John chapter 12 is our text this
morning. I'm taking the title for the
message from verse 21. You see verse 21? These Gentiles
or these Greeks who were among this crowd there in Jerusalem
who were singing Hosannas. unto the Lord Jesus Christ, and
acknowledging him to some extent as the king. They were looking
for a king to deliver them from Roman bondage. But some, the
same came to Philip, these Gentiles of Galilee. These came to Philip
who was of the city of Bethesda of Galilee, and desired him,
saying, Sir, Sir, we would see, we would see the Lord Jesus Christ. We would see Him. So that's the
title of the message. We would see, we would see the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now every believer desires, and
I've said every believer, not every man. Every man doesn't
desire this. But every believer desires to
see the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why we're gathered
here today. We're gathered here to see Him
in His Word, as His Word is preached, as we read the Word of God together. We're gathered here to see Him
as the only Savior of sinners, as the only God, our Savior. He said, beside me, there is
no other Savior. We're gathered together today
to see Him as the only one who can save us from our sin, He
is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him.
And our prayer today for all of us here, that God the Holy
Spirit may give us eyes of understanding, eyes of faith to see the Lord
Jesus Christ. To see Him always as He really
is, as He truly is. Not as we think He is, but as
He's revealed in Holy Scripture. Eyes of faith to behold Him. who was altogether lovely, eyes
of faith to behold Him, who is our just God and Savior. Now hold your place here, let
me show you another scripture about looking to our Lord Jesus
Christ. We're going to run into this
eventually in our study in the book of Hebrews, so turn to Hebrews
chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12. Looking,
looking. You know, the thing about faith
and trusting and coming to the Lord Jesus Christ is a continual
thing. We're looking unto Him. We're
continually coming unto Him, relying upon Him, trusting Him,
and believing Him for all of salvation. Not a part of it,
but all of salvation. Therefore, in Hebrews 12, look
at verse 1, wherefore, seeing we are compassed about with so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which doth so easily beset us, that is unbelief, and
let us run with patience the race that's set before us, looking,
looking, saving faith, the faith of God to let desires to look
unto the Lord Jesus, looking unto Him. the author and finisher
of our faith. He's the beginner of our faith.
Faith is a gift of God, who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on
the right hand of the throne of God. He is seated victoriously. He is exalted as the sovereign
Christ of God. Now we read a moment ago in Isaiah
45, the Lord said, because I'm the only just God and Savior,
Because there is none beside me, there's none other, the only
one who can justify the ungodly. Therefore he says, look, look,
look unto me. And be ye saved all the ends
of the earth, for I am God and there is none else. Sirs, we
would see the Lord Jesus Christ. Is that your desire? To see him?
looking unto him. Now I've heard this said by others. I've heard that on some pulpits
it is written, Sirs, we would see Jesus. And it's written on
the pulpit to where the man who stands up here can see what it
says, Sir, we would see Jesus, but those to whom he's preaching,
they cannot see that. Here's the point. Every time
that we come into the pulpit, To take the Word of God and declare
the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to preach Him. Not about Him, but preach Christ. That is the charge that God has
given to every God-sent Gospel preacher, to preach the Word.
You remember Paul said to young Timothy, I charge thee before
God and the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the word, be instant
in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine. And then the Apostle Paul said
this to the Corinthians, I'm determined not to know anything
among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified. So it says up
here on this pulpit, you can't see this, but I can see it here,
sirs, He would see the Lord Jesus Christ. That would be a good
thing for me to look at all the time when I come to this pulpit
to see, Sir, preach Christ to me. Isn't that what you want
to hear? You don't want to hear about my feelings, my emotion,
my experience, the things I've gone through in my life. Poor
old Tom. You don't want to hear those
things, do you? Everybody's got sad stories. I'm not to say that
I'm not interested in your past, but you have the past just like
I have. Full of heartache, full of trouble. Man that's born of
woman, few days and full of trouble. So, sirs, preacher, show me Christ. Preach the Lord Jesus Christ
to me. Now, for a few moments, we'll get to that in just a minute.
I want to back up to verse 19 and set the table for this message.
Set the table. And there were certain Greeks
among them that came to Jerusalem to the feast, to the Passover
feast. It's a high day. These were converts to the Jewish
way of worship and approaching God. The same came, therefore,
to Philip, Philip being one of the apostles of the Lord, which
was of the city of Bethesda, Bethsaida rather, of Galilee,
and desired him, asked him, said, Sir, He dressed him with some
respect. He said, we want an audience
with the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to see Him. Philip, not
knowing what to do, he came to Andrew, another apostle. Some
think he was a little bit older, maybe a little bit wiser. And
again, Andrew and Philip, they came to the Lord, and they told
him that there's a bunch of Gentiles out there, and they want to see
you. Now, verse 19. The Pharisees therefore said
among themselves, perceive how you prevail nothing, behold the
world is gone after him." Now the Pharisees had threatened
the people that if any did confess the Lord Jesus Christ, you remember
the penalty? You remember the young man who
was blind and the Lord healed him? And they kept asking him,
the Pharisees kept asking the young man, well, who made you
to see? How did this happen? And then they finally came to
his parents and said, is this your son? Yes. Was he born blind? Yes. How does he see now? And they said, well, You ask
him, he's of age. You know why they did that? You
remember what the scripture said there? They feared being put
out of the synagogue. If any man did confess the Lord
Jesus Christ and give him any credit for any miracle or anything
that was done to glorify God, they would be put out of the
synagogue. They even robbed the people, that is the Pharisees,
that if anyone knew where he was, They should tell it. Remember down in verse 57 of
chapter 11, now both the chief priests and Pharisees had given
a commandment that if any man knew where he were, they should
show it, that they might take him. Well, guess who took the
bait? Judas. I guess the ransom price
or the bribe here was 30 pieces of silver because that's what
Judas received. They bribed the people. to show where the Lord Jesus
Christ might be found, yet all their schemes, the schemes of
those who plotted to kill the Lord Jesus Christ, to have Him
arrested, they came to nothing. You remember in verse 53 of John
11, from that day forth they took counsel together to put
Him to death, and yet they confess here among themselves, they say,
You see how we prevail nothing? We prevail nothing. Everything
they schemed and plotted and planned to keep people away from
the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing worked. You cannot prevail against
the purpose of God. We know the reason why. Because
God purposed that sinners would seek salvation in the Lord Jesus
Christ. But God had determined this by
the decree of God and they could not stop the purpose of God from
coming to pass, could they? We prevail nothing. It appears
to us that this whole world or the world or this whole city
is moved by him. Now here's another example where
this word does not meet all men everywhere without exception.
Beholding the city that was taken up with the coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Pharisees declared that many are gone after him. It says in Matthew the whole
city was moved because of him. Now look at verse 20. And here
come verse 20 and 21. Here come these Greeks seeking
an audience with the Lord Jesus Christ. These Greeks were Jewish
converts who came to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. They
desired to see the Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe out of curiosity,
you remember like Zacchaeus, who heard the Lord Jesus was
coming through and he climbed up a sycamore tree to see. Maybe
they just wanted to see this man who raised Lazarus from the
dead. So maybe out of curiosity, maybe
out of sincerity, maybe truly seeking salvation in the Lord
Jesus. Anyway, they come to Philip,
and they express this to Philip, saying, Sir, we would see the
Lord Jesus, and Philip and Andrew come together and tell the Lord
Jesus Christ. In their strong desire to have
an audience with the Lord, they sought whatever means they could
get a hold of to see the Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe they were
concerned, that is, Philip and Andrew, Maybe they were concerned
that the Pharisees would say, well, the Lord Jesus Christ now
is meeting with sinners. You remember one occasion before
they said, this man eateth with publicans and sinners. Maybe
that Philip and Andrew were concerned about what the Pharisees might
say that the Lord Jesus Christ was meeting with these Gentile,
as the Jews referred to them as Gentile dogs. Maybe they were
concerned about what the Lord Jesus Christ said earlier, where
he said, go not into the way of the Gentiles, when he first
sent them out preaching the gospel. And then in Matthew 15, he said
to one woman whose daughter was grievously vexed with a devil,
the Lord said, I'm not sent but to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel. And they heard these things. But the Lord said this,
turn over here to John chapter 10. You remember when he talks
about laying down his life? In John chapter 10 verse 15 and
16, as the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, I
lay down my life for the sheep. And look verse 16, another sheep
I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. They shall hear my voice, and
there shall be one fold and one shepherd. The Lord has a people. in this world among all tribe,
nation, kindred, and tongue. His elect among this world, and
He's going to draw them to Himself. Other sheep I have which are
not of this fold, them I also must bring. Now, look at verse
23. John 12, 23. And the Lord Jesus
Christ said to them, now when they came, Philip and Andrew,
They came to the Lord and maybe they brought these men with them,
these Greeks, I'm not sure, it doesn't say. But the Lord gives
this profound answer to them. He said, the hour has come that
the Son of Man, the God-Man Mediator, that the Son of Man should be
glorified. Glorified. Now whether or not
these Greeks were given an audience, we don't know. Not given. But
we have here this glorious statement the Lord gives concerning this
appointed hour, this time decreed of God, that has now come that
the Lord Jesus Christ should lay down His life for His sheep. Remember He said the hour has
come. Turn over here to John 13 verse
1. Now before the Feast of the Passover
when Jesus knew that His hour was come. This was the hour appointed
and decreed of God from all eternity. Him, in the fullness of time,
God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.
This is that hour, this time, this day that God had decreed
from all eternity, Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. The hour has come that He
should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved
His own which were in this world, He loved them savingly unto the
end. Herein is love, not that we love
God, but that He loved us and that He laid down His life for
us. Now when the Lord Jesus Christ grants and gives saving faith,
the faith of God that's a gift of God, and when He imparts unto
us spiritual understanding and gives us eyes to see Him, as
He really is, as He's revealed in Holy Scripture when He gives
us saving faith. You know what? We do see Him.
Would you see the Lord Jesus Christ? How do you see Him? I
know some people put a picture of a man up on a wall and call
that Jesus. Looks to me a whole lot like
Wild Bill Hickok. That's nothing but idolatry.
We look to the Lord Jesus Christ with the eyes of faith, with
the eyes of understanding as He's revealed in the Word of
God as the Holy Spirit takes the things of Christ and reveals
them unto us. Would you see the Lord Jesus
Christ? Do you desire to see Him? The
faith of God the let looks unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, several
things here. Saving faith sees him as Look
what it says in verse 23 Here's the eye that saving faith has
Because it's the gift of God faith is not something that blooms
in our heart naturally It's the gift of God the hours come that
the Son of Man should be here's a key word glorified glorified
Saving faith sees the Lord Jesus Christ in all of His radiant
beauty and glory. Saving faith sees the Lord Jesus
Christ as glorified, as exalted, as victorious. And notice it
says, the Son of Man. Now, this Son of Man is the Son
of God. He is the God-Man Mediator. But
this Son of Man, as He's identified with our humanity, He, as the
Son of God, who is also the Son of Man, accomplished our salvation
to the glory of God. Saving faith sees His glory. His glory. You remember Moses
said, Lord, show me Your glory? Remember what he said? I'll be
merciful to whom I will be merciful. I'll be gracious to whom I will
be gracious. The Lord Jesus Christ often refers to Himself as the
Son of Man. Because of His identification
with our humanity as our... Remember what was necessary for
the Kingdom Redeemer to redeem? He had to be near Ken. The Lord
Jesus Christ took upon himself our humanity, apart from sin,
but he was a real man. He is our kinsman redeemer. And
in his death, Accomplishing salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's glorified,
isn't He? Saving faith sees His glory. Sirs, we would see the Lord Jesus
Christ. How do you see Him? As defeated,
frustrated, and beaten down? Oh, no. Saving faith sees Him
as a glorious God-man Redeemer. His death is not defeat, it's
glory. Saving faith sees Him as the
victorious, exalted Christ of God. Saving faith sees the Lord
Jesus Christ laying down His life for His sheep as His finest
hour, accomplishing God's purpose. When He had by Himself purged
our sin, He sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.
You see him that way? Saving faith sees him as glorified. We glory in him. Remember what
the Apostle Paul said to the Galatians? God forbid we should
glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's his
glory. That's our glory. That's where
he put away our sin and accomplished our salvation. Secondly, look
at verse 24. Saving faith sees the Lord Jesus
Christ as successful. victorious. He uses this example
here and all of us can understand this. I can remember back in
third or fourth grade, you remember you had that little milk carton
and the teacher would cut off the top of that milk carton and
they give you a kernel of corn or something. You remember that?
We all did that, didn't we, in grade school? And we put that
seed in there and that soil and we set it on the windowsill and
then we just waited and eventually That stock comes up out of there.
What had to happen to that seed, it had to die. And out of that
death comes life. And that's what he's saying here,
except a kernel of wheat, a seed of wheat, except it falls into
the ground and dies, it abides alone. But if it dies, it brings
what kind of fruit? Much fruit. Much fruit. Saving faith sees the Lord Jesus
Christ in His fruitful, victorious death. Our Lord at the cross
said, it is finished. The Lord here takes us down to
the farm to learn what He accomplished by His sacrifice for our sin.
If the farmer doesn't plant the seed in the ground, what kind
of harvest will he have in the fall? Now you know the answer,
don't you? He won't have anything to harvest.
There's got to be a planting, a plowing. God gives the increase. If the Lord Jesus Christ does
not die to satisfy God's holy law, His justice, to honor His
own law, to fulfill all Scripture, there will be no redeeming fruit. There'll be no sinners saved,
no harvest of sinners redeemed by His blood, no sinners justified
by His grace. But, since He did lay down His
life, He said, no man takes it from me. I lay it down on myself. I have power to lay it down.
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
in my father. Since he did fully put away our
sin by the sacrifice of himself, there will be a great successful
bumper crop. harvest of sinners redeemed by
His grace. All for whom He died, all His
elect among the Jew and Gentiles shall be saved with an everlasting
salvation, because there is an abundance of life springing out
of His death." You see that? How many will be lost for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ died? Let's turn back to John chapter
6 and read about it. The Lord Jesus Christ did not
die for all of the sins of all men everywhere without exception,
but He did die for the sins of His covenant people, and they
shall be saved, and they cannot be lost. Look at John 6, verse
37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, And those that come to me, I will let no wise
cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will which sent me, that of all that He
had given me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the
last day. There's none in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ
died, perished to thought. And this is the will of Him that
sent me, that everyone seeth the Son, sir, as we'd see Jesus,
and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life, and I'll raise
him up at the last day." You see, saving faith looks to the
Lord Jesus Christ as victorious, as the fruitful. He's the fruitful,
not fruitless now. Fruitful Savior. He saves us with an abundance. There's an abundance. He's plenteous
in redemption in Christ Jesus. Thirdly, saving faith sees this,
verse 25. Saving faith looks unto the Lord Jesus Christ, loves
the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at verse 25. He that loveth
his life will lose it. You live for self, me, mine,
and myself. You live for self, you'll die
in your sin. Our Lord said in John 8, if you
believe not that I am, you'll die in your sin. He that loveth
his life will lose it. He that hates his life. hates
his life. I hate what I am. Preacher, what
do you mean? I hate what I am. Oh, wretched
man that I am. I love Him, but I hate myself,
because I'm nothing but a sinner. I find in the Lord Jesus Christ
everything I need to stand before God justified. He that loveth
self, lives for self, will lose everything. He that hateth his
life in this world shall keep his life unto eternal life in
Christ. You see, saving faith sees and
looks to the Lord Jesus Christ and believes Him and loves Him
above mama, daddy, baby, sister, brother. We love Him above everything
else. He is altogether lovely. You
see, saving faith sees the Lord Jesus Christ. Sir, we would see
Him. Saving faith sees Him as altogether lovely. Saving faith
sees Him to you who believe He is precious. Saving faith has
set our affection on things above, not on the things of this world.
We love Him. because He first loved us. Saving
faith is willing to forsake everything and all else but Christ. Every
false refuge of lies, every phony hope, every wild experience,
wild dream. Saving faith looks to the Lord
Jesus Christ exclusively, only, always and ever. Now and forever. He says, looking, looking, looking,
looking, looking. The Lord will have no half-hearted
disciples. You remember what the Lord said
of those who are lukewarm? He said, I'll spew you out of
my mouth. The Lord will have no half-hearted disciples. It's either all Christ or nothing. You can't have Him as part Savior,
part Redeemer. It's all in or nothing. I like the testimony of the Apostle
Paul where he says, I count all things lost for Christ that I
might win Him and be found in Him. You see, saving faith is
willing to depart with everything but Christ. I'm not looking to some experience
in the past. I'm not looking to some feeling,
some emotion. Saving faith is looking right
now to the Lord Jesus Christ. He that loveth his life will
lose it. He that hated his life shall
keep it unto eternal life. Now, here's that reference in
Luke I told you about we'd get to. Luke chapter 9. Luke chapter
9. I thought I had a reference here
to Luke chapter 9, verse 23. Luke 9, 23. The Lord said in
Luke 9, 23, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself. Let him hate himself. and take
up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life,
you'll lose it. But whosoever will lose his life
for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man's advantage
if he gain the whole world and lose himself and be cast away?
You see, saving faith doesn't live for self. Saving faith lives
unto Christ. For whosoever shall be ashamed
of me and my words, and of him shall the Son of Man
be ashamed, when he shall come in his glory, and his holy Father,
and his holy angels. I'll tell you the truth, there'll
be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they
see the kingdom come. That is Christ in His glory as
He puts away our sin for us. Now, saving faith is in love
with Christ. And count everything else done,
ruined, lost, that we might win Christ and be found in Him. Fourthly,
look at verse 26. Saving faith sees the Lord Jesus
Christ with loving affection, greatly desiring to serve Him
and follow Him. You see verse 26? If any man
will serve me, serve the Lord. What a privilege to serve the
Lord. Let him follow me, follow me. Where I am, there shall also
my servant be. If any man serve, now watch this,
if any man serve me, honor me, worship me, him will my Father
honor. My Father will honor him. Saving
faith sees the Lord Jesus Christ with loving affection, and greatly
desires to serve Him and to follow Him. You remember John 10? My
sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they do follow me. Saving
faith willingly takes its place under the Lordship of Christ. He's my Lord. He's my God and
Savior. We take our place under the Lordship
of Christ as His loving bondservant. We serve Him because we love
Him. To the believer, serving the Lord Jesus Christ is not
a burden, is it? It's a delight. Following the
Lord Jesus Christ is not a heartache. It's not a heartache. It's a
delight. It's a joy. It's a privilege.
Those who honor the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe
Him, trust Him, and look to Him for all of salvation. It says
here, My Father will honor them. From our study in 1 Samuel on
Wednesday night, you remember this verse in 1 Samuel 2 verse
30? For them that honor me will I honor, and they that despise
me shall be lightly stained." You see, saving faith loves the
Lord Jesus Christ. Saving faith loves to serve Him
and follow Him. God will bless that. God will
bless that. I know whom I have believed and
persuaded He's able to keep that which I've committed unto Him
against that day. Believers have committed everything
unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Fifthly, in verse 27, Saving
faith, seize in Christ, the eternal purpose of God accomplished.
Salvation accomplished, completed, perfected, righteousness established. We see all that in verse 27.
You sure? I'm sure. Saving faith, seize
in Christ, the eternal purpose of God accomplished. Now is my
soul troubled? What troubled him? Our sin. He
bare our sin in His own body on the tree. And what shall I
say? Father, save me from this hour?
Oh no. But for this cause, That's the
key right there. Underscore that word cause. For
this cause came I unto this hour. Father glorify thy name. This cause. Saving faith sees
the cause of God, the purpose of God accomplished in Christ
crucified. He's crucified according to the
eternal purpose of God. To this end, to this purpose,
Christ both died and rose and revived that He might be Lord."
Romans 14, 9. He said, "...for this cause,
this purpose, came I unto this hour." Saving faith sees the
eternal purpose of God in Christ crucified accomplished. He's
the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Here's number 6, verse 28, 29,
and 30. Saving faith sees in Christ and
Him crucified all the attributes of God magnified and glorified. In Christ crucified. Look at
verse 28. Glorify thy name. Glorify thy
name. Glorify your justice. Glorify
your mercy. Glorify your holiness. And there
came a voice from heaven saying, I have, and I will glorify it. And the people that stood by
said, it thundered. Others said, an angel spake.
And the Lord said, oh no, it was God, and the word of God
came for your sake, for your sake. Saving faith sees in Christ
crucified all the attributes of God magnified and glorified. He is both a just God and Savior. He is both just and the justifier. The glory of His justice satisfied
and the glory of His mercy magnified. Here's the question of questions.
How can God be a just God and Savior? How can God justify the
ungodly and not at the expense of His holiness? Not at the expense
of His inflexible justice? How can that be? How can mercy
and truth meet together? How can righteousness and peace
kiss each other? Only in Christ crucified. Saving
faith sees in the Lord Jesus Christ, in Him crucified, all
the attributes of God glorified. His love, here in His love, He
laid down His life. His mercy, God delights to show
mercy through Christ Jesus, not by works of righteousness, which
we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us. in Christ
crucified. Saving faith sees in Christ crucified
all the attributes of God magnified. Here's the seventh one, the foundation
of saving faith. Here's the foundation of saving
faith in verse 28, 29, and 30. You know what it is? What is
the foundation of saving faith? How firm a foundation, ye saints
of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word. We sang that just a moment ago.
There came a voice from heaven. The voice of God thundered. And
the Lord said, this voice came not for me, but this voice of
God came for you. We see the foundation of saving
faith is the Word of the Lord. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of the Lord. If you would see the Lord Jesus
Christ, it must be through the inspired record of God. We don't look to ceremony, dreams,
and visions, or feelings. You remember what Martin Luther
wrote five, six hundred years ago? Feelings come and feelings
go, and feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the Word of God,
nothing else is worth believing. You see, the foundation of faith,
faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. All Scripture
is given by inspiration that we might have a solid foundation.
to rest upon, thus saith the Lord." Why do we believe the
things we believe? Why do we preach the things that
we preach? Because it's written, it is written, it is written
in His Word. Lastly, verse 31, Saving faith
sees in Christ crucified the defeat of the devil and the
judgment of our sin. Saving faith sees in Christ crucified. Look at verse 31. Now with the
judgment of this world, now shall the prince of this world, Satan
himself, be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up, he's
talking here about by way of crucifixion. If I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all his elect. His own unto Himself. Saving faith sees in Christ crucified,
the devil defeated. You remember the seed of the
woman that's promised in Genesis would crush His dominion, crush
His power, and we see not only the devil defeated, but we see
the Lord Jesus Christ judging our sin, bearing our sin in His
own body on the tree. Our sins were dealt with at the
cross. We see the judgment of our sin
taking place in Christ crucified for us. That's why we can say,
in Christ there is therefore now no condemnation to those
who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Boy, saving faith sees a whole
lot in Christ, don't we? That's what it says right here
in the Word of God. Sir, we would see the Lord Jesus Christ, would
you? Saving faith sees Him. Now watch something else here,
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. It all revolves around Christ
crucified, doesn't it? Saving faith does experience
the supernatural drawing power of God the Holy Spirit. The wooing
and the enticing drawing power of God the Holy Spirit. No man
can come unto me except the Father which sent me. Draw Him. He loved us with an everlasting
love, therefore with loving kindness will He draw us. Look what it
says in verse 32. Here's what saving faith experiences. It's not the call of a preacher
down front to make a decision. That's not salvation. Salvation
is not down here. Salvation is in Christ. Salvation
involves the drawing power of God the Holy Spirit in your heart. It's an irresistible draw. It's
a powerful draw. He draws us unto Himself. Saving
faith does experience the drawing power of God, being loved of
God. And here we see the fruit of
the atonement. For our sin, God's elect, shall
be irresistibly drawn unto Him. He makes us willing in the day
of His power. Saving faith really experiences
this drawing power of God. And He continually draws us to
Himself. He said, I'll never leave you,
I'll never forsake you. Now, give me just a minute and
I'll quit. In closing, verse 21 again, Sirs, we would see
the Lord Jesus Christ. We would see the Lord Jesus,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now let me turn it around and
question for you. Would you see the Lord Jesus Christ? If the
Lord truly plants that desire in our heart, He will also grant
saving faith to see Him as all and in all in salvation. You see, my friend, the Lord
has never turned a mercy beggar away. Seeing that we have a great
high priest that has passed into the heavens, let us come boldly
unto the throne of grace that we might find mercy and grace
to help in time of need. Let him that is a thirst come.
Turn over here to John chapter 7, verse 37. The Lord has never turned away
a mercy beggar. If the Lord truly plants that
desire in your heart to look to the Lord Jesus Christ, it's
because He's already granted life, faith, and salvation in
Him. And you see in Him as all and
in all. John 7, verse 37. In the last
day, that great day of the feast, The Lord stood and cried, if
any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. And that's
what saving faith does. It looks to Christ. It comes
to him. Turn back to John chapter 5. No, John chapter 6 I want. John chapter 6 verse 35. And
the Lord said unto them, I am the bread of life. John 6, 35.
He that cometh to me. What is it to come to Christ?
It's not something physical. Come to Christ and don't move
a muscle. In your heart, by faith. I am the bread of life. He that
cometh to me shall never hunger. He that believeth. That's how
we come to Christ. Believing on Him. You know, believing
and looking to Him, same thing. Looking to Him, believing Him,
trusting Him. That's what saving faith sees.