to follow His will and share the Gospel, making it a core tenet of Christian living and assurance of faith.

Q: What does it mean to be born blind spiritually?

Being born blind spiritually refers to the lack of awareness and understanding of God's truth before coming to faith. To be born blind spiritually signifies the inherent condition of humanity, lacking the ability to see and comprehend divine truth without divine intervention. The sermon illustrates this condition by comparing it to physical blindness, as exemplified by the blind man in John 9. Just as the blind man received sight from Jesus, believers must receive spiritual sight through God's grace in order to comprehend their sinfulness and need for salvation. This spiritual awakening is essential for recognizing the glory of God and the salvific work of Christ, emphasizing our utter dependence on His grace.

Q: Why is it significant that Jesus asked, 'Dost thou believe on the Son of God?'

This question signifies the personal nature of faith and the individual responsibility of each person to respond to Christ. When Jesus asks, 'Dost thou believe on the Son of God?' He is addressing the need for personal faith in Him. This question not only establishes the necessity of belief but also underscores the importance of individual responsibility. Each person must grapple with their conviction about Jesus and their need for His redeeming grace. This encounter encourages believers to reflect on their own faith and relationship with Christ, affirming that true belief leads to worship and commitment to God's will. Recognizing Christ as the Son of God is a pivotal step towards salvation and a transformative relationship with Him.

May I please Almighty God to bless us together this evening as we meditate in His Holy Word. Let's turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 9, and we'll read verses 35 to 38. The Gospel of John, chapter 9, and reading from verse 35 to verse 38. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, And when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. This ninth chapter of John gives us the account of an unnamed man. who was blind from his birth and received sight by the mercy and goodness of Almighty God and was able to give a good answer to that great question, dost thou believe on the Son of God? He's not mentioned again, we don't know his name, but what we do know is that it was an accurate account of what occurred on this occasion. And we recognise the truth of it and also the power of God and the sovereign mercy and the sovereign grace of God.

No doubt there were many people at this time who had perhaps been born blind And yet you see the Lord came to this one person and came to him and gave him that wonderful blessing of sight. Well, this man was born blind naturally. We're all here tonight and through the grace of God, none of us have been born blind naturally. But all of us have been born blind spiritually. And as this man was blessed with that natural sight, as we read on, he was also blessed with spiritual sight.

And how necessary it is for each one of us to have the wonderful evidence that we do possess the glorious light of the Gospel shining into our hearts. So that whereas we were in darkness, by the grace of God we find that we are now in the light and that we have been shown the great and glorious way of salvation and we've been given that grace like this man was given to believe.

You see that the man had been spoken against, they didn't believe what had happened, the people. But Jesus knew, and Jesus knows all about you and me, every single detail. And it's really a glorious truth to realize that God has known about us from before the creation of the world, before we were born, In eternity past, the Lord ordained that His people should hear His voice. They should come to a great and glorious knowledge of themselves as sinners and come to Him seeking for that glorious and wonderful salvation.

So what a blessing for us tonight if God in His mercy has been gracious to us. You know, you look around today in the world, how many there are who follow their own course, who do their own thing, how few there are who have any concern about the things of God. We may perhaps have to come where the hymn writer came when he said, why me, O blessed God, why such a wretch as me, who must forever lie in hell, were not salvation free. That's true of every one of us.

And so tonight, if we look back in our lives, can we recognize the goodness and mercy and love of God toward us, in directing us, in instructing us, in teaching us, and giving us that wonderful blessing of divine life. Well, Jesus knew where this man was, he knew where he was born, he knew every detail about him. and he knew how he was having a battle with those who opposed him, and hence the reason he came to him and he asked him that great question, dost thou believe on the Son of God? There were no doubt other people around, and yet the Lord directed that question straight to this unnamed man. Well, this evening, as the Lord, in love to our souls, asked us that question, as He asked you that question, as He asked me that question, dost thou believe on the Son of God? Now, there's only one person that can answer that question. and that's yourself.

You know whether the great glorious God has come to you and given you that great and wonderful gift of eternal life. Not something that you or I deserved. There was nothing good in us that warranted any love or mercy. But we stand amazed if we have the evidence of it in our souls that God, almighty God, has loved us with an everlasting love. It's worth pondering such a great truth. It would only make us feel very small and make God feel very great. And His mercy, very glorious and very wonderful. Because as God gives us grace to examine ourselves, we'll have to come where the Apostle Paul came.

And he came to this place and he said, In my flesh there dwelleth no good thing. No good thing in his flesh. His flesh was sinful. And of course, we know in the Apostle's life, how for the first part of his life, he walked contrary to God in a terrible way, really opposing God and opposing all those who had a desire after godly things. He was totally against them.

And yet we see God's sovereign grace in the life of the Apostle Paul. Now we, by grace, by nature, are no better than the Apostle Paul. And what a wonderful blessing, therefore, if God has looked upon us, perhaps in not the same way that he did the Apostle Paul, a most remarkable conversion on that Damascus road, when the light of God shone into his heart, and we're told the light of that was brighter than the midday sun. It was an amazing light. And it had a glorious effect upon the apostle.

And it caused him to fall down on his face and to pray, God, what wilt thou have me to do? He was submissive to the will of God. Again, that's a wonderful indication. of God's mercy toward us, and if we are willing in the day of his power to do his will. I wonder whether tonight you and I are willing to do God's will. He has a purpose for all his people.

It may not always be an attractive path to our nature. He wasn't an attractive path to the Apostle Paul's nature. The reality was God was with him and God blessed him and he was made a great blessing to the Church of God. It was a complete change in the life of the Apostle.

From pleasing himself, he now desired to please God. And that's a wonderful evidence of God's grace. When we're turned around to go in an opposite direction, what it really means is God's given us the grace of repentance. Instead of doing our will, made submissive to do his will. And it's a far better will, and it's a far better way because it's God's way. And we know that word is true.

If God before us, who can be against us? Many people may try to be against us, but my friends, if God before us, we need no one else. God is on our side. How wonderful it is to think that the almighty God, the ruler of the universe, the king of kings, should look upon us unworthy sinners of the earth, and come and possess us, possess us, so that we're His willing servants, His children, willing to do His favour, His will, His mercy. Well, what a great blessing it is if Almighty God has a purpose of love towards you and me.

He did to this man. He did to this man, he asked him this question. And it's an important question. Dost thou believe on the Son of God? And my friends, there's no point in just pretending. There's no point in passing this off as something which is not important. It's probably the most important question that you and I will ever face. Do we believe? on the Son of God. Every true believer believes on the Son of God.

And my friends, don't push the blessing work of the Spirit away from us because we realize that it might spoil our little plans. It may change our lifestyle. It may cause us to set our hearts and our affections upon things above and not on the earth. But what a mercy when you and I are able to look ahead, look ahead, to realise that there is an end to our little life and we shall then be passed into eternity never to return to the earth never to change that eternal state and what a place what a blessing it is then if we go and occupy the place in heaven which almighty god has reserved for us oh that's a great blessing isn't it and not be found in that awful place of hell where there is no hope and that as an eternal condition.

Well, what a mercy then if God poses this question to you and me. Do we believe on the Son of God? What's our reaction? Do we truly desire to be a true believer? Now, this man was an honest man. And it's good if God makes us honest in the things of God. What was his response? He says, who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? He didn't know. who Jesus was referring to, and therefore, he asked the question. My friends, it's good for you and me today if we're honest with ourselves and honest with our God. And therefore, if that question comes to us, thus shall believe on the Son of God.

And we have to stand, and we have to confess that we don't know. We don't know. What a mercy then to be one who desires to know that we are a believer because there are no unbelievers found in heaven. Everyone there is a believer. a believer in the glorious death of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the question he asked was, who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? What we see there, we see a desire to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, that's a great mercy. If you and I have a desire to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

But my friends, never listen to the old devil, who will always pretend that it doesn't matter, yet there's plenty of time in your life when we don't know. None of us know how long our life will be. But the great thing is to be ready. As the hymn writer so aptly says, prepare me, personal, prepare me, gracious God, to stand before thy face. Thy spirit must the work perform, and it is all of grace. It's all of God's work. A great and wonderful preparation. You know, I can't, prepare ourselves and we can plead with our God that he will prepare us. And He will give us this wonderful evidence that He's given us that grace to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, you may remember there was that question that was put to the Philippian jailer, you know, when he was changed. It was that great earthquake. And he fell down before Paul and Silas. And he asked that great question, what must I do to be saved? Real religion, as I've often said, is personal. It comes to you and me. And that question is a good question. What must I do to be saved? I wonder if you've prayed that. One of the Lords brought you to that place of need. And you've asked that question of Almighty God. What must I do to be saved? And what was the answer to that Philippian jailer? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Thou shalt be saved.

We see the same question here really, in a slightly different form. Does thou believe on the Son of God? Well we know that Philippian Jada was given that grace to believe. What a blessing it is for you and me if God gives us that grace to believe. And so when we have this question, the man asked, who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? He had a desire. I wonder if God's given us a desire to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to come to know that he is. our great and glorious Saviour, that one who died upon that cross at Calvary to take away all our sins.

He paid the price that you and I could not pay. Paul, he wrote to the Romans, he tells us, the wages of sin is death. My friends, you and I cannot pay that which is required of us. We need it to be paid for us. And what a blessing that we have, therefore, such a great and glorious God, that his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, was so willing to redeem our souls that he came into this sinful world.

He bore the punishment due to us instead. We weren't worthy of it, were we? So why was it granted? Because of his love. Because he loved us with everlasting love. And with loving kindness drew us to himself. You know, that's the power of God. And it's a wonderful blessing. to have that realised in our own hearts, God's power, which draws us to the Saviour.

We see Him, that which is glorious and beautiful. You might remember in the Song of Solomon, Solomon there gives an account of the Church of God, And how we see the Lord coming and knocking on the door and the Church of God is too sleepy, too lazy to get up. And then when she eventually decides to get up and open the door, what does she find? Her beloved is gone. Her beloved is gone. And that's a tragic situation, isn't it?

Well, we're thankful to know that in the account given in that Song of Solomon, she was able to give an account, a testimony, of what her beloved, the heavenly bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ meant to her. And if you read through, we won't go through it tonight, you can read it yourself, The fifth chapter in the Song of Solomon, she gives an account of why the heavenly bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, was precious to her. Because the question was asked by the church, what is thy beloved more than another beloved? It's a good question. It's an important question. And she was able to go through the various attributes of her beloved and give a good account and a good reason as to why the Heavenly Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, was that one who was more precious than everything else. And as she comes to the end of that description, she's able to say, this is my beloved, and this is my friend, O ye children of Jerusalem.

And my friends, it's wonderful to think that such a God is our friend. We don't deserve A friend like that, do we? But yet the hymn writer is so gloriously right when he says, what a friend we have in Jesus. A friend who knows all about us. A friend that watches over us. A friend that is mindful of us. and a friend that was so friendly that he gave his life to redeem our souls. What a friend we have in Jesus.

You know, such a realisation, such an application makes the glorious Saviour precious. to our souls. So in answer to that question, what is thy beloved more than another beloved? We're able to give a good reason and a good description of why the Lord Jesus is more precious far. and earth and all its comforts are.

Well, the question was here. She said, who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? She wanted to know who he was, where he was, that she might believe on him. It's a wonderful desire. It's a wonderful desire. And we can recognize that we do come into these times of temptation, just like the Bride of Christ and the Song of Solomon. You see, we can find ease in this world. She did. She had a comfortable bed. She wasn't prepared to get out of bed. She washed her feet. Eventually she did, by the grace of God.

What a mercy, my friends, that the Lord gives us that true desire, that heavenly desire. And it really is when we're blessed with this evidence. And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. Well, this man had, of course, seen the Saviour physically. He'd seen him and he'd heard his voice.

Really? Well, by God's grace, my friends, we receive that by faith. By faith. As we look into our little life and see how he's come to us undeserving as we are. He's met with us. He met with the Apostle Paul. He also met with Lydia, you might remember. Very different character, very different situation. Both very real. So don't find yourself in that place where you think there can be no hope because you haven't had an experience like the Apostle Paul. What was the testimony of Lydia? We're told Paul met with them, a group of women met for prayer. Paul went to them and preached the gospel. And what happened? We're told Lydia's heart was opened by the Spirit of God to receive the great and glorious truth of God.

No less effectual than that conversion of the Apostle Paul. Very real and yet very different. So never be discouraged. Remember, the Lord has given us, we might say, two extreme examples to encourage us So just think, if the Lord's come and opened your heart and my heart, shone into our heart perhaps, shone into our heart, and shone into our heart and shown us the great glory of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, It covers this aspect very well in the 2nd epistle to the Corinthians in the 4th chapter. It tells us this in the 6th verse. For God, none less, who commanded... God commands these things. God who commanded The light.

What is that? That's the light of the glorious gospel. Perhaps you and I have been in darkness. We've never seen the light. How wonderful it is then when God commands it. For you and me, the light of the gospel shines. We see the glory of the Savior. We see the necessity of salvation. He commands the light to shine out of darkness.

There we were, born in darkness, lived in darkness until the time when God's light shone into our hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

That is a wonderful statement. It's a glorious work of the Holy Spirit. And may you and I be able to trace the work of the Holy Spirit and understand what the Apostle wrote here that the light shined out of darkness. There we were. We've been in darkness perhaps ever since we were born. We didn't know we were in darkness until the light, the heavenly light, shone and showed to us the great and wonderful work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That work which was accomplished on our behalf in order to redeem our souls. to cleanse our sin, to wash us in the precious blood of the Lamb. All the light shone hath shined in our hearts, yes, our innermost being, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. See, our salvation depends upon what Christ has done.

And Christ's work is complete. There's no doubt about it. There's nothing missing. It's a finished work. It's complete. Remember those wonderful words that he uttered on the cross at Calvary when he gave up the ghost and said, it is finished. That work which his father had given him to do, he completed. on our behalf. And the apostle goes on to tell us, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels. We're just earthen vessels.

And the reason? That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Nothing that you and I can produce ourselves. It's the power of God. How wonderful when God comes and develops in our hearts the evidence of that power. That power which changes lives. That power which changes the direction of our feet. That power which gives us that spirit of confession. What a mercy to have such a God. Such a great and wonderful God. So we have that really here in this man.

We're not told off who he is. And yet who? And he answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. Well, I wonder whether you and I have had the Lord talk to us.

Perhaps, as the scriptures explain it, a still, small voice. A still, small voice. You know, Elijah thought the answer to his desires would come with a loud voice, but the Lord wasn't in it. No, the Lord was in the still, small voice. That's why, my friends, you and I need to be anxious and concerned that we may hear is still small voice because it's still a powerful word from God.

It still is an effectual word. It still comes into our heart. still produces a change and so what a mercy then if we have this wonderful evidence that God is dealing with us in love to our soul that has both seen him and is he that talketh with thee. What was the result to this man? It had been spelled out to him so very clearly. And God then comes and gives him that faith. And what does he say? Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. Oh, that's a great blessing, isn't it?

If God gives us then the evidence of His love toward us, we're able to fall down and say, Lord, I believe, and bow down and worship God as our Lord and Master, that one who we desire to serve, that one who we desire to follow. The mercy was, you see, the Apostle Paul was brought to that complete change in his life. He was pleasing himself. When the Lord came and struck him down, he was a changed man. And he came and said, Lord, what will thou have me to do? Submission to the mind of Almighty God. Well, we know that God in his love and mercy dealt with the Apostle Paul. And what a blessing the Apostle Paul was to the Church of God.

But we see it was all of grace. It was all of God's favour and all of God's mercy. And he was able then to declare the great and glorious truths of the Gospel and to be used by the Holy Spirit to write so much of the Scriptures. Well, it's good, isn't it, for us today to have a little account like this. And what a blessing in our lives if we come to that place and are able to conclude in answer to that question which he was asked, dost thou believe on the Son of God? So when the Lord has dealt with us and shown us and drawn near to us and encouraged us, we're able to come and say with a humble confidence, Lord, I believe and worship the almighty God. Amen.

Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about believing in the Son of God?

How do we know the doctrine of salvation by grace is true?

Why is believing in Jesus important for Christians?

What does it mean to be born blind spiritually?

Why is it significant that Jesus asked, 'Dost thou believe on the Son of God?'

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Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about believing in the Son of God?

How do we know the doctrine of salvation by grace is true?

Why is believing in Jesus important for Christians?

What does it mean to be born blind spiritually?

Why is it significant that Jesus asked, 'Dost thou believe on the Son of God?'

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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