I love the first line of that
song, Waiting for my body that will never sin. Turn back to
1 John, while you're turning there, after the services, if
you men can help set up for the shower this Saturday, it would
be helpful. I'd like to read verse 12 once
again, 1 John chapter 5. It may say it like this somewhere
else, but I'm not sure that it does. I don't know where. Listen
to these words. He that hath the Son hath life. And he that hath not
the Son of God hath not life. I've entitled this message, Do
You have the son? Now that can be answered. Do you have the son? John gives his reason for writing
in verse 13. These things have I written unto
you that believe. on the name of the son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may
believe on the name of the son of God. Now, who is he writing
to? Those that believe on his name.
Why is he writing? That you may know that you have
eternal life. And what is the evidence of eternal
life? He goes right back to the same
thing, that you believe on the name of the Son of God. That's
who he's writing to, those who believe. Why is he writing? I want you to know that you have
eternal life. That life that's in the Son. He that hath the Son hath life. And he that hath not the Son
has not life. Now, I have two goals in this
message. And here's the first one. That
those who have eternal life might know they have it. Wouldn't that be a blessing?
To know you have the Son. And my second goal is that we
might know that the evidence of having eternal life is believing
on the name of the Son of God. Eternal life. Not eternal existence. Those in hell have that. But eternal life, that is. And
I wish I knew or understood more of what I'm saying. But eternal
life is the life of God in your soul. It is the life of Christ. It's eternal because He's eternal.
Christ is our life. And this life never had a beginning.
and it will never have an end. That's why it's called eternal
life. I love that passage of scripture
where the Lord said, the hour is coming when the dead shall
hear the voice of the son of God and they that hear shall
live. Now think about this thing of
being dead. The Lord says the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God. A dead person is not able
to exercise the five senses. He can't hear. Play him a beautiful
piece of music. He has no appreciation of it.
He can't hear. He can't see. Show him a beautiful
sunset. He can't see it. He can't smell. Fragrance of a rose and it means
nothing to him. He can't taste, if you put the
best food in his mouth, that there is. He can't taste it. He can't feel. Hit him. He doesn't
feel it. Stroke him gently. He doesn't
feel it. He's dead. Now, a spiritually
dead person cannot hear the gospel. Well, they hear it audibly, but
they can't hear. It's above and beyond any ability
they have. They can't see the glory of Christ. They can't see the sufficiency
of Christ. They know nothing of tasting
that the Lord is gracious because they don't know what grace is.
You know, they can't feel the pain of a broken heart over sin.
They can't feel coldness. They can't feel warmth. They
can't feel the joy and peace of believing. They are dead,
spiritually dead in their senses. It's the man who has life that
can hear the gospel as gospel. It comes to him as good news.
It's exactly what he needs. He sees the sufficiency of Christ. He sees how God can be just and
justify him. He sees that. He can smell the sweet savor
of Christ and taste that he's gracious. He can feel it may
be coldness. It may be deadness. Oh, it's
miserable. He feels it. It may be joy. It may be peace, it may be love,
he feels. He may fear he feels nothing
at all, but that's better than being dead, isn't it? I think
of what the Lord said to the church at Laodicea, I would that
you're cold or hot. Now I'd rather be hot than cold,
but I'd rather be cold than lukewarm, wouldn't you? Life, life, eternal life. Now, are you one of the people
that John is speaking to when he says that we're to receive
the witness of God? Is he speaking to you? Now, I don't care who you are or what you've experienced or
what you haven't experienced. If by the grace of God, you come
to Christ for mercy, you'll be received. That ought to get our attention. I don't care who you are, what
you've experienced, what you've heard, what you haven't experienced,
what you haven't heard. If you come to Christ for mercy,
you will be received. And this is sincere. Now, if you receive him, you'll
receive an undivided Christ. You'll receive him in all of
his offices. You won't pick out this part. I'll take this and
I'll leave out that. No, sir. No, sir. You'll receive
him as God's prophet. The very word of God, you'll
receive him as God's priest, the one who can make you accepted
before God. You receive him as king. He's
the king. And you'll receive him exclusively
if you receive him. That means when you receive him,
you'll exclude and shut out any other way. You know, he's the
only way if you receive him. You'll receive him freely. You
won't be paying anything for him and you'll know it. You'll
know the only reason you received him is he gave you the grace
to receive him. You'll know that. There won't be any argument about
that. And you'll receive his person. What do I mean by that? There have been marriages where
men or women have married other men or women because of what
they can get out of them. Because of the benefits they could receive.
That's why Lynn married me, all the benefits she received out
of me. No, but what I'm... If somebody, if a woman would
marry a man for his money and not for him, it'd be an awful
thing, wouldn't it? It'd be a wrong thing. And to most people, when
they think of Christ, they just think of the benefits they receive
and they never really receive the person. Now, if you ever
receive him, you receive him. Yes, you get His benefits, but
you receive Him. And those who have not truly
received Him have never had a heart broken before God over sin. They know nothing of what it
is to rest in Christ only. They know nothing of bowing to
His Lordship. Now, I don't want to be one of
those people, do you? I want to be somebody who receives the
testimony, who has the Son. who has eternal life. Now let's
pick up reading in verse nine. If we receive the witness of
men, and that's something you do every day. I realize that all men are liars. I realize that, you realize that
too. But we still receive the testimony of men on a daily basis.
You go to the store, you agreed to pay this much for it, that's
what you pay for it. You read history, you believe
what has been recorded by somebody who was telling the truth, you
hope. When we deal with each other, we receive the testimony
of men on a daily basis. You couldn't live without it.
I mean, it'd be utter anarchy if we couldn't. If everything
was just a lie, there wasn't anything you can count on. Just
going to the store, you're receiving the witness of men. I can have
this for so much, it's not going to be changed. Now, if we receive
a witness of men, oh, the witness of God is infinitely, infinitely
greater. If we receive the witness of
men, the witness of God is greater for this is the witness. This is the testimony. Of which
God has testified of his son, now God's given testimony. You
know, three times he spake from heaven. Can you imagine hearing
that voice? Three times God spake from heaven. The first time he said, this
is my beloved son. In whom? I am well pleased. The second time he said, This
is my beloved son. This is the son of my love in
whom I'm well pleased. Hear ye him. And the third time
was when the Lord said to the father, Father, glorify thy name. And he said, I've both glorified
it and will glorify it again. Now that's God's testimony. That's his word. And I love the
way the Lord says, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well
pleased. If he would have said with whom
I'm well pleased, that's good. That's true. But where does that
leave me and you? The only one he's pleased with is his son.
but in Him, everybody in Him, the Father is well pleased with. All of God's blessing, all of
God's mercy, all of God's grace, everything that God has for the
sinner is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look what he says in verse
10. He that believeth on the Son
of God, hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath
made him a liar, because he believeth not the
record that God gave his Son, and this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Now, I wish I could give this
the proper emphasis that it ought to have, but understand this. God doesn't do anything for you
for your sake. No part of salvation is God's
response to you. He's not responding to you because
you're sorry. He's not responding to you because you want mercy.
He's not responding to you because you want a different life. He's
responding to his son. That's salvation. It is in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, look at verse 10. He that believeth on the Son
of God. What does it mean to believe
on the Son of God? Well, it's very simple. It's to believe
who he is. And to rely all of your salvation
on who he is. That's what it means to believe
on the Son of God. First, you believe in him. I believe he's God's Christ. I believe that he's the Son of
God, the one who came in the flesh. Do you believe that? I
believe the Son of God came in the flesh. I believe He did what
He came to do. I believe He accomplished it.
I believe that in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead
in a body. Do you believe that? Do you believe
that all that God is in the infinite excellence and incomprehensibility
of His person dwells in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe
He's God the Son. I believe that He's the Creator
and that all things were created by Him and for Him. And He's
before all things. Whatever it is, He's before it. And by Him, all things consist. I believe that. Do you? I believe that He's the brightness
of God's glory and the express image of His person upholding
all things by the Word of His power. I believe God's testimony
concerning His Son. I believe that in all things
He's to have the preeminence because it's pleased the Father
that in Him should all fullness dwell. I'm not asking you what you think
about yourself right now, whether or not you think you're saved
or whether or not you think you're converted or whether or not you
think you're a Christian. I'm asking you what you think
about him. What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? I believe that
he's the way. I believe he's the truth. I believe
he's the life. I believe his life is my life
before God, nothing else. I believe he's the great I am
that I am. I believe He's God. I believe
He's the Son of God. I believe He's God manifest in
the flesh. Now, it's what you believe concerning
Him. Now, remember, what is it to
do? He says, He that believeth on the Son of God. Well, first
of all, to believe on the Son of God, you have to believe in
Him. You have to believe what God's Word testifies of Him.
And you really believe it. You know, I really believe that
Jesus Christ is the Creator. I believe he's the only savior
of sinners. I believe he's controlling everyone and everything. He's
God. And beloved, this is who I am
relying on to save me. You remember when he said to
Sarah after she laughed thinking about her going through menopause
and already through menopause and she knew she couldn't have
a child. It was impossible. And she laughed, and the Lord
said, why are you laughing? Is anything too hard for the
Lord? Now, this is who I'm relying
on. I'm relying on who he is to save
me to this extent. Paul put it this way. I know
whom I have believed. I believe him, don't you? I believe
He's God, I believe He's able to save me with no help from
me. I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded. And the reason
I'm persuaded is God has persuaded me. The only time you're ever
gonna be persuaded is if God persuades you. I am persuaded
that He is able to keep that which I've committed to Him.
What have you committed to Him, Paul? The entire salvation of
my soul. Hands off. Hands off. If he doesn't do it all, this
sinner won't be saved. I've committed the entire salvation
of my soul to him. Now that's what it means to believe
on the son of God. It means you believe who he is
and who he is, is the way you're saved. It's a complete reliance
upon him. Now, notice how he says, he that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He doesn't need his faith held
up by others. He doesn't need human affirmation. I love when Paul said, would
it please God who separated me from my mother's womb and called
me by his grace to reveal his Son in me, not just to me, If
all he does is reel him to me, I'll lose that. But he revealed
him in me that I might preach him among the heathen. Immediately,
I conferred not with flesh and blood. I didn't have to have
Peter or John or James to buttress my faith. I knew this is the
truth. I knew he is the son of God. Now, the gospel has come to that
person who has the witness in himself, not in word only, but
in power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. This is
the truth. This is the gospel of God. It's
who Christ is and what he did, and I'm relying 100% on who he
is and what he did. Somebody says, well, I don't
believe that. Well, I'm sorry, but that doesn't make me not
believe if you don't. If you have real faith, God gave
it to you. It's the product of God, and
you are not dependent upon men to hold you up. You have the
witness in yourself. I love the way Paul said, and
we know. I love that, don't you? Now we
hope it's this way, and we think it might be this way. We know
that all things work together for good. I don't know if I have that confidence,
Paul. I do. We know. We know. Look in 1 John 2. But you, verse 20, but you have
an unction, an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all
things. Now that doesn't mean I have
omniscience, obviously. But if I know Christ, I know
all things, don't I? Because Christ is all, and I know all
things. Look in verse 27 of the same
chapter. But the anointing which you have
received of him abides in you, and you need not that any man
teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and
is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, you
shall abide in him. Now this is the teaching of God
the Holy Spirit. Now, he may use a man, he may
use my voice, my preaching to teach you, but it ain't me teaching
you, it's him. If you ever really learn anything,
you'll believe it with all your heart and soul and strength if
he teaches you. And you won't need human affirmation. You know this is the truth. And that's one of the things
I love about the truth. When I hear the truth, I know it's
the truth. I know it. Now when I hear stuff that I'm
not sure is the truth, oh, I get confused, I get upset, I don't
know what to, but oh, when I hear the truth, I know it's the truth
of God. Our gospel came to you not in
word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. And let me remind you, that much
assurance isn't talking about assurance of personal salvation.
It means you know this is the truth. This is the gospel of
God. Now let's go back to our text
in 1 John chapter four, number five. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God, You
know, there's people who believe, there's people who don't believe.
That's the way it always is, isn't it? When Paul was preaching
in Acts chapter 28, people couldn't hear him. The scripture says
some believed and some believed not. And that's the way it is. There's some who believe and
there's some who do not believe. But I want us to see the enormity
of the wickedness of not believing God. Look what he says. He that
believeth not God hath made him a liar. Now if I don't believe God, what
I'm saying is God is not true. God cannot be trusted. God is
a liar. Now I want you to think of all
the sins you commit. I dare say the sin of unbelief
is not the one that troubles you the most. I dare say that. You think there
are things worse, or at least you don't even think of unbelief
in that light. But unbelief is a denial of the
very character and faithfulness and trustworthiness and veracity
of God. And what someone does when they
fail to believe the gospel, they fail to simply believe who Christ
is and what he did is all I needed to make me perfect in salvation.
They're calling God a liar. Turn back to John chapter three. John chapter three, beginning in verse 33. He that hath received his testimony,
the testimony of God, the gospel has said to his seal, what? That God is true. That's what's
said to your seal. You believe the gospel. Here's
what you're saying. God is true. To not believe is
to say that God's a liar. Now, verse 11. Back to our text. And this is the record. This
is God's testimony. Here it is. You want to know
the truth. You want to know the record.
You want to know the testimony that comes from God. Here it
is. God hath given to us eternal
life. And this life is in his son. God. The gospel is about who God is
and what he has done. God, I love the way the book
of Hebrews starts. I think it's the greatest beginning
word in the scripture. God, who at sundry times and
in diverse manners. The gospel is all about God and
what he has done. Here's the next word, hath. Hath. That means it's historical. It's about what he's already
done. Not what he will do for you, but what he's done. It's the message of it is finished. God hath. That means he's already
done it. That means it's a completed work.
There's nothing for you to do because it's already been done.
Not do, done. The next word is given. Romans
8.32, he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up
for us all, how shall he not? What could possibly prevent him
from freely giving us all things? He can't withhold anything. He's
already given his son. There's nothing he's going to
withhold. God hath given us. Who's the us? The folks he's
given this to. Those who believe the gospel.
The elect of God. Those chosen before time began
to be saved. And sinners. I like this one
best of all. Who's the us? Sinners. Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I'm chief. This is the ones he hath given. to us. What has He given? Eternal life. The life of the Eternal One is
my life before God. It's a life that never began
to be and will never cease to be. His life, His life is my
life before God. When Christ, our life shall appear. Now my life is not It's not going
to be what's happened between September 9th, 1959 up until
the day of my death, whenever that was, that's not going to
have anything to do with my life. My life is the life of the Lord
Jesus Christ. His perfect life as my life before
God. Now that is eternal life. I love what the Lord said in
John chapter 17, verses two and three, thou has given him power
over all flesh to give eternal life to as many as thou has given
him. And this is eternal life that
they might know thee. the only true God and Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent. Now this life, and I don't know
how to say this, I don't understand it, but it's not a created life. It's the life that's always been,
that's always been with the Father. The perfect life of the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's not a created life. It's
not something that had a point in which it began. It's the life
of the Lord Jesus Christ as every believer is eternally united
to him. There's never been a time when
I have been viewed independently of the Lord Jesus Christ, not
in time, no, not in eternity. That's why it's called eternal
life, not temporary life, not life that had a beginning, not
life that had a starting point and goes on eternally, but eternal
life. No, there's infinitely more difference
between eternal life and the life of a man dead in sins than
there is between the life of a man dead in sins and an animal. You believe that? I don't have
any question about it. Because eternal life is the life
of God in the soul. This life is in Christ, the Son
of God. That's why it's so glorious.
It's in Christ. I love that passage of scripture
in Galatians chapter 2 verse 20. I live, yet not I, but...
No, first it says I was crucified with Christ. I died with Christ. I was crucified with Christ.
Yet I live, but not I, but Christ liveth in me. In the life that
I now live in the flesh, I live by... He didn't say faith in
the Son of God. He says by the faith of the Son
of God, by his life. by who he is. Verse 12. Now here's a verse of scripture that
just got hold on me because I was asking myself, well, do I have
a son? He that hath a son hath eternal life. Well, do I have
the Son? What's it mean to have the Son?
Because like I said, I'm not real sure that in the New Testament
anyway it's ever spoken of quite like this. We're either believing
in the Son, believing on the Son, looking to the Son, resting
in the Son, but having the Son. Having the Son. What does it
mean to have the Son? He that hath the Son of God hath
life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. Well, you have the Son if the
Father gave Him to you. You have the Son if the Father
gave Him to you. And if the Father gave Him to
you, it's because you were given to Him before the foundation
of the world. That's why you have the Son.
The Father gave Him to you. God so loved the world that He
gave. The Father gave Him to you. And the reason He gave Him
to you is because you were given to Him before the foundation
of the world. Now, how can I know if I have
the Son? He that hath the Son hath life. How can I know if I have the
son? You have the son if he's all
you got. If you have anything else, you
don't have him. If all you've got is Christ,
I don't have an experience. I don't have, I don't have a
life that I've, all I have is Christ. If all I have is Christ,
is that enough? It is, if he's all you got. Is he all you got? Do you have
anything else? You have anything else that you
bring before God? You have anything else to claim? Well, then you
don't have him, period. You see, if he's all you got,
you know what that means? He's all. He really is all of
you. If he's all you have, he's all. If you have anything else, he
is not all. If he's all you got, you have
the son. Turn with me for a moment to
Matthew chapter 13. Verse 45, Matthew chapter 13. And again, the kingdom of heaven
is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, things that will
enrich his life, things that will make him better. Verse 46, when he'd found one
pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had
and bought it. Now, what is the outstanding
characteristic of this man now? He's only got one thing. He doesn't
have anything else. He's only got one thing. Pearl
of great price. Preachers have taken this passage
of scripture and they have put the emphasis on what all you
need to sell to have this pearl of great price. What all you
need to give up. What all you need to you need
to you need to sell this you need to give up that you need
to let go of that or you're never going to have this pearl of great
price. The reason they talk like that is they've never seen a
pearl. If you've ever seen the pearl of great price, everything
you're getting rid of is nothing more than done. And you want
to have that one pearl. You want to have nothing else. If you have Christ, he is all
you have. But he's all you need. And he's all you want. You don't
want anything else. He that hath a son, well, if
he's all you got, you have him. I don't care what else could
be said of you. If he's all you got, you have him. He that hath
the Son hath life, eternal life, the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if you don't have the Son, and if you have anything in addition
to the Son, you don't have him. He that hath not the Son hath
not life. Now, these things, verse 13,
these things, If I've written unto you that believe on the
name of the Son of God, that you might know that you have
eternal life. You know what the best thing
to do when you know you have eternal life? Is believe on the
name of the Son of God. As soon as you start thinking
about, I know, and you start thinking, do I have assurance?
I'm sure I know I'm saved, I'm sure I'm saved. As soon as you
start thinking that way, you'll lose it. If you believe on the
name of the Son of God, you'll know you have eternal life. Let's pray. Lord, in Christ's name, I ask
that you would bless your word to our understanding to our heart, Lord,
let us be people who have the son, who look to him only, who have
that one pearl of infinite price, thy son. Lord, create faith, enable each
one of us to believe on the name of the Son of God. In His name
we pray. Amen. Matt, come lead us in closing
in.