John chapter 12, you got it there?
John 12. I'm entitling the message from
the words that the Lord declares in verse 36. Let's read verse
36. While you have light, while you
have the light, have light, believe in the light, that you may be
children, the children, the children of light. These things the Lord
Jesus Christ said and departed and did hide himself from them. So I'm entitling the message
from those words, the children of the light, or the children
of the Christ, the Christ, children of light. Look in the same chapter,
verse 46. The Lord said, I am come into
the world that whosoever believeth on me. I am come a light into
the world that whosoever believeth in me should not walk in darkness,
believeth. Christ is the light. Now, hold
your place there and turn back to John chapter eight. We've
seen this same truth set forth that Christ is the revelation
of God. Would you know God? He's revealed
in Christ. There is no, N-O, knowing God
apart from the Lord Jesus. In John 8 verse 12, the Lord
spake unto them saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Now, it's
pretty clear. Christ is the light. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the very revelation that we need. He's revealed. Revelation of God is revealed
in Christ. God is revealed in Christ Jesus. Now, the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ finds us sinners. Where does it find us? It finds
us in the dark, doesn't it? It says in John 3.19 that we
love darkness, not light. And the reason we love darkness
and not light is because we are afraid that our deeds will be
manifested by the light, that they're nothing but evil. Loving
darkness and hating light. Hating the true Christ of God. It is still true, the carnal
mind is enmity against God. The Lord finds us in the dark.
The Lord finds us in ignorance of a true and living God. Ignorant
of the exceeding sinfulness of our own guilt before God. Ignorant
of how God justly saves sinners in Christ alone. Ignorant, blind,
ignorant of the righteousness of Christ that is freely and
sovereignly imputed and revealed in the gospel. Did you know anything
about imputed righteousness before God taught you the gospel? Most
folks think, especially religious folks, that that's just imputed
nonsense. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputes righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they
whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered in Christ
Jesus. You see, He finds us in the dark. He finds us blind. He finds us
deaf. We don't have ears to hear, but
He sovereignly and freely, by His grace, reveals the gospel
unto us. I won't turn and read this because
we've read it so many times. In Ephesians chapter 2 when it
describes what we are by nature, you remember? You have to be
quick until we're dead. And then he calls us children
of disobedience. And then he calls us children
of wrath by nature, children of wrath even as others. That's
where he finds us. But now, he says, by the grace
of God alone, I made some the children of light, the children
of righteousness. Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called sons
of God? Now, this is true and evident.
Unless the Lord is pleased to turn on the light and reveal
Himself unto us and give us spiritual light and life, He must command
the light of the gospel to shine in our heart, or we will remain
born in darkness, born in ignorance, and will die just that way. In ignorance, blindness, and
spiritually dead. You see, God must command the
light to shine in our heart. That we might see the glory of
God. the glory of God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He must turn on the light switch and reveal himself unto us because
we know that salvation is of the Lord alone. God must reveal. I can teach you, and teach you,
and show you, and read, and re-read, and read it again, and beat you
over the head with it, and beat up on you, and bow-beat you,
and do everything I can. You'll never see the gospel and
believe the gospel unless God does something in your heart.
Unless God drives this message home to your heart. Unless God
invades you. possesses you, encompasses you,
and enlightens you. Thank God that salvation is of
the Lord. Now in our message today, the
Lord Jesus Christ clearly preaches to us And sets before us the
way of salvation through his sacrifice. In John chapter 12,
he mentions this sacrifice over and over and over again. This
is his last recorded here in John chapter 12. I didn't really
realize this till I started looking at it more carefully. This is
his last public sermon. before he teaches his disciples
privately, and then when he's arrested and then he's crucified
for our sins. And this Lord here preaches his
last gospel sermon. What's he going to talk about?
What's he going to say? Look at verse 31. Here's where
we begin. Now he says, the judgment of
this world now you see verse 31 now judgment judgments coming
now there's two times he says this now shall the prince of
this world be cast out and I if I be lifted up from the earth
will draw all unto me there will be no drawing on There will be
no fruitful harvest unless the Lord Jesus Christ dies to put
away our sin. Now, in the death of Christ,
in His blessed atonement, we see the full payment for our
sin, the sin of God's people, by His sacrifice, by the sacrifice
of Himself. There He is in Christ crucified,
the full judgment of our sin upon Him. He bear our sin and
His own body on the tree, right? Verse Peter 2, 24. The Lord Jesus
Christ suffered once for our sin, the just for the unjust,
that He might do what? That He might do what? Well,
maybe. Maybe He'll bring somebody to...
Maybe if... No. He died once for our sin to just
for the unjust that He may bring us." Bring us. You see, there's
no bringing us unto God unless He justifies His own holy law
on our behalf. In our sin being judged in Him,
He suffers the wrath of God for our sin. That's what happened
at Calvary. God made Him sin for us. who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." Because
the Lord Jesus Christ fully satisfied the claim of God's holy law and
justice, He has completely justified us from all sin by His blood. He redeemed us unto God by His
own blood, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ and Him crucified,
because He paid our sin debt in full, there is therefore now,
right now, No condemnation to those who are in Christ. No more
judgment for our sin. Judgment's already taken place.
God's not going to judge my sin and punish my sin in Christ and
then turn around and punish me again. Will He? He can. Not be just. You see, the believer
resting in Christ stands cleared of all guilt and justified. Now listen to this scripture
in Romans chapter 8. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It is God who justifieth. It
is Christ who died, yea rather is risen again, who is even at
the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. In Christ Jesus. So you see,
in Christ, now is the judgment of this world. Our sin was judged
completely and fully, and He put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. Now there's a second part to
verse 31. You see the second part? N-O-W. Now shall the Prince of this
world be cast out. Now who is the Prince of this
world? This is referring to Satan himself. Satan is called the
prince of this world here. In 2 Corinthians 4, he's called
the god of this world. In Ephesians chapter 2, he's
called the prince of the power of the air. But in Christ crucified,
Satan has been dealt with and judged and completely defeated
and put out of business. You remember Genesis chapter
3, verse 15, the woman seed? referring to the Lord Jesus Christ
crushed Satan's dominion in his head. What is the power and dominion
that Satan has? S-I-N. S-I-N. In Christ crucified we see sin
dealt with and we see the power of sin dealt with in Christ and
Him crucified. Now I want you to see this in
Scripture so you can remember it Very well, have reference
to it. Turn to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews
chapter 2, first of all, the Lord Jesus Christ crushed His
dominion by putting away sin, the power of sin. Sin shall not
have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under
grace. Hebrews 2 verse 14. For as much then as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same, that through death he might destroy him. That's the same one we're reading
about, the devil. Destroy him that had power of death. Now
what's the power of death? Sin. Now watch this, that had
the power of death, who introduced sin, that is the devil, and destroyed
him and deliver them. You see those two things? Underscore
that. He delivered them. He defeated him and delivered
them, who were through fear of death, through all their lifetime,
subject unto bondage. Destroyed him and delivered us
in putting away our sin. Now let me show you another reference
and underscore this. Turn to Colossians chapter 2. You see, we have the complete
dismantling of Satan's empire and power in Christ crucified. In Colossians 2, look at verse
13. And you being dead in your sins,
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out
the handwriting of the wardens that was against us, which was
contrary to us, he took it out of the way, nailing it to his
cross. Having spoiled principalities
and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them himself." So there again we see that two-fold fruit of
His atonement. The putting away of our sin,
He took that that was contrary to us, took it out of the way
and nailed it to His cross, satisfied the law of God, and defeated
and spoiled all principality and power in Christ Jesus. Now, turn back to the text. Now
is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this
world be cast out. You remember from our study in
the Revelation where we read about the beast and the false
prophet and Satan shall be cast into the lake of fire for their
doom is certain and sure. And this is all because the Lord
Jesus Christ made full atonement for our sin and put away sin
and destroyed the dominion of sin, which is death. Now look
at verse 32. And verse 33, and I, if I be
lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me. This, he said,
signifying what death he should die. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ
had to die a specific death, a certain death, the torment
of God. The lifting up from the earth here, where it says, if
I be lifted up, is reference to several different things.
First of all, it's a reference to this. Turn to John chapter
3. John chapter 3. His crucifixion for our sin being
lifted up upon a tree, lifted up upon a pole, lifted up upon
a cross. In the fulfillment of John 3
verse 14, As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so the Son of Man must be lifted up. Lifted up in death. Lifted up as smitten of God. afflicted of God, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Lifted
up, then, refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, dying for our sins
according to the Scripture. He must die according to the
Scripture, and be buried, and rise again the third day according
to the Scripture. Well, first of all, it has references
of being lifted up as our substitute, as our redeemer, putting away
our sin that we might look unto Him. Secondly, this lifting up
from the earth refers to His glorious bodily resurrection,
the third day. He said, you destroy this body
in three days, I'll raise it up again. They thought He was
talking about the temple there in Jerusalem. He said, I'm talking
about my body. What are the implications that
the Lord Jesus Christ did not walk out of that tomb the third
day in a glorified body, gloriously resurrected? What are the implications? It says in Scripture, He was
delivered from our offenses and raised again because He justified
us. If he didn't walk out of that
tomb the third day, we're not justified from our sin. As a
matter of fact, it says over in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ
be not raised up, our preaching is vain, your faith is vain,
and you're yet in your sins. So, lifted up from the earth,
yes, his resurrection. gives absolute validity to all
that He said and all that He did. God raised Him from the
dead because He put away our sin. This lifting up also referred
to His bodily ascension to the throne of glory. After His resurrection,
He lived upon the earth as a glorified God-man how many days? Forty
days. Forty days. He was seen of many. It says, One time of 500 brethren
at once were eyewitnesses to the resurrected body of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And on that 40th day, they walked
outside one particular city and His disciples watched Him ascend
unto glory. When he had by himself purged
our sin, he sat down on the right hand of the throne of God, victoriously
over sin, death, hell, Satan, and the grave. Fourthly, in the
lifting up, he said, if I be lifted up, it refers to his death,
his resurrection, his ascension. If I be lifted up, I'll draw
all unto me. You know what else he's talking
about here? It's Christ being lifted up in
the preaching of the gospel. That's how He draws His sheep
unto Himself, being lifted up in the preaching of the gospel,
lifting up Christ. It pleases God through preaching
to call out His people. We're commanded to go and preach
the gospel to every creature. Preach the gospel. God uses that
message of Christ crucified, preached and exalted. God, the
Holy Spirit, uses that message to draw His people unto Himself. God has ordained the preaching
of the Gospel. And through that, He says, I'll
draw all these men unto Me. Being lifted up, He says, I will
draw all unto Me. Here we see the fruit of His
atonement. Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, did not die in vain. His death is not defeat. His
atonement is not a failure. It's victory. It's victory. You
remember He said in verse 24 of John 12, But if it die, except a corn and wheat fall
into the ground, and die, it abideth alone. But if it die,
it bringeth forth much fruit, much fruit. Here we see the victory
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has a people out of
every tribe, kindred, nation, tongue, and heaven. All of His
elect, wherever they are, wherever and whenever they live, God will
cross their path with the gospel and will call them out of darkness
into His marvelous light. The Lord did not lay down His
life for all of the sins of all men without exception. That's
just not so. You say, well, why make that
an issue? Because to preach universal redemption
is to preach universal failure. If it doesn't secure the everlasting
salvation of all men everywhere. Is there anybody in hell for
whom the Lord Jesus Christ died? Well, if there is, his death
got nothing to do with salvation. You see the implications there?
He died for His covenant people. He laid down His life for His
people. He gave His life for His sheep.
You see, He bought them with His own blood, and He's going
to have what He bought. He's going to take them home
to glory. You know why? They belong to Him. If I be lifted
up, I'm going to draw them because I bought them. They're mine.
My sheep, hear my voice. I know them and I give them to
them eternal life. Now, the question is, how does
he effectually draw us? How does he effectually draw
us? Our Lord said over in John 6, you remember, I won't turn
and quote it and read it to you, but you remember that he said,
No man can come unto me except the Father which sent me. draw
him, and they shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore that
hath heard and learned of the Father, they come unto Christ."
This is teaching grace, revealing grace in Christ Jesus. So how
does the Lord draw us effectually unto Himself? He makes Himself
irresistible. He makes Himself irresistible.
I mean, He reveals unto us our ugliness, and He reveals unto
us His beauty. And by the grace of God and the
working of God's Spirit and Holy Spirit conviction, He shows us
that the Lord Jesus Christ is altogether lovely. He causes
us to fall in love with Him, that where we come to the conclusion
that we must have Him, and we forget everything else. Christ
alone. That's how He draws us. He loved
us with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness
does He draw us to Himself. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of God's power. This, He said, signifying what
death He should die." Aren't you glad for this irresistible,
effectual, drawing power of God? And He draws His sheep unto Himself. Now look at verse 34, the people
answered him and said, well we've heard, we've heard out of the
law, referring back to the Old Testament prophecy, we've heard
out of the law that Christ abideth forever, how sayest thou that
the Son of Man must be lifted up?" Why are you talking about
death? Why are you talking about this
One who is to come, Son of God, the Messiah? Why are you saying
that the Messiah must die? They had no idea. Who is this? By the way, who is this Son of
Man anyway? Who are you talking about? Now,
these most Jewish Jews, these Pharisees of the Pharisees, these
leaders that were very familiar with the Scripture. You remember,
turn back to John 5. They were very familiar with
the Scripture. John chapter 5. Luke verse 39. John 5, 39. He
said, You search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have
eternal life. There they which testify of me. You see, they
had the Word of God, they studied the Word of God, they missed
Christ. And you will not come to me that
you might have life. They were familiar with the Scriptures. They were familiar with the Scripture
that the Messiah must be the son of David. They were familiar
with the Scripture from Psalm 110 about the Messiah being after
the order of Melchizedek and not after the order of Aaron.
They understood all that. But somehow they missed the key
element of the Messiah laying down His life for His sheep. Somehow they were in the dark
about the Messiah that must die being wounded for our transgression,
bruised for our iniquity, and the chastisement of our peace
must be upon Him, and with His stripes we're healed. They missed
the message of Isaiah the prophet. They missed the message of all
the prophets that said that Christ must come, that Christ must die
for our sin, according to Scripture. They saw no need of the Son of
Man. to die for them. They saw no need of a kinsman-redeemer
to pay the ransom price. They saw no need of the Lamb
of God to put away their sin. They saw no need of the Son of
Man to be the Lord our righteousness. They saw no need of the Son of
Man to die in their room and in their stead. They saw no need
of Him. And then they make this astounding
statement. Who is the Son of Man? Who is
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, it's interesting, I didn't
know this until I started looking at it, this phrase here, Son
of Man, you know it's found 85 times in Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John? 85 times the Lord Jesus Christ
refers to Him as the Son of Man? Let me give you two examples. In Matthew 12, our Lord said,
The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. He is the God-Man
Mediator. He is Lord. This Son of Man is
Lord. He's God. In Matthew 20, 28,
he said, Even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto,
but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. You see, God, strictly speaking,
can't lay down his life. God can't die. But the God-Man-Mediator
did. He must be the Son of Man that
He might suffer. You see, God can't suffer and
man can't satisfy, but the God-Man-Mediator both suffered and satisfied.
You see, it's who He is that gives eternal value and merit
to what He did. The Son of Man is also the Son
of God. The Word made flesh and dwelt
among us. Now watch verse 35. Then the
Lord said, Yet, a little while, and the light is with you. Just
in four, five, six days here, the Lord is going to be crucified
for our sin, as we read through the Gospels here. Walk while
you have light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh
in darkness knoweth not where he goes. A solemn warning here
of neglecting the only light There is. The Lord Jesus Christ
as God, Christ as God is the light and in Him is no darkness
at all. Walk while you have the light.
I want to look at this scripture here. I want you to turn and
read it with me. Turn to 1st John. 1st John chapter
1. 1st John chapter 1. 1st John
chapter 1. Verse 5, 1 John 1 verse 5, This
then is a message which we have heard of him, and declaring to
you, now John heard this, here he's writing about it, that God
is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship
with him and walk in darkness, We lie and we do not the truth. We don't know the truth. But
if we walk in the light, in the gospel, light of the gospel,
revelation of the gospel, as He is the light, we have fellowship
one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ,
His Son, cleanses us from all our sin. All our sin. Christ
revealed as the only sacrifice for our sin. That's what the
light of God does with the gospel to the heart of God's people.
Look at verse 36. While you have light, believe
in the light. Believe the light that you may
be children of the light. These things the Lord Jesus Christ
said unto them and departed and did hide himself from them. Here's
a solemn exhortation to believe The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Look again at verse 46 of John
12. I am come, a light into the world, that whosoever believeth
on me should not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
The gospel message is the light of salvation in Christ. May God
give us much grace, and this is what it takes, much grace
to walk, live, and look to Christ for all of salvation. While we
have the gospel light, while we have the gospel message, that
it might be manifested that we are children of the light, who
are enlightened by the Spirit of God to see our own sinfulness,
our own unrighteousness, and our need of the Lord, our righteousness,
the Lord Jesus Christ. While we have the light, believe
in the light. Now I want to show you something very, very special. Turn over here to Ephesians chapter
5, first of all. While you have light, walk in
the light, believe in the light, look to Christ who is the light.
Ephesians 5, verse 8. Got it? Ephesians 5 verse 8.
For ye were sometimes darkness. Now that's where we started,
right? We were in the dark. But now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of the Spirit is
in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable
unto the Lord. What is acceptable unto the Lord?
Christ, nothing more, nothing else. Nothing less, nothing more,
nothing else. Now turn to 1 Thessalonians 5. 1 Thessalonians 5. Look at verse 5. 1 Thessalonians
5. 1 Thessalonians 5. 5. These are all the children
of life and the children of the day. Talking about believers. We are not in the night, nor
of darkness. Let us therefore not sleep, as
do others, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep,
sleep in the night. They that be drunken, are drunken
in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting
on the breastplate of faith and of love, and for a helmet, the
hope of salvation, children of light. Now look at verse 9 carefully.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation
by our Lord Jesus Christ. We are children of light and
we walk as light by His appointment. His appointment. You see that?
Now look back at John 12. I'm going to make a... tie this
up together here. Back to John 12. Look at the
last part of verse 36. These things the Lord spake And
then he departed and did hide himself from them. After the
Lord declared the gospel message, salvation by grace, through faith
in the crucified Christ, he hid himself from them. Two reasons,
I think, for his own safety until the appointed hour, but also
as an emblem and token of the judgment of God that's about
to fall on those who rebelled against him. What a sad state
for any sinner to be in, to have Almighty God leave him to himself. What would happen if God left
us to ourselves? We'd go straight to eternal condemnation. All the Lord has to do is just
leave us alone and Adam all dying. Though the Lord, look at verse
37, Though the Lord had done so many miracles before them,
Yet they believed not on Him." Though the Lord conducted a public
ministry for more than three years, preaching absolute truth,
demonstrating that He was the Messiah, demonstrating that He
was sent by God, demonstrating what He said were the words of
God, that He is God by many glorious and convincing miracles, no one
could doubt it. Turning water into wine. Feeding
thousands. No one could doubt His miracles.
They weren't phony or fictitious. Feeding thousands with just five
loaves, a few fishes. Healing a cripple. We've seen
this in the book of John. Giving sight to the blind. Raising
up a dead man from the grave. Many undeniable and public miracles
the Lord had done. Yet, because of the sinfulness
of their wicked nature, Those Jews, for the most part, rejected
Him as the Messiah, branded Him as a wine-bibber, a gluttonous
man, and a demon-possessed man, and an imposter. Leaving us to
ourselves, we'd have the same, same idea. They branded the Messiah
as an imposter. Because these self-righteous
Jews refused to walk in the light that God gave them, He gave them
up to a reprobate heart to believe a lie and be damned. The nature
of sin is so deeply rooted in us that apart from the regenerating
work of the Holy Spirit convicting us and giving us life left to
ourselves, we'll never savingly believe the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ or seek his mercy. Our prayer should be, Lord, don't
leave me alone. Don't leave me to myself or I
will surely Perish. Look at verse 38. Give me just
a minute or two. Verse 38. Though he had done
so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him,
that the scripture might be fulfilled, saying, Isaiah, the prophet might be
fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed thy report?
And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Therefore they
could not believe, because Isaiah also said that God had blinded
their eyes. God had hardened their heart,
that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with
their heart, and be converted and be healed. Their rejection
of Christ did not defeat the purpose of God, did it? It was
all part of it. Do you remember Romans chapter
3? For what if some did not believe,
shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
God forbid! Their willful and wicked unbelief
fulfilled what was written of them by God's prophet seven,
eight hundred years before. While their guilt and responsibility
of their unbelief was upon them, yet they fulfilled the Scripture
by their rebellion against God. Verse 39 and 40, they could not
believe because the prophet Isaiah said, God blinded their eyes. This is judicial blinding of
God. All things that come to pass
in time, even the rebellion and unbelief and everlasting ruin
of the reprobate sinner is according to the unalterable, everlasting
purpose of God and his predestinating grace. Now, many of you have
Brother Mahan's commentary, and he said on verse 39 and verse
40, this is a quote from Brother Mahan, you can turn there and
read it at your leisure, but I'll quote it to you now. He
says on these verses, any effort to change the clear meaning of
this text in order to bring it into harmony to one's own theology
is inexcusable. God determined to leave them
to the blindness and hardness of their heart and to deny them
grace which alone can bring men to faith and repentance. He will
have mercy on whom he will have mercy. Whether one says they
would not believe or could not believe makes no difference. Men by nature will not come to
Christ. We just read that a moment ago
in John 5. And they cannot come to Christ. No man can come to
me except my Father which sent me drawing. And they cannot come
to Christ unless God is pleased in grace to call them, teach
them, and reveal to them His redemptive glory in Christ. And
withholding light, truth, hard illumination, it is said that
He blinded their eyes and hardened their heart. He just simply left
them to themselves. Now, look at this scripture here.
1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2. God justly left them to their
own wicked unbelief. In 1 Peter chapter 2. Read this
with me. 1 Peter chapter 2, Wherefore
also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief
cornerstone, elect and precious. He that believeth on him shall
not be confounded unto you therefore which believe he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builder disallowed, the same is become the head of
the corner. Now look at verse 8 carefully.
A stone of stumbling, remember to the Jews, Christ crucified
is foolishness, but unto them which are called, Christ the
power of God, Christ the wisdom of God, a stone of stumbling,
a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being
disobedient, what does that last part say? Were unto also they
were appointed. Now, you remember what we read
a minute ago in 1 Thessalonians 5? You were not appointed unto
wrath, but to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Some folks were appointed to be left alone. Look at verse
9, but, but, there's that big word again, but, You are our
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar purchased
people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, which in
time past were not a people, but now are the people of God,
which had not obtained mercy, but now, now have obtained mercy
in Christ Jesus." You see, He'll have mercy upon whom He will
have mercy. I want you to look at this carefully.
You turn and read this with me. Turn to Acts 28. When Paul was
in prison for preaching the gospel in Rome, and he stayed in prison
for two years before he was executed, while he was in Rome, there were
some Jews, some Jewish leaders that were in Rome who wanted
to come and hear this upstart preacher. from Judea, in Acts
28, it's the last chapter, verse 22. But we desire to hear of
thee what thinkest thou for concerning this sack, this heresy? We know that everywhere it is
spoken against. Now he's referring to the gospel
here. And when they had appointed him a day, When they had pointed
him a day, there came many to him into his lodging, to whom
he expounded, and testified of the kingdom of God, persuading
them concerning Jesus, the Lord Jesus, both out of the law of
Moses and of the prophets, from morning till evening, from sunup
to sundown, all day long he preached Christ from the Scripture." Well,
surely everyone there would believe. Surely, I mean, this is Paul.
I mean, he's God's servant, right? With God's gospel, right? With
the Word of God. Surely everyone there is going
to believe, right? Some believe the things which
are spoken, and some did not believe. as many were ordained
to eternal life, I believe. And when they had agreed not
among themselves, they departed, after that Paul spoke one word. Well spake the Holy Ghost by
Isaiah the prophet unto our father, saying, Go unto this people,
and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and not understand. Seeing ye
shall see, and ye won't perceive. Now some believe. Why did they
believe? That would be a little bit smarter,
weren't they? No. God revealed the gospel unto
them. For the heart of this people
is waxed gross, their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes have
they closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear
with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted,
and I'd heal them. Be it known therefore unto you
that salvation of God is said unto the Gentiles, and they will
hear it, God's people is elect among the Gentiles. And when
he has said these words, the Jews departed and had great reasoning
among themselves. And Paul dwelt two whole years
in his own hired house and received all that came unto him. Here
he goes again. Paul, don't you have something
else to say? I mean, come on. Here you're in jail and all you're
going to tell us about is Christ? Preaching the kingdom of God
and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ
with all confidence. Forbidding no man. Some believed
and some did not believe. Some were hardened in their self-righteous
pride and religious pride. Some were broken and heard the
gospel. Some believed. Who makes you
to differ from another? What do you have that you didn't
receive of God? May God be pleased to give everyone unto us grace
to believe the gospel, and we see again how precious is saving
faith. Faith, we know, is the gift of
God, not of work that any man should boast. Faith, we know,
comes by hearing not the lies of men, but the gospel of God. Simon Peter called faith, those
who obtain, like precious faith, with us to the righteousness
of God our Savior. It's precious faith. You see,
faith is a hand that reaches out. Faith is the feet that run
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith are the eyes that look
unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham believed God. It accounted
to him for righteousness. He that believeth has life. He
that believeth not, the wrath of God abides on him. You see, faith is the foundation
grace. Faith is the essential grace.
God give us faith to believe the gospel of Christ. And Lord, our prayer is this,
Lord, don't leave me to myself. Don't leave me to myself. I'll
perish in my sin.