Would you turn with me to John
Chapter 9, Gospel of John Chapter 9. I'm always awful happy to be
with you. Bless you. I'd like to read the 39th verse. This message is entitled, The
Two-Fold Judgment of Christ. John chapter 9, verse 39, and
Jesus said, for judgment I am come into this world. Now you and I don't come into
this world. We're born into this world, but we don't come into
this world. Christ Jesus came into this world
because he was before he came. Jesus Christ is God. God, the son, the second person
of the Trinity, the eternal one. Don't you love that? I love who
he is. And Jesus said for judgment,
I am coming to this world that they which see not might see. And they which see might be made
blind. And the Lord tells us, this is
why I have come. You know, anytime we read in
the scriptures where the Lord tells us why he came. We ought
to listen very, very carefully. John chapter 3 verse 17, God
sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that
the world through him might be saved. In Luke 19, verse 10, the Lord
says, the Son of Man. I love the way He calls Himself
the Son of Man. The Son of God is the Son of Man. And the Son
of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. 1 Timothy
1.15. This is a faithful saying. It's
worthy of all acceptation. that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners. Of whom I am the chief, Paul
said. In John chapter six, verse 38,
he said, I came down from heaven, not to
do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this
is the father's will, which has sent me. that of all which he
hath given me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up again
at the last day. Now, here's another simple, powerful
statement regarding his coming, and it comprehends those other
scriptures I just quoted for judgment, for a verdict, for
the sentence. Have I come into this world that
they which see not might see, and that they which see might
be made blind. Now what in the world does the
Lord mean by that? He came so folks who can't see
will see, and those who do see will be blinded. What in the
world does the Lord mean by that? Let's go to the beginning of
this chapter, verse one. And as Jesus passed by, he saw
a man which was blind from his birth. You ever thought about
what it would be like to be born blind? You don't have a concept
of anything. All there is is darkness. I wonder
what goes on in the imagination of someone who's born blind since
they don't have any point of reference. He was born blind. He could not see. Verse two, and his disciples
asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind? You know that question doesn't
make a lot of sense, does it? Who sinned, this man or his parents
that he was born blind? Well, were they born blind? Was he
born blind for sin he had not yet committed and he was judged
for that sin he had not yet committed? Or perhaps his parents did something
really terrible and he was punishing them by blinding this man. That shows what people think
of the Lord, doesn't it? Bad question. Bad question. We ask some bad questions, don't
we? Jesus answered, neither hath
this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should
be manifest in him." Now, he's not saying neither he nor his
parents had ever sinned. Both he and his parents sinned
in Adam and they sinned themselves. He is saying that the Lord has
let this happen in order that his works might be manifest. You know, that's why the Lord
does everything he does. I believe that. So whether I
believe it or not, but I believe that everything he does, he does
to make his works manifest who he really is. And this man was
born blind for this purpose that God might make himself known
in this event. Amen. The Lord so glorious. He says in verse four, I must
work the works of him that sent me while it's day. The night
cometh when no man can work. As long as I'm in the world,
I am the light of the world. The night was when he would no
longer be in the world. He said, I've glorified thee
on earth. I've finished the work that you gave me to do. And he's
going back to his father. Verse six, and when he had thus
spoken, now remember this man was born blind. You know, if
you're blind, you don't have any concept of sight. Had no
idea. As a matter of fact, the only
time you can have any concept of blindness is when you're given
sight. He didn't really understand.
He didn't understand that. That's all he ever knew. You
know, can you imagine if you were born blind and given sight? Only then would you really understand
your blindness. Verse six, when he had thus spoken,
he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed
the eyes of the blind man with the clay. Now, picture this.
He spat the ground, made some mud, stuck it in his eyes. And then he said, go wash in
the pool of Siloam. Now, what this tells me is that
God always works through means. He could have just willed him
to see and he would. But he always works through means. God is a God of means. And those means in and of themselves
are powerless. How could making mud and sticking
it in the guy's eyes do him any good? The means in and of themselves
are powerless. God works in spite of the means. And if the Lord ever works through
me or you, it will be in spite of us. He said unto him, go wash in
the pool of Siloam, which is by interpretation sent. He went
his way therefore and washed and came sea. Now, picture this
in your mind. He saw for the first time he
had been born blind. He'd never seen anything. You
couldn't describe colors to him. You couldn't describe mountains
or any landscape of beauty. You couldn't describe what a
person looked like. He was born blind. And now all
of a sudden he sees. Can you imagine what that must
have been to him? He came seeing. The neighbors,
therefore, and they which had seen him that was blind, said,
is not this he that sat in bed? Some said, this is he. Others
said, he's like him. But he said, I mean, I'm the
one. Therefore said they unto him,
how were thine eyes opened? And he answered and said, a man
that is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and saith
unto me, go to the pool of Siloam and wash And I went and washed
and I received sight." Don't you love the simplicity of this
man's testimony and the accuracy of this man's testimony? Verse
12, then said they unto him, where is he? He said, I know
not. Well, they brought to the Pharisees him that before time
was blind. I guess they wanted some further
explanation of what had taken place and they thought they could
find out from the Pharisees. And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus
made the clay and opened his eyes. Our Lord reserved most
of his miracles for the Sabbath day. 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 do see. Therefore said some
of the Pharisees, this man's not of God because he keepeth
not the Sabbath day. Others said, how can a man that's
a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among
them. Do you know whenever the gospel
is preached, there will always be division? Always. The Lord said, think not that
I came to send peace on the earth. I came not to send peace, but
a sword. Verse 17, they say unto the blind
man again, what sayest thou of him that hath opened thine eyes?
He said, he's a prophet. But the Jews didn't believe concerning
him that he'd been blind and received a sight, till 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? Now this is a very sad portion
of scripture, very sad. Here, this man has been given
sight and his parents are scared to death about being excommunicated.
That shows the power of false religion, what it has on people.
Look, let's read, go on. Verse 20, 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 shall
speak for himself. These words spake his parents
because they feared the Jews. For the Jews had agreed already
that if any man did confess that he was Christ, God's prophet, God's priest,
God's king, If any man confessed that he
was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore
said his parents, he's of age, ask him. They knew how his sight
was restored, but they were afraid to say. Then again called they the man
that was blind and said unto him, give God the praise. We
know that this man, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, is
a sinner. He wouldn't have done what he
did on the Sabbath day if he wasn't a sinner. 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 he did not yet know the Lord. We're going to see that from
this passage of scripture. But he knew what had been done to
him. He was given sight. Let's go
and read. Then said they to him again,
What did he to thee? How opened he thine eyes? He
answered, I told you already, and you didn't hear. Wherefore
would you hear it again? Will you also be his disciples?
I think he was saying this in sarcasm, obviously. Then they, verse 28, reviled
him and said, Thou art his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses,
but as for this, look at the word fellow, how it's in italics,
this Nothing. That's what they were
calling him. This nothing. We know not from
whence he is. Now, they weren't really Moses'
disciples. They thought they were, but they
weren't Moses' disciples. If they were Moses' disciples,
they would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, Moses
wrote of me. They weren't Moses' disciples,
but that's the claim they made. Verse 30. The man answered and
said unto them, Why, herein is a marvelous thing. I've been
given so I was born blind and I see what a marvelous thing
that is. That, you know, not from whence
he is and yet he's opened my eyes. You're quibbling because
you don't know where he came from. I know where he came from. He was before he came. Now we
know that God here is not sinners. You're all calling him a sinner.
Now we know that God here is not sinners. But if any man be
a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Now, this man did not yet know who
the Lord was. Now it's true. It's true. God doesn't hear sinners. It's true. Sinners are the only
ones he hears. Nobody else. It's true. God only hears those
who do His will and worship Him. And everybody that's in Jesus
Christ has in fact done His will and worshiped Him. And the only
way they can be described in and of themselves is that of
being a sinner. Verse 32. Since the world began,
was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was
born blind? If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
They answered and said unto him, listen to this haughty arrogance.
Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?
And they cast him out. They excommunicated him. We've
had it with this guy. He's gone. That's Jesus heard that they'd cast
him out and when he found him, you know
the Lord heard about this and he went looking for him and he
found him. He always does. He said unto him, dost thou believe on the Son
of God. He answered and said, Who is
he, Lord, that I might believe? You see, you can't trust an unrevealed
Savior. He didn't know who he was. Who
is he? What a question. Who is the Son
of God? Who is he? Who is he? You know, the Lord is doing something
for somebody when that becomes what they desire to know. Who
is the Lord Jesus Christ? I love that scripture about Zacchaeus.
He sought to see Jesus, who he was. And he couldn't do it because
he was little of stature. You know, when you find out,
when you seek to see who he is, what you find out is you can't.
Can't see. You're too small. Can't see. But he asked this question, 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 worshiped him. Now you'll only worship God. You'll only worship him who you
have no control over. You're in his hands. And he can
do with you whatever he's pleased to do. He said, Lord, This, you know, if you ever find
out who he is, he's the Lord. He's the Lord of creation. He
spake this world into existence. He's the Lord of Providence.
Everything that happens, he's in control of the thoughts going
on in your mind right now. He's in control. He's the Lord
of salvation. Salvation is in his hands. He
can save you if he's pleased to. He can save you. He's the Lord. He said, Lord,
I believe. And you know what happens when
people believe? They worship. Always. They worship. And Jesus said, here's our text,
verse 39, for judgment for the sentence, for the verdict, I
am coming to this world. Here's why I came. And here's
the sentence, that they which see not might see. And that they which see might
be made blind. Now here is the two-fold judgment
of Christ. All who cannot see are given
sight. And all who can see are made
blind. Now what in the world does the
Lord mean by that? All who believe themselves to
be so sinful that they cannot see why God would save them. They're given sight. And all who can see why God would
save them are blinded. It really is that simple. All who can see why God would
save them because after all I fill in the blank and whatever has
I before because I this or I that. Christ says you're blinded. Lights out. And all who say I
can't see one reason in myself why God would ever look in favor
toward me. I can't find one single reason. He gives sight to, spiritual
sight. Now, how many people, upon hearing
the gospel of grace, and let me take just a minute to explain
what I mean by the gospel of grace, or really what the Bible
means by the gospel of grace. Sometimes we put adjectives in
front of grace, like free grace and sovereign grace. And I don't
know, sometimes I think. That's kind of redundant, because
if it's grace, it's free. If it's grace, it's sovereign.
But quite often, people mean something else by grace. They
look at it as earned grace. If you do this, God will give
you grace. Or they look at it as responded to grace. God throws
his grace out there. It's up to you to respond. Do
you accept or reject? And all that kind of stuff. So
I want to explain exactly what the Bible means by this word
grace. Grace is God freely deciding to show favor
to somebody and saving them if He wants to. What grace means is you and I
are in God's hand and it's up to Him as to whether or not you
or I will be saved. Now that's what grace means.
It's free. It's glorious. It's gracious.
God delights in saving sinners. But let me say this. Grace is
sovereign grace. It's grace where it's up to God
as to whether or not you'll be saved. Now, do you see any safety
in that? Do you have any problem with
that? Grace is God's to give. He can withhold it. He certainly
can. But it's his to give. Electing
grace where he chooses who will be saved. Redeeming grace where
he makes the sin payment. Justifying grace. This is more
glorious to me than it's ever been that God can take somebody
like me and make me just, righteous, perfect in his sight through
what my Lord did on the cross. That's what was going on on the
cross. My sin became his sin. His righteousness. He was punished.
He was guilty. His righteousness becomes mine.
That's called justifying grace. Isn't that glorious? Life-giving
grace. Live and you live. Preserving,
keeping grace. That's what we're talking about
when we're talking about the grace of God. I love that passage of
scripture where he says, and you have be quickened who were
dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in times past you walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children
of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in
times past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind. And we were by nature, the children
of wrath, even as others, but God. There's grace, but God. who is rich in mercy, for his
great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in
sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace, you're
saved." Now, how many people, upon hearing the gospel of grace,
where God does everything, the Father elects, the Son redeems,
the Holy Spirit regenerates? He does it all. He doesn't do
it for everybody. He does it for the elect. How
many people, upon hearing the gospel of God's grace, their
first response is, how can that be fair? How can it be fair for
God to love one and not love another? How could it be fair
for Christ to die for one and not die for another? How could
it be fair for God, the Holy Spirit, to give life to one and
pass by another? How can that be fair? Why, if
it was up to me, I'd save everybody. How come he didn't? Now, let
me say this about that statement. If it was up to me or you, nobody
would be saved. And that's the reality of the matter. If it
was up to me or you, nobody would be saved. Always say, oh, I'd
save everybody. But let somebody cross you about a million times
and let's see how long that lasts. It won't. It won't. But when
we Yeah, I was thinking about this while we're driving here.
It's amazing when a sinner feels like he can sit in judgment on
God as to whether he's fair or whether he's not. Oh, so you're
a competent judge. You think you're able to make
some kind of judgment like that? That's ridiculous for a sinful
man to sit in judgment on the God of glory and accuse him of
not being fair. You see, this person sees why
God should save him. Well, he ought to save me. I
mean, I'm his creature. I've accepted him. I've done
this. I've done that. He can name a million reasons
as to why God should save him. Christ says, lights out. Lights
out. You've been blind. You've got
to be blind to even think that way. You don't really see your
sin. But if somebody finds out they're
a sinner, and what a revelation that is, and that all you are
in and of yourself is sin. A sinner by nature, a sinner
by birth, a sinner by choice, and a sinner by practice. And
it's all your fault, your sin. is all your fault. If God didn't choose you, if Christ didn't die for you,
if God the Holy Spirit doesn't call you, you know at least one
person that has absolutely no claims on God. And that person
is you. If God sent me to hell, just
and holy is His name. You see absolutely nothing in
you that could ever recommend you to God? Is that you? Is that you? Not one single thing
to recommend you to God. Can you pray with the public
and in the temple, God be merciful to me, the sinner, the worst man to ever live. You don't think things like it
would not be fair for him to pass me by. After all, I have
whatever it would be. You can't see why he would save
you if salvation has anything to do with you. Now that's the
person who's given sight. That's the person who's given
sight. That person who can't find one
reason in themselves as to why God would look at them in favor,
that's the person, he gives you sight to see why he can look
at you in favor. You know, I know why. I know
now. I know why God can look in favor
of me. For Christ's sake. Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. I've been made to understand
that everything God does is for Christ's sake. So now I see a
reason why he would look in favor on me. It isn't in me, but it's
in Christ. I love what Judah said of Benjamin
to Jacob. He said, and this is what the
Lord said of every one of his people, I will be surety for
him. of mine hand shalt thou require
him if i bring him not unto thee and set him before thee let me
bear the blame forever and that's what my redeemer he said i'm
gonna bring him and set him before him and he did you see christ
took full responsibility for your salvation. You can't see
why God would save you. The Lord Jesus Christ took full
responsibility for your salvation. He said, I'm gonna have him.
I'm gonna have him. And he does. But if you're in
that other group, I see why God would save me.
After all, I've been filled in the blank, whatever it is. If
you're one of those people who presume to judge God, how could
it be fair for him to save some and pass by others? Which translates
to, how could it be fair for him to pass me by? Well, you've
been made blind. You can't see. You're blind,
you can't see who God is, you can't see who you are. And I
pray that God gives you sight, the sight that comes from the
cross, where you can see why God would save you for Christ's
sake. Not for your sakes, but for Christ's sake. Now let's
go on reading, verse 40. And some of the Pharisees, which
were with him, heard these words. You can be sure the Lord meant
for them to hear these words. You can just be sure of that. They said to him, are we blind
also? Jesus said unto them, if you were blind, you should have, what's that say? No sin. He doesn't just say you'll be
forgiven. He says you will have no sin. But now you say, we see. Therefore, your sin remaineth. Now there are two types of people
in this world, only two. And me and you fall into one
of these two groups. There are those people who have no sin. And there are those people whose
sin remains. It's on them now. It'll be on
them when they stand before God in judgment, and it'll be on
them when they suffer the justice of God in hell. Their sin will
always remain. And then there are those who
have no sin. Turn with me to 1 John. Chapter 3. Whosoever committeth sin transgresses also the law, for
sin is the transgression of the law. Now you take the Ten Commandments.
I love the Ten Commandments, don't you? Thou shalt have no
other God before me. That commandment against idolatry. God is so holy that even to take
his name in vain is worthy of damnation. That's how glorious
this person is. Remember the Sabbath day to keep
it holy. Honoring your mother and father. Thou shalt not commit
adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt
not kill. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not
covet. The Ten Commandments. You break one of those that sin. Sin is the transgression of the
law. Verse five, and you know that
he was manifested to take away our sin. Did he do it? Did he do it? Yes, so much so that in Him is
no sin. He put it away. It's gone. And
if I'm in Him, I have no sin. I am holy and unblameable and
unreprovable in the very sight of God. And God sees things how
they really are. How He sees it is how it is.
Now, that one who can't see why God would ever look in favor
toward him has no sin. And that one who can see has
been made blind. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
you shall be saved and you shall have no sin.