John (Quality: Average)

[0:00] Chapter 3, verse 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.

[0:19] He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

[0:33] The Gospel according to John Chapter 3, the last verse. Unexpectedly at times, a word drops in.

[0:49] Last evening, as a hearer, three words did drop in. He that believeth.

[1:03] They haven't left me. So I have ventured, seeking much needed help, trying to speak to you on the privilege, the honor, the wonder, of being one who believes on the Son.

[1:28] I hope we may be helped to consider what is involved. What follows this through the mercy of God?

[1:41] We shall expect to trace mercy all the way through this wonder of wonders, for it is mercy, and nothing but mercy, if any of us, or anyone, ever savingly believes on the Son of God.

[2:09] This mercy is the source from which that rich gift flows. Faith.

[2:20] No one does ever yet savingly believe on the Son without it.

[2:32] But with it, my dear friends, we then possess the very thing that is needed to believe. Oh, then, may you and I become very diligent and very earnest at the throne of grace that we may have evidence of having received believing faith.

[3:05] This, one might feel, would be easier ever have we seen the Lord as so many did.

[3:17] But yet, in the course of my searching through the Word of God, I discovered this, that I said unto you that he also hath seen me and believed not.

[3:36] No, my friends, it isn't seeing Jesus with the mortal eye that can enable us to believe in him. All who did or all who have, as recorded in the Word of God while he was up on earth, received the same necessary gift of faith.

[4:03] In the first chapter, we find this statement, he came unto his own and his own received him not, that is to say, in a general way, not on the national scale.

[4:23] It wasn't the usual thing to receive him. The usual thing was to reject, to fulfill the scripture given so long before, his despise and rejection of man.

[4:42] Yet, the Word goes on in the Gospel, but, as many as received him, there were some men, even then, as we earnestly hope, there still are now and will be to the end of time.

[5:03] As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

[5:18] There's the secret. To them gave he power. My dear friends, it might well be that we should give more attention to seeking the power of Christ in us.

[5:39] If this be given, then we have, according to the margin, the right or privilege to become the children of God.

[5:54] Believers on him. He that believeth. He's the subject of the work of God, the subject of the power of God through Christ, and the recipient of that wondrous gift of faith.

[6:18] Before this word had been with me long, the word that I read to you this evening seemed to be attached to it.

[6:32] All things are possible to him that believed. Well, if meditation should begin, what a wide field there is here of meditation if all things are possible to the believer.

[6:55] I can't go in detail into my small meditations. I will just hope to give you just a brief indication of the direction of them, hoping that you might feel somewhat the same.

[7:17] if one is unable to believe then, it is possible to entertain hope that there's forgiveness for me.

[7:34] That was the way my thoughts went straight away. If all things are possible, I will hope for forgiveness if I believe.

[7:45] if. And there's the if. And who can remove this if to the soul's satisfaction? Not myself, nor I believe yourselves.

[8:01] But there is one who can, and you will say, I'm sure you will by well getting this if removed, revealed, confirm my interest in this wondrous favor, forgiveness of sins, forgiven sinners, they go to heaven.

[8:25] And I desire to be among them and so I will be found a true believer in the Son of God. He that believes it on the Sunday will find it necessary to believe certain things concerning him.

[8:46] Very important things concerning the Son. Firstly, that he is man, because this is how he is revealed first, this is how he describes himself more than any other way in the gospel, as the Son of Man.

[9:12] I believe it is so important to believe that he came as a man and is a man, that he is, too, the man who was to come and was regarded in Hebrew times and in Hebrew writings as the Messiah, the Anointed One, He that should come.

[9:39] And it is the desire of a living soul to believe that he is the Messiah and that he came as a man.

[9:53] Now, a man, in the ordinary course of the death, begins as a babe. And it is the most important thing today that we should believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son, came to the babe.

[10:14] This is set aside. This is discredited, but I feel we ought to carefully remember that as many as do this are dishonoring God and contradicting his holy word.

[10:31] So they may you and I examine ourselves on this particular to make it very clear in their own minds and for our soul's satisfaction confession that we do believe what the word of God says, that the Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth, obeyed, an infant, and that he developed in the way that men do without sin.

[11:06] We must believe this, that he was at all times sinless, because there are many out of today who believe this, that he was God, is God, as well as man.

[11:28] This is highly essential. This we need faith to believe because it cannot be seen or understood by human reason.

[11:42] I think it isn't possible by any amount or any process of education to understand how Jesus Christ can be God and man.

[11:55] This then is the place where reason must give way, be brought into subjection and faith only reign here.

[12:08] but we want it to reign in our hearts, do we not? I believe it is possible to accept the theory or the doctrine, if you will, to accept it and not believe it.

[12:26] it. Now I believe it's far more important to believe than to accept. But there's a word in that first chapter which is returned to me with some light.

[12:45] It's very close in pronunciation to the word believe. and I begin to see how closely it's concerned with it. As many as received him.

[13:02] Well I believe this is by revelation. I believe this is by the Spirit's work. I believe no sinner can truly believe unless they receive the Lord Jesus by faith into their hearts as well as their minds.

[13:25] He will be found there. Or I can't understand this scripture which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[13:36] He will be received there. Obviously we can't receive it in any other way when he is in heaven and we are upon earth.

[13:50] There can be no natural or actual reception of him as there was upon earth. There were those who received him into their house, into their homes, and had the privilege of entertaining him.

[14:05] That is what I mean. We can't receive him in that way though we might long to and desire to or would have been honored to. receive him.

[14:16] And yet it is possible to receive him into the heart only if he is revealed by the spirit and faith is given to receive him as the son of God and the son of man.

[14:29] and to believe that his work upon earth was a divinely appointed work and that the whole of it had proved to be entirely acceptable to and for the satisfaction of God the Father.

[14:54] God. We must believe in other words that he is the divinely appointed redeemer intended from eternity past before the world was to effect a salvation of a chosen portion of the human race.

[15:18] Not many people really believe this today I fear. where there is some regard to the work of salvation it is hard to be for all if they will take it.

[15:33] And if it is said to be of a general character and put in a very plain way it is just that if you reject it well it's your own fault.

[15:45] There is salvation if you like to take it. But my dear friends I do not believe that any of us have found this to be a personal experience.

[15:57] I believe we have found that the Son of God died for a given number of people. He himself describes that number as those who thou hast given me or all that the Father giveth me.

[16:14] my desire this evening of course is that we each of his holy will might be found among them. True believers in his, the effectiveness of his salvation.

[16:31] That it is still as valid today these years after Calvary as it was at Calvary. still as valid, still as powerful, still as effective, and will be so in the heart and life of every vessel of mercy yet born or yet unborn.

[16:56] I believe that we should believe as enabled the Son of God to be the complete Savior and that his work is complete.

[17:12] The only part left as we understand it now as far as we can understand the work of salvation still to be completed is the work of the Spirit in calling bestowing life, grunting life, quickening into life, convicting of sin, leading to the Savior, granting the work of grace, teaching the sinner the truth as it is in Jesus and showing to sinners the things of Jesus.

[17:45] And so we must believe that the work that the Savior did on earth is still in that way able to be granted, revealed, applied, given to each individual elect vessel of mercy when the time to call them by grace arise.

[18:15] I believe too that this will be one way in which we shall be helped to believe in the fullness of Christ.

[18:29] There resides in the Son a fullness through the appointment and according to the purpose and with the full agreement of God the Father.

[18:44] God. It abides there to be disposed to his people and granted to them equal to each recurring need.

[19:01] I believe we should seek for faith to believe that every blessing we ever receive, while on our pilgrimage journey, here through life flows from that fullness in Christ.

[19:20] He that believes, all things are possible to him that believes. And so, in looking back over our lives, we see that through the mercy of God and the power that is in the salvation brought out by the Son, there is grace and mercy for rebels, for persecutors, for those who are unbelievers, for obstinate sinners, hard-hearted sinners, determined sinners, wayward sinners, wandering sinners.

[20:08] we believe that in the merit of the Son, when the appointed time comes, there is grace sufficient for each and all of these whose names are in the book of life.

[20:30] We must believe, and desire to believe, that the Son was present with the Father at the creation of the world, and that before this, though we cannot penetrate into it, there was a book written, and the Lord Jesus Christ is involved in it.

[20:56] I hadn't particularly noticed this particular point before, but you see you will read of those whose names are in the land's book of life.

[21:12] Therefore, the choice is his, and the book is his, and we must believe that the disposal of his grace is in his hands in accordance with the names that are written there.

[21:27] he that believeth on the sun, all things are possible to him, and so he will say, oh, may I find my name recorded in some humble place beneath my Lord the land, and you will say, I am sure, gracious spirit, take of the things of Jesus, this precious son of God and man, and show them to me, because it is possible for me to receive them if I'm a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ.

[22:16] And then we come to this, then, how are we to know? I hope there may be given to me something by which we may lay hold on the fact that we do believe.

[22:34] My thoughts have gone to the ninth chapter of this same gospel. Jesus asked a certain man for whom he had done a great thing, performed for him a most wonderful miracle.

[22:56] He asked him a question. And he did that question that is in my mind and I seek to be able to answer it. to be able to believe on the Son of God.

[23:13] That is the question. I needn't waste too much time on the man's answer. God's answer. We do know that he didn't know very much like some of us.

[23:29] He said, who is he Lord that I might believe on him? Which is a wonderful mercy. There's a willing mind. Do we possess it?

[23:40] Could we say as much in the sight of God this evening? Reveal him to me and I will gladly believe in him. Well now, as the Lord said, and that is so important, thou hath both seen him.

[23:56] And he it is that talketh with thee. Now it's the man's reply. And then it's the man's action. Did I want to bring before you from my own comfort and yours too?

[24:11] He said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped you. I'm not told how, how long, or how often.

[24:25] What concerns me, and I hope it will you, is this. Have we this sweet token? This which will so help us to lay hold on this precious necessity believing Jesus Christ so that we may say as the man did, Lord, I believe.

[24:51] Well, now I feel that we must know whether we've ever tried to worship the Lord Jesus, whether he has ever been revealed to us in such a wonderful way as be to us, if only for a few moments in their lives, one thing needed.

[25:11] And you know, and I know, we must know, if we have enjoyed this sweet privilege at any time. I wouldn't like to say that all of us saw, neither would I be too sure that I could answer into it to the same extent as the hymn writer did, but I long to.

[25:38] And he said, I could from all things parted be, but never, never, Lord, from thee. Well, in a sense, of course, we can say that, because we could be parted from all things, but not from him if we were to obtain salvation.

[25:56] That's obvious. But have we had the feeling? Has there been that submission to relinquish all from his dear son? Well, the Lord knows the heart, and there on which leads the matter.

[26:10] He does look at the heart, and he knows where we've been, what we felt, and what we have sometimes been able to say. I believe some of us have said this and felt, if ever my poor soul be saved, since Christ must be the way, oh, you do believe in him then, and that he is the way to God.

[26:33] Wonderful mercy to have come as far as this, but I'm not making much progress. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, yet this is possible because he is the life.

[26:55] Jesus said, we have it in this same gospel to Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

[27:11] yes, and he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, because that he has received Christ into his heart, the hope of glory, he has him present in his heart, who is life, and that life is eternal.

[27:33] world. And Jesus, this Son, this precious Son of God and Son of Man, chose himself to describe himself as the Good Shepherd.

[27:47] Shepherd, and shepherds have sheep, and the Good Shepherd says, he has sheep, and he said, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, nor shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

[28:07] But you see, there is this solemn word, too. You are not of my sheep, as I said unto you, and therefore it is not possible for them to believe.

[28:23] There are those who do believe, and there are those who cannot believe. I feel that one of the most solemn words in the word of God is this word, he has blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, lest at any time they should see with their eyes.

[28:47] and believe in their hearts, and I should heal them. Now we have also in this verse, and I have to touch on it briefly before I close, he that believeth not shall not shall not see life.

[29:07] But there is a point that I want to touch also on, and that is the illustration which is given us in the epistle to the Hebrews concerning the Israelites national gospel, and the promise of God that they should enter some of them into the promised land.

[29:35] There were those who did not enter, they didn't even reach the end of the wilderness, they were the subject of a grievous evil, and it is contained, or rather it is revealed to us in the last verse of the third chapter in the epistle to the Hebrews, so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

[30:08] I have now before me a very small bill of what everlasting life means to believers who have through faith savingly believed on the Son of God to the extent that they had entrusted their whole soul's salvation into his gracious hands.

[30:40] This everlasting life means they will be given free eblitian into that heavenly promised land.

[30:52] This is possible to him that believed. You see what a connection there is between the words he that believed and all things are possible to him that believed even eternal life, even to dwell in heaven, even to be with Christ, which is far better.

[31:21] It is possible. It will be possible. It has been possible to them that believe. Oh, that you and I could see more clearly what it is to be a true believer.

[31:39] believer. And then I believe we should seek much more often and much more earnestly than we ever had before for saving and believing faith.

[31:55] He that believeth on the sun has everlasting life. well, of course, although I haven't time to go into it into detail, it forms that change.

[32:13] A believer, a true believer, is a newborn soul. A newborn soul is obviously a living soul. And living souls are gracious souls.

[32:26] And gracious souls have been saved and will be saved by grace through faith. And thus, there is this continuation of the opening of the way of salvation which stems clearly from the gift of God, which faith is clearly stated to be.

[32:51] Oh, then, may you and I be the recipients of this precious gift. May there be evidence, more clear evidence in our lives of being true believers.

[33:06] Because if we are, we will be doing, in our measure, just the same as did the apostle Paul for the same reason.

[33:20] He said, I know, I know, whom I have believed and am persuaded.

[33:33] That's what we want to come to, my friends, as the Spirit of God may help us, and persuade it that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

[33:48] well, let us now question for just a moment, what have we committed to him? Have we bowed before him and completely resigned, as far as this is possible, all our hope of salvation into his gracious hands, believing at the same time that he is able to make all grace abound unto us?

[34:22] All grace, grace for every time of need and for every facility and every emergency, through every trial, grace for every affliction, however long or trying it may be, grace to bear every loss and every great disappointment and discouragement in life, still to commit our salvation into his gracious hands, believing that his grace is all sufficient for all and every need we may ever expect to come into or experience.

[34:59] Have we committed ourselves then into his gracious hands? Have we come as far as this through believing on and in him? Choose that way, but still lead on, believing that he who has begun the good work in us will perform it, till he comes again, which is what is meant by the day of Jesus Christ, when he returns.

[35:35] We could have said more about this, he that believeth on the sun. I do believe it's the greatest thing that can happen to any poor sinner.

[35:49] I venture to hope that it has happened. To many, would I dare to say, could I say, I would hope to say, all present, what a mercy it will be, if all of us are found believers on the sun having everlasting life.

[36:14] I'm bound to touch on the sadness of the last part, because I believe that looking, if only a little at this, will enhance, in our view, the wonder of the mercy that has been revealed to us, if we're believers.

[36:37] The word is, he that believeth, not the sun, should not see life. I believe this really means, not that it has any connection with the natural sight, I don't believe it means this, I believe it means really that they should not see life, because he who is the life will never be revealed to us, and they will remain in the spiritual sense of the word, blind, blind.

[37:18] Do we not read this, blind in their eyes? Do we not read on the contrary that Jesus said to his disciples, blessed are your eyes, for they see?

[37:30] Oh my dear friends, if we have faith, if we do believe on the Son of God, we see in him a perfect Savior, we see in him at times the one thing needful, we see enough that he becomes to us exceedingly precious, we see enough that there are occasions when we willingly say, he's the cheapest among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely, you must see life, but the wrath of God, abides on him.

[38:15] I don't know if you've ever spent a few minutes in thinking on this word, abides, in this connection, abides. I'm going to put the matter exceedingly simply, abides seems to convey to me a continuation, no end, no removal, abides, still remains, unmitigated, through having missed, sadly missed, his pointed hiding place and refuge for sinners.

[38:58] Have we found that? Are we in it? Are we one of those who have fled for refuge to this blessed Redeemer, this wondrous Savior?

[39:09] Do we believe on the Son? We do. We lost the boat on him at Calvary. He paid the price, and so through his payment, he has redeemed us and there does not abide on those who believe in the Son or on the Son any wrath.

[39:42] He is born in. Do we believe this? Are we able to believe it? Can we see that such a thing is possible?

[39:53] Yes, we may. Because Jesus is saying, all things are possible to him that believe it, even that there should be no wrath on we who feel to deserve it just as much as anyone else.

[40:13] And yet you see, through being the recipient of faith and believing on the Son of God, wrath doth not abide on us.

[40:26] Rather, there is glory, because he has saved me where I am, there he may be also.

[40:39] I wish I could have spoken to you more fully and more sweetly on this precious truth and just those three words.

[40:54] They're still with me though. He that believes. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[41:10] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.乏 Amen.

[41:24] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.