John chapter 14, I'm entitling
the message from what the Lord is teaching His apostles before
He goes to the cross to accomplish salvation, down in verse 20. I'm entitling the message, Union
with Christ. Union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at verse 20 of John 14.
At that day you shall know that I am in the Father, And you are
in me, and I am in you. That's a vital living union every
believer enjoys in Christ Jesus. This is the undeniable truth
that is taught throughout Holy Scripture of the blessed oneness. union between the Lord Jesus
Christ and His church, like we read earlier in Ephesians chapter
5, that illustration of the husband and the wife, the two become
one flesh. Don't turn, let me just read
it to you again, for we are members of His body, the body of Christ. of his flesh, of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and
they too shall be one, one flesh." This is a great mystery, but
I speak concerning Christ. And His church, Christ and His
church are one, inseparable. They are in union together, one
with another. Now today in the message, we'll
pick up where we left off last week. We left off last week with
verse 19. Notice what it says in verse
19 of John 14, for yet a little while, and the world will see
me no more, but you see me. You see me with different eyes.
You see me with eyes being enlightened, eyes of understanding being enlightened. And he said, because Live because
I'm the Savior your say because I'm the Redeemer you're redeemed
Because I live you shall live Also, that is the good news of
the gospel because the Lord Jesus Christ ever lives to make intercession
for us We have salvation. He said wherefore he's able to
save to the uttermost all all that come to God by Him, seeing
that He ever lives, to intercede for us. Because Christ is life,
because Christ is salvation, we live and move and have our
being only in Him. Christ is all and in all. He is the soul, total, whole
and only reason. for our salvation. I remember
I asked you that last week. What is the first cause of your
salvation? What did you say? Christ. I ask
you again, what is the second cause of your salvation? And
what did you answer back? The Lord Jesus Christ. And I
ask you again, what is the third cause of your salvation? And
it is the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, every cause of salvation,
all the cause of salvation is in Him alone. We'll read in Scripture
that Christ is all and in all. He's the first cause and last
end. The first cause and last end
of all of our salvation. Now we pick up today with verse
20 of John chapter 14. And at that day, That day of
salvation, that day of redeeming grace, that day of the Lord's
power, you shall know that I am in the Father. He's declaring
again His deity, and you are in Me. And I am in you, Christ
in you is salvation. In that blessed day of redemption,
when God visits us in that time of love, He will make us to know,
to recognize, to understand and appreciate that the Lord Jesus
Christ is everything and that we are vitally connected and
united unto Him. And nothing can separate us from
the love of God, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ." I like
what he says, the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3, he said, our
life is hid with Christ in God. I like that, don't you? Our life
is hid in the Lord Jesus Christ with God. No man can pluck them
out of my Father's hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all. You see, we have a vital, living,
intimate union with the Lord Jesus Christ that shall never
be severed. Never be separated. Never. Not in this life, nor in the
life to come. This oneness with Christ, we're
going to see this again if you'll find his priestly prayer in John
17. John 17 verse 20. He said, "...neither pray I for
these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through
their word, that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art
in me, and I in thee." That's a pretty close union, isn't it?
That's a pretty close connection. As thou, Father, art in me, and
I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me, and the glory which thou
gavest me, now watch it, I've given them, that they may be
one, even as we are one. Look at verse 23, John 17, I
in them, thou in me. That's a union, isn't it? We're
in Him. That they may be made perfect
in one. We're one in Christ. That the
world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them,
particular definite people, As thou hast loved me, the love
of God, where is it revealed? Where is it at? In the Lord Jesus
Christ alone. Christ is our life and we're
hid in Him. This vital, intimate, living
union we have with the Lord Jesus Christ is not something that
starts in time, but from all eternity. We experience it in
time. But this intimate union and living
union we have with the Lord Jesus Christ does not start in time. It's from all eternity, for we
read in Scripture that He has loved us with an everlasting
love and therefore in time with loving kindness he draws us into
himself. You see, God's church, his elect,
they were chosen in him in eternity and made one with Christ in that
blessed eternal blessed covenant of grace were made one with Him,
chosen with Him from all eternity. Now, I know we've read this more
than one time, but it bears repeating. Turn over here to Ephesians chapter
1. God had chosen us in Christ before
the foundation of the world. There's that eternal, unconditional,
electing grace, electing love, as the old timers used to call
it. We were chosen in Christ. You see, this union that we have
with the Lord Jesus Christ is as old as election, whenever
that started, whenever that was. It says here in Ephesians chapter
1, blessed be, verse 3, blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ who had blessed us with all spiritual blessing
in heavenly places in Christ. Now, if you read chapter 1 of
Ephesians, notice how many times you read in Him, in Christ, in
the Beloved, according as He has chosen us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy without blaming
for Him in love. having predestinated us under
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ according to the good
pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein
he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Now, who did the choosing? It says here God did the choosing. When did he choose? It says here
before the foundation of the world. You see, this union we
have with Christ is an eternal, blessed, vital union. The elective
God, the elective God has always, have always been considered and
loved, chosen and justified and dealt with in Christ Jesus, always,
from all eternity. The elective God has always been
considered loved, chosen, justified, and dealt with in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Before Adam ever sinned, the
Lord Jesus Christ stood as our mediator, the surety of that
everlasting covenant. Christ is our head. He's the
head of the body. We are members of His flesh and
of His bones. And what's true of the head is
true of the body. We are vitally connected with the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, let me see if I can illustrate
this vital union we have with Christ. This body, my natural
body, is vitally connected to my head. If I sever this head
from this body, This body's in big trouble and so is the head.
You see, it's vitally connected. You got the idea? Vitally connected.
There's a vital union. This body must have this head.
And this head must have this body. Even so and more so in
the Lord Jesus Christ. The body, the church of the Lord
Jesus Christ is vitally in union, connected to the head. The head
of the body is the Lord Jesus Christ. We read that in Ephesians
chapter 5. being made one with Christ in
that blessed and eternal covenant in time this is made known unto
us. He reveals Himself unto us. He makes us to know that we're
in Him, chosen in Him, and blessed in Him, and justified in Him,
and loved in Him, and called in Him, and receiving all spiritual
blessing in Him. This is what happens when God
Almighty, by His grace, quickens a dead sinner and makes him alive
in Christ. This is what we call Regeneration,
or the new birth. When Christ comes to live within
us, He comes and takes up an abode within us. Now, let's see
if we can find that in Scripture. Let's find, first of all, in
the book of Galatians. Turn over there. You see salvation. We're going to see in a minute.
Salvation is not only a work that He's done for us, but salvation
is also something He's doing in us. in us, making us new creatures
in Christ. Now in Galatians chapter 1, look
at verse 15, when it pleased God who separated me from my
mothers, this is Galatians chapter 1. Separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by his grace to reveal his son in me that
I might reveal that I might preach him among the heathen Immediately
I conferred not with flesh and blood now find Galatians chapter
2 verse 20 Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 The Apostle said,
I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ,
now watch it, liveth in me. Christ in you is a hope of glory. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me. Now here's another scripture
I want us to look at. Turn over here to Philippians
chapter one. Philippians chapter one. I'm
making the point that in regeneration, He comes and lives within us. The power of God the Holy Spirit.
And the Holy Spirit bears a constant witness to the glory of the person
and work of Christ. Philippians chapter 1, look at
verse 3. Philippians 1 verse 3, I thank
my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer
of mine, for you all making requests with joy, for your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident
of this very thing, that He, that is Almighty God, who begun
a good work in you, He'll finish it. He'll get the job done until
the day of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the day of His coming. Now
find another reference, the book of Colossians. Turn over there.
Colossians chapter 1, verse 26. Colossians chapter
1, verse 26. Even the mystery which hath been
hidden from ages and from generations, but is now made manifest, It's
now revealed unto the saints, to whom God would make known
what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ in you. God Almighty has done a work
of grace, a mighty work of grace for us, a mighty work of redemption
for us upon the cross, justifying us before God by His blood. We're justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ,
making us worthy of God's presence. Justifying us, putting away all
our sin, but God in mercy has also done a work and is doing
a work of grace within us right now. Conforming us to the image
of Christ, making us new creatures in Christ. You remember the Apostle
Paul said that to the Corinthian church. If any man be in Christ,
he's a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold,
all things have become new. This new birth, or this birth
from above, being born again by the Spirit of God, making
us fit for His presence, fit for glory, making us partakers
of a divine nature in Christ Jesus. Christ in you, the hope
of Lord. He's done a work of grace for
us, and he's doing a work of grace in our hearts, making us
conforming our will to his will, conforming us to the image of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And in that day, you shall know
that I am in the Father, and ye in me, and I am in you. Vital, intimate, living union
every believer enjoys in Christ Jesus. Now, in verse 21, we see
the fruit of that. Verse 21 of John 14, we see the
fruit of that. He that keepeth my commandments. He that keepeth my commandments,
he that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father,
and I will love him, I will love him, and will manifest myself
to him. Now we had this before, back
in verse 15, John 14 verse 15, if you love me, the Lord said,
keep my commandments. If you love me, you love me obey
me he that hath my commandment and keepeth them verse 21 he
it is that loveth me he that loveth me shall be loved to my
father and I will love him and manifest myself to him now in
these verses here we see the Lord Jesus Christ is teaching
the fruit of the fruit and evidence of that union and that oneness
with Christ. Being found in Him, being made
new creatures in Christ, it will produce fruit unto His glory. Here is my Father glorified that
you bear much fruit, as it says in John chapter 15. The Father is glorified bearing
much fruit. It's the fruit of the Spirit.
Now here's where I'm going with this. Love, faith, conduct, and
obedience unto the Lord are not the first cause or the condition
of our salvation. Love, faith, conduct, and obedience
unto the Lord are not the first cause or any condition of our
salvation. Are they? but rather the fruit
and evidence of our salvation, of being in Him. You see this
is what John called, or what the Apostle called, turn back
to the book of Galatians again, this is what the Apostle Paul
called the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace. Galatians
chapter 5, Galatians chapter 5, the fruit of the Spirit Verse
22, Galatians 5, 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance, against such there is no law. Nothing against. There's no law
against loving God. Oh, he said love me. There's
no law against having peace with God in the Lord Jesus Christ. You see faith, now stay right
here in Galatians chapter 5. Look at verse 5, Galatians 5,
5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness
by faith, for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth
anything nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by faith. love not law love faith works
by love you see 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 14 says the love of Christ
constrains us the love of Christ motivates us our love to him
springs from Our love to Him springs from His love to us,
doesn't it? It says that in 1 John 14, we're
going to read that in a few minutes. We love Him because He first
loved us. Believers have these precepts,
and that's what He's talking about here, back to verse 21.
John 14, 21. He had my commandments. And that's
His precepts. That's His Word. That's the command
of Christ written upon the heart by the Holy Spirit and the finger
of God, by the finger of God to meditate upon the Word of
God, written on our mind to think upon the Word of God, the Word
of Truth. Now, He's not pointing us back
to the law. The mosaic law, the ceremonial
law. He is telling us to look to the
Lord Jesus Christ, to His Word, His truth, His precept. Now,
these are written on our heart. Turn over to Hebrews chapter
8. Believers have the Word of God written upon their heart. Written upon their heart that
they might love them. Written upon their mind that
we might think upon them. In Hebrews chapter 8, look at
verse 10. We studied this not too long ago. Hebrews 8 verse
10. For this is the covenant that
I'll make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord.
I'll put my precept, my command, my word in their hearts. I will be to them a God, and
they shall be to me a people. They shall not teach every man
his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord,
for all shall know me, that all his elect, all his people, his
church, all shall know me from the least to the greatest, for
I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sin and their iniquities
will I remember no more." He writes His word upon our heart. Now, when He says here, He that
hath my commandment and keepeth them, or believes Him, what is
He talking about specifically? Well, let's turn to 1 John chapter
3. He's talking about believing
the gospel. Talking about believing the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel. Find 1 John chapter 3. 1 John
chapter 3. This is what the Lord enables
us by His grace to do, to believe the command of the gospel. The command of the gospel is
what? Believe Christ. Look what it says here. Look
at verse 23. This is His commandment that
we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love
one another as He gave commandment. He that keepeth His commandments
and dwelleth in Him, and He in Him, hereby we know that He abided
in us by the Spirit which He hath given unto us. Now I want
you to turn to 1 John chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5. It's believing
the command of the gospel that is to bow and submit unto the
Lord as all of our redemption, all of our righteousness, all
of our salvation. And this is the fruit of the
new birth. Not the cause. The fruit of evidence
of the new birth. 1 John chapter 5 verse 1. 1 John 5 verse 1. Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ, he is born of God. And everyone
that loveth him that beget, talking about the Almighty Lord, loveth
him also that is begotten of him, by this we know, by this
we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep
His commandments. Commandments that is believing
the gospel and this is the love of God that we keep his commandment
and his commandments They're not grievous not grievous to
a believer to bow to cry Submit to Christ hear his word believe
his gospel, and I will love him now look back to text again He
that loveth me shall be loved of my father the last part of
verse 21, and I will love him And I will manifest myself to
him. I will love him. I will manifest
myself to him. The believer will, all of his
life, have the special and sovereign favor of the Lord upon him with
fresh revelations of his person, with fresh and daily mercy to
sustain us in time of trial, with much grace to help us in
our time of need. Look what it says there, "...and
I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him." There's a continual
revelation of Christ in our heart as we grow in grace and in the
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see more of Him, don't we,
as we grow in grace? And we see more of the ugliness
of ourselves, but we see more of the beauty of His grace, of
His person, of His salvation. I will manifest myself unto him. He told us to come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, find grace
to help in time of need. Now, verse 22, 23 and verse 24.
Verse 22. After Judas or Jude, we're going
to call him Jude because he is the apostle named Jude and we
have his epistle, the epistle according to Jude or given by
Jude. Jude saith unto him, now this is not Judas Iscariot, Lord
how is it that thou will manifest thyself unto us, reveal yourself
unto us and love us? and be in union with us and not
with everybody. How is it, Lord? How can that
be? Now, in this setting here that
we've been studying in John 13 and 14, these are the last instructions
that the Lord Jesus Christ gives to His apostles before He goes
to Calvary's tree. You remember Peter, four of these
apostles, asked four questions. Peter, back in chapter 13, verse
37, Peter said unto him, Lord, why can't I follow you right
now? I'll lay down my life for your sake." And the Lord said, Will you? Verse 38, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, The cock shall not crow till thou hast denied
me three times. But let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid. Believe in God. You believe in
God, believe also in me. So Peter asked a question. And
then secondly, we saw that Thomas asked a question. Down in chapter
14, verse 5, Thomas said to him, Lord, we know not whether thou
goest, how can we know the way? And the Lord said to him, I am
the way, I am the truth, I am the life, no man come to the
Father but by me. And then Philip, he asked a question. In verse 8, show us the Father. Philip said unto him, Lord, show
us the Father, and we'll be satisfied. And the Lord said, have I been
so long time with you yet? Hast thou not known me, Philip?
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. I and the Father
are one. How sayest thou then? Show us
the Father." And then Jude, listening to all that's going on, all that
the Lord has taught, all that the Lord has said, he says, how
is it, Lord? And they all ask this question
by saying, Lord, Lord, how is it, Lord? How is it that I will
manifest myself unto us and not unto the world? Now, Jude asked
a good question, I think a sincere question, to get a better understanding. And maybe he's not asking so
much as how, but maybe why? Why the Lord would reveal himself
to some and not to others? Why? How? Now we have the benefit
in our day of the completed revelation and record of the gospel in the
Bible. I guess the apostles, they had
portions of the Old Testament, but they certainly didn't have
it readily available as we have it, the whole completed testimony
of God that you hold in your hand this morning. But the disciples
didn't have this privilege that we have. You could not in that
day tell them we'll turn to Romans 9 and read about how the Lord
will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. Although that does
come from the book of Exodus chapter 33. Well, they could
not turn to Ephesians chapter 1 as we read just a moment ago,
how God would have mercy on whom he will, how he has chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world. Nor could they
turn to the gospel account of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
for they didn't have them at that time. But we do, and we
can make good use of them, can't we? So then, how is it that the
Lord saves one and passes by the other? How is it? Why is
it? How is it and why is it the Lord
shows mercy to one and passes by the other? We've seen many
examples of this, haven't we? In our study in the book of John.
Turn back to John chapter 5, let me show you. How is it or
why is it that the Lord chose certain sinners to show
mercy to them and pass by others. It says right here in John chapter
5 verse 5, you remember the impotent man that lay at the pool of Bethesda?
Verse 5, and a certain man was there which had infirmity thirty-eight
years. Remember he kept trying to get
into the pool of water? He couldn't. Others beat him
to it. When Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had now been
a long time in that case, he said unto him, Wilt thou be made
whole? And the impotent man answered,
Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me
in the pool. But while I am coming, another stepeth down before me.
And the Lord said to him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And
immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and
walked. And this was on the Sabbath day. He had mercy, there was
many people laying around that pool, and the Lord walked by
and chose one man, one sinner, and had mercy on him. Does he
have the right to do that? Can he have mercy on whom he
will? I'll show you another example, turn to John chapter 9. The blind
man, you remember? Blind from his birth? Verse 1
of John 9, "...and the Lord Jesus passed by and saw him which was
blind from his birth, born in sin. And his disciples asked
him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind? And the Lord said, Neither. at
this man's sin, nor his parents. He's not saying that we're not
sinners. But that the works of God should
be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him
that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man
can work. As long as I'm in the world,
I'm the light of the world. And when he had spoken, he spat
on the ground, made clay of spittle, and anointed the eyes of the
blind man with clay, and said unto him, Go wash in the pool
of Siloam. which is being interpretation
by interpretation. He went His way, washed, and
came sane. The Lord picked out one man and
gave him sight. He healed one crippled man, passed
by others, and gave sight to one. Now how is it or why is
it the Lord does what He does? He does what He does on purpose
according to His own will. He will have mercy on whom He
will have mercy. He will have compassion on whom
He will have compassion. Let's turn and read this scripture
over in Matthew chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11. He said,
I am the Lord, cannot I do with my own what I will? To make one
clay a vessel of honor and another clay a vessel of dishonor, can
he do with his own what he will? Well, sure he can, he's the Lord.
He'll have mercy on whom he will have mercy. Now, Matthew chapter
11, book of verse 25. Matthew 11, 25. At that time
Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, Because thou hast hid these things from the wise
and prudent, and revealed them unto babes, manifest himself
unto babes, sinners. Even so, father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. One more verse, verse 27. All
things are delivered unto me and my father. No man knoweth
his son. But the Father, neither knoweth
any man the Father, save the Son, and He to whomsoever the
Son will reveal Him." The Father has given power to the God-man
mediator over all flesh, and He should give eternal life to
as many as God has given to Him. He said, I will show mercy to
whom I will show mercy. Now, back to the text. John 14,
verse 23. Now listen carefully what the
Lord answers. How is it that we'll manifest
ourself unto us and not to everybody? Why not everybody in Jerusalem?
And the Lord said unto him, if a man love me, he'll keep my
words. He'll believe my gospel. If a man love me, he'll keep
my words. And my father will love him and
we will come unto him and make our abode He will abide, abode
with Him. Now verse 24, He that loveth
me not, there are some people who love Him and some people
who don't love Him. You see that in those two verses?
He that loveth me will believe my gospel. He that loveth me
not won't keep my saying. He won't believe the gospel.
And the word which you hear is not mine, not mine alone, but
the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto
you, being yet present with you." Now, let's look at these two
verses here. The Lord simply and powerfully says, some will
love me and some Will not. Some will appreciate me and esteem
me highly. Others will despise me. Some,
by God's grace, are brought to bow and to submit unto the Lord
Jesus Christ, and see Him as altogether lovely, to receive
Him, to believe Him, and to keep His word, and to love Him in
their heart. And John Newton said, we do love the Lord, not
like we should, not like we want to, not like we will one day,
but by his grace, we can say, Lord, we do love you. As Peter
said to the Lord, Lord, you know all things, you know that I love
you. We love him because he first
loved us. This is the sole reason. I told
you we'd turn and read that, so let's do that. Let's turn
to 1 John chapter four. We love Him only because He first
loved us. The cause of us loving Him is
because He first loved us. 1 John chapter 4, look at verse
17. Herein, 1 John 4, 17. Herein
is our love made perfect, that we may have judgment that we
may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is,
so are we in this world. There's that union, that vital
oneness with Christ. There is no fear in love, but
perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He
that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love Him, verse 19,
because He first loved us. You see that? Now look at 1 John
chapter 4 verse 10, here in His love, here it is. 1 John 4, 10,
here in His love, not that we love God, but that He loved us.
And because He sent His Son to put away our sin, we love Him. Beloved, if God so loved us,
we ought to love one another, one another. You see, He's loved
us from all eternity. Now the Scripture does not say
God loves us because we love Him. I didn't say that. It doesn't read that way, does
it? It does not say God loves us because we love Him. That's
not so. Our love never precedes His love
to us. His love to us is from everlasting
and because He loves us and draws us to Himself, that's the reason
that we love Him. Blessed is the man to whom God
chooses and causes to approach unto Him. Psalm 65 verse 4. Now
I want you to turn with me and read this to me. You see, God
loved us when we were yet very unlovely. Turn to Romans chapter
5. Romans chapter 5, look at verse 6. Romans 5 verse 6. God commended His love toward
us. This is God's love now toward
us. Verse 6, Romans 5, verse 6. For when we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely
for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good
man some would even dare to die. But God commended His love toward
us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were
enemies, We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son,
much more being reconciled, we shall be justified, saved by
His life. Now, we love Him. If a man love
me, he'll keep my word. Look back to John 14, 23. And
my Father will love him, and we will come, and we will make
our abode with him. Those who were called out of
darkness and brought into the light of his love, affectionately
drawn unto the Lord Jesus Christ, will never be forsaken." The
Lord said, we will come. You see that? And we will make
our abode with you. We'll never be forsaken, but
we'll have the continual presence of the Lord with us. Our Lord
said before He ascended to glory to His apostles, and, Lo, I am
with you always. Go and preach the gospel to every
creature, knowing that, Lo, I am with you always. You see, our
bodies are a temple. He said, You are the temple of
the living God, for He has said, I will dwell in them and walk
in them. I will be their God, and they
shall be My people. God lives in us. And every believer
Now look at verse 24, John 14, 24. And he that loveth me not,
he that loveth me not. Now this is us by nature. This
is what we are apart from the sovereign grace of God. We don't
love Him. And we certainly don't believe the gospel left to ourselves.
And the word, he says, which you hear, is mine and my father's,
given him God. While others are left God's elect
are drawn to Him in everlasting love, while others are left to
their own wicked thoughts, to their own wicked ways, and never
love Him. Why is that an unbelieving, unregenerate
sinner never loves God? Left to himself. He never will
believe the Gospel. Never will embrace the Lord Jesus
Christ. Because of what we are by nature. Sinners who will not have God
to rule over us. Sinners who do not love Him,
and sinners who will not obey Him. That's us left to ourselves. It's only by the grace of God
that we do love Him, and believe Him, and submit to Him. You remember
we studied in John chapter 3 verse 19, described the reason why
sinners don't love God, the true and living God now. Because men
by nature love darkness, not light. You see, the carnal mind
is enmity against God, Romans 8, 7. The carnal mind receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Corinthians 2, 14. But now look at the last part
of verse 24. He that loveth me not, and keepeth
not my sayings, the word which you hear is the word which will
judge you. The word which you hear is not
mine, but my Father's which sent me." The word we preach and the
word you hear, the gospel of Christ, is not after man. It's not of man. It's the gospel
of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. He's saying here, turn
back to John 12 verse 49, The gospel of God concerning the
Lord Jesus Christ is not after man. It's not of man. It's not
a man's invention. And this is what the Lord is
saying here. John 12, 49. For I have not spoken of myself,
but the Father which sent me, he gave me commandment what I
should say and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment,
His gospel, is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak therefore,
even as the Father said unto me, that's what I say. No more, nothing else, nothing
less, and nothing more. But what thus saith the Lord? You see, preaching is just repeating
what God already said. The gospel is not after man,
the gospel is not the invention of man, it's the gospel of God.
Now I'll close by reading this. Let's turn to Galatians chapter
1. Galatians chapter 1. Back to the book of Galatians. Now, We dare not preach any other
gospel, right? The apostle said, woe is unto
me if I preach not the gospel. Woe is unto you if you hear another
gospel. Woe is unto you if you believe
another gospel. This is serious business. In
Galatians chapter 1, look at verse 6. I marvel that you are
so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel. These folks had heard the gospel
and gave some kind of profession that they embraced Christ, but
they left the gospel of Christ and embraced circumcision and
law and ritual and doing, not Christ alone. Paul said, which
is not another, but there be some that trouble you and would
pervert or change the gospel of Christ. Now look what it says
here, but though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, everything
will be okay. It will all work out. We'll just
go in different ways. We'll all end up in the same
place. Everything will be all right. I'm okay. You're okay. Everything's
okay. That's not what it says there. But though we are an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which he hath
preached unto you, let him be accursed, let him be condemned,
damned. As we said before, so say I now
again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that
which you receive, let him be accursed. Now what is the gospel
as defined here in this text? Look at chapter, Galatians chapter
1, verse 4 and 5. Who gave himself for our sin,
that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according
to the will of God our Father, to whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. Now look back down to verse 10.
For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men, I'm
not a servant of Christ. If I preach in such a way as
to not to offend anybody, I've changed the message. Because
the gospel by its very truth is offensive to the flesh. But
I certify you, look at verse 11. This is a certified gospel.
I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which preached of
me is not after man. The Lord said, I didn't speak
this of myself. My Father which gave me commandment,
He gave me commandment, that's what I speak. For I neither received
it of man, neither was I taught it of man, but by the revelation
of thee, Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot, as God's servant,
as a believer of the gospel, I'm not at liberty to change
the message, or to add to it, or just to make it more acceptable
to people in general. If I preach not the gospel, God's
going to condemn me. That's right. Woe is unto me
if I preach not the gospel. That's why I'm committed, I'm
committed to contend for this gospel of God's sovereign saving
grace in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.