They Believe Not Him

Q: What does the Bible say about belief in Christ?

The Bible emphasizes that true belief in Christ involves acknowledging Him as the light and source of life. The Bible teaches that belief in Christ is not merely an intellectual assent but a deep-rooted faith that manifests in acknowledging Christ as the light of the world. In John 12:35-36, Jesus encourages believers to walk in the light while they have it, emphasizing the necessity of recognizing Him as the ultimate source of truth and salvation. True belief leads to being children of light, as those who believe in the Son are granted life, which indicates that genuine faith is transformative and results in a life aligned with God’s character. Furthermore, faith encompasses believing not only in Christ but also in God the Father who sent Him as part of a grand covenant plan (John 12:44). It compels believers to confess their faith openly, unlike those who minimize their confession out of fear of social consequences. True believers understand that acknowledgment of Christ leads to eternal life, while disbelief reflects the darkness of sin that blinds and hardens hearts.

Q: How do we know the doctrines of grace are true?

The doctrines of grace are affirmed by Scripture, emphasizing God's sovereignty and grace in salvation. The doctrines of grace, also known as the Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP), are rooted in Scripture and articulated through biblical narratives and teachings. Each of these doctrines reveals the sovereign work of God in salvation, accentuating that it is solely by His grace that individuals are chosen, redeemed, and called to faith. For instance, Ephesians 1:4-5 emphasizes that believers are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, which illustrates God's sovereign initiative in salvation. Moreover, historical confessions of faith, such as the Canons of Dordrecht, affirm these doctrines by outlining the biblical basis for total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. The accuracy of these doctrines is further evidenced by their alignment with the overarching narrative of Redemption found throughout both testaments of Scripture, showing that salvation is entirely a work of God from beginning to end.

Q: Why is believing in the light important for Christians?

Believing in the light is essential for Christians as it leads to life, guidance, and a relationship with God. Believing in the light, as presented in the Scriptures, is crucial for Christians because it connects them to Christ, who is the source of life and truth. In John 12:36, Jesus states that those who believe in the light will be children of light, which signifies a transformative relationship with God that changes both identity and purpose. This belief doesn’t simply illuminate one’s path but transforms the soul, leading it away from darkness and sin into a life of righteousness. Additionally, walking in the light fosters spiritual growth and understanding, as faith in Christ unfolds deeper truths and wisdom about God's character and will. Believers are reminded of the transient nature of life and the urgency of exercising faith while the gospel is still proclaimed. Thus, believing in the light assures Christians not only of salvation but also of ongoing guidance as they navigate through the adversity and complexities of life, fulfilling their calling as testimonies of God’s grace in a world of darkness.

John the 12th chapter, I'm going
to begin the message with verse 35. Now, if you want to read the scripture
that I'll be using for text tonight, I'm going to preach tonight from
the book of Matthew chapter 25. the first 13 verses, Matthew
25, the first 13 verses, the title of tonight's message is,
Is There Oil in the Lamp? Is There Oil in the Lamp? And
that will be our text tonight. But now this morning, the hymn writer wrote these words, and some of you here today can
enter into these words, probably more than others. He
said, swift to its close ebbs out life's little day. Swift to its close ebbs out life's
little day. Earth's joys grow dim, earth's
glories fade away. Change and decay in all around,
and in me I see." And then he turns toward the Lord and he
said, O thou who changes not, abide with me." I thought of that when I read
verse 35 of John 12. Then Jesus said to them, yet
a little while, yet a little while, life's little
day, yet a little while is the light with you. Just a little while. What is
the light? Christ is the light. Christ said,
I am the light of the world. John the Baptist said, I'm not
that light. I'm sent to bear witness of that
light. He's the light. Christ is the light. Yet a little
while is the light with you. I'll tell you another thing,
the gospel of Christ is the light. The gospel. I'm not talking about
a gospel or any gospel, I'm talking about the gospel. Paul said there's
just one. It's the gospel of God's glory,
it's the gospel of his grace, it's the gospel concerning his
son, it's the gospel, it's the power of God unto salvation.
That gospel is the light. Yet a little while. Is it with
you? The revelation of the person
and work of Christ is the light. Who he is? Who is Jesus Christ? What did he do? Well, why did
he do it? Well, where is he now? What think ye of Christ? Whose
son is he? That's the light. It's called
the light of the glory of God that's revealed in the face of
Jesus Christ. And yet a little while is the
light with you. Walk while you have the light. Oh, it will always be there,
preacher, will it? He says you walk while you have
the light, lest darkness come upon you. What's darkness? Removal of light. That's what
darkness is. That's all. Turn off the light. Remove the
light. Take a candle into the room,
there's light. Take it out, there's darkness. And he that walketh
in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. A little while now is the light
with you. You walk while you have the light,
lest darkness come upon you. How? Pardon me, how will I lose
the gospel? God removed the gospel preacher. That's right. Removed the gospel preacher.
He said to his disciples, you go to this place, if they won't
receive you, you shake the dust off your feet and leave there
as a witness against them. removing you from the gospel, taking you away from where the
gospel is preached. You've got to have gospel to
have light, you've got to have Christ to have light, you've
got to have the preaching of Christ to have light. Well, there's
churches everywhere, but there's not gospel everywhere. There
are preachers everywhere, but there's not true preachers everywhere.
And I'll tell you another thing, believe me now, old age. is coming upon you, senility.
I know we laugh and joke about this, but this is no laughing
matter. Remember now thy Creator in the
days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the time
draws near when you say, I just can't get it together. I
just can't, I don't think like I used to preach, I don't see
things, I don't grasp things like I used to, I don't either.
Old age, senility, decay, the dulling of the mind, and death. Walk in the light while you have
the light. Let darkness come upon you. And
verse 36, while you have light, while you have Christ, while
you have the gospel, while you have a faithful preacher of the
gospel, believe in the light. Believe in that you may be the
children of God, the children of light, not children of darkness
and death. But children of light believe
the light. They who believe are children
of Abraham. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. And these things spake Jesus
and departed, and did hide himself from them. You say, that's an
awful thing. Well, it's happened a lot of
times. Christ left them. Christ departed
from them. He hid himself from them. You
know why? He knew them. He knew their hearts. It says in John 2, 24, Christ
needed not that any man should testify to him what was in man. He knew what was in man. He knew
these people. He knew the depravity of their
hearts, the wickedness of their hearts. He said in John 5, 42,
I know you. I know you. You have not the love of God
in you. I come in my Father's name and
you won't receive me. Let another come in his own name,
promoting his own cause. Him you will receive. I know
you, he said. You seek honor that comes from
men. You're not interested in the
honor that comes from God. And he walked off and hid himself. I know you, he said. There's no need to spend any
more time in your presence. You see, sometimes in Scripture,
now listen to me, sometimes in the Word of God, men just live
out their lives in unbelief. God just allows them to live
out their lives, and he says their feet will slide in due
time, in due time. The measure of the cup will be
full, and they'll slide in due time. They'll live out their
lives and play their games. make their claim, and then their
feet will slide. But sometimes in the Scripture,
men are left alone. That's exactly right. He said,
leave Ephraim alone. Ephraim was still alive and well,
and God said, leave him alone. He's gone to his idols, now just
leave him alone. He's made his choice, that's
what he wants, he's turned to his idols, leave him alone. And then the disciples came to
him one time and they said, the Pharisees were upset by what
you preached. He said, leave them alone. Don't speak to them again. Leave
them alone. They're blind leaders of the
blind, and the blind lead the blind. They both fall in the
ditch. Leave them alone. And then John talked about a
man sinning a sin unto death and exhorted the Church not to
pray for him. Isn't that right? Don't pray for him. See, that's
when God cuts them off. He that being often reproved
and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that
without remedy. And then sometimes men are judicially
blinded. and cut off in unbelief. The 2 Thessalonians says this,
they received not the love of the truth, so God gave them strong
delusions that they would believe a lie and be damned for believing
a lie. So, walk a little while is the
light with you. There may be somebody here this
morning who's already left alone. Christ may already, I don't know,
have departed and hid himself. It may be the word's already
gone out from the heavenly court, leave him alone. He's turned
to his idols. Only God knows. But I'm sure
for the most of us, it can be said the light is with you. Just
a little while. The light is with you. Walk while
you have the light, lest darkness come upon you. For he that walketh
in darkness, he knows not where he's going. It's impossible. Darkness. Have you ever been
in total darkness? And our Lord said, if that light
which is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness, if
the only light you've got is wrong. How great is that darkness? Left
alone, darkness, because Christ just left them. And I'll tell
you, when he leaves, the light goes out. And that's darkness. And men are left to move, but
to move wrong. Men are left to reach, but they
don't know where they're reaching. They're not able to reach and
pick up a snake in the darkness. They may reach for water and
pick up poison in the darkness because they can't discern, isn't
that right? They can't discern in darkness. Darkness is confusion. And then verse 37, look here
at the deep root and nature of this unbelief. Though he done
so many miracles before them, so many miracles right before
them, yet they did not believe. Believe in the light. that you
may be children of God." Believe! The Son of God had come, the
Son of God With all these witnesses, he said, if I bear witness of
myself, my witness is not true, but you sent unto John and he
bear witness of me. And the Heavenly Father said,
this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And the scriptures
bear witness of me. I fulfill all that was written
according to the scriptures. And the works that I do bear
witness of me. The lame walk, the blind see,
the deaf hear, and the dead are raised. Yet they believe not. And our Lord said they won't
believe, though one rose from the dead. Oh, how deep-seated
and deep-rooted is this unbelief. Unbelief. Unbelief. They will not believe. And today,
creation. People do not believe God, and
the heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament showeth
his handiwork, is not a speech nor language in which God's voice
is not heard. The Word of God is preserved
miraculously for us. Christ Jesus came, suffered and died and rose again. We have experienced by observing
men and women whom By his grace, he's changed. We see the hand
of God in all things, and yet we do not believe. Isaiah wrote about us, verse
38. Isaiah, the prophet, this is
a fulfillment of what he said. He said, Lord, who hath believed
our gospel? Our report is our witness. Our
report is our testimony, our report is our gospel. Who hath
believed it? Do you know anybody that believes
it? To whom is the arm? The arm is
the power, the arm is the power, the glory. Christ is the arm
of God. To whom is Christ revealed? I see. I see the glory of God in the
face of Christ Jesus. I see why he came. I see why
he must come. I see what he did. I see Christ
Jesus. To whom is that grace revealed?
Verse 39, Therefore they could not believe. They could not believe. Isaiah said again, Isaiah 6,
in the 6th chapter, I believe it is, 9th chapter, verse 6,
Isaiah said, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their
hearts, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand
with their hearts, and be converted, and I should heal them." You
know how many times that one verse of Scripture is in the
New Testament? Six times. That right there. My friend,
they could not believe. You say it, they would not believe.
Either way you say it, it's the same thing. They will not believe. Christ said, you will not come
to me that you might have life. And then again he said, no man
can come to me except my Father drawing. You see, this crippling blow in the garden of Eden left
us not only unable to come to Christ, but
unwilling to come to Christ. unwilling. The problem is not
with the gospel, the problem is not with the light, the problem
is with the sinner. He's blind. The gospel sound is strong and
clear, but the problem is not with the gospel, it's with the
sinner. The provisions of Christ are
sure and certain, and life is in him. But the problem is not
with him, the life, the problem is with the sinner. He's dead.
He's dead. I've said that scripture in the
New Testament six times. John 12, 39 and 40 right here,
it's in Matthew 13, 14, 15, it's in Mark 4, verse 12, it's in
Luke 8, verse 10, in Acts 28, verse 26, 27, Romans 11, verse
8. We've got a problem. Blind eyes, deaf ears, and hard
hearts. That's the problem. And verse 41, these things saith
Isaiah, when he saw his glory. Isaiah is Isaiah, and Isaiah,
when he saw the glory of Christ, when he really saw the glory
of Christ, the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ,
he spoke of him. Him. I told my son to go to class
this morning. We was talking about entering
into his rest. which is twofold and yet threefold. There is a present rest, there
is a rest for the believer, called his rest, present rest. And there is a future rest, eternal
rest. In Matthew 11, my Lord said,
ìCome unto me, all ye that labour in a heavy laden, Iíll give you
rest.î Right now, rest from the The law rests from the days,
rests from the ceremonies, rests from the strivings, rests from
trying to establish a righteousness, rests. Come to me, all you need
is in me and I'll give you rest. Now you take my yoke upon you
and learn of me and you'll find rest. But he gives us rest, that's
right. But as we learn more of Christ,
the more restful that rest is. See what I'm saying? You rest
in Him, in Christ alone. Cast all our cares upon Him. He's made unto me all I need,
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemptions, all in Christ. But they do not believe. That's
the light, that's the gospel, that's the truth. Well, look
at the next verse. Some claim to believe. There's
a certain form of unbelief. Verse 42. Nevertheless, among
the chief rulers, Pharisees, Sadducees, Sanhedrin, among the chief rulers also,
many believed on him. But because of the Pharisees,
they didn't confess him. lest they should be put out of
the synagogue, for they love the praise of men a whole lot
more than the praise of God." Now, when it says these men believed
on him, we don't understand that to be saving faith. If they had
really believed on Christ in their hearts, they would have
confessed Christ. If they had really believed on
Christ, they would have followed Christ. If they had really believed
on Christ, they would have been willing to suffer for Christ.
If they had really believed on Christ, they would have believed
his word, and preached his word, and been identified with Christ,
would they not? Christ said, he that confesseth
me before me, and I'll confess him before the Father. But whosoever
shall deny me before me, and I'll deny him before the Father. So these men did not confess
Christ. Oh, they were well-versed in
the Scriptures. They were students of the Scriptures.
They were impressed with the name of Christ. They were impressed
with the power of Christ. Nicodemus came to him and said,
we know you're from God. No man could do these miracles
except God be with him. One group said, well, the blind
see. Has it ever been heard of that
a blind man is made to see? This man must be of God. He must
be the Christ. They were well versed in the
Old Testament. They were impressed with his
credentials. They were impressed with his
morality. They were impressed with his
power. No man ever spake like this man. But years later, where do we
find Nicodemus? Turn to John 7. Let me show you.
Let me show you. John chapter 7, verse 46. Here stood Nicodemus one night. He believed on Christ. Many of
the chief rulers and believers did. They were impressed. No
man could do these miracles. Verse 46, 45, Then came the officers
to the chief priest, John 7, 45, and they said to him, Why
haven't you brought him? And the officers said, No man
ever spake like this man. And they answered, Are you deceived?
Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed on him? Now
watch, Nicodemus was standing right there by him when this
guy said, Have any of us believed on him? Now read on. This people
who knoweth not the law are cursed." Nicodemus then spoke up. He's
the one that came to Jesus by night, being one of them. And he was going to defend Christ.
He says, Now, gentlemen, doth our law judge any man before
it hear him, and knoweth what he doeth? Here's Nicodemus. See
where he is? He's with the Pharisees. He's
in their camp. He's meeting with, he's one of
them. If you have any question about
Nicodemus' conversion, that'll answer it right there. Because
one of his cohorts stood up and said, nobody in this room has
believed on him. If Nicodemus had believed on
Christ, he'd have interrupted the man and said, I do. But he didn't. Does that answer
it? And that's what he's saying right
here in our text. They didn't confess him. They
claimed to believe, but they did not want to suffer. They
did not want to be put out of their modern religion. They did
not want to be ostracized. They did not want to be different.
They were willing to conform to this world and lose their
souls because they love the praises of men more than the praise of
God. men who really believe Christ.
I've had folks ask me this, this preacher claims to believe the
doctrines of grace, but he doesn't preach them. Does he believe
them? Emphatically, he does not. Emphatically, he does not. We
cannot help but preach what we have seen and heard. You know what Peter said? And he also said this, You judge,
shall we please God or men, you be the judge. These folks, here is this subtle
form of unbelief. Many were impressed by him, awed
by his miracles, overwhelmed by his voice and his message,
and believed somehow, someway, somewhere. on him, but they did
not really believe on him, because they would not confess it. You
see, watch this next verse now, verse 44, Jesus cried and said,
he that really believes on me, he that believes on me, oh, I
want you to see this so badly, I'm trembling inside. He that really believes on me,
it is not just on me, but on him that sent me." Cecil, you
see what I'm saying? He that believeth on me, it is
not I alone, but he believes the Father and his grand and
glorious covenant. and promise and purpose and kingdom
and will and goodness and grace that sent me, that provided a
substitute and a sacrifice and a Savior. He believes not just
on me. So I said, just believe in Jesus!
Not what he's saying here. would just accept Jesus as your
personal Savior. That's not what he's saying here. He that believeth on me like
Abraham, he believes God. He believes God. That's what
Christ said to these apostles, you believe in God, believe also
in me. Sixth says this, without faith
it's impossible to please God, for he that believeth must believe
that God is. God is what? God is what? An old granddaddy sitting up
there hoping somebody will let him have his way? Uh-uh. He must
believe that God is. God is God. God is holy. God is just. God is righteous,
God is truth, God is mercy, God is love, God Almighty is, and
Christ is a product of God's love. That make sense? Abraham believed God. and was
counted to him for righteousness, he believed God who would provide
a lamb, God who would provide himself a lamb, God who would
provide a lamb for himself because it was necessary that he might
be just and justified. Faith starts with God. Somebody
said, well, just believe in the finished work of Christ. You
better believe in the one who designed it. who purposed it,
who willed it, who executed it. It pleased God to bruise him. Thou hast made his soul an offering
for sin. Abraham didn't believe in the
finished work of Christ. Abraham never saw it. He believed God. that God would
someday provide it, and you couldn't shake him from it. That's right. And Abraham is the father of
faith, the pattern of faith, the example of faith. And that's
where your faith had better start. And I hear preachers say, don't
preach doctrine. You better tell who God is, because folks will
have the wrong God. They'll make up a God. You better
tell who Christ is, and what Christ did, and why Christ did
it, and where Christ is now, and why he came, and a righteousness
he provided, and a sacrifice he provided, and a priesthood
which he has, and has had forever! Or they'll trust the wrong Jesus,
another Jesus. That's right. Oh, he said, watch
it, verse 45, and he that seeth me, He sees him that sent me." The Father purposed it, the Son
purchased it, the Holy Spirit applied it. The Father thought
it, the Son bought it, the Holy Ghost bought it. You can't separate
it. And he that seeth Christ, the
surety, sees him who made him surety in his sovereign pleasure. He that seeth the church, his
bride, sees the one who gave him the bride. He who sees the
bright gloom, sees the one who made him the bright gloom, who
set a tabernacle for the sun, and gave all things into his
hands, and into whose hands those things will be returned. That's right, that God may be
all in all. Glorify me with the glory which
I had with thee before the world was. I have finished the work
you gave me to do." Huh? This is a generation of religious
fools who are deceived and manipulated by preachers with tickling ears
and itchy palms. who've allowed their whole congregations
to perish because they believed on Jesus but would not confess
Him. For they love the praises of
men more than the praises of God. For he that truly believes
on me, believes on him that sent me. Isn't that right? And he fears God, and he walks
with God like Enoch of Old. And he's going to glorify God
if he loses his closest friend. For he that seeth me, seeth him
that sent me. That's how Abel was saved. Abel? Abel couldn't have written you
a dissertation on the sufferings of Calvary. In fact, Calvary
wasn't even Abel's vocabulary. Yet he's an example of faith.
But he believed God. And he bought a lamb and shed
its blood because he believed God must have a sacrifice. There must be blood for the forgiveness
of sin. And that God in his purpose and
promise and in his wisdom and grace would someday provide a
perfect lamb. Old Abraham struggling up the
mountain with that young boy Isaac. And Isaac said, here's
the wood and here's the fire. Where's the lamb, my son? Let
me give you the foundation of my faith right here. God will
provide himself a lamb. God will. I didn't hear this
preached when I was a boy, did you? They just told me to come down
the aisle and shake the preacher's hand and tell everybody I wasn't
going to do certain things and I was going to be baptized and
join the church and leave it in the finished work. And that
was faith. That was my faith. That wasn't
his faith. But oh, I see him who sent him,
whom I see. There's a difference. Verse 46, watch this now, I'm
come a light, oh light, so we can see the glory of God, so
we can see the character of God, so we can see the will of God
and the work of God, so we can see. You don't have to be running
around here trying to find somebody that's got a little truth. The
truth will make you free. But you've got to have light
by which to see. And I'm called that they might
have light. And whosoever believeth on me will not abide in darkness. In the darkness of doubt and
fear and death and error and the broad way of destruction,
he sees. Oh, I see. I see things I've never seen
before. I'm seeing things every day I've never seen before. I've
seen the scripture I'm preaching on right now better than I've
ever seen it before. I see more, don't you? I see. in the light of Christ. It's
not my intellectual ability. I didn't go down here to some
human being and ask him to show it to me. I see it in the light
of Christ. Learn of me. Learn of me and
you'll find rest. Learn of me. He's the key of knowledge. These are things that are written
concerning him. And verse 47, if any man hear
my words and believe them not, I judge him not. Not now. Not
now. I didn't come to judge the world.
That's not what I'm doing right now. I came to save sinners.
This mission Christ came as the light was not to condemn. The world was already condemned.
He didn't have to come to condemn the world. The world was already condemned. So I didn't come to judge him,
I came to save him. In verse 48, he that rejecteth
me and receiveth not my words, he has one that judgeth him. The word that I've spoken that
same day will judge him in the last day. What I'm preaching
right now, if any man hears it and believes
it, he's a child of God. But those that hear it and do
not believe the Word, do not believe Christ, do not believe
Christ, well, He didn't come to judge you. What you believe
about Christ or don't believe about Christ right now is not
what judges you. Someday you will face the very
Word right here, the Word you heard, and it will judge you. The very word that's rejected.
Why? Because verse 49, I've not spoken
of myself. This is no new doctrine. This
is no new revelation. I've not spoken of myself. The
Father which sent me. He gave me commandment. He gave
me the words. He gave me the gospel. He gave
me the truth. He gave me what I should say
and what I should speak. And this is the very foundation
of faith. that his word, his commandment,
his word is life everlasting. Brethren, I know that. His word
reveals what's in me, sin. His word reveals what's in him,
love and grace. His word describes the righteousness
he requires that I can't produce. His word reveals the righteousness
he provides in Christ's purchase. His word speaks of what I must
do and can't. But his word tells me what Christ
has done. His word sentences me to death
in myself, but his word brings me to life in Christ. His word
convicts me and comforts me, it rebukes me and it refreshes
me, it strips me and it clothes me, it shuts my mouth and puts
a song on my lips. I believe it. Lord, I believe,
help thou mine unbelief. Help me to believe more. But
I do believe. You know, Peter said, all things
you know I believe. And my friends, the Word of God is the foundation
of faith. Christ Jesus is the object of
faith. But this thing of faith, embraces all that God has said, the report
that He has given, I believe God. And believing God, I believe
Christ. And believing God, I believe
His Word. And believing God, I believe His promises. And believing
God, I can rest. I believe Him.

They Believe Not Him

What does the Bible say about belief in Christ?

How do we know the doctrines of grace are true?

Why is believing in the light important for Christians?

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About Henry Mahan

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They Believe Not Him

What does the Bible say about belief in Christ?

How do we know the doctrines of grace are true?

Why is believing in the light important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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