Well, we got a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8. It's good to see everybody out.
I remember Cynthia's going to have her knee operation on Friday. I don't know what time it is.
I'm supposed to learn that and all that new stuff. 10 o'clock Friday? OK. Is she going in over there
on Thursday, or is she going to? No, 61. Maybe he hadn't practiced 258.
61. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus, as a mighty ocean in its fullness
over me. Underneath me, all around me,
is the current of thy love. homeward to my glorious rest
above. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus,
spread his praise from shore to How he watches o'er his loved
ones, to call them all his own. How for them he intercedeth,
watching for them from the throne. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus,
love of every love the best. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Tis I and love him to me. Number 272, Solid Rock. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. When darkness veils his lovely
face, I rest on his unchanging grace. In every high and stormy
gale, My anchor holds within the veil. On Christ's solid rock
I stand, All other ground is sinking sand. His oath is covenant, not his
blood. Support me in the whelming flood. When all around my soul gives
way, he then is all mine. On Christ's solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand All other ground is sinking sand
When he shall come with trumpet sound Oh, may I then in him be
found Rest in his rock God blessed to stand before the
throne. On Christ's solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. If you have your Bibles, turn with me
to the gospel according to John. Chapter 1, verses 9 through 12. That was the true light, which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the
world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him
not. He came into his own, and his own received him not. but
as many as received him, gave he the power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven,
blessed sovereign ruler of this universe, who has taught us the gospel
and brought us to the feet of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. You who do all things after the
counsel of your own will, you who purpose it and shall
stand and speak and it shall come to pass, declaring the end from the beginning
things that are not as though they were and doing all your
pleasure. We bow before you in humble thanksgiving
and praise that in the grand scheme of salvation you included
us. We have nothing but thanks for
you. We know that we had no part in that we didn't desire it or
seek after it. We only sought you after we had
been sought out and called by your grace. Father, we pray for those who
are sick and going through trials. Now know as to every case, pray
for Cynthia as she's preparing for this operation. Pray you'd
be with her and watch over her. Be with those doctors as they
prepare to fix her knee help us Lord, to remember each
other in prayer and call each other's names out to heaven. Cause us to love each other and
love you supremely. Help us now to worship you as
we look at this description of our Lord Jesus Christ, the greatness
of his character and person. Help us to see it, we pray in
Christ's name, amen. Now this passage of scripture
is often the source of debate among many commentators, and
many of them differ in their interpretation of what it means.
Some use this passage to assert that the phrase lighteth every
man, found in verse 9, is a declaration that salvation is possible, salvation
is available, and salvation is offered to all men and proves
that God intended to save all men. It doesn't prove that, it
doesn't say that, and none of that is true. The word lighteth
has nothing to do with an offer or availability, but rather speaks
of an action, the light that lighteth every man that comes
into the world. Grammatically, the word is in
the present tense, active voice and indicative mood, which is
another way of saying something is actually lit by this light. In this case, it is every man
that cometh into the world. The only way to interpret Scripture
is with Scripture. You don't look outside Scripture
to find what Scripture means. I think it was old D.J. Ward
who said, When you find a text, stand it up and throw the whole
Bible at it and see where it fits. If it doesn't fit, you
don't understand what that text means. But you interpret Scripture
by Scripture, spiritual things by spiritual things. The first
thing to realize is that verse 9 is not a general statement.
This text doesn't start in verse 9. The words, that light, that
light is in direct, distinct reference to the previous statement
when it said this about John in verse 8. He is not that light. He is not that light. But he
was sent to bear witness of that light. And then it says, That
was the true light. So that's the connection that
it has back with verse 8. John told men that the light
had come, but he did not light every man. In fact, he did not
light any man. That light lighteth. There's
an active thing going on. That light lighteth. And the
fact that that light lights every man reveals that men are not
ignorant of the existence of that light. It's important to
understand. The word comprehendeth in verse
5 when it says the darkness comprehendeth not the light is the same root
word as the word received in verse 11 when it says he came
to his own and his own received him not. Now the light has come
and is and to some degree all men know that fact. All men know that the light has
come. For men to hate the light which it clearly says in John
chapter 3 and verse 19 and 20. Look over there. We read this
last week or read it again. And this is the condemnation
that light has come into the world and men love darkness rather
than light because their deeds will be for every man that doeth
evil hateth the light. He has a reaction to the light. He has a reaction to that. He
hateth the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. Now that
light, indeed, is recognized as to its existence. The light,
indeed, lighteth every man that cometh to the world. Well, the
word world is a comprehensive term, denoting both Jew and Gentile,
but the fact is that a man can't hate something that he doesn't know about. you
know atheists say they don't believe in God but then they
also say they hate God so one of those things isn't true both
of them are false actually but actually an atheist doesn't hate
God and he does not not believe in God he just don't want God
to exist he wishes he didn't exist and he hopes that he don't
exist But for a person to hate the light, he must understand
that light exists. You can't hate something that
doesn't exist. So the light that lighteth every man that cometh
into the world is that light, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is
present in the world and men know that. have an understanding
of that, and this text explains it, the context explains it.
Verse 10 declares it, men's recognition of the presence of light, and
likewise their love of darkness. Creation is the evidence, the
primary evidence that this light, of this light that lighteth every
man. That's what it says in this text. Verse 10 says, he was in
the world, and the world was made by him. Now it's not changing
the subject here, it's just talking about that light. he was in the
world and the world was made by him and the world knew him
not creation is light and declares the existence of the creator
the light is the creator because the light is the lord jesus christ
he is that light that john the baptist proclaimed the light
is the lord jesus christ look back at verse three and four
all things were made by him and without him was not anything
made that was made in him was life and the life was the light
of men. He is that light. And notice
the light is personified in verse 10. It no longer is that light,
it's He. It's He, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. The beginning
of the revelation of reprobation is in reference to the creation
and the Creator. When men are said to be turned
over from God and turned loose from God to their vile affections,
it has to do with them acknowledging God as Creator. They know He's
Creator. Scripture says that. They know
the judgment of God. That's how the reprobation ends,
but they keep on doing what they're doing. But over in Romans chapter
1, we see that fact set forth that
men KNOW and UNDERSTAND. even natural man has an understanding
that this light exists, that God exists, but they hate Him
by nature. In Romans chapter 1 and verse
21 and look at verse 19, Because that which may be known of God
is manifest in them, for God has showed it to them. Who's
He talking about? He's talking about those He's
going to reprobate. For the invisible things of him from the creation
of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they
are without excuse, because that when they knew God, knew of God,
knew that God existed, knew that God was the creator, they glorified
him not as God, neither were they thankful, but became vain,
or empty in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves wise, they became fools, and changed the
glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like the corruptible
man, and the birds, four-footed beasts, and creeping things."
So the understanding, men know it. We know that they can never
grasp the gospel unless God gives them life. And that life is Jesus
Christ, and along with the life comes the light. We know that, but men know. I've
said for many years, men are not in a place where they don't
understand what we're saying. They understand what we're saying.
They just hate what we're saying. They can't swallow what we're
saying. For a man to be so angry about the sovereignty of God
and the particular redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ and
sovereign election to grace, for a man to be so angry against
it, he has to understand what it means. and what it means to
him is that if that's the case and I thought all the time I
was saved by my free will walking down an aisle what you're saying
if God chose who would be saved and I'm not saved that's what
they're hearing but they understand they understand when the gospel
is clearly declared men understand what they're saying they just
can't swallow it they don't want to hear it they don't want to
believe it because it says to them that's not my god my god operates
according to my will not his will is what they really say
one cannot reject here's the meaning of verse nine back in
our text this light that lighteth every man one cannot reject what
he does not acknowledge to exist he can't reject what he don't
acknowledge to exist he acknowledges to exist and openly rejects it
He loves darkness rather than light. He hates light. And that light lighteth every
man that is come into this world. That light is here. Christ is
here. Christ is come. Christ has done
His business and sits at the right hand of the Father. He
has given His people His Spirit and His Spirit controls all things
in this world. That Spirit is the Spirit of
the Lord Jesus Christ and it is the Sovereign God. this is
for an explanation of verse five when it says, And the light shineth
in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. That word
comprehend is the same thing as receive. Darkness don't receive. In verse eleven is a reference
to whom Christ first came. It says this, He came unto His
own, and His own received Him not. Who did he come to first? Look over at Acts, the Acts of
the Apostles. Look at chapter 3. Chapter 3, verse 26, it says,
unto you, Peter is speaking to the Jews, unto you, first God,
having raised up His Son, Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning
away for every one of you from your iniquities. So he came first
to the Jews. That's what this says. It also
says the same thing over in Acts chapter 13 in verse 46. It says, Then Paul and Barnabas
waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God first should
first have been spoken to you, he's talking to the Jews, which
have rejected him, upon preaching the gospel, if you'll read verses
38 on down to that place, you'll find, but seeing you put it from
you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn
to the Gentiles. we turn to the Gentiles but first
this is what it means back in our text when it says verse 11
he came to his own and his own received him not our Lord's first
recorded message was to the Jews where did he go in Luke chapter
4 he went to the synagogue his hometown of Nazareth he went
to the synagogue and they handed him Isaiah chapter 61 The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me. To set at liberty them that are captive, to heal the brokenhearted,
to speak the acceptable year of the Lord. He read it to them.
They're all just listening to their hometown boy. Jesus of
Nathers made it be. His people are following him.
He's got a message to preach. We can listen to our hometown
boys, his fellows. That's talking about me. That
scripture is fulfilled right now in your eyes. And they didn't
like that. It ended up after he finished
preaching, they wanted to take him down and throw him off of
a cliff and kill him after he finished that message. But his
first message was to who? To the Jews. To the Jews. The
synagogue was where the Bible was, you see. Where the Torah
was, where the scrolls were that they read. where Jesus preached from the
Old Testament. He preached Christ and Him crucified.
That's what Paul did. That's what the apostles did.
Every time you read in the Gospels of the message of the Lord Jesus
Christ, when he says, It is written, or thus saith the Lord, he's
talking about Genesis to Malachi because none of the other black
books existed at the time. and when he told the pharisees
you do search the scriptures for anything you think you find
eternal life but they are they that testify of me in john 539
when he said that he was talking about the old testament they
didn't have the new testament and when he said to his disciples
there's some things you want to know and learn you ain't ready
for yet he said that in john 16 but when the spirit of god
comes he's talking about the day of pentecost when the spirit
of god comes on the day of pentecost lights on you, you open your
mouth to preach the gospel, you're going to say things you didn't
even know existed before. It's going to be amazing. You're going
to learn things. And they did, they learned things. You read
the messages of Christ. Though he preached election and
predestination, though he preached particular redemption, all these
things. He preached effectual calling. My sheep hear my voice
and they follow me. He preached all those things
that we know are the true gospel. he didn't do it in a manner where
he theologically set it forth. Paul set it forth theologically
in his epistles. But the first message was to
the Jews, and when they rejected, they would turn to the Gentiles. Those who were his own, to whom
he first came, did not receive him. Though many believed on
him, no doubt about that, the majority, especially the religious
authorities, did not receive him. The word received, though
from the same word as comprehend and the other received that we
just read in verse 12, has a different connotation. This word received
has a different connotation. They wouldn't receive him. This
word has a prefix. The prefix is para, which means
alongside of. The Holy Spirit is called the
paraclete, the spirit that is alongside of us. So this word has the prefix para-
before it and it means alongside. This suggests that the Jews to
whom he came did not come alongside him. And it has to do with association
and companionship which basically said the Jews wanted nothing
to do with this man from Nazareth and that's the truth. The majority
of the Jews did not. This was proven many times in
scripture as those who sought out and gathered to our Lord
were not the religiously astute or the politically celebrated,
but rather publicans and sinners and poor and needy sinners, and
they were the rejected of the moral society. Those who gathered
to the Lord Jesus Christ, come ye sinners, poor and needy, weak
and wounded, sick and sore. Jesus ready stands to save you,
full of pity, love, and power. The Jews didn't want anything
to do with it. They didn't want to associate with it. They stood
afar off. You'll notice the Pharisees, they're always standing afar
off. They're standing back watching the action, but never getting
involved. They don't want to get too close, because they're
afraid to get tainted if they get too close to these fellows
hanging around with all these sinners. The world and the Jews
want nothing to do with Jesus Christ, the light, but somebody
does. Somebody does. Look back at our
text. he came to his own, in verse
11, his own received him not, they didn't want anything to
do with him, they didn't want to socialize with him, but as many as received him, and
this word is a little different too, it doesn't have the prefix
para before it, as many as received him, to them he gave the power
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. This opposite is declared in
verse 12, many received him, how many? As many. As many as. They said, how many was that?
It was all of them, that's to say, all that was supposed to
receive them. I remember Laverne used to say, on Wednesday nights,
we'd have maybe six or seven people like we have tonight.
I said, well, not many people showed up. She said, everybody showed
up, supposed to be there. And I have to remind myself every
time I come here, everybody showed up, supposed to be here. Supposed
to be here. as many as that term is used
often in scripture back when Isaiah is talking about the glory
of the Lord and the salvation of his people in Isaiah chapter
53 when he talks about the Lord
accomplishing salvation he speaks of it in verse 11 of Isaiah 53,
and he shall see of the travail, and the word of means the product
of. In other words, what is travail produced or what is the travail
accomplished? He shall see of the travail of
his soul and shall be satisfied. Now look at this, by his knowledge,
that is his extreme skill, shall my righteous servant justify
many. where he shall bear their iniquities.
He don't bear the iniquities, that's the as many as those whom
he, whom their iniquities he bore. In John chapter 17 in verse
2, we know that our Lord in his high appreciative prayer said
the same thing. In verse 2 it says, as thou has
given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him over in Acts chapter 2 when
Paul talks about those who come to him and come to the Lord Jesus
Christ those who have come and those who will come he says in
Acts chapter 2 see if I can find where I'm looking
at Verse 39, ìFor the promise is
unto you, and to your children, and to all that are far off,
and as many as the Lord our God shall call.î Then in chapter
13 and verse 48 of the same book, it says this, that the lord preached
to those jews and they rejected the gentiles want to hear from
them so they preach to him and i was tickled to death the jews
have been set aside and the gentiles are going to hear the gospel
and it says in verse forty eight when the gentiles heard this
they were glad and glorified the word of the lord and as many
as were ordained to eternal life that's how many it says he gave his life. He did not come to minister or
to be ministered to, but to minister and give his life a ransom for
many in Mark chapter 10. The word received here means
to take. It means to hold or lay hold
of. Remember our Lord said to Timothy,
lay hold of eternal life. Grab it and get a hold of it.
Our Lord said the kingdom of God is taken by force. taken by force to lay hold of
eternal life. Those people who lay hold of
Christ, they do when they're laid hold of. When Christ lays hold
of them, they lay hold of Him. You remember Jacob wrestling
the angel at the brook Jabbok? The Lord had got the best of
him, but he wouldn't let go. He said, I ain't going to let
go until you bless me, and you're going to have to bless me. And
so he did. He put his hip out of joint.
He walked differently for the rest of his life. But he had
a new name. no longer Jacob, your name is
Israel, God rose in your life. And he renamed that brook from
Jabok to Penua. Jabok means poured out. That's
what he was, and I got nothing. He was scared to death of his
brother. He'd split his company in half, send his children off,
and his wife off because he was afraid they was gonna get hurt.
He was poured out, Jabok. But after he had done all night
with the angel, the Lord Jesus Christ, Come back across that
brook and he said, Penuel. No longer Port Island. That brook
means I've seen the face of God. I've seen the face of God. word receive means to take and
lay hold of to embrace those who lay hold of light and embrace
the light came to the light did so because they had life we know
that's spoken back in verse four of our text for in him was life
and that life was the life of men excuse me i didn't clarify
since the last time when we're talking about life and light
we're not talking about separate events as such. I used to have a good old friend
who was a primitive Baptist. He believed the fellow could
have regenerated life all the way to the day he died and never
know he was elected God. That's not what the scripture
said. Life, when life comes, light comes with it. It's like
that light switch back there. We know And when we throw that
light switch, it looks like the light comes on just like that.
But we know that there has to be an electrical connection to
send electricity to that light to give it light. So there has
to be the life of that electricity to reach that light. But for
us, it's like this. when you have life, you have
light. You say, well, you don't understand all things. No, you
grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, but
here's what you do when you have light. You believe God's word. Even when you come across something,
what in the world does that mean? You don't know, but you know
it's God's word. That's light. You never deny it. You'll never
find one who has light looking at any passage of scripture in
this book saying, I don't believe it. You ever run into people
like that? We tell them the truth of the
word of God and say, I don't believe that. They don't have a life.
People who have a life believe this, because you know why? The
light is the word. In the beginning was the word of what was the
word of God, and the word was God, and the life was in Him.
And that life was the light. That life was life. There must be first a connection,
and that's life. But when the connection is made,
there's light. There's light. And some come
to the light to declare that God is the cause of all things,
representing their life in Jesus Christ. In fact, all who come
to the light do that. Over in John chapter 3, the difference
between those who reside in darkness and hate the light is described
in verse 21. It says, But he that doeth truth
cometh to the light. Those who love their deeds of
evil hate the light. They won't come to the light.
He that drew it through comes to the light. And why does he
do that? That his deeds, whatever he does, good things, bad things,
whatever he does, his deeds may be made manifest. The light will
make manifest his deeds. And here's what he wants people
to see and understand. That they're all of God. God did it. this is what the
light finally will teach us all from stem to stern from the first
day we breathe our first breath to we breathe our last and all
our all points in between God did it God did it that's light
that's understanding as many as received him he gave power
it says he gave power what does that word power mean it's not
dunamis that's dynamic power it means authority or right,
or permission, or liberty to become the sons of God. As many have received Christ, which is life and light, they
have the right to become the sons of God. They have permission
to become the sons of God. They have liberty to become the
sons of God. to them that believe on his name.
With the receiving of life and light comes the gift of faith.
All this happens in a moment in the twinkling of an eye where
it says, even to them that believe on his name. Even to them that
believe on his name. Well, how do men come to Christ?
How do men receive Christ? How do they believe on him? How
do they become sons of God? How do they do that? says in
isaiah chapter nine two which is followed in chapter nine verse
six which speaks to the lord jesus christ he says the people
that dwelt in darkness have seen a great light they've seen a
great light in other words here's what happens how does a person
come to christ how does a person believe on the lord jesus christ
how do they become sons of god they're born to it they're born
to it The reason for the use of the metaphor of birth is because
the child born, whatever child is born, is totally passive in
the experience of birth. A child doesn't do anything to
be born. It is birthed into the world.
It is birthed. This is the same as being born
again. is being born from above, born
from heaven as it's spoken of in chapter three. The sons of
God believe because they're born of God. This is why. Even to
them that believe on His name which were born, which were born
of God. This is the new birth. This is
made clear and precise in this verse. And we'll come back to
this verse when we get to John 3 because it's a very important
verse, but we're just going to go lightly on it tonight. This
is made clear and precise. Men are not born again by blood. That's what it says. Which were
born not of blood. Life is in the blood. Thus, this
refers to natural life or ancestry. New birth is not natural. It's not natural and cannot be
achieved in the life with which we are born. We must be born
again. It's not of blood. Man is not
born again by the will of the flesh. The will means the natural desire
or the pleasure of carnal inclination or affinity, what people call
free will. The flesh means as he is born
with a carnal nature, he cannot be born from that nature. Man is not born again by the
will of man, it says. This generally is used in reference
to the will of a great man or a person of religious or societal
stature. It simply states that no man
or woman, regardless of status or esteem, possesses power or
ability to make or cause men to be born again or be sons of
God. You can't do it. No church has
that power. No other person has that power.
The last three words of this verse say it all. Man receives
Christ and believes on Him because God sires him into His family,
births him into His family. Man is born again of no other
way but of God. That's what it says. But of God. Turn over to Ephesians, Chapter
2. finish up with you and you at the quick would be
where in town fashion walk according this world according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom also we all, all of us,
had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were
by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who
is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
by grace we are saved, raised us up together, made us to sit
in heavenly places in Jesus Christ, that in ages to come He might
show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward
us through Jesus Christ. For by grace or you say that
not of yourselves it is the gift of god not of works we are his
workmanship created in christ jesus onto good work how we born
again that's pretty clear i know billy graham wrote a book Father, bless his understanding.
I pray in Christ's name.