John chapter 8, again this morning. I'm entitling the message from
the words our blessed Redeemer declares, found in verse 47 of
John chapter 8. He that is of God, born of God,
loved of God, called of God, heareth, heareth God's words. Our Lord said to these hard-hearted
Jews, you therefore hear them not, because you're not of God."
Not of God. These Jews heard the best preaching
that has ever been preached. They heard the very prince of
preachers. the Lord Jesus Christ. They heard
words fall from the mouth of God Almighty, the King of Righteousness,
the Lord of Glory. They were directly visited by
Almighty God, who was manifest in the flesh right before their
face. Yet, because of the willful blindness
and deadness of their heart, They willfully rejected the truth
of God, preached unto them, and instead of believing the truth,
they embraced Satan's lie. Do the best you can. Everything
will be okay. There is a way that seems right
unto men. The end of that way is death.
They rejected the truth. They rejected God, who is the
true and living God, and embraced Satan's lie. As I read these
verses over and over again, in preparation for this study through
the book of John, a word jumped out at me, repeated several times
in these verses. The word, because. They would
not receive God's gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ because. Look at verse 37. I know that
you're Abraham's children, that is, physical descendants, but
now you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you."
Disregarded the Word of God. Again, he says down in verse
43, why do you not understand my speech even because Because you cannot hear my word. Again in verse 45, And because
I tell you the truth, you will not believe me. Because, because,
because. Verse 47 again, He that is of
God heareth God's word, you therefore hear them not, because you are
not of God. Now hold your place there and
look at John chapter 10 for a minute. Here's another place where we
see this word be called, John chapter 10. On another occasion
when the Lord was in the temple, John 10.22, and it was at Jerusalem
at the Feast of the Dedication, John 10.22, it was winter. And
Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the
Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou
make us to doubt? If ye be the Christ, tell us plainly. And
the Lord said, I told you. I've already told you the truth.
I told you I'm the Christ, and you believe me not. You believe
not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me. But you believe not, because... You're not of my sheep, as I
said unto you, my sheep hear my voice. I know them, they follow
me, and I've given them eternal life, and they shall never perish."
Because, because, there's a reason why folks reject the gospel of
God's saving grace. Look at verse 44 in John 8. He
says, Here's the reason, my word, you cannot hear my word. You
cannot embrace and believe the truth. You are of your father,
the devil. What an indictment! What a charge! What a statement! And the lust
of your father will you do. He was a murderer. You're just
like him. You bear the likeness of your father. You're a murderer. He was a murderer, Satan was,
the devil, from the beginning. He abode not in the truth, because
there was no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks
of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it." Father
of lies. Because of the prejudice of their
heart, blindness and deadness of every fallen sinner's sinful
nature, spiritually dead in sin, Sinners therefore will gladly
embrace a lie and gladly throw away and reject the truth of
God, God gospel truth. Now left to ourselves, we'll
believe a lie and throw away the truth. Left to ourselves
now. We're so totally depraved. We are so, I didn't say you,
we, Starting right here. We are so
totally sinful and depraved before God Almighty, that left to ourselves,
we think the truth is a lie, and we think the lie, a lie is
the truth. We're so blinded by sin, we think
the devil is God, and God is the devil. That's what they said,
verse 48. The Jews said unto him, Say we
not well, You're a Samaritan and you're the devil? You're the devil. Now we can
be sure of this. There is no truth in a lie. Is there? No truth in a lie. And there is no lie in the truth. Our Lord said it is the truth
that sets sinners free. So what do we need to hear? The
truth. The whole truth and nothing but
the truth. Now, I want to give you a test. This is the test. Warning, this
is a test. This is a true or false test.
I want us all to take it and answer this in your heart. Here's question number one. God
loves everybody exactly the same without an exception. True or
false? God loves everybody without exception,
true or false? Well, you know the truth, the
statement of it, the truth is, that's a false statement. God
does not love everybody. Well, wait a minute, that's what
everybody's saying. That's not what this book says. I don't
care what everybody else is saying. This book says Jacob have I loved,
Esau have I..." What's that next word? Hated. So the true statement is not
that God loves everybody. That's not a true statement.
It's a false statement. God's love is manifested in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now here's the second question.
Here's what's being said today in most pulpits, and I'd say
in this whole country, these three statements are made. God
loves everybody without exception. Secondly, Christ died for everybody
the same without exception. That is, the Lord Jesus died
for all the sins of all men without exception. True or false? Come
on. Well, you know that statement's
false. The Lord Jesus Christ died for the sin of His covenant
people. It says right over here in John 10, He laid down His
life for the sheep. You say, well, why make this
an issue? Because God makes it an issue. I'm His servant to
tell you, not partial truth, the whole truth. There is no
lie in the truth. The Lord Jesus Christ died for
the sin of His covenant people. His blood is not shed in vain.
There's nobody in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. Here's
the third question. And here's what's being said
today. God loves everybody without exception. The Lord Jesus Christ
died for all men without exception. Died for all the sins of all
men that ever lived. Thirdly, they say this, God the
Holy Spirit is trying His best to save all men everywhere, but
is unable to do so because, you know, men have a free will. And
my soul, God can't intervene with that free will. Is that
statement true or false? It's false. I would guarantee
you if you'd go down to the local grocery store or the local, next
time you guys are gathered around the lunch table, give that threefold
question and see what answer they say is true. I'd guarantee
you they'd flunk it. They'd flunk it. They'd say every
one of those statements is true. Those are the three lies that
Satan has promoted in religious circle. He's the father of lies.
You see, my friend, it is the truth that sets sinners free.
I sent up God to tell you the truth. I would guarantee what's
being preached today in the average pulpit across America is exactly
those three things. Someone might say, well, you
know, they preach some of the truth, I heard Him say, Jesus,
yeah, He's got a counterfeit. I heard Him say, Holy Spirit,
yeah, He's talking about another spirit. I heard Him say, blood,
yeah, He's talking about not the blood of Christ, some other
man. Say, well, they preach some truth.
You know what one old wise preacher friend told me? If you're going
to kill a bunch of rats, You ever have rats, river rats? We
used to have rats back here all the time. I used to have a dog
out here on the creek bank and I'd feed him and I fed all the
rats in the neighborhood too. And I started putting out some
rat poison. And you know what those rats,
you know what they did? They ate the rat poisoning. You
know why? 98% of that rat poisoning was
good food. It's just the 2% killed them.
Now, you get my point? A man can say some things that
may be true, but if he doesn't preach all the counsel of God,
he's a liar. It's not the lie of Satan that
sets us free, it's the truth that sets us free. If God loves
everybody without exception, yet some perish in their sin,
His love has nothing to do with salvation. Think about that now. Secondly, if Christ died for
all without accepting, yet some men perish in hell anyway, die
in their sin anyway, His death has nothing to do with salvation. It must depend on something else.
If God the Holy Spirit is trying to save all men, yet some perish
anyway, then His work of calling and quickening has nothing to
do with salvation. It must depend upon something
else. See, if God has done all He can do and the rest is up
to you, is that the truth that sets sinners free? That's the lie that will take
you to hell. Our Lord tells them where these
lies originate. Verse 44, "...you are of your
father the devil. When he speaks a lie, he speaks
it of his own, for he is a liar and a father of it." Now stay
right here, hold your place there in John 8, and I want you to
turn to these scriptures, and I want you to see this for yourself.
Now I'm going to read the truth to you, but I want you to see
it as well. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, turn there, 2 Corinthians
chapter 4, verse 1, Therefore, seeing we
have this ministry, As we have received mercy, we faint not."
2 Corinthians 4 verse 2, "...but have renounced the hidden things
of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the
word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth,
commending ourselves to every man conscious in the sight of
God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost,
and whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
through the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach
not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your
servant for his sake." I find 2 Corinthians chapter 11, 2 Corinthians
chapter 11, verse 1, would to God, 2 Corinthians 11, 1, would
to God you could bear with me a little in my folly, indeed
bear with me, for I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy.
For I espouse you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste
version to Christ, but I fear lest by any means that the serpent
beguile Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted
from a simplicity, the singleness, the oneness that is in Christ.
For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus, whom we've not
preached, or another spirit, which we've not received, or
another gospel, which you've not accepted or heard, you might
well bear with me," is the right reading of that. Now, find 2
Corinthians 11, again, look at verse 11. 10, 2 Corinthians 11,
10. As the truth of Christ is in
me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
Wherefore, because I love you not, God knoweth. But what I
do, I do that I may cut off the occasion of them which desire
occasion, that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we,
that is, trusting Christ. For such are false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles
of Christ, and no marvel. For Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light. Therefore it's no great thing
if his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness,
whose end shall be according to their deeds." What kind of
righteousness do they talk about? Minister of righteousness? Well,
righteousness or justification by what you do, rather than what
Christ has done. Now I want you to turn to 2 Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. These folks heard the truth and
said, away with him, crucify him, we have no king but Caesar.
Okay, you don't want the truth? You're going to reject the truth?
What's going to happen to those who reject the truth? Look at
this right here, 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 2, 2 Thessalonians 2,
2, For the mystery of iniquity doth already work. Only he who
now let us will let until he be taken out of the way. Then
shall the wicked be revealed, that wicked be revealed, whom
the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy
with the brightness of his coming. Even him whose coming is after
the work of him, Satan, with all power and signs and lying
wonders, with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, and them
that perish." Now watch it, because, there's that word again, because
they receive not the love of the truth that they might be
saved. So what's going to happen? Look at verse 11, "...for this
cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe
a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth,
but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Now back to the text. John chapter
8. God does not use the lies of
men and Satan to set sinners free. It is the truth that brings
salvation and freedom from the bondage of sin. It's the truth
of who God is, sovereign and holy. It's the truth of who the
Lord Jesus Christ is. God manifests in the flesh. It
is the truth of salvation accomplished by Christ alone. It's the truth
of salvation by the sovereign, irresistible, effectual grace
of God. It is the truth that God the
Holy Spirit calls and quickens whom He will. That's the truth.
To reject that truth is to embrace a lie and to damn your soul. God does not use the lies of
men to set sinners free. It is the truth, the truth, the
truth that sets you free. Now, God's servants, the Lord
Jesus, turn to the book of Galatians, let me show you this. The Lord
Jesus spoke the absolute truth, didn't He? He couldn't do anything
else. He is truth, personified. What
was the response of the natural religious man? Murder. Murder. Murder. The Apostle Paul was
sent of God to preach the gospel. Look at Galatians chapter 4. You observe days and times, verse
10, months and years. I'm afraid of you, lest I have
bestowed upon you labor and vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as
I am, for I am as you are. You have not injured me at all.
You know how through the infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel
unto you at first, and my temptation which was in my flesh you despised
not. My trial or my sickness I had in my flesh you despised
not, nor rejected, but received me as an angel or messenger of
God, even as Jesus Christ. Where is then the blessedness
where you speak of? For I bear record that it would
have been possible for you to have plucked out your own eyes
and given them to me." Now they turned on Paul. Am I therefore
become your enemy? Because I tell you the truth. They turned on the Lord Jesus
Christ. I tell you, the sheep of Christ will hear the gospel
Those who are not of God will not have it, will not hear of
it. Look back at John 8, verse 46. John 8, verse 46. And because I tell you the truth,
you believe me not. In verse 45. Because I tell you
the truth, you will not believe me. Now look at verse 46. Which
of you convince of me, which of you convince of me of sin?
And if I say the truth, or since I do say the truth, Why don't
you believe me?" The Lord throws down a challenge
to him, doesn't it? Who can accuse the Lord of glory,
of sin, or of not speaking the truth? If I say the truth, or
since I do preach the truth, why won't you hear the truth,
receive the truth, love the truth, and believe the truth? These
folks called him a devil? They called him a winebibber.
They called him a glutton. They charged him with blasphemy
and sedition. He declared unto them... He declared
that not one of them could bring forth any proof of immorality
or sin. His life was a life of sinless
perfection. There was no corruption in his
doctrine. Since not one sin could be brought against him in his
life or his doctrine, it is unreasonable for us or anyone not to hear
him and believe the truth. He had no sin, he did no sin,
and he knew no sin. Which of you convinceth me of
sin? And if I say the truth, why don't
you believe me? Since the gospel is true, since
I am the true God, he says, since everything I say is the truth,
nothing but the truth, He points a finger right in their face
and says, why don't you believe? You see, they had no good excuse,
did they? Here's the reason, verse 47. He that is of God,
heareth God's word. You, therefore, hear them not,
because you're not of God. Everybody that hears the gospel
ought to believe it, because it's the truth. But I know only the elect of
God will hear it. The sheep will hear it. He that
is of God heareth God's word, you therefore hear them not because
you're not of God. Now, two things here. He that
is of God, he that is born of God, begotten of God, begotten
of the Father. Our Lord said in verse 42, if
God were your Father, you would love me. For I proceeded forth
and came from God, neither came I myself. If you love God, you
would love the truth. He that's born of God will hear
and love the gospel and believe it to the saving of the soul.
Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God, for our gospel
came not to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy
Ghost, in much assurance. Those who belong to Him by the
eternal election of grace, you know what they'll do? Turn back
to John 6. Verse 37, "...those who belong to the Lord Jesus
Christ, who are of God by that eternal electing grace." John
6, 37, "...all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and
him that cometh to me I'll in no wise cast out." Those who
belong to Him by that eternal election of grace will hear and
believe. Those who were bought with His precious blood and brought
to the Lord Jesus Christ will hear Him. Those who are regenerated
by the Holy Spirit and made new creatures in Christ, they will
hear Him. Hold your place there and find
John 18.37. John 18.37. John 18.37 said, Pilate therefore
said unto him, Art thou a king then? And the Lord answered,
Thou sayest that I am a king, to this end was I born. For this
cause came unto the world, that I should bear witness unto the
truth. Everyone that is of the truth hears my voice. Lord, for ears to hear, God Almighty
speak. He that is born of God will hear
God. Those who will not hear, those
who refuse to hear and believe the gospel do so, you know why? Because they're not born of God. They're not begotten of God.
It goes all the way back to John chapter 1, turn back over there. Those who will not hear, will
not bow, will not submit are those who have not been begotten
of God. John 1, verse 10, He was in the
world, the world was made by Him, the world knew Him not.
He came into His own, His own received Him not. But as many
as received Him, to them gave He power, right or privilege,
a marginal reference, to become sons of God, even to them that
believe on His name. There's no period there. which were born, here's the reason
they receive Him, here's the reason they believe Him, here's
the reason they love Him, which were born, not of blood, that
is fleshly inheritance, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will
of man, which were born of God." You see that? Those who are born
of God believe the gospel of God. Turn over here to 1 John
chapter 5. "...of his own will beget he
us with the word of truth." 1 John chapter 5 verse 1. "...whosoever believeth that
Jesus is the Christ," 1 John 5 verse 1, "...is born of God."
And everyone that loveth him, that begat, loveth him also that
is begotten of him. By this we know that we are children
of God when we love God and keep His commandments." And not talking
about honoring the law, but believing the gospel there. Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Those who will not hear,
refuse to hear, refuse to bow, are those who have not been born
of God. Those who are begotten of God,
born of God, made new creatures in Christ, they gladly hear the
truth. Swift to hear the truth. Now,
turn back to John 3 for a moment. John chapter 3. This is exactly,
this was exactly the problem Nicodemus had. You remember back
there? John chapter 3. Nicodemus was
a ruler of the Jews. He was a Pharisee. Very religious
man. And he said to the Lord, we know
that you're a teacher come from God, for no man can do these
miracles except God be with him. He did not know that the Lord
Jesus Christ indeed is God. And look what the Lord said,
Verily, verily, verse 3, I say unto you, except a man be born
again, born from above, begotten of God, he cannot see, cannot
understand. cannot perceive the Kingdom of
God." You see, my friend, there has to be life given from above. And the response to that life
is hearing, seeing, believing, understanding. We know the Son
of God has come. He's given us an understanding
that we may know Him that is true, that we're in Him that
is true, even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God.
This is eternal life. That's 1 John 5.20. What's the response of the natural
man to God's truth? Look at verse 48. Then they answered, Lord have
mercy on us. They didn't answer that way,
did they? The Jews said unto him, We, what we say, we say
well. You are a Samaritan. The Jews
had no dealings with the Samaritans. You're a cursed Samaritan and
you have a devil. Wait a minute now. Wait a minute
now. Hold the phone. Who's this speaking
to them? God Almighty. And the Lord said,
verse 49, I have not a devil, but I honor my Father and you
do dishonor me. I seek not my own glory. There
is one that seeketh and judges. Verily I say unto you, if a man
keep my saying, he'll never see death. Then said the Jews unto
him, Now we know. Now we know. You have a devil. Abraham's dead. And the prophets,
they're all dead. And yet you say, if a man keep
my sayings, if a man believes the truth, he'll never taste
death? Yeah. What are you saying? Are you
greater than Abraham? Abraham's dead, and the prophets,
they're all dead. Who do you think you are? God
Almighty, manifest in the flesh. What a response of the natural
man to the truth of the gospel. Calling the truth a lie, calling
the true God a liar, calling the true God the devil, and you're
a lowdown Samaritan. Look over here at John 10, verse
19. John 10, 19. There was a division
therefore again among the Jews for these sayings, and many of
them said, he has a devil and he's mad. Others said, these
are not the words of him that has a devil. Can a devil open
the eyes of a blind? There was a division because
of him. There was in that day and there is in this day. The
natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God,
the foolishness unto him, neither can he know him, because they
must be spiritually discerned. Because God was not their Father,
as they boasted, nor were they born of Him, therefore they had
no eyes to see, no ears to hear, nor hearts to understand. Our Lord said, if a man keep
my saying, he'll never, he'll never, never, never take death. Now, in closing, let me give
you this. In summing up the statements the Lord makes
in this chapter, we see the Lord describing unto us the true way
of salvation in Christ. the Lord describes unto us the
true faith of Christ. If you were true children of
God, you would, if you were true children of God, you would, look
back at verse 19, John 8 verse 19, you would, you neither know me nor my father,
if you had known me You shall have known my Father. If you
were the true children of God, you would recognize me as God
Almighty. Secondly, if you were the true
children of God, you would persevere in faith. Verse 31 and 32, Jesus
said to the Jews which believed on him, If you continue in my
word, then are you my disciples indeed, and you shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free. If you were, you would, continue in the faith, persevere
in the faith. Thirdly, if you were, you would,
verse 39, if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works
of Abraham. Works of faith, labor of love,
rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you were, you would, verse
42 of John 8, if you were of God, you were God's children,
you were If God were your Father, you would love the Lord Jesus
Christ and love one another. If you were God's children, verse
47, you would hear the gospel of God's saving and sovereign
grace. If you were God's children, you
would believe the gospel, verse 51, barely, barely, I say unto
you, if a man keep my saying, he'll never see death. If you were, you would." You
see what he's saying? It's really a description of
true saving faith. Look at John chapter 11. I'll
let you go. John chapter 11. The man keep my saying, you'll
never see death. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life. The Lord said unto them, verse
25, John 11, Lazarus had died, and Mary and Martha were weeping.
And the Lord says, Thy brother shall rise again, verse 23. Martha
said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection
in the last day. Verse 25, John 11, And the Lord
said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The life, he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." Do you
believe this? Yes. Yes, by His grace. We do believe and love the truth. Those who are of God, born of
God, begotten of God will hear the Gospel, believe it, love
it, submit to it, bow to it, walk in it, delight in it, rejoice
in it.