Would you turn back to John,
chapter eight, while you're turning there, Lizzie McGuire had surgery
on her foot this week, and she's been having some complications.
She's all right, but everybody remember her in prayer. I hate
seeing her go through this. Tonight, I'm going to be speaking
on this subject, faith's accounting. And it's where Abraham accounted
something. His reasoning, if you will, enabled
by the Holy Spirit to hear the gospel. And I'm going to preach
the gospel from Abraham offering up Isaac. And it is such an important
message I'd love for every young person. I want the old people
to hear it, too. But this is such an important
message from Hebrews chapter 11 and Genesis 22. And if you
could read Genesis 22 this afternoon, I think it would be helpful.
John chapter 8 The Lord Jesus said concerning himself, I am
the way, I am the truth, and I am the
life. Let's confine ourselves just
for a moment to this statement, I am the truth. He didn't say,
I'll teach you the truth, I'll show you the truth, I'll guide
you along the truth. He said, I myself am the truth. No other man could say that,
could they? I am the truth. Now the Lord says in verse 46
of John chapter, let's read verse 45. John chapter 8. 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? I have entitled this message,
Why Men Don't Believe. In this room there are two kinds
of people. There are believers and there
are unbelievers. Believers believe. They believe
the Gospel. They believe the Word of God.
I thought of that passage of Scripture in Acts chapter 28
when Paul was preaching. It says, And some believed the
things which were spoken, and some believed not. Now, I want to think about our
Lord's question. If I say the truth, why don't
you Now, the Lord didn't ask this
question because he didn't know the answer, but this is an issue
the Bible addresses very plainly, why men don't believe. And in
answering that question, I'm also going to be talking about
why men do believe. If you believe, there's a reason
you believe. If you do not believe, there's
a reason you do not believe. Now, there are some listening
to me right now who do not believe. And I want you to believe. I
want to persuade you to believe. I pray that God will cause you
to believe. It's my prayer that not one person
will leave this place not believing. Oh, I want you to believe. But if you go on in unbelief
and die in unbelief, I won't forbid the thought, but if you
do, the Bible tells why. Now, notice in our text, in John
chapter 8, verse 46, if I say the truth, why do you not believe? Verse 47, he answers the question. He that's of God, heareth God's
words. You, therefore, hear them not
because you are not of God. Now, if you or if I do not believe
the gospel. It is because we are not of God. Now, everything else I'm going
to be saying is an amplification of that. The Lord looks at these
people. He says, if I tell you the truth,
why don't you believe? And then he answers his own question.
He that's of God, heareth God's words. You therefore hear them
not because you are not of God. I pray that the Lord will enable
me to preach this message as it ought to be preached. I preach this message with fear
and trembling. Oh, may God deliver us from simply
hearing from a man. Why men do not Believe. Now look once again at verse
45. The Lord says, because I tell you the truth. You believe me
not. Now what in the world does that
mean? Because I tell you the truth, you don't believe. What's he speaking of? Well,
let's back up to verse 43. Why do you not understand my
speech? Even because you cannot, you
lack the ability to hear my word. Now, he says to these people,
you are of your father, the devil. And the loss of your father,
you will 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, the reason men don't believe
here's First reason, I mean, this is an application not being
of God. Here's the first reason. If you don't believe and if you
die in that state, if you don't believe right now and you continue
to not believe and you die in that state, the reason you don't
believe is because you're a child of the devil. Strong language,
isn't it? But yet these are the Lord's
words. He said, you're of your father,
the devil. If you don't believe, and if
you go on in unbelief, it's because your daddy is the devil. Now those are the Lord's words,
that strong language. You have a kinship with the devil.
You have the same kind of character he does. He hates the truth,
he wouldn't abide in the truth, and the reason you don't believe
is because you're in league with the devil. Now that's Very poignant. The language is just there's
no mistaking it. He says the reason you fellas
don't believe is because your daddy is the devil, the father
of lies, and his children are just like. Him. And men do not believe, secondly,
because they don't believe the Bible. Look in John Chapter 5. The Lord says to those who do
not believe, He says, Do not think that I will accuse you
to the Father. There is one that accuses you,
John 5, verse 45. There is one that accuses you,
even Moses, in whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you
would have believed Me. For he wrote of Me. But if you
believe not his writings, how shall you believe My words? Now,
if you don't believe, it's because you Do not believe the Bible. Now, these people that he's speaking
to claimed to believe the Bible, but they didn't, because if they
did, they would have believed Christ. Now, they would have
fought you for the authority of the Scriptures. They would
have fought you for the inspiration of the Scriptures. But it will
do no good to merely say you believe the Bible. You must believe
what it says. Do you hear that? It's one thing
to say you believe the Bible. It's another thing to believe
what the Bible says. These people did not believe
what the Bible says because they didn't see Christ as everything
in salvation. Now, if you don't believe, if
you don't believe, it's because you really don't believe the
Bible. That's why. Thirdly, if you don't
believe, Men do not believe because they do not want to believe. Look in verse 38 of John, chapter
five. The Lord says, and you have not
his word abiding in you. For whom he has sent him, you
believe not. You search the scriptures for
in them, you think you have eternal life. And they are they which
testify of me, and you will not come to me that you might have
life. The reason men don't believe
is because they do not want to believe. You will not come to
me that you might have life. In Luke chapter 22, verse 68,
we read now to Christ, they ask the Lord, tell us, And he said
to them, if I tell you, you will not believe. Even if I tell you
the truth, it doesn't make any difference. Men don't believe
because they don't want to believe. Now, why is that? Because they
don't like what the gospel says. That's why. Well, what about
those who have never heard? Well, you can't believe what
you've never heard. That's true. But even if you did here, you would
not believe because you don't want to believe. Turn with me
to John chapter three. Here's why men do not want to
believe. Look in verse 17. For God sent not his son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him
might be saved. He that believeth on him is not
condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because
he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God,
and this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil. For everyone that doeth evil
hateth the light. Neither cometh to the light,
lest his deed should be reproved, or exposed. But he that doeth
truth cometh to the light, that his deeds might be made manifest,
that they are wrought in God. Now the reason men do not want
to believe is because they do not want to believe what the
Bible says about them. They don't want to believe what
the Bible says. They hate the light because the
light exposes them and exposes their works as not being able
to save them. Hate that. If you don't believe
right now, if you don't believe, if you're an unbeliever, the
reason you're an unbeliever is because you do not want to believe. You can blame it on God's sovereignty,
but the fact of the matter is, is you do not want to believe. Men do not believe because they're
more concerned about what men think than what God thinks. That's the reason they don't
believe. Let me show you this in the scripture.
Turn to John chapter 5. Verse 43. He says, I am come in my father's
name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his
own name, him will you receive, but how can you believe? which
receive honor one of another, and seek not that honor that
cometh from God only. Now, do you hear what the Lord
says? He says, how can you believe when you're more concerned about
getting men's honor than God's honor? Look in John chapter 12.
Very much the same thing. John chapter 12. Verse 42. Nevertheless, among
the chief rulers also many believed on him, but Because of the Pharisees,
they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the
synagogue, for they love the praise of men more than the praise
of God. Now, if you do not believe, here
is why. You are really more concerned
about what men think and see than you are concerning what
God says. That's why men don't believe,
because they're more concerned about what men think than what
God says. Here's the sixth reason men do
not believe. Men do not believe because God
has not revealed Himself. If you don't believe, it's because
God has not made Himself known to you. Isaiah 53, verse 1 says,
Who has believed, I report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord
revealed? The only way you will believe
is if God reveals Himself to you. You remember when the Lord
said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
you have hid these things from the wise and the prudent and
revealed them to babes. Now, if you don't believe, God
has not revealed himself to you. Remember, faith is the gift of
God. It's not something you just work
up. If you have faith and you know this, if you have faith,
if you have faith, it's because he gave it to you. There was a time when
you didn't believe and you do now and you know why God gave
you that faith. You know it doesn't come from
as an act of some decision you made. There was a time you didn't
believe and you do now. By grace are you saved through
faith and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. Men do not believe because they
do not love the truth. Turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter
2. Verse 9, Even him whose coming is after
the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders,
and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in men that perish,
because they receive not, what's that next phrase? The love of
the truth. that they might be saved. And for this cause, because they
did not receive the love of the truth, God shall send them strong
delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. As someone who doesn't believe,
never receives the love of the truth, it doesn't come as good
news to them. Men do not believe. Because they're
not sheep. If you reject the gospel. You're
not a sheep. Let me show you this in the scripture,
you know, the way the Bible speaks is so plain, there's just no
mistaking of this language. Look in John, chapter 10. 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 believe 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 unto you." Now, do you hear what
the Lord said? He said, the reason you don't believe is because
you're not one of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know
them. They follow me. Now, who are
the sheep of Christ? The sheep of Christ are His elect. Those the Father gave me. He
said in John 6, 36, He said, you've seen me and believe
not all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. The elect
will believe. The sheep are those whom Christ
has died for. I lay down my life for the sheep.
He never died for goats. He only died for his sheep. The
sheep are those that hear the voice of the Son of God through
the power of the Holy Spirit. That's the sheep. Notice he doesn't
say you're not my sheep because you don't believe. He says, you
believe not because you're not of My sheep. Now, if you don't
believe, you're going to hear the Lord say on that last day,
I never knew you. I never knew you to be one of
Mine. I never knew you. Men do not
believe because they're not sheep. Look in John chapter 6, 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 unto him of my Father. You see, this thing of coming
to Christ is the act of faith. I come to Him. I come to Him. Lord, save me. Have mercy on
me. Do something for me. Now, our Lord says no man can
come to me. He likes the ability to come,
except it were given to him. Oh, my father. Now, if you come
to Christ, it's because God gave you the grace to do it. But if
you don't, you've never had anything done for you. Why don't men believe? Men don't believe because they're
under the judgment of God. Turn to Acts, Chapter 13. I want
you to see all these things in God's Word. Like I said, this
is a subject that why don't, why are you even asking that
question? Well, the Lord did. That's why.
The Lord did. He said, if I say the truth,
why don't you believe? And the scripture answers this
so plainly. This is not the way men would
speak, but this is the way God speaks. Look at Acts, Chapter
13, verse 40. Paul's preaching. And he says, Beware, therefore,
lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets.
Behold, ye despisers, wander and perish. For I work a work
in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though
a man declare it unto you. And you're having the gospel
declared unto you right now. And if you continue in unbelief,
you are under the judgment of God. Men do not believe because
they've been blinded by Satan. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 3 says,
If our gospel be hid, it's hid to them who are lost, in whom
the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe
not. Let the light of the glorious gospel should be shined unto
them. If you don't believe, it's because
you've been blinded by Satan. Now look in John chapter 12,
one other scripture regarding why men don't believe. John chapter
12. Verse 37. But though he had done so many
miracles before them, yet they believed not on him, that the
saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he
spake, Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the
arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe. They lacked the ability to believe
because that Isaiah said again, he had blinded their eyes and
hardened their hearts. They should not see with their
eyes nor understand with their hearts and be converted. And
I should heal them. These things said Isaiah when
he saw his glory and spake of him. Now, if you don't believe. You can't. That's what the Lord
says. You lack the ability to believe. Now, somebody's thinking, why
are you given such negative things? You're not giving us any hope.
Right. Right. It's only when you have
no hope that you're going to call to God for mercy. When you
see that you can't believe that you're It's altogether out of
your power. It's not something you can just
up and decide to do. You're in the hands of a sovereign
God who can give you faith or withhold it. Now, that's just the facts. That's the facts. Why don't men believe? Well,
because they're not of God. Because they do not believe the
Bible. Because they're children of the devil. Because they do
not want to believe. Because they love darkness rather
than light. Because they love the praise
of men more than the praise of God. Because God hadn't revealed
Himself. Because God sent them a delusion. Because they're not Christ's
sheep. Because they've not been given faith, because they're
under the judgment of God, because they're blinded by Satan and
because they can't believe. They can't. Now. You can turn all those reasons
around to find out why men do believe. There are also men who
do believe. And I'm looking at a bunch of
them right now. People who actually believe the
gospel, how blessed by God you are. Now, why do men believe? Well, here's the first reason.
If you believe. It's because you're of God. That's
a miraculous, glorious thing to think about, isn't it? But
if you believe it's because you are of God, God's done something
for you. You've been united to Christ.
God's done something. You're either of God or of the
devil, one of the two. If you believe, it's because
you are of God. He that's of God, heareth God's
words. And if you hear the gospel, it's
because you are of God. If you believe, it's because
First of all, you're of God. You give God all the credit.
But if you believe, you really believe the message of the Bible.
You believe the Word of God. And I'm not just talking about
how you'll argue for the inspiration of the Scriptures. I'm talking
about how you believe what God's Word says. You believe what God's
Word says about Him. You believe what God's Word says
about you. You believe what God's Word says about salvation. You
believe the Bible. Anybody, now listen to me, and
I know this is so. Anybody who really believes the
message of the Bible believes God. Do you believe the message
of the Bible? That's what believers do. They
believe the Word of God. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God. Everybody who believes the Bible,
I mean, believes what it says, believes what it says about God,
believes what it says about them. Believe what it says about concerning
salvation. They're believers. If you believe, it's because
you're a child of God. You're united to Christ. You're
not a child of the devil. You're a child of God. Do you
believe the gospel? Do you believe that Jesus Christ
is all in salvation? Are you trusting him only as
everything in your salvation? You're scared to death to look
anywhere else. Do you rely on the righteousness of Christ as
your righteousness before God? Do you rely on his blood as your
sin payment that it actually put away sin and you stand without
sin because of who he is and what he did? Are you relying
on his intercession right now that the only reason your prayers
would be heard is because he presents him to the Father? Are
you relying on his grace to keep you and you know the only reason
that you'll be kept is because he keeps you? Are you relying
on him? Do you believe the gospel? You're
a child of God. You're united to the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's why. If you believe, you
believe because you want to believe. What do I mean by that? Well,
you love the gospel because you find it's perfectly suited for
you. It's just what you need. You want to believe the gospel. The fact that God elected a people
to be saved before time began is good news to me. I need it. You see, if he didn't choose
me, I just know I wouldn't choose him. I know I wouldn't. I know
myself enough to know the truth about that. It's good news to
me. It's perfectly suited for me.
That when Christ said it is finished, the salvation of the elect was
accomplished. Because if you tell me he can
die for somebody and they wind up in hell after he died for
him, then you've taken away the only hope I have. Because the
only hope that I have is that what he did is all I need. That's
my hope. That's my well grounded hope. Irresistible grace. It's the
only kind of grace that will do anything for me because I'd
resist it if it wasn't irresistible. Perseverance being preserved
by His grace. I know I'd fall if He didn't keep me. You see,
the gospel is perfectly suited for me. I want to believe the
gospel. It's good news to me. If you believe, it's because
you're not afraid of the light. You're not afraid of the light. This is mysterious, but so. I believe as God is my witness. And I say that very carefully.
I believe that everything about me is sin. That's the accurate summary of
me. And I also believe that if you
bring me to the light, the searchlight of God's holiness, If all my
life is put on a screen for all the world to see, you won't find
any sin. I'm perfect before God. I'm not afraid to come to the
light. I'm not afraid to come to the spotlight of God's holiness
because Christ is my righteousness before God. And I really believe
I'm complete in Him. I'm not afraid of the light.
God's people love the light of the gospel. That light that shows
them who they are, who Christ is. We love the light. If you believe, you believe because
you love the praise of God better than the praise of men. You really
are more concerned about what God thinks than what men think.
And let God be true and every man a liar. You don't care what men think. When it comes right down to it,
If you believe the gospel, you don't care what men think, you
care what God thinks. You don't care what men say,
you care what God says. What does God say in His Word? Every believer has what's called
the fear of God. That's what this is, the fear
of God. If you believe, You seek that honor that comes
from God only if you believe. You believe because God has revealed
Himself to you. He has given you the precious
gift of faith. He has made Himself known to
you. He has disclosed Himself to you. That's what happens when you
believe. God makes Himself known. You believe. You know the reason
you believe is because He revealed Himself. He said to His disciples,
whom do men say that I, the Son of Mine am? And they said, well,
they say some good things. Some say Moses, Elijah, one of the
prophets, they put you in some high cotton. He said, but whom
say ye that I am? Peter said, thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God. And the Lord said, blessed art
thou, Simon Bar-Jonah. Flesh and blood didn't reveal
this to thee, but my Father. which is in heaven. If you believe
God, the God of glory, the creator of the universe, has made himself
known, has revealed himself to you. If you believe, you have
received the love of the truth. You have received the love of
the truth. When you hear the truth, you
love it. Because the truth is a person.
You see, you don't really love a doctrine, you love a person. And you receive the love of the
truth. If you believe, you believe because
you're a sheep. You're not a goat. You're one
of His sheep. I love that passage. I want you
to look at this, Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13, verse 48. And when the Gentiles heard this,
they heard Paul preaching the gospel, they were glad and they
glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. That's why you believe. You are
ordained to eternal life. You're one of His sheep. If you believe, you believe because
God elected you. You're a sheep. You believe because
Christ died for you. You believe because God the Holy
Spirit has called you. If you believe, it's because
you're not under God's judgment. Like an unbeliever. There is
therefore now, right now, no condemnation No judgment to them
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit. If you believe it's because you've
not been blinded by Satan, God has given you eyes to see. And
beloved, if you believe, it's because you can. It's because you can. Now, there
was a time when you couldn't. And then one day, you found yourself
believing. There was a time when you couldn't.
Faith is not a choice. You don't choose to believe you
believe because you've got no choice. You must believe. You
cannot not believe. There was a time when you found
yourself believing the gospel. The reason being is you now can. Now, I realize it's only by grace,
but I can now Believe. Now, the Lord said. If I tell you the truth. And he
did, he is the truth. Why don't you believe? Well,
I've given those reasons from the scripture, and they're very
plain. The way the Lord speaks to me. But if you believe. The opposite is true. Regarding
you, you the reason why the natural man doesn't believe you just
turn that around. And that's the reason you do
believe and how blessed you are. If you believe the gospel. If
I believe the gospel. How blessed by God we are. Now I want to leave you. With
this thought. Because there's somebody thinking.
I can't believe. If I'm not left, if Christ didn't
die for me, I mean, what can I do about it? I'm just here.
What can I do? You've left me with nothing.
What can I do? That's a good place to be left
with nothing. Because when you're left with
absolutely nothing in the hands of a sovereign God who can save
you or send you to hell according to his will, there's only one
thing to do. Have mercy. On me. Yeah. Listen to me. God. Commands you to believe. And you're right to believe comes
with God's command. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
now shall be saved. That's not good advice. That
is a command. God commands you to believe,
right now, as you are. Right now, as you are. You might
not be able to figure out whether or not you're one of the elect
or not, or whether Christ... Forget all that. Forget it. You,
as a sinner, are commanded to believe the Gospel. May I believe? Yes, you may. Everybody is called on to believe
the gospel. Now if you end up not believing,
I'm giving you the reasons why, but oh, if you believe, you'll
know why. Let's pray.