Well, I sure am looking forward
to our meeting this next weekend, beginning Friday night. And I
am praying that the Lord will bless us in an unusual way. Turn to Colossians chapter 1. I want you to hold your fingers
there in John chapter 8 and turn to Colossians chapter 1. Entitled this morning's message,
nine ifs. When Lynn asked me what I was
preaching on this morning, I said nine ifs. She said, maybe you
better not say that. That's a lot of ifs, but I'm
not going to be preaching longer than usual. But nine ifs. If you look the word if up in
the dictionary, it gives us this definition, on the condition
that. on the condition that, that's
what the word if means. We know intuitively what it means.
If this takes place, then this will take place. It's a small
word, but oh, what meaning is behind it? Look in Colossians
chapter one, beginning in verse 22. Or let's, verse 21. And you that were sometime or before time alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works. Yet now, hath he reconciled
in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and
unblameable and unreprovable. in his sight. Now that's one
of my favorite scriptures. To think that that's what the
Lord did. He made me holy. He made me unblameable. He made me unreprovable. It doesn't
get any better than that, does it? Doesn't get any better. But look at verse 23. He's done
these things if, if, if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled,
and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel." Now, he's
made me holy and unblameable and unreprovable, but note that
word, if. If I continue in the faith. Grounded and settled. Nine ifs. Now would you turn
back to John chapter 8. In this sermon by our Lord in
John chapter 8, He uses the word if nine times. Beginning in verse 24, I said therefore unto you, that
you shall die in your sins. Four, if you believe not that
I am, notice the word he is in italics. It was placed there
by the translators, but it was not in the original. He's giving
the same name that God gave to himself in Exodus chapter three.
When Moses said, what's your name? He said, I am that I am. Tell them that I am has sent
thee. This is the name of God, the
eternal God. If you believe not that I am,
you shall die in your sins. Nothing could be more horrible
than to die in your sins. Just the thought of that. is
more than I can bear. To die in your sins. Thank God for the resurrection
of Christ because of that, there will be many people who will
not die in their sins. Their sins have been put away,
but the thought of dying in your sins. Our Lord says, without any hesitation,
if you believe not, if, If you believe not that I am, you will
die in your sins. Now, on the very surface, I see
that there's something that must be believed. Can't you see? If you believe not, there is
a content to faith. There is something that must
be believed. If you believe not, you will
die in your sins. Now, the thought of that, can't
stand it. But it's so, it's true. If I
don't believe whatever it is I'm supposed to believe, if I
don't believe, I will die in my sins. Now he said, if you
believe not that I am. Now here is the content of faith. Jesus Christ is God. That's what a believer believes.
Everything comes from that. Jesus Christ is the eternal I
am. Jesus Christ is the creator. Jesus Christ is the sovereign
of the universe. He's the one who controls everything.
His will is always done. Jesus Christ is the just God. All that God is, Jesus Christ
is, because Jesus Christ is God. He's the eternal I am. I am that I am. And really, everything
we believe flows from that. For instance, if you really believe
He's God, you cannot believe that He could die for somebody
and they end up in hell anyway. You couldn't believe anything
like that. If you really believe He's God, you believe He must be successful.
You see, the doctrine becomes a mute point once you see who
He is. He's God. And if you see He's God, if I
see He's God, if I believe He's God, and I do, I believe that
Jesus Christ is God. Now, if you don't believe that
Jesus Christ is God, our Lord says you will die in your sins. May God give everybody in this
room the grace to believe who He is, the Eternal I Am. Look in verse 30 of this chapter. As He spake these words, many
believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on Him, If you continue in my word, then are
you my disciples indeed. It is only those who continue
in his word that are his true disciples. He said, you know,
it says they believed. He said, now, if you continue,
It's not He who begins the race, but He who finishes the race
that wins. If you continue in My Word, then
are you My disciples indeed. Now first of all, let's remember
His words. His words. You know how He described
His words? Turn to John chapter 6. This is the Lord's description
of His words. Verse 63, it is the spirit that
gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life. Now that's how the Lord
describes his own word. The words that I speak unto you,
they're spirit. They're spiritual, they're from
the Holy Spirit. They're God's words and they're
life. There's no life apart from these
words. Let's go on reading, verse 64. But there are some of you
that believe not, for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were
that believed not and who should betray him. And he said, therefore
said I unto you that no man can come to me except it were given
to him of my father. From that time, many of his disciples
went back and walked no more with him. Now, question, were
they disciples indeed? They claim to be. But once they
left Him and walked no more with Him, they proved they were not
true disciples. Because what do true disciples
do? They continue. They continue in His Word. They don't quit. They persevere. Then said, verse 67, then said
Jesus unto the twelve, will you also go away? I think, what if the Lord asked
you that? What if He asked me that? Todd, you want to leave
me? There's the door. Everybody else is leaving. You
can leave if you want. What if the Lord said that to you? You want to
go away? Look how Peter answered. Then
Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast
the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that
thou art that Christ, the son of the living God. We don't have
anywhere to go. Listen to this. If you can't leave Christ, And if you can't, you won't. It is only those who continue
in his word, who persevere, who keep coming to him, who continue
to look to him. Look in verse 36, John 8, verse
36. If the Son, there's that if. If the Son therefore shall make
you free, you shall be free indeed. Now if the Son does make you
free, you really are free. You're free indeed. Not just
talking about it. You really are free. You really
know something about liberty. Now what is this thing of the
Son making you free? I love to think about this. When
I thought about this morning, you know, being Easter when people
talk about the resurrection and so on, I thought about the Lord
being in the tomb and all of a sudden opening His eyes. And you know what? When He opened
His eyes, I was freed. I was set free. I believe that
most clear scriptural illustration of what this freedom is, is the
year of Jubilee. There are four things that took
place on this year of Jubilee. It happened every 50 years in
the land of Israel. Now, perhaps a Hebrew slave had
become indebted and he couldn't pay his debts and he had to be
a slave. He lost all his property, he lost everything that belonged
to him, and he was a slave. And what a miserable existence
that would be. Lost everything and couldn't
do anything about it. But every 50 years, something
happened. It's so glorious. Only the Lord
would do something like this. Every 50 years, slaves were set
free. It may be they'd been toiling
in bondage, but on that one day, they're set free for good. All
their debts, everything they owed, was canceled. All of a
sudden, I'm debt free. Everything I lost was restored
to me. And the land was given one year's
rest. You had a vacation. You rested. Now, I think it's very interesting
that there's not one record in the Bible of anybody ever keeping
the year of Jubilee. They were commanded to do it,
but they didn't do it. And I understand that. If somebody
owed me some money, I'd want him to keep all my money. If
somebody was my slave, I understand that. You're the only people
that didn't like the year of Jubilee were the people who felt
like they were losers by it. But I tell you who loved it were
the people who were set free by it. Now, when Christ died
on Calvary Street, when he was raised from the dead, let me
tell you what took place. I was set free. All my debts, were canceled. You see, He paid for my sins
so that I truly don't have any sin. I'm free. I'm free. I've been given rest. I'm resting
in the Lord Jesus Christ. All that Jubilee is, He is the
fulfillment of it. I love in Luke chapter 4, when
He says to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, which is talking
about the year of Jubilee, He said, this day, this scripture
is fulfilled. Year of Jubilee is fulfilled.
If the Son shall make you free, you're free indeed. This is real. You really don't have any sin.
That scripture I just read in Colossians chapter one, he's
made us holy and unblameable and unapprovable in his sight.
That's not just talk. It's real. It's not virtual. It's actual. As He truly was
made sin, I'm truly made the righteousness of God in Him,
and we are set free. Verse 37, John chapter 8, verse
37. I know that you're Abraham's
seed, but you seek to kill me because my word hath no place
in you. I speak that which I've seen
with my father, And you do that which you seen with your father.
They answered and said unto him, Abraham's our father. Jesus saith
unto them, if you are Abraham's children, you do the works of
Abraham. There's another if, if you are
Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. Now, children of Abraham are
the true children of God. Let me show you that in scripture.
Turn with me to Luke chapter 19. This is not just talking about a physical
descendant of Abraham. This is talking about a true
believer. Luke chapter 19, verse 1. And Jesus entered and passed
through Jericho and behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which
was the chief among the publicans. And he was rich and he was rich
through ripping people off. He would have, he would have
fit very well in the wall street issues of our day. You know,
he, he made all kinds of money, made other, took people's money.
He was a, he was a notorious rich, the chief among the publicans. Verse three. And I can imagine
how despised this man was. I guarantee everybody hated his
guts. And he sought to see Jesus, who he was. And there's where
salvation begins. Where somebody wants to know
who, not just getting their problems straightened out, not getting
their finances healed, not getting healed from sickness, no, when
you want to find out who Jesus Christ really is. He sought to
see Jesus, who he was, and he could not. for the press because
he was little of stature. You know when you start trying
to find out who he is, what you find out is you can't. You can't. You're totally helpless in this
thing. So he ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see
him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the
place, he looked up and saw him and said unto him, Zacchaeus?
You reckon that shocked him? Me? Like you read Mary, one word,
Zacchaeus, make haste, come down for today
I must abide at thy house. And he made haste and came down
and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all
murmured saying that he's gone to be a guest with a man that's
a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord, behold,
Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I've taken
anything from any man by false accusation, I restore unto him
fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, this
day is salvation come to this house for as much as he gave
to the poor and restored everything fourfold. No, that's not what
it says. For as much as he also is a son of Abraham. He's a real son of Abraham. For
the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Now, he says, if you were children
of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham. Now, when I speak of the works
of Abraham, or when the Scripture speaks of the works of Abraham,
there are a lot of things we could say. What about when the Lord called
him to leave his home and go out to a place where He told
him, just go? And he did. What about when he
paid tithes to Melchizedek? We could talk about him offering
up his only son in obedience to God. But when you think of
the works of Abraham, what comes to your mind first? Faith. That's what Abraham's known for.
He believed God. God said, can you count the stars? So shall your seed be. Abraham had no evidence. He didn't
have any kids. His wife had already gone through
menopause, was unable to bear children. He had no evidence
at all that he would have kids other than the naked Word of
God. He believed God. Now, we open up that the service
this morning with that scripture from Colossians 1, 22. And it says regarding every believer
that we're holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in God's sight. Holy. Unblameable. Nothing to blame me for. Nothing
to bawl me out about. Perfect. Righteous. Holy. Now, what evidence do you have
that that's so? I can't look at myself and say,
yes, I'm holy. I'm unapprovable. Just be around
me and you won't... What happens to all I got that's
so? God said it. And I need no other evidence. God said it. That settles it. Faith believes God. It believes
what God says in His Word. I believe God. That's what Abraham
does. And that's what Abraham's children
do. These are the true children of Abraham. They do the works
of Abraham in the very context of this passage of Scripture.
Look, verse 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced
to see my day. And he saw it and was glad. And
I don't have any doubt that I know what he was talking about when
he said, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. You reckon Abraham
rejoiced when that substitutionary ram was caught in the thicket
to take the place of his son Isaac? You reckon he was happy?
Oh, how happy he was. How he rejoiced to see that God
had provided the sacrifice. And that's what a believer rejoices
in, that God has provided the sacrifice. John 8, verse 40. But now you seek to kill me. John 8, verse 40. But now you
seek to kill me. And you know, after this message, they try
to kill him again. They pick up stones to throw at him. You
know, our Lord, He spake like nobody else did. I can't remember the last time
someone's gonna pick up stones to kill me, you know, after a sermon,
you know, it'd be a badge of honor if that happened, but that
happened to the Lord a lot. He would infuriate people with
his messages, but look here in verse 40. But now you seek to
kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I've heard
of God. This did not Abraham. You do the deeds of your father.
They say to him, we be not born of fornication. We have one father,
even God. Jesus said unto them, if God
were your father, you'd love me. For I proceeded forth and
came from God, neither came I of myself, but he sent me. If God were your father, you'd
love me. Now God's not everybody's father.
Look what the Lord says to these people down in verse 44. You are of your father, the devil. Well, that's strong language,
isn't it? He says to these people, you're of your father, your daddy's
the devil. That's who you come from. And
the lusts of your father you'll do. He was a murderer from the
beginning and abode not in the truth, because there's no truth
in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he's
a liar and the father of it. Now he says to these people,
you're of your father, the devil. So obviously, Not everybody's
a child of God. There are children of the devil,
there are children of God, and the Lord says plainly, if God
were your father, here's what you'd do, you would love me. Now here is the evidence of being
a child of God. You love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now here's what I want you to do for just a moment. I want
you to quit thinking about yourself. Is that possible? I don't know. Do your best to quit thinking
about yourself. Don't think about whether or not you're a Christian,
whether or not you really believe. Don't think about any of that
stuff. Think of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He's the creator. He's the sovereign. He's in control. He's utterly holy. He's perfectly
just. Everybody He died for must be
saved. Now, you think of Him. Do you love Him? Don't think
about yourself. Think, do you love how He is?
Do you love Him as He's revealed in His Word? Do you love His
sovereignty? Are you glad He's in control?
Do you love His justice? Do you love His love? Do you
love His blood, what it actually does? Do you love His righteousness? Do you love His intercession?
Do you love His return? Do you love Him? Now, if somebody
doesn't love the Lord Jesus Christ, you know what ought to happen
to them? They ought to be sent to hell. If any man loved not the Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Maranatha. How could God send
somebody to hell? Listen, if you don't love His
Son, it ain't going to be hard at all for Him to send you to
hell. Now that's just a stark reality, but it's true. If you're
a child of God, you will love the Lord Jesus Christ. You'll
love him as he is. You'll love him as he's revealed
in his word. Verse 45. He said, and because I tell you
the truth, you believe me not. Which of you convinces me of
sin? And if I say the truth, why do you not believe me? Now,
there's quite a question. If I say the truth, why do you
not believe me? He who is God speaks the words
of God. He is the truth. And when he speaks, he tells
the truth. Do you believe that? Do you believe
everything he says is the truth? He said, I came to bear witness
to the truth. And the Lord Jesus Christ gives us the truth concerning
God. If you want to know who God is,
you look at the cross and you'll find out. He's holy. He's just. He's gracious. He's all-powerful. All of God's
attributes are manifest in the cross. If you want to know who
God is, if you want to know the truth about God, you look at
the cross, you'll find out. Everything the cross says, it
tells who God is, tells the truth about man. You want to know the
truth about yourself? Look to the cross. Don't look
within. If you want to know the truth about yourself, look at
the cross. If God left you to yourself,
you'd be one of the people driving the nails in his hands and feet.
Now that's the truth. That's what all men are by nature.
You want to know the truth about salvation? You look to the cross. Christ Jesus is salvation. He
is salvation. Now that's the truth. That's
the truth regarding man. That's the truth regarding The
gospel, that's the truth regarding God. Now, the Lord says, if I
tell you the truth, you know, shouldn't people believe the
truth? Everybody ought to believe the truth. Now he says, if I
tell you the truth, why don't you believe? Now he answers the
question, look in verse 47. He that is a God, heareth God's
words. You therefore hear them not.
Because you are not of God. What an answer! What an answer! Turn to John chapter 10, same
thing. Verse 24, Then came the Jews
round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make
us to doubt, if thou be the Christ? Tell us plainly. Jesus answered
them, I told you, And you believed not. The works that I do in my
father's name, they bear witness of me, but you believe not because
you're not of my sheep. As I said to you, my sheep hear
my voice. I know them. and they follow
me. I give unto them eternal life,
and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my Father's hand. My Father which gave them me is greater
than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's
hand." Now, there's sheep and there's goats. And a goat cannot
become a sheep, and a sheep cannot become a goat. And he says to
these people, the reason you don't believe is because you're
not of my sheep. He doesn't say you're not my
sheep because you don't believe. He said you don't believe because
you're not of my sheep. His sheep hear the gospel. He that is of
God, heareth God's words. You know, I don't need to talk
anybody into anything. All I got to do is preach the
truth, tell the truth, and he that's of God will hear God's
words. And if somebody's not of God,
he won't hear them. His sheep, His elect, those He
calls, they'll hear. Those that don't, they're not
of God. Look in verse 51 of John chapter 8. Let's read verse 51. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the
Jews unto him, Now we know that you have a devil. Abraham is
dead, and the prophets. And thou sayest, If a man keep
my saying, he shall never taste of death? Art thou greater than
our father Abraham, which is dead, and the prophets are dead?
Whom makest thou thyself? If a man keep my saying, he shall
never taste of death. Now that word saying is the same
word that's generally translated word. His Word. If a man keeps, that means you
guard over. That means you watch. When you're
keeping watch, you're making sure something's protected. You're
not going to let it be robbed or taken from or added to. You
watch over His Word. Now, regarding His Word, I am hanging everything on what
He said. All my hopes of being accepted
by God are all in what He said, His Word. And I'm going to keep
it. I'm going to watch over it. You
take away my hope if you take away... Oh, here's an example.
His Word says in 1 Timothy 1.15, this is a faithful saying, and
it's worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. Now, when I just
said, quote-unquote, that's the only hope I got. The only hope
I have is that Christ Jesus saves saved sinners. He came for that
purpose and he did it. When he died, my salvation was
accomplished outside of my personal subjective experience. Here's
my here's my salvation. He died. He was raised. That's
all my salvation. Now, somebody says, well, he
can die for you, but you might end up in hell anyway, if you
don't do something to make what he did work. There's no gospel, Matt. That's not good news. If a man
keeps My saying, he'll never taste of death. You see that
person who's willing to let what Christ said kind of go out, fall
out here or take this part away or that person's willing to do
that. Two things, they have no love for Jesus Christ. You wouldn't,
if you love him, you'll protect his word. And secondly, that
person doesn't really understand their need of what's being said.
They don't really see their need of the salvation that Christ
speaks of. But if you keep His Word, if
you guard His Word, you'll never taste of death. You know what
that means? It means you'll never be condemned. You know why you
won't be condemned? Because there's nothing to condemn
you for. Jesus Christ, put away your sins. You're just in God's
sight. You're justified. You have nothing to be condemned
for. Now, there's the evidence of somebody that the Lord's done
something for them. They keep His Word. They watch over His
Word. Verse 53. They say, are thou greater than
our father Abraham, which is dead and the prophets are dead.
Who make us thou thyself? Jesus answered, if I honor myself, my honor is nothing. Now, isn't the Lord supposed
to honor himself? He's God. What does he say? If I honor
myself, If I glorify myself, that's the way the word's generally
translated. If I exalt myself, my honor is nothing. It doesn't even count. It's not
real. You see, it's the Father who glorifies the Son. It's God
the Holy Spirit who glorifies the Son. He said, He shall glorify
me. But the Son did not seek to glorify Himself. Is there
anyone who humbled themselves like the Lord Jesus Christ? He left heaven and became flesh
and took upon himself all the weakness of the flesh. He sat
on a well because he was wearied with his journey. God took all
the limitations of the flesh. Oh, how he humbled himself. But it goes even lower. He went to the cross and he was
made sin. Somebody says, well, he became
accountable for sin. No, he was made sin. All that sin is. And when I think
of myself, I can look within my own heart
and I see such perversion, such darkness in it. You know what
I'm talking about. The Lord never committed sin,
but all those feelings of, He was made to be. He bore the shame
and guilt of, oh, how He humbled Himself in being made a man and
becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross, how He
humbled Himself. But you know what? This is the
unalterable law of the kingdom of heaven. Everybody that humbles
themselves shall be exalted. And how the father exalted him. He became obedient to death,
even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus, every knee is going to bow. Things in heaven,
Things on earth, things under the earth, and every tongue is
going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. Now Christ humbled himself. You reckon me and you ought to
humble ourselves? No doubt in my mind about that.
I have every... Nothing works when somebody acts
humble. I'm not to act humble, I'm to be humble. Because I have
every reason to be. Like the Pharisee, he didn't
humble himself. He said, God, I thank you that
I'm not as other men are. He gave God the credit, but he
was thinking about what he was. I thank thee that I'm not as
other men are. And the publican beat on his
breast saying, God be merciful to me, the sinner. And our Lord
tells us that man went down to his house justified. And then
he said, for everyone that exalts himself like the Pharisee, he's
going to be based and all who humble themselves, they will
be exalted. And our Lord is the great example
of that. And finally, John chapter eight, verse 54. Jesus answered, if I honor myself,
my honor is nothing. It's my father that honoreth
me of whom you say that he's your God. Yet you have not known
him, but I know him. And if I should say I know him
not, I should be a liar like you are. But I know him and keep
his saying. Now, once again, the Lord speaks
like nobody else. He said, if I say I didn't know
him, I'd be a liar just like you are. You can imagine how
people would react to something like that. And they did react
that way. As a matter of fact, if you look at the end of this message, they'd
pick up the rocks to throw at him. They'd had it all they could
take. But he said, I know him. Oh,
how the son knows the father. No man knows the father save
the son. And he to whomsoever the son
will reveal him. Christ knows the father and he
shows the father to every single one of his children. So they
know the father. Now I know the living God. I know it. I know Jesus Christ. I know God the Holy Spirit. This
isn't just talk. I know Him. I know I can't prove
to you I really know Him. Anybody can say I know Him, but
I do know Him. This is life eternal that they
might know Thee. The only true God and Jesus Christ
who now is sent. I know the living God through
Jesus Christ the Lord. And let me tell you what people
who know God do. I know exactly what they do. They actually look to Christ
alone. Now, that's what people who know
God do. They don't look at their walk. They don't look at other folks'
walk. They don't look back to some experience. They look to Christ alone. His righteousness is my only
righteousness before God. His precious blood is my sin
payment. They look to Christ alone. Are you somebody who looks to
Christ alone? You got nowhere else to look, no other plea to
make. Then my dear friend, you're somebody who knows God. You are
a child of Abraham. Isn't that a blessing to be a
child of Abraham? Not ifs. Let's pray.