The title of my message this
morning is The Eternal Christ. Our text is John chapter 1, verses
1 through 5. These five verses set before
us the matchless sublimity of our Lord Jesus in his eternal
being and character. In these five verses, John was
inspired by God the Holy Spirit to set before us heights that
no mortal mind can ever scale and depths none can hope to fathom. And yet he does it with utter
simplicity. Almost every word he uses is
a simple one-syllable word. So much for men vainly imagining
that they can explain the things of God with profound logic and
reason. The things of God are declared
with simplicity, and declared with such simplicity and clarity
that there can be no misunderstanding except by those who refuse to
hear that which God speaks in His Word. Read with me verses
1 through 5 of John's Gospel. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. All things were made by him,
and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was
life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth
in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. We don't
have to guess. what John's purpose was in writing
these words, or in writing this gospel narrative, which stands
out distinctly from the other four gospels. John's gospel is
not considered one of the synoptic gospels, that is, one of the
gospels dealing with the earthly history of our Lord. John mentions
very few of our Lord's miracles. He mentions few of the things
that are mentioned in the other gospel narratives. John's purpose
is to show us that Jesus Christ is God, that we might trust Him
and have life in Him. Turn to chapter 20. Look at the
last verse. This is what John tells us. These
things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through his
name. It was not his purpose merely
to instruct us in the historical facts concerning Jesus Christ. It was his purpose to instruct
us in the person of our Lord Jesus as God, the eternal Son,
trusting him having eternal life in him. Preaching, gospel preaching,
is never merely giving out facts. Be they ever so true, be they
ever so orthodox, gospel preaching is to show men Jesus Christ crucified,
that you might see him and know him, whom to know aright is life
eternal. that you might trust Him and
believing that you might have life, eternal life through His
name. That is through who He is and
what He is. What man could have better been
suited to show us these things than John? He was distinctly
prepared by God for the work which God had for him to do.
Distinctly prepared to give us this gospel narrative. John stands
out as one of those two sons of thunder. And he is a son of
thunder speaking as one who speaks from heaven, declaring the things
of God as one prepared specifically to declare the things God sent
him here to declare. Indeed, that's true of every
preacher sent of God. God prepares him distinctly for
the work he would have him to do in the generation where God
places him. This man, John, had been with
the Lord Jesus from the beginning of his earthly ministry. He walked
with him for three and a half years in closest association
as a chosen apostle. Then not just a chosen apostle,
but he was given the privilege, along with Peter and James, of
being in what we often would call the inner circle of the
Lord's disciples. He seems to have been with the
master almost all the time. He was there when the Lord Jesus
performed his mighty miracles. Though he speaks little about
the miracles, John observed that he who did these things is God. God the Son. None but God could
have done them. John was with him when the master
washed his disciples' feet. teaching him how to serve his
brethren and how to serve us. He was with him when the Lord
Jesus established the blessed ordinance of the Lord's Supper.
John heard the Savior's many sermons. He heard him give out
his parables, and then he heard the master clearly explain the
meaning of those parables. John laid his head on the Lord's
chest. Now, many make much of that both
Attempting to make evil of it and attempting to make more of
it than it is. This is just exactly what it is. When someone who's
very close, very close, a brother, a dear friend, is with a brother
or a friend and is overwhelmed by something that person has
done or that person has spoken so that he can not respond. Just what do I say? As a tender,
close friend, you hug him and lay his head on his chest. That's
the picture. John seems to have just been
overwhelmed by that which God revealed to him of the person
and work of Christ while he walked on this earth and he laid his
head upon the master's chest. John was with him in Gethsemane. He saw him and heard him when
Moses and Elijah spoke to him in his transfigured glory about
the redemption and the death he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
John was by his side when the Lord Jesus poured out his life's
blood as his substitute on the cursed tree. John took the master's
mother into his home and nourished her and cared for her until she
died. He was present when the Lord
Jesus ascended up into heaven. This one who is God incarnate,
whom he handled with his hands, he saw with his own eyes ascend
back up into heaven. John saw the destruction of Jerusalem,
the annihilation of the Jewish nation, the annihilation of Judaism
as a form of religion, the annihilation of the old covenant being fulfilled
by Christ Jesus, the destruction of the temple. He saw it all
be fulfilling the very prophecy that our Lord Jesus had given.
And then John, when he was in the spirit on the Lord's day
in the Isle of Patmos, was given the special revelation of Jesus
Christ that we have in the book of Revelation, declaring by John
to us those things that must yet be accomplished. by our Redeemer. In these opening verses, John
shows us our Lord's relationship to time, to the Godhead, to creation,
and to man. Let's look at it. First, John
declares our Savior's relationship to time. I won't spend much time
here. I spent a good bit of time dealing
with it last week. Our Savior is not a mere creature of time. He is before time and the creator
of time. Christ is eternal. Christ is eternal. We use that word eternal like
we use the word infinite, almost as though it were somehow comparable
to something we know something about. When we speak of that
which is infinite, we speak of that which alone refers to God
Almighty. There's nothing infinite except
God. When we speak of that which is
eternal, in the strictest sense of the word, there is nothing
eternal except God. Jesus Christ is eternal. He came into time, He lived in
time, but He is eternal. Christ Jesus, John tells us,
is that one who in the beginning was the Word. He didn't begin
to exist when the heavens and the earth were made. He was with
the Father before the world was, he tells us in John 17, 5. And
when he was with the Father before the world was, even then he possessed
at that time all the glory all the glory that he now possesses,
having accomplished redemption for us. You remember what he
prayed? He said, Father, the hour has come. Give me the glory
which I had with you before the world was so that the glory that
has been restored to him is the glory that was possessed by him
as the Christ of God, the word in the beginning. He was already
existing. when matter was first created
before time began. He is before all things eternal. Look at verses one and two. In
the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the
Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. Christ, the Word, was continually
in being with God in perfect union communion and in being
with God the Father and God the Spirit before the world was.
In time he came to be with men, but in the beginning he was with
God. The Lord Jesus is God the Eternal
Son. He's the eternal surety. He is our eternal sacrifice,
the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He is our eternal
shepherd into whose hands we were given. He is that one whom
the father trusted with our souls from eternity. He is the eternal
savior of his people, that one who saved us and called us with
an holy calling before the world was. He is our eternal savior. Now, I want you to get the sweet,
sweet honey found in this honeycomb. For as long as he has had being
as the Christ of God. For as long as he has had being
as the Christ of God. Now, how long is that? Eternal. For as long as he has had being
as the Christ of God. You and I, who are His, God's
elect, have had our being in Him. Now let it sink in. For as long as He, our Savior,
has had being as the Christ of God, we have had our being in
Him. We are one with Christ. Turn over to Psalm 22. I'll show
you two passages. Psalm 22. As soon as he stood
forth in the beginning with God as our head and representative,
we stood forth in him, one with him, as his seed. We were in
him from eternity as his seed. When God created the first man,
Adam, all men were in Adam. We were in him legally and judicially
by the appointment of God as our federal head and representative,
just as we are represented by congressmen and senators in the
houses of legislature. We had a federal union and representation
with our father Adam. But we were in him in a far more
real sense than that. We were in him seminally. We were his seed. All human beings
came forth in time from the original loins of that first original
man, Adam. We came from him. Our sons and
daughters were in us before ever they had any being in themselves. In that same sense, only indescribably
more so, we were in Christ, the last Adam. who stood before God
from the beginning as our Christ, our Savior, and our surety. Psalm
22, verse 30. The psalmist says of this one
who suffers as the substitute for sinners, a seed shall serve
him. It shall be accounted to the
Lord for a generation. They shall come and shall declare
his righteousness into a people that shall be born that he hath
done this, a seed. Now, I have being because I was
once my father's seed. I am no longer his seed. I am
a man now independently of my father in that sense. But before
I had being, I was his seed and had being in him. The prophet
here is telling us about a people who have no being except in Him
as their seed. This people shall be born and
they shall declare His work to the generations yet to be born,
His seed. He shall save His people. They
were His people before He ever came into the world and we were
His seed in Him before ever we came into the world. Look at
Psalm 139. Psalm 139. Let's start at verse 14. Certainly,
David is talking about himself in this psalm. Don't ever fail
to recognize that the psalms, as well as the other passages
of scripture, speak of a historic person. But don't ever imagine
that these glorious psalms are just talking about David. Oh
no, David speaks of one who is greater than himself. He's talking
about our great David, the son of God, our Redeemer. Now listen
to what he says. The Lord Jesus speaks and says,
I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from
thee, when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the
lowest parts of the earth? Perhaps that's talking about
his incarnation. That very language is used concerning
his body, that holy thing being formed in the womb of the Virgin.
But the next verse seems to indicate that he's talking about something
far, far, far distant in the past before his incarnation.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect, incomplete. And in thy book all my members
were written, which in continuance are fashioned, when as yet there
was none of them." David speaks of himself being formed and God
beholding his substance and writing all the members in his book.
Christ speaks of his substance being held by God and God writing
all his members in a book. How precious also are thy thoughts
unto me, O God, how great is the sum of them. Now this is
what I want you to see. God's elect are the members of
Christ's mystical body. That body that was not yet formed,
yet was formed in the purpose and mind of the eternal God.
We are the members of his body, the church. And all the members
of his body were written in his book, in the book of life. When
as yet, with regard to our actual existence, there was none of
them. We were given to him in eternity. When he was constituted
our covenant head in the everlasting councils of grace, we were constituted
his people in that same covenant. And that covenant fix all things
regarding his people ordered in all things ensure. And thus,
in the prospect of our saviors coming into this world, we became
members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Turn to John
17. I've said all that because I
want you to see this. Our Lord Jesus tenderly reminded
his father of these things when he spoke to him in this great
intercessory prayer. Look at verse 9. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me. He speaks of the Father,
speaks to the Father, of the Father's gift of a people, a
great multitude of people to Him. But they were all given
to Him at one time with finality in the past, in eternity, when
all His members, all the members of His mystical body were written
in the book of God. For they are Thine, and all mine
are Thine, and Thine are mine, and I am glorified in Thee. Now,
here's the blessedness of that. Can Christ ever allow for any
reason that any of his members be separated from him and lost
forever? What man? Which of you? Which
of you would willingly lose your arm or your hand or even the
end of your little finger? if you could prevent it. Which
of you? would lose any part of your body if you had the power
and the ability to prevent it. So it is with God's elect being
members of his body from old eternity when he stood forth
in covenant mercy as our surety, our names written in the book
of God. He will not allow that any member of his body should
perish for we are described by the spirit of God as the fullness
of him. the completion of him that filleth
all in all. We don't become members of his
body when we're born of God. We don't become members of his
body when we believe on him. Our being born of God And our
faith in him by the gift of God brings us into the blessed realization
and confident assurance of things done in eternity and is the evidence
of these things. But we were members of him from
eternity. All right, back to our text.
Here's the second thing. This is our Savior's relationship
to time. He's in the beginning, the eternal
one. And we were one with him. even
in the womb of the morning. One with him in the beginning.
Second, John shows us our Savior's eternal relationship to the triune
Godhead. He was in the beginning with
God because he is God. One with the Father and one with
the Spirit. Now we rejoice. Oh, we rejoice
to know that Jesus Christ is God. None but God could be our
redeemer. None but God could bring in righteousness
for us. None but God could save us by
his grace. But I want you to see the significance of the fact
that John declares our Lord Jesus to be the word in the beginning
with God. Now, there are two words in the
New Testament that are translated word. When it refers, when the
scriptures speak of the written word in the New Testament, the
word that's translated word refers specifically to the written word
is the word of Ramah. It refers to this word, which
by the gospel is preached unto you. When the scripture speaks
of Jesus Christ, another word is used. It is the word Logos. That's the word that's translated
word in our text. Christ was in the beginning.
as the unuttered word of the living God. He is the word in
the beginning with God. The unuttered speech, the unuttered
thought of the triune God. What does that mean? He is with
the Father as the word by whom alone God is revealed and known. God Almighty cannot be known
God Almighty cannot be revealed. God Almighty cannot be enjoyed. You can't know God, come to God,
approach God, or experience God except by the Word in whom and
by whom God makes himself known. It is in Christ that the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God is seen. And it's seen
only in the face of Jesus Christ, the crucified lamb of God, not
just in Christ, the God man, not just in Christ living on
the earth in righteousness, not just in Christ living a good
life as a man on the earth, not just in Christ going about performing
good. The glory of God shines forth brilliantly. Only in the
face of the crucified son of God our Savior now I want you
to see this and see it clearly in the scriptures He that has
seen me our Savior says hath seen the father When you've seen
me you've seen the father turn over Revelation chapter 5 It
is Christ the Word our crucified substitute the Lamb of God who
opens the sealed book of God's eternal purpose, reveals it to
us, and fulfills it in the accomplishment of redemption. John begins Revelation
5, verse 1, saying, I saw in the right hand of him that sat
on the throne a book, written within and on the backside, shut
up, closed, bound together, and sealed. Sealed with seven seals. Not a literal book. God doesn't
need to write books to remember things. He doesn't need to write
books to order things out. When I start to think about preparing
a message or writing an article, I've got to get a piece of paper,
or now computer screen, and I've got to put things down in order.
And if I don't put them down in order, I don't think very
orderly. Not so with God. God doesn't
need to literally write a book, but he's giving us a picture.
And the picture is God's purpose. God's will, that which is in
the mind and heart of the triune God, cannot be known. It's shut
up like a book, wrapped and sealed, and nobody is found worthy to
open the book. Look at it. I saw a strong angel
proclaiming with a loud voice, who's worthy? That's an unusual
word, isn't it? It looks like it ought to read,
who's able, but that's not what it says. Who's worthy? Who's
worthy? Who has the right and the ability? Who is worth this that he can
open to man the will and the purpose and the being of the
triune God? Who's worthy to open the book
and to loose the seals thereof? No man, no man in heaven nor
in earth Neither under the earth was able to open the book, neither
to look thereon, because there wasn't any worthy. And I went
much because no man was found worthy to open the book and to
read the book, neither to look thereon. No man worthy to just
take a peek. No man worthy to get a glimpse. No man worthy. Read on. And one
of the elders saith unto me, wipe your eyes, John. No need
to cry. Weep not. Behold, the lion of
the tribe of Judah hath prevailed. The lion, that one who is of
the tribe of Judah, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose
the seven seals thereof. This one who has prevailed, he
is the root of David. He is that one who came as a
man from David's lawns, but he is that one from whom David came. He has prevailed to open the
book and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo,
in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the
midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had been slain. Now this
is the same picture we're given throughout the scriptures. It's
the picture that Moses had when God said, now I'm showing you
a pattern in the heavens. You make the tabernacle like
this. This is what he saw. It wasn't an architect's drawing.
The pattern was Christ crucified. He built an ark with a mercy
seat. And that ark and mercy seat is
this throne that John now beholds. He sees now sitting on this throne
where Isaiah saw him, where he was pictured by Ezekiel, where
he was seen by Zechariah. All the prophets described this
scene. And now John explains it. Behold, a lamb standing in
the midst of the throne as it had been slain. This one is worthy,
and because he's worthy, he opens the book and shows us God. Read on. Having seven horns,
all power, and seven eyes, all knowledge, which are the spirits
of God sent forth into all the world by which he rules everything.
And he came, I love this language, And said, will it be all right
if I take the book? No. He came and took the book,
took the book as one who's worthy because he's in the beginning
with God. He took the book as one who is worthy because he
is God. He took the book out of the right hand of him that
sat on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four
beasts, all the preachers of the gospel, And the four and
twenty elders, all God's elect, fell down before the Lamb, having
every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are
the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song, saying,
Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof.
Here's the reason why. For thou wast slain. Do you see
that? It is Christ crucified, who is
the revelation of God, who opens the things of God, who reveals
and fulfills the purpose of God. Thou wast slain and hast redeemed
us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and
people and nation, and hast made us kings, made us unto our God
kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. It is Christ
crucified. The Word, our crucified substitute,
our risen Redeemer and Savior, who interprets and fulfills everything
in the written Word of God. All the prophets, all the types,
all the prophecies, all the promises spoke of Him. You remember how
the disciples on the road to Emmaus, our Lord's walking along
with them, and He opens to them the Scriptures. and their hearts
began to burn within them as he began with Moses and in all
the scriptures expounded to them things concerning himself. It
is Christ the word that we preach to me by whom the veil of spiritual
darkness is taken away and the glory of God is revealed. Turn
to this passage in second Corinthians three. This is one of those passages
that, uh, I'm almost reluctant to make any comment at all, because
it's so profound. In Christ crucified, we see God's
mercy and his truth. We see God's righteousness and
his peace. We see God's justice and his
grace. We behold him, a just God and
Savior, able to be just and yet justify the ungodly. And this
is the revelation of the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 3. Paul
says, we don't need to commend ourselves to you or anybody else.
In verse two he said, you are our epistle. You who have been
born of God by the preaching of the gospel. Written in our
hearts, read of all men. Verse three, he says, you're
written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God.
Not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of your heart,
God's written his word. Then in verse five, He says,
now we're talking about things beyond us. This ministry of the
gospel is just beyond us, but our sufficiency is of God who
has made us able ministers of the New Testament. Verse seven.
But if the ministration of death, that is the law of Moses, written
and engraved in stones was glorious, and it was so glorious that the
children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of
Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away. Wow, what strong language. Done
away. What's he talking about? The
glory of the law written on tables of stone was to be done away.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. It was
to be done away. Now, how shall not the ministration,
verse 8, of the Spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration
of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of
righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made
glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory
that excelleth. In other words, all the glory
of the law. Portrayed in that picture Moses
on the map with his face shining brighter than the Sun so that
people could not look on him That was nothing That was nothing
compared with this glory read on verse 11 For if that which
was done is done away was glorious Much more that which remaineth
is glorious Seeing then we have such hope is he talking about
the same thing? He seems to be Moving from subject
to subject. No, he's talking about the same
thing. He's talking about Christ crucified. This hope that's glorious. See, we have such glorious hope.
We use great plainness of speech. If there were nothing to it,
we'd use carnal wisdom. If there were nothing to it,
we'd beat the air with words of man's intelligence. If there
were nothing to it, we'd try to impress it with our logic
and convince it with our argument. But no, no, this is so glorious. We speak plainly. and not as
Moses, which put a veil over his face. Looks to me like Paul
saying when folks use circular reasoning and argument and persuasive
words and brilliant logic and use all those things that men
learn to use to present a case in a court of law, they're putting
a veil over the glory of Christ. No, no. We use plainness of speech.
We don't. Not as Moses, which put a veil
over his face that the children of Israel could not steadfastly
look to the end of that which is abolished. But their minds
were blinded. For until the day remaineth,
until this day remaineth, the same veil untaken away in the
reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ. And then he moves on. He says,
where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And he
tells us in chapter 4 concerning this same ministration of glory,
he said, if our gospel be hid, it's hid to them that are lost,
in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them
that believe not, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of
God should shine forth in the face of Jesus Christ. Now, back
at our text, verse 3. John shows us with the same sublime
simplicity the relationship of our Lord Jesus Christ to creation.
All things were made by him, and without him was not anything
made that was made. Now, I guess I could pass this
up, but I'm not going to. These days it has become commonplace
in this generation of compromising wicked religionist to accept
everything as Christian that somehow pins the name Christ
on the lapel or the church sign. Mormons are looked at as Christian. Jehovah Witnesses are looked
at as Christian. Liberals are looked at as Christian.
I'm specifically naming folks who willfully and openly deny
the eternality of Jesus Christ as God, and rather assert that
he is a creature of God. With one sentence, John wipes
it all away. All things were made by him. I presume, now correct me if
somehow I've missed something that just kind of got over my
head. I'm not the brightest bulb in the room. I realize it may
have gotten over my head, but I just presume that means he
wasn't created. Would you assume that from that?
All things were created by him and without him was not anything
made that was made. No, Jesus Christ is not a creature
of God. To declare that he's a creature
of God is to blaspheme God and to deny the very revelation of
this book. Our Lord Jesus Christ is God,
our creator. The word by whom the worlds were
made. and all things in them. By the word of God, Peter tells
us, the heavens were of old. Turn to Psalm 148. Did you ever notice this? Throughout
the scriptures, Old Testament and New, creation is almost always
intimately associated with redemption. Almost always. Wherever it's
mentioned, usually somewhere right in the immediate context,
something is mentioned concerning redemption. Psalm 148, verse
1. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye
the Lord from the heavens. Praise him in the heights. Praise
him, all his angels. Praise ye him, all his host. Praise ye him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heaven of heavens.
ye waters that be above the heavens." Would you tell me how it is that
the stars and the moon and the sun and the heavens and the water
and the clouds praise Him? I've never heard of them sing
Hallelujah. I've never heard of them speak, have you? They
praise Him in their being. For these things are created
as instruments upon which God will show forth his glory in
the redeeming of his people. Verse 5. Let them praise the
name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created. Now this
is how Paul refers to that. He says unto me whom less than
the least of all saints is this grace given that I should preach
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make
all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the
beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things
by Jesus Christ. This one who has made us meet
to be protectors of the saints in light. He is that one who
is the creator of all things. who upholds all things by the
word of his power. All things were made by him and
without him was not anything made that was made. He who made
all things is the omnipotent God. He who is before all things
is the eternal God. And this great God our creator
is he who made peace by the blood of his cross. As it was with
regard to the old creation, so it is with regard to the new.
All things were made by him. With regard to the new creation,
he says, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. And there's
nothing in this new creation without him. Without him, there
would be no new covenant. No new creature, no new song,
no new name, no new garment, no new home, no new spirit, no
new heaven, no new earth, no new and living way, no new name
given to God's sons. But these things are all made
by him. And the scripture says, thou
art worthy for all things thou has created and for thy pleasure. They are and were created. One more thing, back in our text.
John speaks of our Lord's relationship to men. In him was life. He is life. In him we live and
move and have our being. All natural life is in him. No
man lives without him. You breathe because he has breathed
in you the breath of life. And you'll quit breathing when
he snuffs it out. No matter what your doctor is
able to do, he can't prevent him from snuffing it out. And
he can't cause him not to snuff it out a second. He is natural
life. He is spiritual life. I give
unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish.
He's the resurrection. He's resurrection life. He said,
I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth on me
shall never die. Do you believe this? I'm the
resurrection. I'm the life. He is life eternal. Oh, son of God, invade these
hearts of death and give life. And the life was the light of
man. All light. All light. I thought about this so much
as I was preparing this message. I'm not a brilliant fellow. I
never had been. But whatever light I have naturally, whatever
light I have, I'm talking about just pure carnal reason. Whatever
I have, he gives it to me. And whatever you have, he gives
it to you. And if it takes just a drop of iodine out of your
body, you'll go crazy as a bed bug. But whatever light you have,
he gives it to you. All natural light of conscience
he gives so that the light Shines in all men. Men are responsible
to walk in the light, but they won't do it. They won't do it.
All spiritual light. If we have light and understanding
in the things of God, it's because he gave it. Because he gave it. You can't argue men into the
light, darling. It can't be done. You work with
us every day, talk to you about religion, and you can talk to
them until you're blue in the face. You can explain to me how
to build a house. But you can't explain to them
how God built his kingdom. It can't be done. It cannot be
done. You may as well try to teach
a mule nuclear physics as to teach a natural man the things
of God. It can't be done. But God shines when the life
comes in. And suddenly, you see, and you
understand this book, and I understand this book. Exactly in proportion
as the light shines on these pages and Christ gives us life
That's exactly right. That's exactly He is the light
of Heaven's eternal glory in that city John said there's no
need for the moon and no need for the Sun For the Lord God
himself is the light of that city But read on. And the light
shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. Give me just a minute. Just a
minute. The light shineth. The light shineth. That's present
tense. Actually, it's present linear
tense. The light shineth. From the beginning,
when the Lamb said, let there be light, And there was light. Light began to shine. And the
light shines wherever the gospel is preached. The light shines
wherever Christ gives me a natural reason and conscience. The light
shines. The light shines as the gospel
is proclaimed right now. The light shines and the darkness
stays dark. The darkness comprehends it. Not such. is the natural state of
all men since the fall of our father Adam, that though the
light blazes forth from eternity into the darkness of man's dead,
depraved heart and soul, no man can see. No man can see. But that word comprehended is
translated over in 1 Thessalonians 5 another way. The same word
is translated, overtake. The light shines in darkness,
but the darkness can't overtake the light. Oh, when Christ comes
by his spirit in the saving operations of his free grace and shines,
oh, if he will blaze forth in your heart, You will see the
glory of God shining forth in the face of the crucified Christ. You won't be able to resist it. You won't be able to overcome
and overtake the light. I did for a long time. The light shined and I pulled
down the shades. The light was shining, I shut
the windows. The light would shine, I'd turn my face. The
light would shine, I'd refuse to look. But one day, the light
showed! And I couldn't help but to see.
Because I couldn't overcome the light. Oh, Spirit of God, so
shine today. The light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ the Lord. that
dead sinners may live and see and walk in the light which is
life everlasting. Amen.