And I saw something years ago
that helped me a great deal with these verses that are used and
misused so often, beginning with verse 14 of John 3. If you'll write with your pencil
or pen in the margin of your Bible, beside that verse 14,
this word, or these words, the remedy. Here's the remedy. It says, and as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness. Why did Moses lift up the serpent
in the wilderness? Because of Israel's sin, their
murmuring against God. The Lord God in great judgment
sent fiery serpents among them, and they bit the people. And
the people were dead and dying, two classes of people, the dead
and the dying. And Moses went to God and prayed
for the people. God was pleased in his mercy
to show grace to them. He said, Moses, take a serpent,
make a serpent, the serpent of brass, in the likeness of the
serpent that bit the people. Make a serpent of brass, like
the serpent, in the likeness of the serpents that have bitten
the people, lifted up on a pole. And it shall come to pass that
whosoever shall look upon the serpent shall live. As Moses,
in that picture and type, made a serpent of brass in the likeness
of the serpent that had bitten the people who were dead and
dying. Almighty God made his Son a body
in the likeness of this sinful flesh. Our Lord Jesus thought
it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation
and took on himself the likeness of our sinful flesh and was made
in form as a serpent and was lifted up on a cross, raised
up between heaven and earth. That's what it says here. As
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must,
if we're to have a Savior, if we're to have grace and mercy,
for the dead and the dying, and that's the two classes, the dead
and the dying, then Christ must be lifted up. Almighty God sent
his Son into the world in human flesh as a man to honor his law,
to satisfy his justice, and lifted him up on a cross. It pleased
God to bruise him, bearing the sins of every believer. to satisfy
his justice. He was wounded for our transgression. He was bruised for our iniquity.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes
we're healed. And he died, he suffered, but
just for the unjust, bring us to God. That's the remedy. Now here's the results. Verse
15, you can write there in the margin of your Bible by the side
of verse 15. Here's the result. Three things
are stated here, that whosoever believeth, not everybody, but
everybody who believes. Not all the sons of Adam, but
all the sons of Adam who believe. Not all the dead, but those who
believe. Whosoever. And that's a wide,
wide word. It doesn't say if the Jews believe,
if the Gentiles believe, if the wise people believe, if the good
people believe. It says whosoever. Whosoever. That's the way it was in the
wilderness. Whosoever looked, lived. And anybody can look. Anybody can look. A man can't
make a speech, but he can look. Man can look, man can't raise
his hand and do anything, but he can look. Even if he can't
see, look. That's right. He can look. And whosoever believe
it in him, in him, in the sacrifice, in the suffering, substitute,
whosoever believe it in him, in him, should not perish. delivered
from the curse of the law. No more curse. Cursed is everyone
that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law
to do them, but no more curse. Shall be saved, shall not perish,
shall be delivered from the curse, forgiven of all sins. Paul said
no charge, no charge, no condemnation, no judgment. Whosoever looketh,
whosoever believeth should not perish. No way he can perish. Christ perished for him. Christ
himself delivered us by his own death from the curse of the law.
So there's no condemnation, not in Christ. There's no judgment,
not in Christ. There's no punishment, not in
Christ. Should not perish. But what? Have eternal life. Turn over to John 17. This is
what we're talking about, John 17. John 17, verse 20. Whosoever
believeth in him should never perish, never perish, but have,
already have eternal life. John 17, 20. The master praying
here said, Father, Neither pray I for these alone, these disciples
about me, with me now, but I pray for them also which shall believe
on me through their word. That's how we believe, through
their word. That they all may be one, 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 hast given me, I have
given them. Who? Those that believe. Neither
pray I for these alone. I pray for all who shall believe
on me through their way. That the glory you gave me, I've
given them. That they may be one even as
we are one. And I in them and thou in me,
that they may be made perfect and one. That the world may know
thou hast sent me and loved me. even as you love me. And I pray, Father, I will that
they also whom Thou hast given me be with me where I am, that
they may behold my glory which Thou hast given me. For Thou
lovest me." Now remember, he just got through saying, you
love them as you love me. And now he said, you love me
before the foundation of the world. And if he loves me like
he loved Christ, then he loved me before the foundation of the
world. Think about it. That's the result. That's the
result. Moses lifted up that serpent,
and those dead and dying people looked and laughed. Even so,
the Son of Man, the Son of God and the Son of Man, the God-Man
was lifted up. And whosoever, whomever, wherever, believeth
in Him should never perish. He's promised, but have what
a possession, what a treasure, what a gift, eternal life, the
life of the love of God, the glory of God. Now, here's the
reason. Verse 16. Write that in your
Bible. Somebody said, well, the Gospel
is in John 3, 16. No, it's not. The reason for
the Gospel is in John 3, 16. But there's no cross in John
3, 16. There's no sacrifice in John 3, 16. There's no lifting
up of the Son of God in John 3, 16. The gospel is in John
3.14. That's the remedy. And the result
is John 3.15. And the reason, here's the reason,
why did God lift up His Son? Why did God send His Son? Why
did God put Him on the cross? Because He loved the world. That's why. Not because we were
worthy, not because we deserved it, not because he felt sorry
for us. Because he loved sinners. The
only reason you can give for the unspeakable gift of God to
undeserving sinners is the love of God. For God so loved the
world, that's why he gave his only begotten Son. that whosoever
believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He
did it because he loved. God is holy, and his holiness
will be manifested, magnified, exalted. God is just, and he
will punish sin. His justice will be revealed,
it will be manifested, it will be magnified. And God is love,
and his love will also be manifested, magnified, demonstrated, and
perfected. Yes, yes it will. Turn to Ephesians
chapter 2. This tells us the same thing
over here, just briefly. In Ephesians chapter 2, look
at verses 1 through 4. And you hath he made alive who
were dead, dead and dying, in trespasses and sin, in times
past where in times past you walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the fire of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
you were in that same crowd, among whom also we all had our
conversation, our citizenship, our behavior in times past in
the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind. We were by nature, by birth,
by nature, children of wrath, just like those other people.
By nature, by this first birth, by grace we were children of
love, but by nature we were children of wrath, just like everybody
else. But God, there's the difference. But God, for God so loved that
He gave His only begotten Son. But God, who is rich in mercy,
delights to show mercy, plenteous in mercy, for his great love
wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, quickened
us together with Christ, motivated by his love, driven by his love,
constrained by his love. And let me just tell you what
John says over here. In this, was manifested the love
of God toward us because that God sent his only begotten Son
into this world that we may live through him. Herein is love. Oh, not that we loved God, but
he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. That's it. Now verse 17 makes clear the
mission. Verse 14 is the remedy. Heaven
given, heaven sent, heaven approved, heaven appointed remedy. Verse
15 is the sure result. Everyone for whom he died, everyone
who looks, lives. Verse 16 is the reason, because
God loves. because God loved." Now verse
17 makes clear his mission. God didn't send his Son into
the world to condemn the world. That's not why he came. God sent
his Son into the world that the world through him might be saved. He didn't come to condemn the
world. His coming didn't condemn the world. His death doesn't
condemn the world. I hear people say quite frequently,
It's no longer the sin question. It's now the son question. That's
not true. It is the sin question. Because
it's the sin question, it's why we need the son. And I'll tell you this, if we
believe not, he said, if you believe not that I am he, you'll
die in your sins. And if you die in your sins,
it'll be the sin question. If you stand before God without
a mediator, it will be the sin question. If you come into the
judgment without an atonement, it will be the sin question. The only people for whom it is
no longer the sin question are those people for whom the sin
question has been settled at the cross. No, for believers it is not the
sin question at all, but for unbelievers it is. Oh, yes. Yes, we'll find out
if we don't have Him. It is the sin question. Your
sins have separated you and your God. If it's no longer the sin
question, we're no longer separated. Other people say this, well,
the only sin that'll send a man to hell is not believing on Christ.
Then it'd be better if he hadn't come. If the only sin that has caused
me to perish is not believing on Him, then why did God send
Him? His coming got us all in trouble.
No it didn't, we were already in trouble. Somebody said to
Brother Richardson one time, you confuse people. He said,
I don't confuse them, they were born confused. Christ didn't
get us lost, we were born lost. His coming didn't condemn us,
we were already condemned. Verse 19 said, this is the condemnation,
that lights come into this world and men love darkness. That's
what we love, is darkness. We don't love light, we love
darkness, because our deeds by nature are evil. So God, verse
17, He didn't send His Son into the world to condemn the world.
That's not why He came. We were condemned already. Under
judgment, under wrath, under condemnation, He came to set
the prisoner free, not put him in jail to set him free. Not
to make him blind, but to give him sight. Not to kill him, but
to make him live. That's why He came. Here's coming good news. Paul said, this is a fateful
sight. This is a sure, truthful saying,
worthy of acceptation by all means, high and low, rich or
poor, old or young, black or white, that Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners, affectionately, eternally, gloriously,
of whom I'm the chief. Verse 18. We're commanded to
close with Christ. The remedy, the glorious results, the wonderful reason, and the
mission properly defined. And then 18, God said, now, you
got all that? Then he that believeth. on him
is not condemned. Do you believe? The old timers
used to call it closing with Christ, closing with Christ. The gospel presented, the gospel
received, the gospel believed, the gospel embraced. He that
I don't know where they got this statement, close with Christ,
but I run into it quite often reading. But this may be where
it came from. Everybody in here who's a salesman
or ever been a salesman, they know something about the close,
to close a sale. Every salesman knows what it
means to close the sale. It means that both parties understand
four things. Number one, both parties, the
one who's presented the covenant and the one to whom it's presented,
both of them understand the terms. Right? They understand the terms. Secondly, they understand the
cost. Is the cost clear? Thirdly, they
agree to the terms. They agreed to the terms laid
down. Not going to change them. Not going to alter them. They
agreed to them. Fourthly, accept them. That's the close. I put my name on the line. Settle,
signed, sealed, and delivered. Signed my name. All right. Let's
see if this is what they mean when they say close with Christ.
I understand the terms of the covenant. Do you? I understand
the terms. I understand, first of all, that
I'm a sinner. I'm a needy, sinful, depraved,
dead and dying, born a rebel, and an outlaw unto God Almighty.
I understand that. That's written right here. Like
the publican in the temple, I cry, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Like the thief on the cross,
I say, I'm getting what I deserve. I understand that. I understand
also that I lay aside and renounce all thoughts of any help or salvation
in my righteousness. Like Saul of Tarsus, like Paul
the apostle, forgetting those things. My ancestry, my heritage,
my religion, my training, my education, my work, forgetting
them, counting them, but dumb. That's the terms. I am nothing,
have nothing, know nothing, and deserve nothing. And it's to
look only to Christ. That's repeated over and over
again in this covenant. That Moses lifted up the serpent,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. The Son of Man, the
God-Man. that whosoever believeth in him."
I'm a sinner. Ifty-handed I come. I look to
him. You understand the terms? All
right. Secondly, I understand the cost. I know that I don't understand
it like I should, and I don't understand it like I will, but
I do know this. He paid it off. All the debt
I owe, sin, leprosy, crimson stain, He washed it, purged it,
white as snow. He paid the price. There is no
charge left to me. There is no work to be done.
Freely, freely given, freely pardoned, freely redeemed. 1
Peter 1.18, let's look at that. 1 Peter 1.18, listen. For as much as you know, you
understand, that you are not redeemed with corruptible things
such as silver and gold, your Sabbath keeping, your tithing,
your circumcision, your good works, your preaching, your giving,
your witnessing, your soul winning. No, sir, from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your father, but with the precious
blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot. You
got it? He paid it all. He paid it all. Who barely was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested
in these last times for you who by Him do believe. That's all. Look to Him. Don't bring anything. Oh, everyone that thirsteth,
come to the water. Come without money. Come without price. Come just as you are, without
one plea. But that His blood was shed for me, that He bid
me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come. just as I am, and waiting
not to rid my soul of one dark blot, to thee whose blood can
cleanse each spot." Lamb of God, I come. He paid the cost, all of it.
He paid the price, all of it. Purged our sins, all of it. Paid
the debt. All right, thirdly, I consent
and agree wholeheartedly totally with God's covenant, like David
of old. Although it be not so with my
house, God made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,
and sure, and this is my salvation, this is my desire, although he
make it not to go. Turn to Matthew 11. Do you like
this arrangement here? I do. Listen. I agree with the
terms of the contract, the covenant. In Matthew 11, 27, all things
are delivered unto me. He's the heir, I'm the joint
heir. He's the head, I'm the body. He's the husband, I'm the
wife. He's the vine, I'm the branch. He must increase, I must
decrease. I love that arrangement, don't
you? All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no
man knoweth the Son, but the Father neither knoweth any man
the Father save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal
him. Is that all right by you? It is by me. So he said, you
come to me. You come to me. You come to me. I agree with
that. I love that. I love those terms. Colossians 2. Let's look at this
a moment. Colossians chapter 2. I consent to grace. See, it meets my needs. It fulfills
my every requirement and expectation. I just love this. I love the
sovereignty of God. I don't preach it because it's
a doctrine I believe. I preach it because it's a person
I believe. Christ. All power is given unto me in
heaven and earth. That makes my heart beat a little
faster. He cannot fail. That makes my heart beat a little
faster because I know how we do fail, how incapable How corrupt
we are. That just thrills me that all
things are in Him. Look at Colossians 2 verse 9,
For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. That's
where it is. You're complete in Him. Is that
all right? Is that all right? God set it forth that way. That's the way I like it too.
How about you? And you're complete in Him, which is ahead of all
principality and power. All right, what's that fourth
thing? I said that in closing a contract or a covenant between
men, both parties understand the terms.
Amen, amen. Both parties understand the cost. He paid
it all. Both parties consent and totally
agree with the covenant and the arrangement as it is, as it's
written. And then there's a commitment. I am willing, made willing by
the Spirit of God, but willing to commit all that I am, all
that I have, all that I hope to be into His hand. Oh God,
where do I sign? Where do I sign? It's all, here's the terms, all
I am, all I have, all I hope to be. My possessions, myself,
my family, He demands all. He's not going to be Lord at
all if He's not Lord of all. That's right. I believe. I receive Christ. That's what
Paul said in 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy. Listen. 2 Timothy chapter 1. He's talking
to Timothy about this grace of God. 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse
8. And he says, 2 Timothy 1a, Be
not thou therefore ashamed of the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. nor be his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel according to the power of God, who hath saved
us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made
manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death, who hath brought life and immortality
to the life through the gospel, whereunto I am appointed a preacher,
and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For which cause? For that gospel I also suffer
these indignities, and harassments, and troubles, and trials, and
sorrows. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed. I know whom I have believed.
I am persuaded that he is able to do all that he agreed, all
that he swore to do. He swore by his word and by his
oath. That which I have, what did I find? I've committed it to Him. It's
all right, isn't it Chuck? That's the way I want it, and
I'm His. And that's closing with Christ.
And one old writer said this, there are four things involved
in our closing with Christ. Very briefly. Personal matter. I closed personally. I love my
dear wife and my children. But I've got to believe on them.
I've got to look. They can't look for me. If I
could look for them, hey, come look. I'd do it. It's not heritage,
it's not tradition, it's not ancestry. Paul says, I know whom
I have believed. Joshua said I don't know about
the rest of you, but it's for me and my house. We're gonna
serve him In that it's personal I Call on you To make your calling
an election should examine yourself to close with quite look There's
no one else to whom you can look there's no one else to whom you
can go go to him Secondly it's sincerely This
is not something to be taken lightly. Like Moses said in Deuteronomy
32, this is your life. This is your life. We were singing that song, tell
me the old, old story when you have caused the fear that this
world's empty glow is costing me to death. That's why I'm preaching
this gospel, because I think this world's empty glow is costing
this whole world too dear. Sincerely look into Christ. Sincerely. Not a fad, not a fancy. Not getting
saved tonight and lost again tomorrow. If thou shalt confess
with thy mouth Jesus to be Lord, and believe in thine heart God
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. It's a heart
matter. A man's not just persuaded that
Christ is the way, but he lovingly likes that way. He's glad he is the way. Thirdly, closing with Christ
is personal, it's sincere, and it's rational. I just don't like for preachers
to try to use psychology to get people to do things. Persuasion and psychology and
methods and means to sway folks. This is a rational, intelligent,
I'm not crazy about the word decision, but it's a commitment.
I don't know how much a person has to know to be saved, but
I do know four things he must know. Number one, he knows what he's
saved from. And I'll use the thief on the cross because if
anybody never went to school, it was him. If anybody never
sat in a Sunday school class, it was the thief. If it was anybody
who never heard a sermon, I suppose it was the thief. If it was anybody
who never did one thing, it was the thief. But he knew what he
was saved from. He said, I'm getting what I deserve. He knew exactly what he was saved
for. He was in a mess. Secondly, he knew who saved him.
He said, Lord, he addressed the master. And he addressed him
as the Lord who rules over the kingdom, who has all power in
heaven and earth. Lord, you're not going to stay
dead, you're coming into our kingdom. Thirdly, he knew how he saved
him. by grace. He didn't deserve it. He knew if he was saved, the
Lord would do it, and the Lord would do it because He wanted
to do it, not because He deserved it, because He, it lay with Him,
not with Him. Isn't that right? Am I wrong
about that? No, that's right. He knew how
He saved him, freely, without cost, without price. And fourthly,
he knew why, because he wanted to, because he willed to. He
said, don't you fear God, seeing you in the same condemnation?
We are indeed just. We are getting what we deserve,
Lord. I know where I am and what I
am, what I need. I need help, mercy. You are coming
into the kingdom. Will you remember me? Today thou
shalt be with me. And he lived. And he knew what
he was saved from, an impossible pit, total devastation and condemnation. He knew who saved him, the Lord.
He knew how he saved him, by his power. Not by anything he
did, it was all by what he did. And he knew why, it was by his
grace. That's the way I close with Christ.
Personally, I believe He's the Son of God. Sincerely. I hope you know I'm sincere.
I know you are. I believe you are. And it's rational. This is not
something that I swept up into because the organ was playing
and the choir was singing and the preacher told a sad story
and swept up into some kind of movement Like on Sunday night,
you know, and then Monday morning, the fellow wakes up and he's
in the real world again. Where's the choir? Somebody help
me. Where's the preacher Saddustovia
that I caught up in remembering Mama up in heaven? He's not there. But I'm here, and he's here. And this is business between
me and him. It's the same down at the plant as it is here in
the pulpit. and the pew. Rational. Fourthly, and closing, it's permanent. It's permanent. Let's read Ruth's
testimony and I'll just close with this. This is what I'm saying,
it's permanent. Ruth, Naomi tried to get Ruth
the lever. The Lord Jesus Christ did that
to His disciples. He asked them if they wanted
to leave. They could go if they wanted to. And they only tried
to get Ruth to leave. But in Ruth chapter 1, verse
16, Ruth said, Be not against me, entreat me
not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee. Where
you go, I will go. Where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people.
Your God, my God. Where you die, there I'll die,
and there I'll be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more
also if aught but death part thee and me." That's permanent,
and that's what I'm talking about. I believe that's what it means
to close with Christ. I believe that's what it means,
and I hope that's helpful to you. It's a blessing.