Would you turn with me to John
Chapter 5? I'd like to read verse 24. John
Chapter 5, verse 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me,
hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but
is from death unto life." I've entitled this message, Past
From Death to Life. Now, every time I preach, I believe
truly the message to be an important message. I wouldn't preach it
if I didn't believe that. I believe it to be a message
that needs to be heard. And I am grieved when people
do not show up to hear that message. I've worked hard on it, and maybe
there's a little ego involved. I realize that. But it's also
true that I'm grieved because I believe it to be an important
message, a message from the word of God that will be beneficial
to those who hear it. It will actually be to their
eternal benefit. And like I said, every time I
preach, I really believe it to be an important message. Always,
always, I never come into the pulpit unprepared, just shooting
something off. I believe it to be an important
message. But when I run across a phrase
like this in the Scriptures where our Lord says, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, I know what he's saying is of extraordinary importance. Now, the Lord wasn't given to
hype, was he? He didn't just hype things. Like I said, I believe
every message I preach is important, and I don't know how much ego
is involved in that, probably a whole lot more than I realize.
But when our Lord says this, you know it is a message of extraordinary
importance. Verily, verily, I say unto you. And let's read this verse again
with that in mind. Verily, verily, truly, truly,
of a truth, of a truth, actually repeating himself, I say unto
you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent
me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death to life." Now, first, he speaks of hearing
and believing. He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me. We read here of and believing. Now, what's he mean when he says,
hearing my word? You know, it's one thing to hear
the preacher's word, and it's another thing to hear the word
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Totally different. What's he
mean by my word? Well, his word is everything
he says. The gospel message. It's not
just this pull that or that pull that. Everything he says is his
word. He said in John 6, 63, the words
that I speak unto you, their spirit and their life. Do you
remember what Peter said about his words? Thou hast the words
of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that
thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. We're talking
about hearing his words, the gospel message, everything he's
got to say. My word. Is there anything that
he said that is fluff? Is there anything he said that
you can leave out? Is there anything he said that's unimportant? No,
everything he says, he is the word of God. He that heareth
my words. Now, like I said already, it's
one thing to hear the preacher's word, and it's another thing
altogether to hear his word. And when you hear His Word, it's
no longer just the preacher's opinion or the preacher's thought.
You don't even think like that. When you hear His Word, you know
this is divine truth. This is not up for debate. This
is not one man's opinion as opposed to another opinion. It's not
something you either agree with or disagree with. This is God's
Word. Turn with me for a moment to 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 2.
Hold your finger there in John 5 and turn to 1 Thessalonians,
Chapter 2. Verse 13, Paul says, For this cause also
thank we God without ceasing, because 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 also in you that believe. Now, that's what
it means to hear His word. You hear it not just as the word
of a man, not just as the preacher's opinion, not just as the denominational
distinctive, but you hear it as God's word. Now, when you heard the word
of God. Now, let's go back to our text
in John chapter five, verse twenty four. Here's what happens when you
hear his word, Verily I say unto you. He that heareth my word,
and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life. Now, when you hear his word,
here's what you do. In every case, without any exception to
this rule, when you hear his word, you believe on him who
sent the Lord Jesus Christ. Wherever there's a true hearing,
there's also a believing. And when there's no believing,
there never was any true hearing. He says, you'll believe on Him
who hath sent me. Now, first of all, you believe
that God the Father sent Jesus Christ the Lord. You really believe
that. You believe He sent Him for a
purpose. You have some understanding as
to why He sent Him. Thou shalt call His name Jesus,
for He shall save His people from their sins. You believe
God the Father sent Him for that. And you believe He did what God
the Father sent Him to do. You believe He actually saved
His people from their sins. You believe that? You really believe that? Do you
believe God sent Christ? Do you believe He sent Him to
save His people from their sins? Do you believe that? Do you believe
He did it? Do you believe He actually accomplished
the salvation of everybody He died for? Do you really believe
that? Are you relying on this? Is it your hope of salvation
that He actually did what the Father sent Him to do? Is this
what you are relying on? Now, look what our Lord says
in verse 24, "...verily I say unto you, he that heareth My
word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, I mean, he's got it. He had everlasting
life. Now, if you really believe. On
him who sent the sun, it really is this simple. If you believe
on him who sent the sun, you have in your possession right
now, everlasting, eternal life. That's what he says. Says he's
got it. Doesn't say he will have it. Says he hath it. Now, this everlasting
life spoken of here is sometimes translated eternal life. And it's a mighty big word. It's
having the life of God in your soul. It's having Christ in you
by His Spirit. It's being in a state of perfection
before God when God sees you as perfect. Hebrews 10 and 14
says he hath perfected forever. them that are sanctified. So
it's eternal life. It's not just talking about the
duration of life, living for a long time, even living eternally
or or having eternal existence. It's talking about having the
very life of God in your soul. Listen to these descriptions
of eternal life in the scripture. We read in First John, chapter
one, verse two, where Christ himself is called that eternal
life. which was with the Father and
was manifested to you. Jesus Christ himself is called
that eternal life. Having eternal life has something
to do with not being damned, with not having to pay for your
sins on your own. Our Lord said in John chapter
3, verses 14 and 15, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life. Now, I'm interested in this because
I don't want to perish. I want to have eternal life. Listen
to this scripture. As a matter of fact, turn to
this one, John chapter 17. Verse three. And this is life eternal,
this is eternal life, this is everlasting life, same word.
That they might know thee. the only true God. And Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent, eternal everlasting life has something to do with the
capacity of actually knowing the living God. Where I actually
know Him, not just talk about it. Everybody talks about that,
but I'm not just talking about talk about it. I mean actually
knowing God where I know Him. And He knows me. Now that's a
big claim, isn't it? Eternal life. Jesus Christ Himself
is eternal life. Eternal life is being saved from
condemnation. Eternal life is actually knowing
God. Now the only way I can know God
is by having the life of God, the Spirit of God in my soul.
If I have eternal life, I have a relationship. with the living
God, and it's not just talk. Now, notice back in our text
in John, Chapter five, which you turn back there, please.
There are two things that are said of these people who have
eternal life. Verse 24. Barely, barely, truly,
truly, oh, this is so important, what weight is behind this? Barely,
barely, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me hath everlasting life. And here are the two blessings
that are connected with this. It says he shall not come into
condemnation. But he's passed. From death to
life, and there's the two blessings, he shall not come into condemnation,
but he has passed from death to life. Now, let's talk about
these one at a time. First, it says he shall not come
into condemnation. What came to my mind immediately
when I thought of this thing of not being condemned, not coming
into condemnation, is where that woman in John chapter 8 was caught
red-handed in the very act of adultery. I mean, there wasn't
any question about it. She was caught. She was guilty
of this. And you know what the Lord said
to her? At the end of that passage of Scripture, He said, Woman,
where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She
said, No man, Lord. He said, Neither do I condemn
thee. Go and sin no more. Now, is this
something that interests you? Not being condemned? I mean,
she was guilty. I mean, there's no doubt about
that. I mean, she was caught in the very act. Yet the Lord
said, I'm not going to condemn you. Now, I find that so attractive. I don't want to be condemned
for my sins. Now, how in the world can he say, thou shalt
not be condemned? What does our Lord mean when
he says he shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from
death to life? Well, how can I not come into
condemnation? Let's read a few verses and we're
going to talk about this. Look at verse 27 of John, chapter
five. He hath given him authority to
execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel
not at this, for the hour is coming in which all that are
in the grave shall hear his voice, and shall come forth they that
have done good under the resurrection of life, and they that have done
evil under the resurrection of damnation. Now, there's going
to be a resurrection of life and a resurrection of damnation,
and I don't want to have anything to do with this resurrection
of damnation. I can't even imagine the horror of being raised from
the dead to spend eternity in hell. That's difficult to even think
about. I don't want to have anything to do with that, do you? I want
to know something about this being resurrected to life. Now, how is it that I cannot
be condemned? I cannot come into condemnation
for this one reason only, because there's absolutely nothing for
me to be condemned for. Now, please, I'm going to ask
you to listen as carefully as you're able. What I'm going to
say, I don't think I could say anything more important. If I'm
not condemned, if God doesn't condemn me, there's only one
reason. It's because there's nothing there to condemn me for. He doesn't have a reason to condemn
me if I am not condemned. Now, look once again at verse
28 and 29 of John chapter 5. Marvel not at this, for the hour
is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his
voice and shall come forth. They that have done good under
the resurrection of life and they that have done evil under
the resurrection of damnation. Now, do you notice this phrase
who's going to be raised to the resurrection of life? There's
one description of these people, they that have done good. Now, the only way I'm going to
be raised to the resurrection of life is if I have done good. That is the summary of my life. I have done good. Now, this is the summary of my
life if I'm a believer. I'm going to hear the Lord say,
well done, thou good and faithful servant. Now, how in the world
can that be? How can that be? Where God would say to me, this
fellow talking to you, you, well done. You've done good. Everything you've done is perfect.
There's no sin. Well done, thou good and faithful
servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy
Lord. How in the world am I going to hear something like that?
Because my conscience tells me there's all kinds of things I
can think of that says, well, you didn't do too good there.
And that's an understatement, isn't it? How can this be? And there's only one way that
this can be understood. Union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Union with Christ in being united
to Him. God is going to say to me, well
done. There's only going to be one
description of me. I've done good. They that have
done good. That's the only description.
They that have done good to the resurrection of life. Now, how
is that? How is the union with Christ?
Well, union with Christ, what it means is the two become one. That's what union is. The two
become one. Now, Christ Jesus, and this is
mysterious, it's glorious, It's hard to get hold of, but it's
just the truth. We believe this. Christ Jesus became one with
me. He took on flesh. He became one
with me so that what I did became what he did. And this is what
took place on the cross. What I did became what he did. On the cross, my doings became
his, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree. Now, here's the question I want
to ask. Did my doings literally become his doings? Here's the
only way I know how to answer that. Did he literally die? Or was it figurative? Did He literally die? If He literally
died, my doings became His. Yes, my doings actually became
His. You know, God's not going to
punish a man for something he didn't do, is He? He doesn't punish
a man for something he didn't do. What I did actually became
what He did, and that's why He died on the cross. He said, mine
iniquities have gone over my head as a heavy burden. They're
too heavy for me. This wasn't figurative. He wasn't
treating him as if he were the sinner. He became sin. His perfect
life, he became sin. My doings became his. Now how
in the world did that happen? I don't know. God can do it.
God made it to where my doings became his. And that's why he
died on Calvary's tree. And just as truly as my doings
literally became his doings, his doings literally become mine. My life, my personal life really
is described thusly. He's done good. That's my life. No sin. Nothing to condemn him
for. Perfect before my law. Now, did
I really do good or is this figurative language? I ask again, did he
really die? If he really died, then his righteousness
now really is mine. It's my doings. This is my life. Now, listen to me. God does not
view me as guilty, but saved and tolerated for Christ's sake.
He doesn't view me as guilty, but well, I'm going to tolerate
him for Christ's sake. And that's what we generally think, isn't
it? God views me as guilty, but tolerates me for Christ's sake.
But that's not the way God views any believer. When he looks at
you, he sees someone who has done nothing but good all the
days of his life. Perfect conformity to the image
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, they that have done good,
they're going to be raised to the resurrection of life. Now,
this is what the Bible means by justification. We read this
scripture over. We read this phrase over and
over the Bible justification. What is justification? Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who's laying my
charge? I like the generic term God's
elect. It's not generic. It's a specific
people. But I particularly like to think of it being me. Who's
going to lay anything to Todd Nygren's charge? Come on, bring
it up. Satan? Can you say anything?
Or everybody that knows me? Who's going to lay anything to
my charge? And how does Paul answer that? Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Now, if God justified me, you
know what that means? That means I'm justified. That
means I don't have any guilt. That means I am not guilty. That
means I'm perfect in God's sight. I love this. I love this. You know, it's more glorious and more awesome
to me than it's ever been. I'm just in God's sight. I'm
without sin. Now, that's how I'm not going
to be condemned. There's nothing to condemn me
for. Nothing to be laid to my charge. Don't you have some confidence
in this? Not guilty. Bold shall I stand
in that great day. For who ought to, my charge shall
lay. Fully absolved from these I am from sin's tremendous curse
and shame. Not guilty. Let me read you a scripture in
1 John chapter 4. Would you turn there to one you're familiar
with? I tell you what, when familiarity
breeds contempt, we're in trouble. This is a scripture we're all
familiar with, and it ought to be more precious to us every
time we read it. Look here in 1 John chapter 4,
verse 17. Herein is our love made perfect,
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because
as He is, So are we in this world right
now as he is holy, perfect, accepted, seated at the right hand of the
Father as he is. So are we in this world right
now? Now, that's how I cannot be condemned.
Now, can you see how God can say concerning you? He's done
good. She's done good, nothing to be
condemned for. Now, here's the first blessing
of having eternal life. You shall not come into condemnation. It's not going to happen because
there's nothing for you to be condemned for. You know, when
I think of most people who profess to be Christians, they believe,
well, we're saved, we're justified and so on, but there's going
to be a judgment of the believer's life and so on. He's going to be given
rewards in heaven according to how good he's been or how bad
he's been, whatever the case. Save from what? If you believe
that, what do you believe about salvation? Don't you believe
that Christ's righteousness is salvation? And you believe, are you going
to add some work that you've done to what he's done and that's
going to give you a higher place in glory? That's so offensive. That's so ridiculous. Christ
is our salvation. I'm not going to be condemned.
That's my call. So let's go back to our text.
That's the first part. Verse 24, Verily, verily, truly, truly,
I say unto you, he that heareth my word, you hear this as God's
word, not man's word, but God's word. And here's what you do
when you hear God's word. You believe on him that sent
me. You have everlasting life, you shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death to life. Now, the one who hears and believes
is passed from death to life. And this is not talking about
something judicial or legal or forensic. And, you know, the
Bible doesn't use words like that anyway. The concept is there,
no doubt, but the Bible doesn't use words like that. When it's
talking about being passed from death to life, it's not really talking
about going from a state of condemnation to a state of Justification and
non-condemnation. Turn with me to 1 John, Chapter
5 and we'll see exactly what he's talking about. 1 John, Chapter 5. I'm sorry, 1 John, Chapter 3.
1 John, Chapter 3. John says, we know, 1 John, Chapter
3, verse 14, we know that we have passed from death unto life,
there's that same phrase, we know that we have passed from
death unto life because we love the brother. He that loveth not
his brother abides in death. Now when he talks about passing
from death to life, he's not just talking about some kind
of legal transfer. He's talking about actually passing
from death to life. And the evidence of it is you
now do something that you could not do. You now love the brethren. There was a time when you didn't
know what it meant to love the brethren, but you do now. And
that's the evidence that you've actually passed from death to
life. You love the brethren. That's the evidence. Now, you
were in a state of spiritual death, is what he's saying. You
were in a state of spiritual death. What does that mean? You know, we read Hugh Heffy
Quicken, who were dead in trespasses and sins. What is this thing,
spiritual death? What's it talking about? Total depravity. We use
that That term, total depravity. Men are by nature totally depraved. What's that mean? Does that mean
that everybody's a would-be serial killer? And everybody's a would-be
pedophile or something like that? Something awful and dark and
horrendous? Well, apart from the grace of
God, yes. Apart from the grace of God, there's no sin, there's
no crime that you would not commit. If God took the restraining grace
away from you right now, You would prove to be a monster beyond
description. You believe that about yourself?
Well, it's so. It's so. But when he's talking
about total depravity, no buts. I'm not taking away from the
truth of that. But when he's talking about total depravity,
that's really not what he's referring to. Total depravity means that
we're so spiritually dead that we lack the ability to do anything
that is needed for life. Totally, across the board, I
can't understand the gospel. I'm depending on a revelation.
My will is no good. I can't will to believe. My affections
are perverted and wrong. Every part about me is wrong
under the dominion of sin. That's what total depravity means.
It means that you're dead in sin when Adam fell. He died,
the scripture says, not physically that day, but he died spiritually.
He didn't just break his neck, he became dead. And if you're
dead, that means you can't believe, you can't love God, you can't
repent, you can't hear the gospel. You can sin, you can do those
things, you have physical life, but as far as spiritual ability,
you have absolutely none. And if God doesn't do something
for you, you'll perish forever in hell. That's what spiritual
death means. Spiritually dead. But when God
saves somebody, he's passed. He makes a passage. He's passed
from death to spiritual life. You know, when Tara was singing
that song, How Beautiful is the Lord Jesus Christ, You know what? I think He is
beautiful. Do you know there was a time
where that thought would have never crossed my mind? There
was a time when I saw no beauty in Him. Now, I was afraid to
go to hell. Who wasn't? But I didn't see any beauty in
Him. But now I do. I see beauty. I see glory. I see excellency in the Lord
Jesus Christ. You passed from death to life. Now, you pass from death to life
when you hear his voice. Go back to our text in John 5. He says, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that
sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death to life. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, And they that hear shall live. You pass from death to life when
you hear His voice. And you hear His voice when you
know this is God's Word. This is not the preacher up there's
opinion. This is the truth of God. I don't
agree with that. Well, you didn't hear His voice
then. You've heard His voice when you know this is God's truth.
If you're skeptical of that, okay, I mean, nothing I can do
about that. But that means you haven't heard
the voice of the Son of God. Because when you hear the voice
of the Son of God, you know this is truth. This is God's truth. You've heard His voice at that
point. Look what it says regarding the Lord Jesus Christ. And he
says, Verily I say unto you, verse 25, The hour is coming,
and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
God, and David here shall live. For as the Father hath life in
himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.
You see, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has life in himself.
He's not like you and I. We're so dependent. What if God
shut your lungs down? You're dependent on God for your
next breath, aren't you? He can stop that heart beating
right now. I mean, we're just totally dependent. We need to
eat. We need drink. We need shelter.
We need these things. But He doesn't need anything.
He's totally independent. He has life in Himself. And as
the one who has life in Himself, He can give life. Look what it
says in verse 21 of John chapter 5. For as the Father raises up
the dead and quickens them or gives them life, even so the
Son quickens, gives life to whom He will." Now, this is the life
that He communicates. It's Him giving spiritual life.
Let me say this about this life that He's speaking of. It's not just enlightenment. It's life. It's not just, oh,
I see things clearly now. I've got the correct doctor.
No, it's not just enlightenment. It's life from the dead. It's Him communicating spiritual
life. It's being born again. It's being birthed from above.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit. And this life comes to us through
hearing the voice of the Son of God. And when I have this
life, here's what happens to me. Here's the evidence of it. I love the Brethren. And you
know, there's a whole lot included in that, isn't there? I actually
come to love the Brethren. Now, how can I know if I'm not condemned and have
passed from death to life? Can I leave this room knowing
that I personally am not condemned, that I stand just before God? Can I leave this room knowing
I have the spiritual life, the life of God in my soul, Christ
in you, the hope of glory? Can I leave knowing this is mine? How can I? I want to. Well, do you hear His Word? Do you hear the voice of the
Son of God? And you know I'm not talking about some deep,
audible voice. You know that you have just heard
the gospel. You know that? This is God's truth. It's not
up for debate. This is God's truth. When you've
heard that, you've heard from God. You've heard His voice. This is the truth. Now, what's
going to happen if you hear His voice? you're going to believe
on him that sent him. That's what our Lord says. He
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me. That means,
first of all, I'm going to believe God sent him. We're going back to what we began
with. I'm really going to believe God sent him. I'm going to have
some understanding of why He sent him. He sent him to save
us from our sins. And I'm going to believe He did
What the Father sent Him to do, He did in fact, when He said,
It is finished, salvation was accomplished. And I am relying
on that right now while I'm speaking to you. I'm relying on Him who
finished what the Father gave Him to do. Now, can you do that? Can you believe on Him who sent
Him? Now listen to me, real carefully. If you do, you have everlasting,
eternal life. You have the life of God in your
soul. You have Christ in you, the hope
of glory. And that is why you believe on
Him who sent Him. Our Lord said, in John chapter
6, turn with me there, verse 27. Labor not for the meat which
perisheth, but for that meat which endureth
unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto
you. For him hath God the Father sealed.
Then said they unto him, What shall we do that we might work
the works of God? They heard this labor not, you
know, for meat which perishes, labor for the meat that endures.
They still didn't understand what he was saying. Well, you're
talking about work. What work shall we do? What will
we do that we might work the work of God? Verse 29, Jesus
answered and said unto them, This is the work of God. That you believe on him whom
he hath sent. What's after that? A period. Here it is. And if you believe on Him whom
He has sent, you have everlasting, eternal life. You will not come
into condemnation, but you have passed from death to life. Let's pray together.