will of the Lord to preach to
you this morning, you will be damned." I don't make that statement
because I'm anything special, because I'm not. But the gospel
that I preach is special, because it's the gospel of God's Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ. And our text this morning makes
this crystal clear. If you do not believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ, you will be damned. Now, someone may think,
well, that's just not fair. I just wish that Christ had never
come. Because then, if He hadn't come,
I wouldn't have to do with Him. You know, Scripture tells us
we have to do with Him. If He hadn't come, I just wouldn't
have to do with Him. I wouldn't be damned if I refused
to believe Him. Well, I know you can't say that.
Because Scripture is clear. Every son of Adam is already
condemned in Adam. were already condemned because
of Adam's sin. Christ didn't come into the world
that we'd be condemned. The world was condemned already.
Christ didn't have to do anything for the world to be condemned.
It was already condemned in Adam. Christ came into the world to
save sinners out of that world, out of that fallen world. Christ
came to deliver sinners from the condemnation of Adam's sin. So let's begin looking here at
verse 17. This is the conclusion of our
Lord's conversation with Nicodemus. And our Lord says in verse 17,
ìFor God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through him might be saved.î And our Lord makes an amazing
statement to Nicodemus. God sent his Son into the world. Now that is an amazing act of
God's love, that God would send his Son into the world. God sent
his Son into this world as a man, made of a woman. He humbled himself
to be made of a woman. God sent his Son to humble himself
and appear in the likeness of sinful flesh. He humbled himself
to be made under the law. Now that's the proof that God
loves this fallen world, that God sent his only begotten Son
into this world. And God's Son came, not just
to live on this world, to walk around for a time of earthly
ministry, but the end of that time was the purpose for which
he came. He came to die. He came to bear
the condemnation of his people, to bear the condemnation of the
sin of his people that he loves. God did not send his Son into
the world to condemn the world. Like I said a minute ago, the
world's already condemned in Adam. God didn't even send his
Son into this world to condemn Israel. We could understand if
God did that, if he sent his Son into the world to condemn
Israel. Israel had the scriptures, they had the prophets, they had
the priesthood, they had the tabernacle, they had all the
worship of God, and they turned everything that God gave them
into idolatry. God gave them the grace and serpent,
they turned around and worshipped it. They turned everything God
gave them into idolatry. But God didn't send his Son into
the world to condemn Israel. God sent his Son into the world
that the world through him might be saved. God didn't send his
Son into the world to condemn the Gentiles, who for the whole
history of mankind had lived in idolatry and in the wickedness
of their own imagination. God didn't send his Son into
the world to condemn the Gentiles. He sent his Son into the world
that the world through him might be saved. And there are four
conclusions that we can draw from this statement. God sent
his Son into the world. If God sent his Son into the
world, first of all, we can conclude man must be lost. I mean, they
must be lost. If man's not lost, God never
would have taken this extreme measure to send his only begotten
Son into this world to save sinners. If God's Son came into this world
to save sinners, man must be lost, completely and utterly
lost. Second, if Christ came into this
world, we must conclude Christ is the only Savior. If there
was any other way For sinners to be saved, other than through
the life and the sacrifice of God's own Son, you can rest assured
God would have done it. Now, God would be a monster if
salvation could come any other way other than through His Son,
yet God sent His Son anyway. God would be a monster. Look
over Galatians chapter 3. In Galatians 3 verse 21, is the law then against the promises
of God? Well, God forbid. If there had
been a law given, which could have given life, merely righteousness
should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded
all understand. The scripture hath concluded
what our first conclusion was. All men are lost. All men are
understand. The scripture hath concluded
all understand that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might
be given to them that believe. The only Savior is the Lord Jesus
Christ. Men cannot save themselves. They're lost. They can't find
the way. They're lost. Christ is the only
Savior. That's what our Lord said. I'm
the door. I'm the only door. I'm the only
way of life. Christ is the only Savior. Third,
if God sent His Son into the world, we can conclude that Christ
is going to save sinners. God didn't send his son into
this world to make an attempt to save as many people as might
accept him. God didn't send his son into
this world to go to those people who are lost and dead in their
sin and hope somebody would accept him. God sent his son into this
world to save sinners from their sin. He shall save his people
from their sin. He didn't make his best effort
He actually saved God's elect. Not one of them will be lost.
The translators have used this word might. That the world through
him might be saved. That doesn't mean might like
we use the term might. Maybe it'll happen, maybe it
won't. I don't know. My daughter Savannah says it
might rain. There's always, she says, a 50%
chance of rain. Either will or it won't. It might
rain. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. I don't know. That's not
what this word means. This means it's God's purpose
to save sinners from their sin and God's Son will not be a failure
because men refuse to accept Him. He came to be the Savior
of sinners and His people will be saved and they will believe
on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Four, the fourth conclusion
we can draw from this statement. God sent His Son into the world.
that encourages sinners to come to Christ. Nothing will encourage
a sinner to come to Christ like this statement will. God sent
His Son into this world. Now, since God sent His Son into
this world, nothing's stopping you from coming to Christ. Nothing
at all. Because God sent His Son into
this world to save sinners of whom I'm chief. Because God sent
His Son into this world, There's no work left to do. Just come
and rest in the finished work of Christ. There's nothing left
to do. Just believe. That's what our
Lord's been telling Nicodemus. Just believe. Just look and live. And he goes on in verse 18. Our
Lord says, He that believeth on him is not condemned. But he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God. Every son of Adam. And that's
all of us. All of us here. All of us who
are born in God's creation are born under the curse. We're born
under the sentence of death that passed upon all men because of
Adam's sin. And that includes God's elect.
God's loved us from all of eternity, but when we're born in this world,
we're born under the curse of Adam's sin. But if you look over
Romans chapter 8 to the believer, There is no condemnation. To anyone who believes in Christ,
there is no condemnation. In Romans 8, verse 1, there is
therefore now, right now, no condemnation to them which are
in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit. Well, why not? Why isn't there
condemnation to those who are in Christ? Because Christ was
condemned. He stood condemned in the place
of his people. There's no curse to anyone in
Christ because Christ already suffered the curse as a substitute
for his people. The chastisement of our peace
was on him and he made peace through the blood of his cross.
There's no condemnation and everyone who believes in Christ is not
condemned. They're not under any condemnation. Now, it's not that we will not
be condemned. Now, we will be chastised for
our sin, won't we? So that we'll learn. But we'll
never be condemned. Right now, anyone who believes
in Christ is not condemned. That's not a future blessing
that we hope someday in the future, the day of judgment, whenever
that may be, we won't be condemned. This is a present blessing. Everyone
who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is not condemned. And your business, my business,
is to believe. It's that simple. Just believe
on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ
is the only object of faith. Our Lord says, he that believeth
on him. Not he that believes the right
set of doctrines. Not he that walked an aisle.
Not he that cleaned up his life and started doing better than
he used to do. He that believeth on him is not condemned. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
only object of faith. And your business and my business
is to believe him. Just believe him. And if you
believe him, our Lord said, you're not condemned. Now we know this. Christ did not come to save everyone.
I know that's what people in the world say, but now that's
not true. I know that can't be true because there are people
who are condemned. There are people who are not
saved. Well, now, who is it that's condemned? Well, our Lord says
it. You couldn't make it more plain.
Those who do not believe, they're condemned. Now listen to me. It's not murder. It's not adultery. It's not theft that sends a man
or woman to hell. It's unbelief. Unbelief. Those other things are bad enough
now. They're sin, I'm telling you. But what sends us to hell
is unbelief. The children of Israel out there
in the wilderness could not enter in because of idolatry when they
worshiped the golden calf. Not what Scripture says, is it?
The children of Israel couldn't enter in because they murmured
against God. They murmured against Moses.
Not bad enough, but that's not what Scripture says. Scripture
says they could not enter in because of unbelief. Unbelief
is what kept them out of the Promised Land. Unbelief is the
crime of high treason. against God and against God's
Son. Unbelief is the greatest insult that you can throw in
God's face. Because when you do not believe
God's Son, this is what you're saying. The death of Christ wasn't
necessary for me. I can take care of this sin business
myself. Now, if you don't believe God's Son, that's exactly what
you're saying. And God could not be more insulted
that someone would not believe and trust in his only begotten
son that he sent to this world to save sinners. Look over Hebrews
chapter 2. This crime of unbelief is very,
very serious. In Hebrews chapter 2 verse 1. Now, therefore, the apostle here
has been talking about this world that's perishing. Because it's
perishing, therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed
to the things which we've heard, lest at any time we should let
them slip. But if the word spoken by angels, and when he says angels
here, he means messengers. He doesn't mean seraphims and
cherubims. He means the Old Testament prophets, the messengers of God.
If the word spoken by those messengers, those Old Testament prophets,
If that word was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape,
if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be
spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?
Oh, if the disobedience against those pictures of Christ, if
that earned a man the just recompense of reward, how shall we escape? who've had the gospel opened
up to us so plainly, so clearly, to have Christ revealed to us,
not in type and picture, but openly. Look over at Hebrews
chapter 10, verse 28. He that despised Moses' law died
without mercy under two or three witnesses. of how much sore punishment,
suppose ye, should he be thought worthy to have trodden underfoot
the Son of God, and have counted the blood of the covenant wherewith
he was sanctified an unholy thing, and have done despite unto the
Spirit of grace." Now this matter of unbelief is very, very serious.
You see what that says? If we do not believe the gospel,
if we do not believe God's Son, we've trodden underfoot. the Son of God. How angry would
that make you if somebody trod under their foot one of your
children? We've trodden underfoot God's
Son. We do not believe in Him. We do not believe God's Son.
We count as an unholy thing the blood of His sacrifice. That
blood is a sweet-smelling savor to the Father. If we don't believe
Christ, we've counted it an unholy thing. And the condemnation for
that is just. It's just and right. That's what
we do. We do not believe the gospel.
If you do not believe Christ, our Lord says you're already
condemned. It's not just that you'll be
condemned one day in the day of judgment. You're already condemned. That's what our Lord says. He
says it again here at the end of John, chapter three, verse
36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and
he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath
of God abideth on him." If you do not believe Christ, you're
already condemned. You're like a man sitting on
death row. Condemnation is certain, and we'll see in a few moments
it's just. Now, why wouldn't Anyone believe
Christ? Mike Iverson up here talking
about that poor service. Why wouldn't anybody believe
Christ? Christ is true. He deserves to be believed. He's
the truth. There's no other truth other
than Christ. He deserves to be believed. Christ is good. He deserves to be received. He
deserves to be embraced. Why wouldn't men believe on Him?
Well, the answer is that simple. because of our dead spiritual
nature. That's why. Look at verse 19 in our text.
This is what our Lord says. And this is the condemnation,
that light is coming to the world, and men love darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that
doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved. Now, our spiritually dead nature
loves darkness and hates light. It's not just that men don't
really like the gospel. They hate it. Men by nature hate
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ because they hate light.
It's not just that men are in darkness and wish they were somewhere
else. Man loves darkness. Man by nature prefers ignorance
to knowledge. Men by nature prefer error to
truth. They prefer superstition to worship. They prefer it to the light of
truth. And an unbeliever just adds to his condemnation by refusing
to believe the gospel when he hears it. Not just he reveals
his dead nature when he refuses to believe the gospel. Oh, that's
so. He adds to his condemnation by refusing to believe the gospel
when he hears it. In Matthew 11, Isn't that what
our Lord told that great city, Capernaum? He done so many works,
so many miracles in that city. And he told them it would be
more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you in judgment. Because you've seen the miracles.
You've seen the things of Christ revealed. It would be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom in judgment than for thee. And God's condemnation
is just. Now that's just. Christ the light
came to them and what did they do? They rejected him. They rejected him, they hated
him and they yelled crucify him because they love darkness and
hate the light. And I can tell you why man by
nature loves darkness and hates light. Because the light of Christ
revealed us who we are. When we stand under that great
spotlight of the light of Christ There's no pretending there were
something that were not. When we stand under that light,
everything's revealed. You can't pretend and hide anymore.
You know who loves darkness? Criminals. Criminals love darkness. They do what they do under the
cover of darkness because they don't want anybody to see what
they're doing. A number of years ago, I was
on the grand jury, Grand County. And we heard testimony that just
would curl your hair. I mean, my goodness sakes, the
stuff that goes on in this county. And there was a day this police
officer came in from the city of Russell, the city where I
live. And I'm telling you, this guy testified for an hour. I
mean, one after another after another. They were drunk and
driving. There was possession of drugs. They were selling drugs.
There was a guy stopped in the middle of the Ironton-Russell
Bridge and started a big fist fight. They got out ball bats
and all means. I mean, you wouldn't believe
the stuff this guy was testifying about. And another woman on the
grand jury, she's my neighbor, lives in downtown Russell, and
she raised her hand and she said, I've lived in Russell a long
time. I've never seen you. I've never seen you. I have no
recollection of your face. And I've never seen anything
like what you're testifying about. And he smiled and he said, ma'am,
He said, that's because these things go on in the dark. Everything
I'm telling you about happening between two and three o'clock
in the morning when all the good citizens of Russell are in bed.
You're in bed when this stuff's going on because the people that
do these things do them under the cover of darkness. And she
said, oh, that makes sense. That's our nature. Don't think
this fellow driving across the Russell Bridge drunk is any different
than me. This fellow that started this
big riot? He's the same as you and me. We've got the same nature. And men by nature hate the light
of Christ. They hate the truth of what the
gospel says about us because it exposes our sin nature. And
we're ashamed. We hate to admit that's what
we are by nature. But now let's not pretend. This
is what scripture says you and I are. Sinners, depraved, who
are ashamed when the light is exposed on us. We're exposed
by this light. Men by nature don't want their
wicked, evil nature exposed with the light of the Lord Jesus Christ.
See, if we ignore that light and we just compare ourselves
to one another, well, yeah, of course you look good compared
to me. Of course you do. But when we compare ourselves
to the Lord Jesus Christ, that's another matter altogether. Now
we're revealed. for the depravity and darkness
and ugliness that we are when we compare ourselves to the Lord
Jesus Christ. I'll never know that I'm wicked
until I see myself in the light of Christ. This word reproved,
it means more than just exposed. It does mean exposed, but the
word actually means to find fault with or to expose the shame of. All of our works are shameful
and God should find fault with every work we've ever done in
ourselves because all we are is sin. But now listen, this
light isn't just hated by people who are criminals. This light
isn't just hated by people down in the bars with the brothels.
Christ the light is hated the most by religious people. By people and buildings, what
we call churches with steeples today. That's where Christ the
Light is hated the most. And the reason that he's hated
the most there is because Christ reveals to them that their religion
is evil. Their religion is wickedness.
The same thing happened when Christ came. The Jews had those
Old Testament scrolls. They read them every day. And
Christ is revealed in those scriptures in type and shadow. But when
Christ came, the shadows were driven away. There are no shadows
in presence of the light. And when those shadows and types
were seen for what they really are, those Jewish leaders were
faced with a decision. They either had to admit that
they're lost and they're wicked and they're undone and plead
for mercy for Christ's sake, or they had to hate the light.
and deny everything that the light revealed. And you know
what they did? They took Nixon's tax. Deny,
deny, deny. And today, in our day, Christ
the light reveals the shame of man-made religion. Christ reveals
the blame of our sin. And Christ reveals that our religion,
man-made religion, from the time of the Pharisees until today,
is a sinful perversion of the truth. They use words from the
Bible like grace and truth and Jesus, but their religion is
a sinful perversion of the truth. Now the only way that I can ever
know that my works of righteousness, all my religious doings are filthy
rags, all my tithing, all my quitting a bunch of bad habits,
the only way I can know those things are filthy rags is to
compare my so-called works of righteousness to Christ. Then
and only then will I see I'm undone. I'm a man of unclean
lips. All this stuff I thought was
good is filthy rags in God's sight. Now, by nature, I'll always
hate what the truth reveals about me, that I'm a sinful man. You are too. And religious people
hate the light. You know why they hate the light?
I've heard people say this a number of times. If what you're saying
is true, I'm lost. If what you're saying is true,
my grandmother is lost. That's exactly what I'm saying.
Make no mistake about it. You're lost by nature. Every
one of us now, starting with me. That's exactly what I'm saying,
because that's what scripture says. We're born lost, dead in
trespasses and sins. And our unbelief will damn us. I hope that's black. Black enough. Depressing enough. Because all's
not lost. See, the good news will never
be good news until you hear the bad news. Now it's got to be
as bad as it can be. All's not lost. Christ the light
reveals who and what I am. That light convicts me of my
sin. It convicts me because of who I am. But that light also
shuts a sinner up to mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at
verse 21. But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they
are wrought in God. That he that doeth truth, that
describes the character of every believer. Every believer doeth
the truth. Now what on earth is it to do
truth? Well, we know this. Christ is
the truth. Don't we know that from scripture?
Christ is the truth. So doing truth is simply believing
the truth. It's simply believing the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, we say believing the truth.
This is not just saying. Yeah, that's true, I see that,
that's true, there's no denying it, that's true, that's not fake,
that's not believing, doing truth. That's just giving mental assent
to something that is so obvious Stevie Wonder could see it. But
doing truth is depending entirely upon the Lord Jesus Christ to
save me from my sin without any contribution from me. That's
doing the truth. That's believing the Lord Jesus
Christ. And whoever does truth believes
Christ and they come to Christ the light. Now, I'm no English
major. English was always my weakest
subject in school, but I read this from the commentaries and
it does agree with what I do remember from my English classes.
This word doeth and cometh are in the present tense. That means
a believer is always believing Christ in the present tense.
It's not just I believed Christ once, although I did. I'm believing
Him right now. Right now. I believe the Lord
Jesus Christ. We keep believing. And Lord willing,
I'm going to believe again tomorrow. I'm going to believe again Tuesday.
I'm going to believe again Wednesday. I believe again and again and
again. Because I can do no other. A
believer comes to Christ. It's not just I came to Christ
once, although I did. I keep coming to Christ. I come
to Him again and again and again and again. That's what Peter
said in 1 Peter. To whom? Coming. We're constantly
coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. Where else would I want to be?
Of course I keep coming to Him. A believer keeps coming to Christ
because Christ is all my salvation. So I keep coming to Him. A believer
keeps coming to Christ because Christ is my life. It's not just
he gives me life. He is my life. So I keep coming
to him. A believer keeps coming to Christ
because Christ is all my comfort. I can't find comfort anywhere
else. So I keep coming to him. A believer keeps coming to Christ
because Christ is all the peace of my heart. Now grab ahold of
your seats. Every believer. wants his deeds
to be seen. So every believer brings their
deeds to the light. Why? Because all the believer's
deeds before the Father were deeds done by the Lord Jesus
Christ, our representative and our substitute. And I'm telling
you this, I'll bring those deeds to the light. I want, I need
those deeds to be seen by the Father because those deeds, that's
my salvation. Those deeds, that's my righteousness. Those deeds, that's my obedience.
I want those deeds to be seen in the light, in the perfect
light. I'll bring His deeds to the light
because I'm not ashamed of the deeds of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I just prefer to hide mine. But His deeds, I want those to
be seen. I'm not ashamed of them. Those
were the deeds that Christ did as my representative. And those
deeds will never condemn me. Those deeds will always save. That's why I don't just want
them to be seen. I need them to be seen. Because
he's my salvation. Now this is a very bold statement
for a sinful man to make, but it's true. You go ahead And you
shine the light on me. God's searchlight. You shine
it on me. I'm confident. Because in Christ,
I've done good. In Christ, I've done nothing
but good. Because His deeds, which were
perfect, they're my deeds. His righteousness is my righteousness. What He did, I did in Him. Because
He's my representative and a believer comes to Christ because of the
work of God in them. No man by nature will ever come
to God until God draws him. Until God does a work of grace
in him. And then he'll come. You can't
keep him away. He'll come. No man wants to come
to Christ until God gives him a new want to. And when in the
new birth, we're given a new nature with new desires. And
what's our desire? Come to Christ. You try to keep
one of God's children from Him. Can't be done. That's their desire
to come to Christ. A sinner comes to Christ. And
when they do, this is what they reveal. God's done a work of
grace, not just for them. He's done a work of grace in
them. And they come. They come to Christ. The work
of unbelief that condemns is entirely our work. That's the
work of the flesh. But the work of salvation, the
work of righteousness, that's entirely the work, entirely the
deeds of Christ our substitute. And how I pray that the Lord
will deliver every one of us here this morning from a wicked
heart of unbelief and go home. with a heart of true faith. That
heart will do truth. That heart will believe Christ
and come to Christ who is all our salvation. God deliver us
from the condemnation of unbelief and give us a heart of true faith. Let's pray.