The title of the message is, What Do I Have to Know to
Be Saved? That's a question I've been asked
before. What do I have to know to be saved? I've heard many
people debate the answer. I listen to these theologians
talk, you know. And if I have to understand everything
they say in order to be saved, I have to confess to you I'm
in trouble. I'm in it deep. You know, some people say, well,
you have to know. Are you a pre-millennialist,
a post-millennialist? I can't even say the word, much
less know what it means. Or an all-millennialist? You know,
I don't even know for sure what those words mean, much less which
one of them I believe. If I have to know that, Eric,
I'm in trouble. I told you Wednesday night, this
is what I know. The only thing I know is Christ
is returning. I know that because He promised
He would. And I'm looking for Him. And when He comes, He's
going to take care of all the details. I'm not looking for
the details. I'm looking for Him. Well, some
people say you have to know when you're justified in order to
be saved. Well, were you justified in Christ before the foundation
of the world? He's a lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Were you justified in Him then? Or were you justified when he
actually did shed his blood in time? In human time, there came
a day he shed his blood on Calvary's tree. Is that the day you're
justified, the moment you're justified? Or were you justified
the moment that you believed? Well, I've told you before, my
answer is yes. It's all three. And if I have
to pick just one, well, I'm in trouble. This is what I know. Christ is my justification. I'm
looking to Him. I'm depending upon Him. I know
who I believe. I don't know when, but I know
who. Well, some people say you have
to know the moment that you were saved. You know, you can celebrate
your spiritual birthday every year. You know the moment you
were saved. Well, when were you saved? I mean, were you saved
in eternity past? When God chose you unto salvation,
He put you in His Son? Were you saved at Calvary? When
Christ shed his blood to put away your sins? Or were you saved
the moment you believed? Well, again, I answer yes. I
don't know the moment I first believed. I couldn't tell you.
I know I believe now, but I don't know when I first believed, any
more than I remember being born. Now, I know I was born because
here I am, but I have no recollection of the event. I don't know when
I first believed. But this is what I know. I believe
the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm trusting him for all of my
salvation. He is all my salvation. Well,
some people say you have to know in order to be saved when you're
made righteous. Well, is Christ's righteousness,
is his righteousness imputed or is it imparted? Again, my
answer is yes, it's both. And this is what I know for sure.
is my righteousness. Now, I have some idea how he
made me righteous. I have some idea of that from
reading God's Word. But this is what I know. Christ
is my righteousness. I'm resting in him. I'm complete
in him. You see, men love to philosophize about all these
religious ideas. And they love to defend their
idea. You know, they're just sure their idea, their understanding
of this is right. And they love to debate it. They
love to argue about it. But you know what I'm interested
in? What does the Bible say? What does the Bible say I have
to know in order to be saved? Well, our text gives us five
things every saved person knows. And I tell you, what do you have
to know in order to be saved? You have to know Christ. Now,
that's what you have to know. That's it. That's all you have
to know is him. But there are some things every
saved person knows. Now, some believers know these
things better than other believers. They're older, they're more mature,
there's such a thing as growth in grace and growth in knowledge.
Some believers know these things better than others. But every
believer, every person whom God has saved knows these five things. Now, we have to start here. Every
saved person born again, they've been given new life and a new
birth. And the knowledge that we have
is given to us in the new birth. Now, verse 8 in our text, John
9, the neighbors, therefore, and they which before had seen
him that was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
Some said, Yeah, this is he. Others said, Yeah, he's like
him. It's like we don't know for sure, but he sure looks like
him. But he said, I'm he. I am that one who was blind and
begged. I'm he. You know, people have
known this man all of his life, said, Boy, that sure looks like
that blind beggar. We passed him every day. Sure
looks like him. There's something different about him. Yeah, there's
something different about him. He can see. He can see. That's the new birth, isn't it?
When you're born again, you're the same person you've been in,
in the same body of flesh. Physically, you look just like
you always did. There's something different. That sure looks like that fellow
that I always have known. There's something different about
him. Yeah, there's something different about him. He's alive.
He's been given spiritual life. He can see. He's seen Christ.
You know what's different about him? You're taking note. He's been with Christ. He's holy. He's righteous. He's got a nature
that believes Christ. He sees. Well, something's different. Now the question starts. How
were you saved? When were you saved? Verse 10,
the question started with him. Therefore said they unto him,
how were thine eyes opened? See, this is what people are
always concerned with. How and when? And the question
they should be asking is who? Verse 11, he answered and he
said, well, look at his answer. This is very interesting. They
said, how? He told them who, didn't he? He answered and said,
a man that's called Jesus, he made clay. He anointed mine eyes
and he told me, go to the pool of Siloam and wash. And I went
and washed and I received sight. This man, this gave a simple,
honest, straightforward answer. He wasn't trying to impress people
with things he didn't know. He just told them what he knew
to be true. And this is teaching us, just walk in the light God
gives you, and he'll give you more light. But walk in the light
God gives you. This man, he knows something
of the work of Christ, doesn't he? He made clay, anointing my
eyes, told me to go wash. He knows something of that work.
And this is what he's going to learn before the end of this
chapter. He's going to learn a whole lot more about the person
of Christ, who he is. Isn't that how salvation starts?
You know something about the work of Christ, don't you? And
the longer it goes, you know what becomes more precious to
you? It's the person. You become more and more and
more in love with the person, the person of Christ. Well, verse
12, Then said they unto him, Where is he? And he said, I know
not. I know not. And men are full
of questions. They're full of the wrong questions.
They're still not asking who. Now they're asking, where is
he? And bless his heart, this man doesn't know. He doesn't
know. Knowledge grows. He'll learn this, but he doesn't
know it yet. But you seasoned believers, don't
you feel like him sometimes? Sometimes we say, I don't know
where he is. I don't know. Just like this
man. You can identify with him. But
verse 13, they brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime
was blind. And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay
and opened his eyes. Then again, the Pharisees also
asked him how he received his sight. He said unto them, he
put clay upon mine eyes and I washed and I do see. They brought him
before the Pharisees. Now, this is a big deal. You
know, I don't understand what a big deal this is to their When
they asked him about the Lord, he knew he could be excommunicated.
But he didn't shy away. He told what he knew. What he
knew was true. He didn't know much, did he?
But he's willing to tell what he knows. I'll just tell you
what I know. No more, no less. I'm not trying to impress the
Pharisees. I'm not going to try to ingratiate myself to you by
using your terms, your doctrinal terms, you know, make this sound
like it fits with what you're doing. I'm just going to tell
you Well, I know, even if it costs him, he's going to tell
what he knows. And he knew the Lord, the Pharisees
were looking for a reason to accuse our Lord. This miracle
had happened on the Sabbath day. Perish the thought, a work of
mercy was done on the Sabbath day. They're looking to accuse
him. And just a few chapters ago, we looked at this a number
of weeks ago. Christ has already taught us works of mercy are
permitted on the Sabbath day. But this goes against their pet
doctrine. So they're going to keep pounding on it. They're
going to keep looking for a reason to accuse him. Verse 16, Therefore
said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he
keepeth not the Sabbath day. Others said, Well, how can a
man that's a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among
them. You know, Christ always causes a division. Always. These men became divided and
none of them even knew Christ. They were divided. Now, they
were really divided over their own opinions and their thoughts,
but it had to do with their opinion of Christ. Religious men love
to debate, and they love to divide, just like these Pharisees are
doing right here in our text. Well, verse 17, they say unto
the blind man again, What sayest thou of him that he hath opened
thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. You know, these debaters never
quit asking the same questions. over and over and over again. I mean, they just wear you out
with it. But you'll notice now this man's
getting more light, isn't he? Now he says the Lord's a prophet.
Earlier he said he's a man. Now he says he's a prophet. He's
somebody that speaks for God. This man has the Word of God,
and we ought to listen to him if he's a prophet. If God's with
him, he's got the Word of God, he's got God's message, we'd
do well to listen to him. Now he doesn't know yet that
the Lord is that prophet like unto Moses, but you see he's
gaining more light, he's gaining more knowledge, he's learning,
he's walking the light God gives him and he's gaining more light.
Well, verse 18, the Jews did not believe concerning him that
he'd been blind and received his sight until they called the
parents of him that had received his sight. And they asked them,
saying, Is this your son who you say was born blind? How then
doth he now see? His parents answered them and
said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. But by what means he now seeth,
we know not. Or who hath opened his eyes,
we know not. He's of age, ask him. He'll speak
for himself. Now, these words fake his parents
because they fear the Jews. For the Jews had agreed already
that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put
out of the synagogue. He'd be excommunicated. Therefore,
that's why his parents said, he's of age, ask him. These Pharisees
were some of the original conspiracy theorists. At least some of them
thought this man was never blind in the first place. He's just
pretending he is blind. This was a conspiracy cooked
up between him and this man, Jesus of Nazareth. And he just
acted like he was blind so he could pretend to be healed. And
then this fellow is going to get all this glory that doesn't
belong to him. So they asked his parents, they thought, well,
his parents, you know, they'll be afraid of us and they'll tell the truth.
He never was blind. But his parents had to say, yes,
this is our son. If somebody looks like him, this
is really him. And he was born blind, we know
that. But we can't tell you any more
than that. Now this is how scary to them being called in front
of the Pharisees, in front of the Sanhedrin was. They refused
to say, Jesus of Nazareth killed our son. They knew full well
he did, but they refused to say it. Now think about it. Their son, before he met Christ,
had no hope of a cure. He had no hope whatsoever of
being cured. And our Lord appeared and gave
him sight. He healed him. Well, you'd think
the man that healed your child, you'd imagine one of your children
being a blind beggar. Somebody comes and heals him.
That man is going to be my best friend. I mean, I love him. I appreciate him. I just, oh,
I'm going to go tell everybody. You won't believe what this guy
did. Are you blind? Maybe you ought to go see him.
Maybe he did it for you. He did it for my son. Maybe. You'd think the
Lord would be their best friend. Just healed their son. You'd
think they'd identify with him no matter what. I don't care
what you guys say about him. He healed my son. But they were
so afraid of Sanhedrin. They would not say it. They knew
the Lord healed him, but they wouldn't say it because they
were afraid of being excommunicated. Now, being excommunicated was
serious business. If you were excommunicated, you're
a Jew, and they excommunicated you, they cut you off. You couldn't
go to the temple anymore. You couldn't go to where they
offered the sacrifices anymore. In effect, they cut you off from
God. God can only be worshiped through
the sacrifice. If you can't go where the sacrifices are offered,
you're cut off from God. That's how serious this was.
If they excommunicated you, you also lost all of your property.
Nobody could be your friend. Nobody could hire you and give
you a job. You're cut off. And the risk of that was too
great of a cost for the parents. They were so afraid, they kind
of throw their son under the bus, don't they? We don't know. You have to ask Him. If anybody's
going to bear the brunt of this, it's going to be Him, not going
to be us. Well, verse 24, then again, they call, called they
the man that was blind and they said unto him, give God the praise. We know this man's a sinner.
You know, they're not even asking the question. They're just telling
the answer to say, say this. Oh, we know this man's a sinner. That's just like reading today's
newspaper. People today are doing a lot of talk. Was Christ ever
a sinner? Is Christ a sinner? You know, they like to debate
this. Could Christ have sinned if he had wanted to? Did he have
the capacity to sin? Of course he didn't. He's a holy son of God. He doesn't
have the capacity to sin. He's holy. Well, let's debate
this thing. When Christ was made sin, did
he commit sin? As he's hanging there in that three hours of
darkness, was he a sinner? Did he commit sin? Of course
not. Scripture never teaches that.
What makes for a good debate, doesn't it? That's a good, juicy
debate. Something for us to chew on. They're debating something
similar to that way back there. We know he's a sinner. They just
weren't even hardly putting up for debate. We know he's a sinner.
But now this man, he's getting more and more light, more and
more knowledge. Look what he tells them, verse 25. He answered and
said, whether he'd be a sinner or no, I know not. One thing
I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see. Now, the way our translation
reads is, whether he be a sinner or no, I know not, does not accurately
translate what he said. What he's saying is, you guys
say he's a sinner, I will not agree with you on that. I can't
do it. I don't know much, but I know this man's not a sinner.
If he was a sinner, he couldn't have healed me. And then he says
the first thing, every saved person knows this. I was blind,
and now I see. I was born a sinner. A sinner
by birth. I was a sinner by choice. A sinner
by practice. I'm guilty. I'm guilty in Adam. I'm guilty in my own actions.
I was born guilty and I've lived guilty before God. I'm guilty. I was born a sinner. I was blind. But now I see because the Lord
Jesus Christ came and gave me my sight. I was lost but now
I'm found. because the Lord Jesus Christ,
the good shepherd of the sheep, came and found me where I was
and brought me back to the fold. I was born a sinner, born guilty,
but now I am free from all condemnation because Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. I was blind,
but now I see. Look over Matthew chapter 9.
Everyone that Christ saves knows this. Beyond a shadow of a doubt
they know. I'm a sinner. That's the way
I was born, a sinner. Matthew 9, verse 10. And it came to pass, as Jesus
sat at meat in the house, the old many publicans and sinners
came, and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees
saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your master with publicans
and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he
said unto them, They that behold need not a physician, but they
that are sick. Now you go learn what that means. I'll have mercy and not sacrifice. For I'm not come to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance. That's who Christ calls his sinners. And if you look at Romans chapter
7, even after conversion, after the Lord gives his sight, one
thing hasn't changed. I'm still a sinner. I'm a sinner
saved by grace, but I'm a sinner. Romans 7, verse 22. The Apostle says, I delight in
the law of God after the inward man. There has been a new man
born of me. I delight in the law of God after
that new man. But I see another law in my members,
warning against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that
I was. Not what he said, is it? Oh,
wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? Christ came and gave me sight.
He forgave me of all my sin, but I am still completely and
utterly dependent upon Him. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God I
am to be delivered through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with
the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the
law of Now, if you know you're a sinner, I'm not talking about
somebody that does something wrong every once in a while.
I'm talking about a sinner. A genuine, bona fide sinner who
can't do anything but sin. Who can't do anything to please
God. Everything I do deserves God's wrath. Everything I do
deserves for God to send me to hell. If you're that kind of
sinner, then God saved you. Because every saved person knows
that. I'm a sinner that deserves God's
wrath. I'm a sinner that deserves to be sent to hell forever. But
Christ saved me. He bore my punishment. But I
know this. I'm a sinner. Well, the Pharisees
aren't going to accept that. They will never accept that. They can't quit. They can't believe. They're just going to keep questioning.
They're going to keep debating. Look back at verse 26 in our
text. Then said they to him again. What did he to thee? How opened
he thine eyes? You know, they're just going
to keep asking the same question. Now, they turn it in different
ways. They might ask it in different manners, but they're always asking
the same question. How? How did he give you sight? What did he have to say about
him? Is this your son? You know, at the time, they didn't
even ask a question. They just told him what to say.
You know, they gave him the answer. They didn't give him a question.
And now they're back to what? What did he do to you? People
who keep asking the same question over and over and over again,
probably, most likely, they're not asking the same question
because they don't understand the answer. The gospel's simple. The simplicity of the gospel.
They understand the answer. They're asking the same question
over and over and over again because they don't like the answer.
They don't like the truth. They want the truth to change.
And they think if they keep asking often enough, they'll get a different
answer. Don't your children do that sometimes?
Well, they don't like the answer. Can we have these cookies? No.
Well, how about can we have some cookies? No. They keep asking
the same question over and over again. Hopefully, you change
your mind. That's why these Pharisees keep asking the same question
over and over and over again. Maybe they'll get a different
answer because they don't like the first one that they got.
That's what they're doing. But this man, I like this guy. He's growing in knowledge. He's
growing in light. And look at verse 27. He's growing
in boldness. He answered them, I told you
already, and you did not hear. Wherefore would you hear it again?
Will you also be his disciples? I admire that boldness. Now you
know he knew that was going to get under their skin. You know
that's striking right at the heart of the matter. In verse
28, then they reviled him and said, thou art his disciple,
but we're Moses' disciples. You want me to put that in today's
language? We're Calvinists. We follow Calvin. You know what? Following Moses didn't make anybody
saved, did it? I think it was Pink said this,
he said, Moses probably would just assume they didn't say we're
following Moses. He probably, you know, just assumed
not, kind of have them identify with him. Being Moses' disciple
didn't save anybody. Well, I'm a Baptist. What denomination? I'm a Baptist. I follow John
the Baptist. And don't make anybody saved.
Being Moses' disciple didn't save him. Being a Calvinist didn't
save him. Being a Baptist didn't save him.
Because Moses, Calvin, and John the Baptist never saved anybody.
Christ is the Savior. Christians are the ones who are
saved. People who follow Christ are people who have been saved.
So look at verse 29. Now we're Moses' disciples. We're Orthodox. We know that
God spake unto Moses. But as unto this And that word
fellows has been added by the translators. They couldn't even
think of a word bad enough. As to this, this, we know not
from whence he is. Now, this is how unbelief contradicts
itself. A few chapters ago, they said,
we're not going to believe on him because we know whence he
is. Well, they say here, well, I'm
not going to believe on him because I don't know whence he is. Now,
which is it? The only thing that's consistent
is I'm not going to believe on him. That's man's nature. Every
man by nature, I'm not going to believe on him. Well, here's
the second thing every safe person knows. Only Christ could save
me. Look at verse 30. The man answered
and said unto them, Why, here ends a marvelous thing, that
you know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
Now we know that God heareth not sinners. But if any man be
a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth." God
will hear that man. Since the world began, was it
not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born
blind? There is no power on earth that
could have gave this man his sight. None. The only one with
the power to heal him was Christ. The only one who was willing
to heal him was Christ. And this is what every safe person
knows. Only Christ has the power to save me. He's the only one.
We say with that leper, Lord, if you will, you can make me
whole. I don't know if you'll be pleased
to do it, but I know this. You've got the power to save
me, if you will. I know that. No power on earth can wash sin
away other than the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the
only one with the power to put my sin away. The Old Testament
sacrifices can't do it. It's not possible. that the blood
of bulls and goats should take away sin. There is no power on
earth that will give spiritual life to a dead sinner other than
the power of the death of Christ. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter
5. No power on earth can give spiritual
life other than Christ. Verse 14, 2 Corinthians chapter
5. For the love of Christ constraineth
us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then we
are all dead. Everyone he died for was dead,
and required a sacrifice to die in their stead. And he died for
all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves,
but unto him which died for them and rose again." The only way
we will ever receive spiritual life is if Christ died for us. He is the only one with the power
to do it. There is no power on earth that can pardon sin other
than the power of Christ. Speaking comfortably to Jerusalem,
crying to her, her warfare is accomplished, her iniquity is
pardoned. Why is her iniquity pardoned?
Because she hath received through the Lord's hand double for all
her iniquity. It is His power that pardons
sin. Nothing can make a sinner righteous other than the power
of Christ. The law can't make you righteous.
By the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in
this sight. The law can't do it. The law made nothing perfect,
but the green yin of a better hope did. Hope in Christ made
man perfect. And if you're saved, you know
this. The law didn't save you. The church didn't save you. Your
mama didn't save you. Christ saved you from all your
sin. And here's the third thing, verse
33. Every saved person knows this. Christ is sufficient. If this man were not of God,
he could do nothing. Now, saying Christ is of God
means that Christ is God. The Lord Jesus Christ is God. Well, if he's God, he's sufficient
for everything I need, isn't he? Christ is sufficient to satisfy
God's law for me as my representative. Christ is sufficient to satisfy
God's justice. by dying as my substitute in
my place. Christ is sufficient to make
me righteous. I'm righteous because Christ
is my righteousness. It's not this business of righteousness
imputed and imparted. I'm righteous for this reason.
Christ is my righteousness. Christ is sufficient to justify
a sinner like me. He rose again for my justification. Christ is all-sufficient. He's
my wisdom. my righteousness, my sanctification,
my redemption. Whatever it is I need, whatever
it is God requires of me, Christ is that. He is sufficient to
make me accepted and a beloved. Every saved person knows that.
Every person God saved rejoices in that. But the self-righteous
man, he hates that. Verse 34, they answered and said
unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach
us? And they cast him out. These
men, they're too proud to learn anything from a blind beggar.
This blind beggar's going to teach me? Be careful of that attitude.
I told you in the class, if we're going to learn anything from
God, if we're going to hear from God, I tell you he's going to
tell it to us. Bob's going to be a blind beggar. It's going
to be a leper telling. It's going to be a blind beggar.
That's who God's going to send to preach the gospel to us. Well,
they hated that. They wanted to hear from him,
so they excommunicated him. They said, let's just cut him
off. We don't have to deal with him anymore. I hear from him.
I can look at him. I can be reminded of him. It was just excommunicating.
Good. Good. Second best thing that
ever happened to him is they kicked him out of their church.
First thing, best thing that ever happened to him is he met
Christ. Second best thing that ever happened to him is they
kicked him out. You know what? He wouldn't have gone back there
anyway. He was not going to go back to that bondage after Christ
had set him free. He wasn't going to go back under
the bondage of that law after he'd experienced grace in Christ.
He's not going to go back to the hatred of these men under
the law after he'd experienced love in Christ. He's not going
to go back there anyway. He's been made free. One of the
Puritans said this, all divisions are not necessarily evil and
all unity is not necessarily good. It's fine that we'd be
divided from false religion. It wouldn't be good if we'd be
united with them. Second best thing happened to
him. They excommunicated him. But you know, that's still a
very traumatic experience for a Jew. I mean, he'd been raised
in this, steeped in this, and now he's cut off. He's got no
friends. He's got no family. He's got
no place to worship. That's pretty scary. But our
Lord did not leave him there. Verse 35, Jesus heard that they
cast him out. And when he found him, he said
unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? Our Lord found
him. I was lost, but now I'm found. Because I didn't find him, he
found me. I didn't even know who he was.
I didn't know what he looked like. He found me. And when our Lord
found him, he asked the question of questions. Now you think about
this. Do you believe on the Son of
God? Question of questions. Do you
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Well, if you
believe that He is the Son of God, you believe He's God. Now,
if He's God, He's holy, isn't He? God's holy. Well, if Jesus
Christ is God, He's holy. If Jesus Christ is God, He's
just. Just and holy is His name. Well, if He's God, whatever He
does with you, is holy and just. If he died for you, he's holy
and just. If he passed you by, he's holy
and just. If he found you, this man was
sitting there blind, the Lord passing by those Pharisees, and
he stopped and healed that blind man. If he passes you by, like
he passed by those Pharisees, he's holy and just. Now come
on, isn't that right? He's holy and just. I'm in his
hands. do with me as he pleases, because
he's God. And if he saves me, he's holy
and just, because he sent his Son as my substitute to die on
my place. Now, here's the question. Do
you believe on the Son of God? Do you believe? Now, the question's
not, did you have an experience? The question is not, how many
years ago, you know, yeah, I believed, I walked an aisle, I had this
experience. This man had an experience, didn't
he? He was blind, and then he saw. He had 20-20 vision. He had an experience, but that's
not what the Lord asked him. Do you believe on the Son of
God? He didn't ask him, have you suffered for Christ's sake?
Now, he had suffered for Christ's sake. He'd been excommunicated.
But that's not what the Lord asked him. Do you believe on
the Son of God? The question's not, have you
taken a stand for Christ? This man had, hadn't he? But
that's not what the Lord asked him. Do you believe on the Son
of God? The Lord didn't ask him, are
you orthodox? The Pharisees were orthodox.
They believed God spoke to Moses. They were orthodox. But that's
not the question. The question is, do you believe
on the Son of God? If you believe Christ, I'll give
you several ways you can know this. You can know if you believe
Christ. Look at 1 John chapter 5. If you believe Christ, you believe
his word. You may not even know you believe
it, but when you read it in the word, you believe it. You say,
yep, that's what I believe. 1 John 5, verse 13. These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may
know you have eternal life, and that you believe on the name
of the Son of God. How do you know that? Because
you believe the things that are written. You believe God's word.
If you believe Christ, you trust him. I mean, you just completely,
blindly trust him. I know whom I believed and I'm
persuaded he's able to keep that which I've committed unto him
against that day. What have you committed to him? Everything. Why wouldn't I? I trust him. I know he's able. I trust him.
If you trust Christ, you quit trying to make up for your sin
that we all do this. Oh, I wish I would never do this
again. I do something I should have
said that I should have done that. That's such a rotten attitude. Well, I just can't pray I start
acting better, you know, if. You know, that's trying to come
up with a sacrifice for your sin, making yourself more savable.
If you trust Christ, you quit that. And you trust Him to save
you, lock, stock and barrel. Save you from all your sin. And
if you believe Christ, you confess Him. You confess Him in baptism. You confess Him in public worship.
You identify with His people. The question is this. Do you
believe? Do you believe on Jesus Christ? Well, I sure would like to, Mike.
Oh, I'd like to. Look here in our text, that's
what this man says, verse 36. I sure would like to. 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.
Here's the fourth thing every saved person knows. He said,
Who is he, Lord, that I might believe? And our Lord says, I'm
him. Every saved person knows this.
I believe. on the Son of God. I don't believe
like I ought to. I don't believe like I should.
I don't believe like I want to. I don't believe worthy of all
His glory and who He is, but I believe. See here verse 38? He said, Lord, I believe. Oh, I believe. I know who I have believed. Unbelief is always concerned
with how and when and where and what. Faith is always concerned
with whom. Not what, but whom. Salvation
is knowing a person. It's believing a person. It's
union with a person. Salvation is knowing Jesus Christ
that God sent. And every time, every time I
see him, I believe. This man saw Christ, he said,
I believe. Every time I see him, I believe.
Every saved person does. And here's the fifth thing. Every
saved person knows. I know I worship Christ. He said,
Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. We cannot
for long forsake this assembling together of God's people. Because
I know I need to worship. I want to worship. I need to
worship. He's worthy to be worshipped.
I know I want to worship him. Now Christ came to save sinners.
And he that began that good work in you will perform it, till
you know all these things. And here in these last verses,
look at this. Christ didn't come to call the righteous. He came
to save sinners. And that salvation, He didn't
come to condemn the world. He came to save them, didn't
He? But in saving sinners from their sins, the same one who
saved at the same time condemns the self-righteous. Look at verse
39. And Jesus said, for judgment I'm coming to this world. that
they which see not might see, and that they which see might
be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him
heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus
said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin. But now
ye say, We see. Therefore your sin remaineth.
Christ came to give sight to sinners who are in spiritual
darkness, and he came to blind those that are so wise They think
they know all the answers. They think they see all the answers.
They don't think they need a Savior. Christ came to blind them. Now,
they're already blind, but sadly, they don't know it. They're blind
and they think they see. And Christ, his salvation, his
work for his people, all it's going to do for them, it saves
his elect. It gives his elect a soft heart
of flesh. But that same sacrifice, that same gospel that softens
your heart, that gives you the heart of all you love and makes
you just so thankful to the self-righteous, it hardens them in their sin.
It hardens them in their rebellion, and they'll be put under judicial
blindness so that they can't see. Right now, they don't want
to see. Pretty soon, they won't be able
to see because of their unbelief and their refusal to believe
Christ. One of the writers said this, oh, this is great. The
same light that lets a dog see, blinds a bat. The same light. The same light that gives you
sight, blinds the self-righteous. Now, are you blind? I mean, do
you know that you're blind? Well, Christ came to take away
your sin and give you sight. And if he saved you, you know
this. You know I was blind, now I see. I was lost, now I'm found. I'm a sinner, but he washed me
from my sin. If Christ saved you, you know
this. Christ is the only one who could save me. The only way
I'd ever find salvation is in him. If Christ has saved you,
you know this. Christ is all you need. He's
sufficient. If Christ has saved you, you
know this. You know you believe on the name of the Son of God.
You know you believe on Jesus Christ. You don't believe like
you wish you would. You know your faith is weak and
you wish it was stronger, but you do believe. If Christ is
Savior, you know this. You know you worship the true
and living God. I don't wonder, is this the gospel? I don't wonder,
is Christ the Savior? I don't wonder, is this the true
and living God or could some of these other fellows be true?
Could what they be saying be right? Is there some truth to
this Armenian business? I never wonder that, ever. I know I worship the true and
living God. It's by his grace. But I know
it. I know it because he's given
me sight to see Christ. See, what you have to know in
order to be saved is you know Christ. If you know him, if you've
seen him, you know all these other things. Once you see Christ,
All your doctrine will be right. It will straighten everything
else up. It's seeing Him. Oh, I pray God will let us see
Him, know Him, and believe Him. All right, let's bow. Our Heavenly
Father, how we thank You for Your mercy and Your grace, Your
power, that You'd use such almighty, divine power to save sinners
such as we are. that you've given us sight, you've
revealed your Son, your precious Son, to the hearts of your people. Father, we're thankful. We know
we were born blind, born in sin and rebellion, couldn't see you,
wouldn't see you, wouldn't come to you, wouldn't cry for mercy,
but you came where we were. You gave us sight. You saved
us by your grace. You washed us in the blood, washed
us free from all sin in the blood. of your sons sacrificed for us.
He died the death we deserve so that there is therefore now
no condemnation to those who are in Christ. You revealed yourself
to us. You've given us your gospel so
we know by your grace we worship the true and living God. Father,
we're thankful and we beg of thee that blind beggars who are
here this morning, that you come to them. They don't call. They're
not asking for mercy. But Father, would you send your
Son to them. Reveal yourself to them and give
them sight. We know it will be the praise
of your glory, your matchless, precious name. It's in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ we give thanks and ask these blessings.
And Father, we pray that you bless this food that we're about
to eat and bless this time of fellowship. We're thankful for
it. It's in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.