Every knee shall bow. Isn't that a glorious thing to
think of? Everybody is gonna bow the knee
to King Jesus. John 1, verse 12. as many as received Him." I've entitled this message, Receiving
Him. Now, I can recall in my own experience
hearing a preacher say, receive the Lord Jesus Christ And my thought was, what does
that mean? I pray that that question will
be answered this morning. Receiving Him. Now every time I've attempted
to preach anywhere from John chapter one, verses one through
18, I have left knowing that there has been left so much unsaid. And not enough that was said. This is such a glorious passage
of scripture. John 1 could be said to be the
Mount Everest of scripture. While I would not dare say that
this is the most important scripture, because all scripture is given
by inspiration of God. Nobody has any business saying,
well, this is the most important. If it's inspired by God, it's
important. And I would not want to try to
make some kind of judgment. This is more important than that.
But I do know this, there are no scriptures more important
than these first 18 verses of John chapter one, where the person
of Christ is so clearly revealed. Now, there is no salvation apart
from me personally receiving Jesus Christ. There's no salvation for you
apart from you personally, intentionally receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. If I do not receive Him, it's
because He was never given. all He gives His Son to, they
receive Him. And if I do not receive the Lord
Jesus Christ, whatever that means, He was never given to me. A man can receive nothing except
it be given him from above. for me and you to receive the
Lord Jesus Christ, He's going to have to be given to us. Paul said, who maketh thee to
differ and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now, I ask you to pray for me
that I'll be enabled to preach God's Word and pray for yourselves
that you'll be able to hear God's Word. receiving Him. Verse 10, He was in the world. This is one of 15 times in these
nine verses that the word He or His is used. He was in the world. Who does He refer to? We cannot proceed until this
is established. He was in the world. Who is He? Well, look up in verse
1. Here He is described. In the beginning was the the Word was with God and the
Word was God. He is the Word. He is the Word
who was with God in the beginning, eternally, as a distinct person
and He was God. This is who He is. Verse two, the same was in the
beginning with God. This is speaking of the eternal
isness of Jesus Christ. He was, He always was. There was never a time when He
was not. The same was in the beginning. with God. Verse 3, all things
were made by Him. He's the Creator. You know, in
Him being the Creator, there are two things that are inherent
in that with regard to this person. He's all-powerful and He's eternal. He made the world and no one
made him. He is the creator of the universe. He's the creator of the atom.
He's the creator of all things. Without him was not anything
made that was made. Verse four, in him was life. Now this means he has independent
life. He has life in himself. He has
no needs. He is the life. I want you to
think of how dependent you are. It's up to him as to whether
or not you'll take in your next breath. I'm dependent on air. I'm dependent on food. I'm dependent upon shelter. Go on and on. How dependent we
are. He's independent. He has no needs. And what that means is, if you're
gonna have life, it's up to him to give it to you. That's the
only way you'll have life, is if he gives it to you. In him
was life, and the life was the light of men. That's who this
is. The only light you're gonna have
with regard to who God is, who you are, and how he saves, is
through this One, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was in the world. Aren't you thankful He came into
the world? Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Not to make them savable, but
to save them. The Father sent not the Son to
condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. was in the world. God was manifest
in the flesh. God was in the world and the
world was made by Him. That world He came into, He made. It's His world. I love the scripture,
the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. The world and
they that dwell therein were living in His world. It belongs
to Him. He was in the world and the world
was made by Him and the world knew Him not. This speaks of
two things. The world did not recognize him. He was in the world. Have you
ever thought about the Lord growing up with his brothers and sisters
and they didn't even know who he was? They didn't get it. God manifests in the flesh, living
in their home. They didn't know. That lets us
know how ignorant the natural man is. He wouldn't know holiness
if he saw it. God manifests in the flesh, lives
in their home, and they don't know who He is. And what is most
incriminating about this? When it says they knew Him not,
it means they loved Him not. They had no love for Him who
is altogether lovely, the beloved of the Father. They knew Him
not. They recognized Him not. They had no love. for this glorious
person. I love what Paul said in 1 Corinthians
16, 22. He said, if any man love not
the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Let him be damned
upon the return Now, he wasn't saying that callously. He wasn't
saying that because he didn't care about the souls of men.
He said, I would be willing to be damned if my brethren would
be saved. He loved men, but this is the crime of crimes to not
love the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no greater crime. He
was in the world, the world was made by him, and the world had
no love for him. Look in verse 11. He came unto his own and his
own received him not. That's talking about the Jews. When he came unto his own, thumbs
down. We hear a lot about approval
ratings in these election times. He had a 0% approval rating among
his people. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power. He's the one who gives. Oh, he's
the one who gives. I love the scripture, it's more
blessed to give than to receive. He's the more blessed. He's the
giver. We're the receivers. Look in verse 14. Who is this
one who came into the world? And the Word, verse 14, and the
Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. This Word The Word of God. When God speaks, this is what
comes out of His mouth, the Word. Jesus Christ, the Word. The Word was made flesh, that
one of whom we beheld His glory. And this is John speaking of
what he saw by the grace of God. Jesus Christ is the brightness
of God's glory. That's who He is. the express
image of His person. And look at this word, and don't
miss this. And the word, verse 14, was made
flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father. This is one of five times
this word is used to describe the Lord Jesus Christ. The only
begotten. And this comes from Psalm 110. Thou art my son. This day have
I begotten thee. The only begotten of the Father. The sole and only. This is what only refers to.
the sole and only representative of the being and the character
of the One who sent Him, called in Colossians 115, who is the
image of the invisible God. All you'll ever see of God is
Jesus Christ. This begetting is unoriginated. It's not an event of time. There
was not a time when he was begotten. It's eternal. Thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee. He, a person, possesses every
attribute of pure Godhead. In him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead in a body. Verse 15, John, bear witness
of him. He's the one John bore witness
to. John, bear witness for him, cried saying, this was he of
whom I spake. He that cometh after me is preferred before
me, for he was, eternally was, before me. Verse 16. Of His fullness have we all received. Those who receive Him receive
His fullness. Of His fullness have we all received
and grace for grace. Now you know what that means?
Grace because of grace. Most folks think you get grace
because of your works. You get grace because God's responding
to something you do. Here's why you get grace. No,
grace comes because of grace. Because of who He is. Of His
fullness have we all received. Grace because of grace. For the
law was given by Moses. Now we know that God inspired
Moses to write the law. But I love what's said here.
The law was given by Moses and somebody could argue that there's
never been a greater man than Moses. The law was given by Moses
and the law is true. But grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ. Not by the law. Grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ and I love this term grace. Grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ. Now when we think of the word
grace, the first thing we think of, I know this is the first
thing I think of, is unmerited favor. And that's good because
if I'm going to have grace, I can't merit it. It's going to have
to be unmerited. But you know the word grace doesn't
necessarily mean just unmerited favor. Doesn't the scripture
say with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ that grace of God was
upon him? That's the favor of God. If you have the grace of God,
you have the favor of God. How God favored his son. When you see your children, you
don't look at them and say, I'm going to have unmerited favor
for them. No, you favor them because you love them. Oh, the
favor God has toward his son. This is my beloved son in whom
I'm well pleased. Hear him. Every believer has that favor
in the Beloved. Accepted, favored is the word,
much graced in the Beloved. Now if I have it, He doesn't
give it to me because I bought it or I've earned it. He gives
it to me because of Christ. But oh, what favor every believer
has in truth. Grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ. And I love the way the Lord said,
I am the truth. Don't you love that? You know,
if I would stand before you and say, I'm the truth, my conscience
would smite me. I know I'm a fraud. I'm a sinful
man. I'm a deceitful man. For me,
for any son of man, say, I'm the truth. No, it doesn't fit. Oh, but when he says, I am the
truth, he is the truth. This is who he is. This one who
is God, the word manifest in the flesh. He's the truth. And let me tell
you this, you'll never know the truth of concerning God unless
you know him. And you'll never know the truth
about yourself unless you know You know the reason folks don't
see how sinful they are? One reason, they don't know him.
If you know him, you'll know. And you'll know the truth with
regard to salvation. He himself is salvation. Verse 18, no man has seen God
at any time. Somebody says, I've seen God.
No, you haven't. Don't believe you for a second. No man has
seen God at any time. The only begotten son, there's
that word again. The only begotten son who is
in the, listen to this, the bosom of the father. That is the near
dear relationship between Christ and his father. He's in the bosom
of the Father. He's the one who's declared him. He's the one who has unfolded
him. He said, he that has seen me
has seen the Father. That's what he said. And this
is the he of our text. He was in the world, the world
that he made. This is his world. And the world
knew him not. came unto his own, and his own
received him not but." Verse 12. This is the but of grace. But the world didn't know him,
had no love for him. His own people turned thumbs
down on him, rejected him. The universal hiss is we will
not have this man reign over us. I've said that, you said
that, but. But God, who is rich in mercy,
that's the but of grace. But as many as received him. Now don't miss this term, as
many as. Very important term. Everybody
represented in that particular group, as many as, as many as,
as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. All the elect is what that means.
Everybody in that group, as many as were ordained to eternal life,
believed. When Peter was preaching on the
day of Pentecost, he says, the promise is to you and to your
children and to all that are far off, even as many as the
Lord our God shall call. It's for everybody that's in
the as many as. The Lord said, as many as I love. I rebuke and chasten as many
as, all that are in that group. As many as are led by the Spirit,
they are the sons of God. As many as received him, the
receiving of Jesus Christ, that is what those to whom he is given
do. They receive him. If a man doesn't receive him,
Christ has never given him. Now, is that clear? If a man
does not receive him, Christ was never given to him. Now, false religion, and let
me use that term believingly. I'm talking about
false religion. I'm talking about religion that
does not save. If you or I are in false religion, we will not
be in heaven. We will be in hell if that's
the direction I go. And if I go that direction, it's
all my fault. I can't say, well, I'm going to hell because I'm
not one of the elect. No, I'm going to hell because I had no
love for Christ, because I didn't believe the gospel, because I
despised him. You go to hell because of your sin. You don't
go to hell because you're not elect. You go to hell because
of your sin. That's why men perish. Now, if I'm brought into heaven,
it's all God's fault. It's ever been his fault. It's
because of his grace. It's because of what he did.
If I go to hell, it's because of what I did. Now, false religion.
I'm talking about non-saving religion. This is very important.
False religion makes the act of reception salvation. He's offered everybody. He's offered everybody. God offers
you the forgiveness of sins. God offers you grace. God offers
you heaven. God loves everybody. Christ died
for everybody. God wants to save everybody.
And He makes this offer, but it's up to you. It's balls in
your court. If you accept what he did, you'll
be saved. If you reject what he did, you'll
be damned. Salvation is ultimately up to
you. It's up to your decision. It's
up to what you do. That makes salvation ultimately
dependent upon my choice. That means salvation is up to
me. It's not up to God. It's up to
me. That's a denial that salvation
is of the Lord that is teaching salvation by works. It is damnable. No one is saved who believes
that garbage. It's salvation by works. Now, if I give you a gift and
you say, the reason I have this gift is because I accepted it.
I at least have some of the credit. I took it. You know what I'm
gonna do? I'm gonna take the gift back. That kind of thinking is so foreign. It's so evil. I have this free
gift because I received it, because I accepted it. I, I, I, I. If you have a gift, it's because
he gave it to you. And if you receive it, it's because he gave
it to you. And there's no merit in receiving. If somebody, like
I said, if somebody says, well, at least I received it. I remember
one time I was talking to a guy. This was a long time ago. And
I was trying to talk to him about salvation being of the Lord.
He said, well, I got to receive it. That's the difference. Well,
you're blind as a bat. And in common terms, We'd never
think anything, you give me a gift, at least I received it. No, no,
no, no, no. That's foolishness. Nothing more. As many as received him, what
does it mean to receive him? Well, I know you're receiving
him as a free gift. Freely you've received. Freely
give. freely you've received. Now,
what does it mean to receive Him? Well, first of all, you haven't even begun to receive
Him if you don't receive His words. John chapter 17 verse 8, I have
given them the words thou hast given me, and they have received
them. You cannot separate the person
of Christ from what He says. You receive His words. You receive His doctrine. You bow the knee to what He says. I have heard on more than one
occasion, I'm not concerned about doctrine. I want to hear Him. You can't hear Him without hearing
His doctrine, without hearing His words. That's a foolish separation. You receive him when you receive
his words. Like Peter, thou hast the words
of eternal life and we believe and are sure that thou art that
Christ, the son of the living God. You receive him when you
receive his words. The Lord said in Mark chapter
10 verse 15, Verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall not
receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not
enter therein. Now, I receive his words as a
little child. What's that mean? Children, before
they're old enough to see that their
parents are fallible, You know, there's a time when
you, your parents, they say something to you, you receive it because
they said it. Now that is the way we receive
his word. As a little child, we receive
it because he said it. No other reason is needed. If he said it, that's enough. We receive His words. We receive
His words as a little child. We receive them because He said
it. Listen to this scripture from
1 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13. Paul says, when you received
the Word of God, don't miss that word. When you received the Word
of God, which you heard of us, you received it not as the Word
of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God. which effectually
worketh in you that believe. Now to receive Him, look back
in John chapter 1 verse 16. And of His fullness have all
we received. When we receive Him, we receive
Him in His fullness, who He is. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. When we receive Him, we receive
the fullness of His salvation. Whatever salvation is, all it
encompasses in the Word of God, we receive. We receive Him in
His fullness. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily and you are complete. lacking nothing,
you have all His fullness. You are complete in Him. Of His all-fullness have we all
received, verse 16, and grace for grace, grace because of grace.
This is so important because everybody that is not saved,
when they think of grace, they think they receive grace because
they accepted it, because they did something. Uh, we receive
grace. Just put it in plain language.
We receive grace because they're all words. No, you receive grace
because of grace, because of the free grace of God. Redeeming grace, electing grace,
justifying grace. Regenerating grace. Preserving
grace. All that the grace of God is.
The saving grace of God. By grace you are saved. We receive that. All of the fullness
of it. Grace for grace. I love that scripture where the
Lord said to Paul, my grace is sufficient for thee." And my
little narrow soul says, yes, it is. His grace is sufficient
for me. I need nothing else. His grace
is sufficient for me. Now go back to verse 12 of John
chapter 1. But as many as received him. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God. For there foolishness unto him,
neither can he know them, because they're spiritually discerned.
The natural man is not going to receive him. Oh, but the spiritual
man, the man given grace to do this. As many as received him. them gave he power, the right,
the privilege to become the sons of God." What is higher than that? To
be a son of God? Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called sons
of God, having God as my Father, Christ as my Savior. Those people
received Him, to them gave He the power, the right, the privilege
to be the sons of God. And I love this next statement. even to them that believe on
His name." What's it mean to receive the
person of Jesus Christ? It means to believe on His name.
His name is who He is. His name is his attributes, his
name is his character. I love it in Exodus chapter 34
where God proclaims the name of the Lord to Moses and he starts
telling him who he is, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
long-suffering, abundant in goodness and mercy and truth, keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and
sin, who will by no means clear the guilty. You only understand
that if you understand the gospel. His name is his attributes. It's who he is. Faith is knowing
who he is. It's believing who he is. It's relying upon who he is. As many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God even to them which believe
on his name." That gives me some light as to what this means. Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. Now that doesn't simply mean
you articulate his name. It means all of His attributes
you're calling upon to save you. Lord, save me as an act of Your
sovereignty. Will my salvation. Lord, save
me in a way that honors your justice. Save me in a way that
glorifies your justice. Save me by your independence,
where you need nothing from me, you simply will it. Save me by
your grace. Save me by your power to put
away my sins. Save me by your wisdom in finding
a way to be just and justify the ungodly. Save me by your
faithfulness. You're calling upon all the attributes
of God to save you. Lord, save me by who you are,
whosoever." Don't you love that word? Whosoever. I'm in that
group. I'm in that demographic. Whosoever
shall call help in the name of the Lord shall be saved. I love what Paul said, I know
whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded that He is
able. Are you persuaded in His ability
to save you without any help from you? I'm persuaded He is
able to keep that which I've committed to Him. I've committed
the entire salvation of my soul to this statement He made. It is finished. in closing. What about these
people who receive Him and believe on His name? Verse 13, which
were born, birthed, which were born, they were dead,
dead in sins, no spiritual life. no spiritual nature, born dead,
dead in Adam, dead in my own trespasses and sins, unable to
believe, unable to receive, unable, but I was birthed, birthed, born
of God. This is what the Lord's talking
about when he says you must be born again. You must be born
of God. You must be birthed of God. You
must be fathered by God, God the Holy Spirit. born of the
Spirit, which were born, not of blood. Now you kids, what
a blessing it is for you children to be in believing families where
your mom and dad believe the gospel. What a great blessing,
whether you see it or not, what a great blessing that you've
been given in being in a family where your parents believe the
gospel. That doesn't mean you'll believe
it. You see, grace doesn't run in bloodlines. Somebody says,
well, won't my children be saved if I'm saved? Well, I hope they
are, but not necessarily. Aren't they members of the covenant
family? When people say that, I think, what are you talking
about? If you're saved, it's because God saved you. And it's
not because you're a member of the, you know, it's just not
of blood. Not of blood. You won't be saved
because your mom and dad saved you. And he next says, not of the
will of the flesh. You know, the lie of the devil
is you can be saved as an act of your will. That's the lie
of the devil. If you put, well, I'll be saved because I decided
to be saved. That's the lie of the devil. Free will is the biggest
lie the devil ever told. Not of the will of the flesh.
Not of the will of man. Let's say we think of everybody
in this room and we get one person on our mind and we're gonna say,
we're not going to let the Lord go until this person is saved.
We'll pray and we'll seek their salvation and we will not stop
until they are saved. Well, it don't work that way. Not of the will of man. Here's why somebody's born of
God, because they're born of God. Not of the will, not of
blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man,
but of God. Turn with me to Revelation 22.
This is our last scripture and it's a very important one. As if, you know when I say something
like that, They're all important. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, but look at Revelation 22, verse 17. And the spirit and the bride,
God, the Holy Spirit and the church say, come. Not get your life straightened
out, not go and do something. Come. And let him that heareth say,
come. And let him that is a thirst
come. And whosoever will, let him take. Now that word take, that's the
same word translated in our text, receive. Whosoever will. Does that teach
free will? No, but it does teach this, whosoever
will. Are you willing to be saved by
Christ? Are you willing to be saved by His grace? Do you want
to be found in Christ? Whosoever will, let him receive the water of life, Jesus Christ,
freely. The only thing you can bring
is nothing. The only way you can receive
him is freely. May God give every one of us
the grace to receive him. Let's pray. Lord, unite our hearts together
in this prayer. And Lord, hear it for Christ's
sake, according to your will. But Lord, those in our midst,
young people or old people, or in between, those in our midst
who have never truly received thy son, by thy grace, by thy
birth, cause us all to receive Him, to believe on His name. In His name we pray, amen.