Could you turn with me to John,
chapter seven? I want to remind you, we're going to eat together
after the services. Everybody's invited and we won't
be having evening services tonight. John, chapter seven. Verse 5. For neither did his brethren
believe in him. Now, the Lord had brothers and
sisters. We just read about them in Matthew
chapter 13. He grew up in a home with Joseph
and Mary, as his parents, his brothers were named, and his
sisters. Many try to argue that Mary didn't
have any other children and always remained a virgin. Now, I guess
they think that would make her sinful if she had lived as a
woman with her husband, but Mary already was a sinner. just like you and I are. The
Lord grew up in a home in Nazareth with a mom and dad, brothers
and sisters. And these people watched Him
grow up. They were eyewitnesses of a perfectly
holy life. And they didn't get it. They grew up watching someone
who never sinned. And they didn't get it. They didn't know. You know, the
natural man does not know what holiness is when he sees it.
There's no recognition of it. Or appreciation of it. I'm a
natural man. You know, we've all thought,
well, I want people to see Christ in me. And I do. I want people
to see Christ in me. You do, too. But, you know, they
didn't see Christ in Christ, did they? And they're not going
to see him in you. There's no understanding in the
natural man of holiness. His brethren saw His holy life
and they saw the miracles which He performed, yet they did not
believe. In spite of the great privileges
these people had in being raised in the same home as the Son of
God. Now you want to talk about privileged.
They were raised up under the same roof of the eternal Son
of God. God manifest in the flesh. The
God-man. And they did not believe. There is no excuse for their
unbelief. Now, if you don't believe, because
you choose not to believe. There's no excuse for these people's
unbelief. Yet they did not believe. If there was ever some people
who had every reason to believe, it was these people. Isn't that
so? Yet they did not believe. And this is a reminder to us
that faith is and must be the gift of God. It is not something
where people are convinced by the evidence and they then believe.
Because these people had every evidence. And they did not believe. Faith is the gift of God. given to his elect. Turn with me to John chapter
10, verse 24. Then came the Jews round about
him and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? Did the Lord ever make anybody
doubt? You know better than that, that
was their response. How long do you make us to doubt?
If thou be the Christ, if, if, if, there's the word of unbelief.
If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly as if he spoke in code. Jesus answered them, I told you
and you believed not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me, but you believe not. Because you're not of my sheep.
It's only his sheep who believe. You believe not because you're
not of my sheep, as I said, indeed. Look over to Acts chapter 13
for a moment. Verse 48. And when the Gentiles heard this,
this message from the Apostle Paul, they were glad, and they
glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. Everybody who was ordained to
eternal life, what did they do? They believed. By grace that
you saved, said Paul, Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, through faith, and
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast. Now, we see from the Lord's brothers
and sisters raised up in the same home as he was, and yet
they did not believe. We see how faith must be the
gift of God's grace. Now, let me say another thing.
Unbelief is sin. It's not just lack of information.
Unbelief is It is the greatest of sin. And I want to say something
to make a point. I don't want you to misconstrue
this. I don't want you to misunderstand this. I realize some people can
take this the wrong way. And I realize that. I hope you don't. But I'm saying
this to make a point. You can die in the very act of committing
something morally perverse. And still be saved if you're
one of his. Isn't that so? God forbid that we do that. God
forbid, but it's still true. You can die in the very act of
some morally perverse action and still be saved because salvation
is in Christ. It's not in your works. And that's
so. And this is equally so, you cannot
die as an unbeliever and be saved. You cannot die as an unbeliever
and still be saved. Now, what is unbelief? What I've
entitled this message when I look at these brothers and sisters
who were raised up in the same house of Christ, and yet they
did not believe. What is unbelief? I've entitled
this message, The Character and the Nature of Unbelief. Now, if I die as an unbeliever,
I won't be saved. He that believeth not, what did
the Lord say? He that believeth not shall be damned. That's what the Lord said. So
what is this thing of unbelief? What does it mean? What is unbelief? Well, let me answer that question
by asking another question. What is faith? You know, you're
really not going to understand what unbelief is until you first
understand what faith is. What is faith? Well, according
to the scripture, faith is believing God. Is it that simple? It's believing God. It's believing what he says in
his word. It's not just believing in God.
The devil believes in God. Just about everybody believes
in God. I mean, there's some things. As a matter of fact,
everybody does believe in God. What about the atheists? They're not
being honest. Deep down, if you saw what was
in their heart, they know God is. They know. I know that. But faith is not just believing
in God, believing in His existence. Faith is believing God. It's
believing His Word. Here's the perfect example. In
Genesis chapter 15, the first time we found the word belief,
Abraham believed God was counting him for righteous, and see what
took place. God said to Abraham, remember Sarah was an old woman.
Abraham was an old man. Sarah had already gone through
the act of menopause. It was impossible for her to
have a kid. And God said, you look at the stars. So shall thy
seed be. Now, did Abraham have any physical
evidence that that would be so? I mean, he could look at his
wife. She was buried. He could look
at himself. He was an old man. It was a physical
impossibility. He had no physical evidence that
what the Lord said would take place. But the Scripture says
in Genesis 15, 6, that he believed God. All he had was the naked
word of God, and that was enough, faith is believing God, and unbelief
is the opposite of that. It's not believing God. Turn with me to Genesis chapter
3. There's not a more important chapter in all the Word of God
than Genesis chapter 3. Now, the serpent was more subtle
and deceitful. He could make your night look
just like day. That's how deceitful he is. He
was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God
had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea,
hath God said that you shall not eat of every tree of the
garden? Did he say that? Well, you'll
notice that actually what Satan does at this time is he introduces
an addition to the Word of God. God did not say, don't eat of
every fruit of the tree of the garden. He didn't say that at
all. He gave one tree they were not to eat of, the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. He said, in the day you eat thereof,
you shall surely die. So Satan begins his subtlety
by introducing something else. He just adds something that may
seem not that important. I mean, what's the big deal?
What difference does it make? And he says, if God said, you
shall not eat of every tree. Now, when he's saying that, he
does not mean, did he really say that? Do you think perhaps
you misunderstood him? Or perhaps you didn't hear him
right? He's not saying, did he actually
make that statement? Because Satan knew he made that
statement. It was made in Genesis chapter 2. What he's saying is,
is that what he meant by that? Do you have to take what he said
literally? Did he mean that you'll surely
die? Is that what he meant by that?
Do you have to believe that? Well, let's go on reading. Verse 2, And the woman said unto
the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.
No, he didn't say you're not allowed to eat of every tree
of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst
of the garden, God has said you shall not eat of it. Neither
shall you touch it. Now, I don't remember the Lord
saying you're not to touch it. Matter of fact, he didn't. He
said don't eat of it. He didn't say anything about
not touching it. You might be better off not touching it. I'll
tell you what, if God says don't eat it, I'm not going to touch
it. But still, that's not what he said. And so she introduces
something else. You see how unbelief always introduces
something else to the Word of God. You're not to eat it, neither
shall you touch it, lest ye die. Verse 4, And the serpent said
unto the woman, You shall not surely die. You don't have to
take what God said that way. You shall not surely die. I realize
he said in the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die, but that's
not what he meant by it. You shall not surely die for
God. know, verse 5, that in the day
you eat thereof, then shall your eyes be opened, and you'll be
as God, knowing good and evil. Now, what he's saying is right
now, you guys are nothing more than robots. You're just doing
good because you're programmed to do it. You've been created
upright, and there's really no moral virtue in your obedience. When you eat this fruit, all
of a sudden you'll know the difference between good and evil. And he's
not saying you'll pick out the evil. He's saying you'll choose
the good because it's the morally right thing to do. And this is
what's going to make you like God. Right now, you're nothing
more than a robot, but this is going to make you like God. You'll
be able to make a choice and that'll put virtue in what you
did. Verse six. And when the woman saw that the
tree was good for food, the lust of the flesh, and that it was pleasant to the
eyes, the lust of the eyes, and free to be desired to make one
wise, the pride of life. All three of those temptations,
the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life,
Well, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto
her husband with her, and he did eat, and the eyes of them
both were opened." Now there we have unbelief. How the devil used that. Now, back to our text in John
chapter 7. It says in no uncertain terms,
for neither did his brethren believe him. Now, what his brethren
had to say in this passage of scripture in John chapter seven
gives us some light regarding the character and the nature
of unbelief. And if you want to understand
what unbelief is, I believe we can understand it from this passage
of scripture. And notice what it says in verse
And for. This is his brother rather than
speaking to him in John, chapter seven, and they say to him, for
there is no man that do with anything in secret. And he himself
seeks to be known openly now, if you do these things. Show
yourself to the world, prove it. If you're really doing these
things that you claim to be doing, these miracles, if you're really
the Son of God, if you really have no sin, if you really have
the power to do these miracles, if you do these things, prove
it. Show yourself. Get a following.
Show more people so they'll believe and so on. Here is the leading word of unbelief. Can you guess what it is? You do these things. Show yourself
if you do these things. Show yourself. He did these things and yet they
say, well, if you did. Now, if I say to you, I did something. And you say, well, if you did,
what do you say? You're saying, I don't believe
you. You're lying. I don't really believe you. Maybe
you did, maybe you don't, but I'm not convinced. They say,
if you do these things, show yourself. Turn to Matthew chapter
three. Verse 16. This is talking about the baptism
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Jesus, when He was baptized,
went up straightway out of the water, and, lo, the heavens were
opened unto Him. And He saw the Spirit of God.
John the Baptist saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and riding upon Him. And, lo, a voice from heaven
saying, is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased." Now, here's God's testimony. Is there any
mistake about what the Lord said? This is my beloved Son. I mean, the voice came down from
heaven saying that. In whom I'm well pleased. I'm
so pleased with Him. Did the devil hear that? I guarantee you he was right
there when this took place. Don't you know that the devil
was watching every move of the Son of God? And he was right
there when this took place. He witnessed this. He heard the
voice from heaven. Verse one of chapter four. Then
was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
of the devil. And when he had fasted forty
days and forty nights, that's a long time to go without food,
he was afterward and hungered. And when the tempter came to
him, he said, what's the first word? If. Now, he heard what God said.
This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. Now, if You're
the Son of God. Command that these stones be
made bread. Now, right here is the temptation
to the lust of the flesh. Command these stones to be made
bread. If you're the Son of God, prove it. Prove it. Do you know that the Lord Jesus
Christ never performed a miracle for himself? Did you know that?
Now he could have commanded that those stones would have been
made bread, and they would have been made bread. He had the ability to
do that, but he never performed a miracle for himself because
as our representative, he's going to have to go through the same
things you and I have to go through. He was just as hungry as you'd
be if you went forty days and forty nights without food, yet
he was to depend on the Lord to provide him his food, just
like you and I have to. If you're the Son of God, there
ain't no doubt that he is the Son of God. Now this, well, let's
go and read chapter four, verse four. But he answered and said,
it's written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Now, this is interesting.
When our Lord confronts the devil, what does he use? It's written. Now, he could have just blown
him away if he wanted to, he could have just destroyed it,
but he's It is written. Well, go on reading verse 5.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city and setteth
him on the pinnacle of the temple. And he saith unto him. Now this
is interesting. Now the devil uses scriptures.
He quotes Psalm 91. You know, the devil knows the
Bible back and forth. He can quote every scripture
in there. You ever been real impressed by preachers who can
quote one scripture after the other? The devil can do that.
He surely can. And he uses the Bible. He used
the Bible with the Lord. Look in verse 5. Then the devil
taketh him, verse 5, unto the holy city, and setteth him on
the pinnacle of the temple. And he saith unto them, If, there's
that word again, If thou be the Son of God, prove it. Cast yourself
down. Show everybody. He's up there
on the pinnacle of the temple. Everybody's seeing him cast himself
down. Now, if you really have faith, if you're really the Son
of God, it's written. He shall give his angels charge
concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up,
lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone." Now, if
you're really the Son of God, jump off, prove it. If you really
believe it says that angels will catch you, prove it. Well, what's
wrong with that? I mean, it seems like that could
have created faith. Now, wait a minute. If God says
something, does it have to be proved? God said it, I believe it, and
that settles it. Oh, no. No, no, no, no. God said
it, and that settles it. Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in the heavens. God said it, that settles it,
whether you and I believe it or not. It really doesn't make
any difference. Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. God said it, it's settled. So
what does the Lord say to him? Verse seven, Jesus said in the
image written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. If he
said it, it doesn't need to be proved. Again, now that's the
that's the lust of the eyes. Prove it, show us, show us. Again, the devil taketh him up
into the seating high mat, and showeth him all the kingdoms
of the world, and the glory of them. And he saith unto him,
All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down
and worship me. Then said Jesus unto him, Get
thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the
Lord thy God, and him alone shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth
him, and, behold, the angels came and ministered unto him." If you're the son of God. If you're the son of God, that
is the defining word of unbelief. The word of God. It's the word
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, if it is the word of God
now, wait a minute, wait a minute, it's either the word of God Or
it's the biggest lie ever fabricated. It's either God's Word or it's
the Word of man. There's no in-between. Well,
if it's the Word of God, listen, I know this is the Word of God.
I know it is. And you don't have to have something
proven to you that you know, do you? I know this is the Word
of God. If you're the Son of God, I know
it's the Son of God. I know He has got the Son. There are no ifs about this.
No ifs concerning who He is and what He did. His brethren said,
if you do these things, now wait a minute, He did them. He did
them. Everything that He intended to
do, He did. If you do these things, show
yourself. Let's go back to John chapter
7. Verse 1, After these things,
Jesus walked in Galilee, for he would not walk in Jewry, because
the Jews sought to kill him. Now, the Jews' feast of the tabernacles
was at hand. I think it's interesting. It's
in the Old Testament, but the Jews had destroyed its meaning,
and John calls it the Jews' feast. His brethren therefore said unto
him, Depart hence. Leave Galilee and go back to
Jerusalem, where you can get more people to see what you're
doing, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself
seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show
yourself to the world. Get a following. For neither
did his brethren believe in him. Now look what the Lord says to
him. Then said Jesus unto them, My time is not yet come, but
your time is always ready. The world can't hate you, but
me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof
are evil. Go ye up into this feast. I go
not up with you to this feast, for my time is not yet full come.
And when he had said these words unto them, he abode still in
Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also
up into the feast, exactly the opposite of the way they told
him to, not openly, but as it were, in secret. Don't you think
that's glorious? They said, if you're the son
of God, prove it to everybody. Go up and show yourself. And
what does he do? He goes, not openly, but as it were, in secret. You know, the way the Lord does
things, that's the way you do it. However he does it is just
right. Now, in these verses, we see
the character of unbelief. Now, the Lord says to his brothers,
the world cannot hate you. Now, why is that? Turn over to
John 15 for a moment. John chapter 15. Verse. Eighteen. If the world hate you. You know
that it hated me before it hated you, if you were of the world,
the world would love his own, but because you're not of the
world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore, the
world hates you. Now, when he says to his brethren,
the world can't hate you. Why is it the world can't hate
his brethren? Because they were of the world.
They were of the world. And what is the evidence that
they were of the world? Now, here's why unbelief is so
evil and such the master sin. Unbelief hates Jesus Christ. That's why it's so bad. That's
what's behind unbelief. It's not just lack of information.
It's an actual hatred of the Lord Jesus Christ. Back to our
text in John 17. Look what our Lord says. The
world cannot hate you, but me, it hateth. It hateth. The world hates the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the world doesn't hate the
Jesus they feel comfortable with, the man-made Jesus. The Jesus
who wants to do certain things, but he can't unless you allow
him to. He can't be Lord unless you let
him be Lord. That Jesus, nobody hates him. I mean, who's even
afraid of him? I'm not scared of a Jesus like
that. I mean, if he... I like what one fellow said. felt that
if you don't let God save you, he's going to send you to hell.
He said, no, he's not. He said, if he can't save me
unless I let him, then he can't send me to hell unless I let
him. And there's some logic to that, isn't there? That Jesus nobody's afraid of,
but I'm talking about the Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible, the
one who is God, the one who is in absolute control, that Jesus
Christ, Men hate, and that deserves a sermon himself, and in a couple
of weeks we're going to consider why the world hates Christ. But
he gives us one reason why the world hates him. Look in verse
7. The world cannot hate you, but
me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof
are evil. Now there's a pretty sweeping
testimony. The works. Let's talk about,
yeah, let's talk about the bad works. Let's talk about murder
and and stealing and all the wicked things men do. Yeah, that's
included in that. But you know what else it's talking
about? The good works. The works, period. All the works. Every work that any natural man
does is evil. Is evil. Now, what if God in
Christ says to you, every work you've ever done is evil? What's your response? Now, some
folks get mad. Everything, even my prayers,
even my giving, even my going to church, even my good works.
You saying that's evil? Yes, that's what the Lord says.
If you did it, and here's the point, if you did it, that's
what makes it evil. If you did it, it's debauch.
You believe that? The Lord says that. The Lord
says that. Now, you can get mad at that,
or you can say that's the truth. That's the if ever the truth
was told regarding me, that's it. That's the truth. I need
mercy. I only hope I have is pure, free,
sovereign mercy and grace. But that's why the world hates
the Lord, but there's other reasons, but there's the one he gives
us right here because I testify of it, that the works thereof are
evil. So that's behind unbelief. It hates Jesus Christ. Look in
Verse six, once again, then said Jesus unto them, my time is not
yet come, but your time is always ready. Now, what time is he talking
about when he says my time is not yet come? He came for what
purpose? To die. That was his purpose
in coming. My time has not yet come. It's
not time for me. to die yet. These people had
no understanding of his death. Turn to John chapter 12. And
you know, unbelief never understands the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Look in verse 27. Now is my soul troubled. This
is right before he's getting ready to be betrayed. Now is
my soul troubled. What shall I say? Father, save
me from this hour? But for this cause came I into
this hour. This is why I came. I came to
die. That's His purpose. Now, in unbelief,
there's never an understanding of His death. All unbelief understands
is a physical kingdom. They see no glory in His death.
They see not the accomplishments of His death. What did the Lord
Jesus Christ accomplish when He died? What did He mean when
He said, It is finished? Did He just mean, My part's done,
now you need to do your part? No, when he said it is finished,
the salvation of everybody he died for. Was finished. Ended. Accomplished. But unbelief has no understanding
or recognition of his death. Look in verse three and four,
I think this is interesting. In John chapter seven, back to
John chapter seven. His brethren therefore said unto
him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also
may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man to do anything
in secret. He himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these
things, show yourself to the world. Get a following. Demonstrate
this to more people, so you'll have a greater following. Be
open. Show yourself to the world. Now, we've already seen where
the Lord did the direct opposite of what they told him to do.
He went secretly. Instead of what they told him
to do, but unbelief needs man's approval. Unbelief needs man's
popularity, it feels more secure in a crowd, the naked word of
God is not enough. Come on, get a following, let's
get some evidence here. Look what they say to him in
verse three, his brethren therefore said unto him, depart hence. This is what unbelief says to
the Lord Jesus Christ, depart. What does faith say to me? Come
to me. It doesn't say depart from me. It says come to me.
Have mercy on me. Do something for me. Unbelief says depart. Now, in closing, we see the character
and nature of unbelief. The character and nature of faith
is the direct opposite. There is no if regarding the
Word of God. Does that mean there's no unbelief?
Well, your flesh has nothing but unbelief. I realize that.
I love what that one fella prayed, Lord, I believe help thou my
unbelief. I realize your flesh has unbelief. And matter of fact,
your flesh doesn't have any faith. But if you're a believer, you
believe his word and you bow to his word. This is the word
of God. You know what? If it's not the
word of God, what do we have? My word. That's a pretty flimsy
thing to put your hope in, isn't it? We have the infallible Word
of God. And there's no if concerning
His person. He is God the Son. He's the God-Man. He's the Creator. There's no
if concerning His work. It's not if He did these things.
He did these things. He accomplished the salvation
of everybody He represented. No ifs here. Faith loves the Lord Jesus Christ. Exactly as he's revealed in this
book. You know, he talked about the world hating him. The world
does hate him. But you know who loves him? Every
believer. We love him just as he is. And if it were in our power to
change him, we wouldn't do it. And I can say that with honesty.
If it was in my power to change the Lord Jesus Christ, I wouldn't
do it. How he is, is perfect. He's God the Son. Wouldn't change
him if I could. Faith believes the testimony
of Christ when He says to you, all your works are evil. What do you say? I tell you what, I know from
the very depths of my soul that everything in me that is in my
flesh is no good. I believe that. What about the
sermon you're preaching? It's me preaching it. Now, God
will overrule who's preaching it and bless it for His glory.
But anything I do, it doesn't have to contain the sin. If I'm
in it, all the works thereof are evil. That's what the Lord
says. Now, what do you do with that
testimony regarding you? I think when the Lord said to
His disciples, He started with twelve disciples. He said, if
you then being evil, Know how to give good gifts to
your children. How much more so you're having the father give
to them than ask him. You reckon any of the disciples said, well,
who's he talking about? No, they knew exactly what he
said. Faith has some understanding
of his death. There's an actual faith in his
blood. And there's no understanding of his death in unbelief, but
faith has some understanding of his death. Let me show you
that in Romans chapter three, which turn there. Verse 23, For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set
forth to be a propitiation through, look at this next phrase, faith
in his blood. I like that phrase, do you? to declare his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are past, and the forbearance
of God, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness,
that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus." Now, there's some understanding of his death here.
You see, we were justified freely. Justified means we're declared
by God to be not guilty. freely, not because God looked
for a reason for you to do it, but He did it because of the
redemption, the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom
God set forth to be a propitiation. Now, what's that word mean, a
propitiation? A propitiation through faith in His blood. The
word propitiation means an appeasement. The reason for God's anger was
removed. Now, do you have such faith in
his blood that you believe all God's reason to be mad at you
has been taken away through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ?
You believe that? That's some understanding of
his death. Faith has an understanding of his death. And faith doesn't
need approval or human majority to buttress it. All it needs is the word of God.
If God says it, nobody else believes it, that's all right. Faith is
willing to walk alone. Faith doesn't say to Christ,
depart. But faith says to Christ, come
to me, have mercy on me. You know, when you're coming
to Christ, here's what you're doing. When you come to Christ, you say,
Lord, come to me. Lord, reach down and have mercy on me. Unbelief. There's no salvation
in it, but there's salvation in faith. Listen to these words
of our Lord through the Apostle Paul at Philippian jailer came
up to him and said, sir, what must I do to be saved? That's
a good question, isn't it? What must what's absolutely necessary
for me, what must I do to be saved? Now, I think it's interesting,
Paul didn't say, well, there's nothing you can do. That's the
way we'd probably respond. There's nothing you can do. I
mean, you're dead in sins. You've just got to wait for God
to do something for you. That's the way we would respond. But what had Paul respond? He said to that poor fellow,
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Listen to me. If you believe on Christ, I don't
care who you are. Don't worry about whether or
not you're one of the elect. Don't worry about whether or
not Christ died for you. If you believe on Christ. You shall be saved. Everybody who believes. You say. Do you believe that
who he is and what he did is enough to save you with absolutely
no contribution from you? Do you believe that? Then, beloved,
you are saved. Saved from your sins. What hinders me from being baptized?
Said the Ethiopian eunuch to Philip. He said, if you believe
with all your heart, you may. And he said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. He didn't say, well, if he is,
did he? He said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If you believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God, I don't care what else could be said about
it to you. The Lord has revealed the gospel to you. Whoso believes that Jesus is
the Christ is born of God. Let's pray.