Believe in Christ While You Can

Read

John 12:37–50 ESV

37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. 44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

Opening Prayer

Setting the Stage

Last time, we looked at John’s use of the prophecy of Isaiah to show the foretelling of the Jews hardness of heart and their rejection of Jesus.

The truth is, all mankind’s heart is hardened to God and will do nothing but reject God, unless by the grace and mercy of God…

He regenerates them to see the beauty and majesty of God.

But, in this majority rejection of Isaiah…

John gives this contrast between the majority of the RL’s and the majority of the people of Israel, by saying…

John 12:42–43 ESV

42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Can This Be True Faith?

I want us to carefully look at this question.

Could the description by John of those who believed in Jesus here in v.42-43 be true believers?

If John’s description of them, here, is the only description of them…

IOW, this description never changes…

Then they’re belief is only intellectual and never captured the heart.

They merely believed in a historical Jesus.

Like the Devil and the Demons believe in God and even tremble…

—> But they do not have saving faith.

These Jews merely believed that Jesus fit the description of the OT Messiah.

But, they never believed upon Jesus to save them from their sins.

They never rested in the person and work of Christ to reconcile them with God.

They never trusted in His atoning work to redeem them from their own guilt and condemnation before the Law of God.

It was a mere intellectual nodding of the head that Jesus could be Messiah.

They did not see Christ as more beneficial than the benefits they would receive from the RL’s.

Jesus states clearly…

Matthew 10:32–33 ESV

32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

There is no such thing as a private, secret faith.

If you fear man as to be ashamed of Christ, then you don’t truly know Christ or God.

So, Paul states…

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

The work of the Spirit in the application of redemption upon the bride of Christ is to capture our heart.

—> To replace the heart of stone with a heart of flesh.

The faith in a true believer has not only met the terms of the intellect, but it has also gone beyond the intellect to captivate the heart.

And, what the heart is captivated by, words and actions that are in accord with the heart is captivated by will follow.

But, what are we told here, by John?

There is no public confession.

There is only an intellectual nodding.

The heart has not been captivated and satisfied by Christ.

So, what John is doing...

He’s contrasting an outright refusal to even investigate Jesus as the Messiah…by the majority.

With those who did investigate and, at least intellectually, affirmed in their mind that Jesus matched the OT promises.

Sort of a…He couldn’t do these things if He wasn’t, but He’s not really more important to me than peer, religious, and economic status.

They refused to believe they needed such a Messiah, even if Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT Messiah.

So, if we are to take v.42-43 and draw a conclusion based only on that information…

We must conclude that they are not true believers.

Because true faith requires the intellectual affirmation…

But, it also doesn’t stop with the intellect.

True faith grips the heart.

It takes over the throne of our thoughts, affections, and will.

These people are lacking the heart affirmation.

Let’s Understand for Conscience Sake

Before we finish this particular point I want us to address the following question…

Can a true believer deny Christ before men?

Can a regenerated, saved by grace, in the New Covenant, believer deny Christ for fear of consequences?

Well, history has recorded many martyrs of the faith as recanting…denying Christ to escape being killed for their faith.

But, history also records those same Christians as regretting such a decision, repenting of such cowardice…

And, getting back up and standing for the cause of Christ and eventually dying for their faith in Christ.

These are historical events recorded by man.

But, what does Scripture record.

One example is Peter:

Scripture records Peter denying Christ three times before the crowd at Christ’s mock trial.

This was a denial of Christ for fear of the RL’s and the crowd that stood against Christ.

Scripture records Peter, when surrounded by legalistic Jews, not mixing with Gentiles at dinner anymore.

This was a denial of Christ and His work for the glory that comes from man.

Now, what do we know of Peter, according to Scripture.

He was an Apostle of Christ.

He was a true believer in Christ.

He was ready to fight in the Garden.

He cut off the ear of the Malchus.

He was encouraged and reminded, by Christ, of Christ’s unconditional love for His own, after Peter’s denial.

So, can a true believer deny Christ?

—> Yes.

But, here is the difference.

Peter, although he denied Christ, he was not characterized by his denials.

In contrast, the overwhelming majority of Peter’s life was one of confession of Christ before men.

As soon as Christ ascended, Peter was unashamedly preaching Christ in the temple courts.

For the majority of Peter’s life, post-ascension, he was teaching Christ crucified.

His fervor and faithfulness for the Lord led to his martyrdom.

Here’s what I want us to understand…

Christians are capable of sinning in any way an unbeliever can sin:

Abraham put Sarah in harms way to protect his own neck.

Moses neglected circumcising one of his sons.

Moses murdered an Egyptian soldier.

King David committed adultery and murder.

Samson was guilty of horrific immorality.

The list goes on, right.

But the evidence of their sin is also accompanied by faith/repentance…

—> And, confession of the Lord was the major part of their life.

Christians, in weak moments, are capable of doing what an unbelievers give their full strength to do.

But, unbelievers are incapable of doing what Christians repeatedly do…

—> And that is, confess Christ as our Savior and repent of our sins.

Now, why do I think this is so important of a topic that I would spend this much time on it this morning.

There are many Christians that are sitting under burdensome, enslaving preaching…

And, their conscience is being informed week by week that their salvation remains on them …based upon what they do or do not do.

It’s a performance driven salvation.

The justification is by grace, but staying justified is by your performance.

They don’t say it like that, but if you sat under that kind of preaching that is how you feel when you leave.

These are gospel preaching churches, but after the gospel…comes law that is preached in such a way that the law is easier but must be kept in order to stay under/within the grace of God.

This is a Catholic idea, but it has penetrated the preaching in many Protestant pulpits.

There are whole theological systems built on such shifting sand.

The truth is that you are:

Justified by grace

Sanctified by grace

Persevere by grace

End well by grace

Glorified by grace

Live eternally as a child of God by grace

There is no merit in the realm of salvation.

We will cast our crowns at His feet.

You will never be exiled from the NC because your membership was purchased…

Beginning to End by the person and work of Christ.

Feel the Freedom.

Breathe it in.

Shout hallelujah!

Back to the Text

It appears, at least at this moment in the life of Jesus that there are many who are holding to an intellectual agreement of Christ as the Messiah…

But, it has not captured their heart.

Now, John interjects teachings of Christ that is strikingly on point to what one needs to hear if they are held up at an intellectual affirmation of Christ.

We read…

John 12:44–50 ESV

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

There are clarifying and sobering truths taught here by Christ.

And, not only does the Jewish crowd that may be filled with those who are only convinced intellectually of Christ need to hear these truths…

But, so do John’s readers. And, so do we.

Jesus begins by stating the object of true faith.

These truths are not new to John’s gospel.

But, they are critical for one to understand.

John 12:44–45 ESV

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.

What Does It Mean to Believe In Christ?

For those who may be wondering in their mind…

He certainly has done plenty of miracles.

One could not do such if God were not with Him.

But, is faith in Christ…rejecting God?

Is faith in Christ, a removal of faith in God?

Jesus teaches, clearly and explicitly…

All who in obedience to My call to put their trust in Me…

Do not put their faith only in Me…but in the Father also.

To trust in the Son, the sent Saviour of sinners…

Is to trust also in the Father, who sent Him to save.

The Son and the Father cannot be divided.

So faith in Christ, the Son…

Is affirming your faith in God the Father.

Jesus adds to this with equally comforting truth when He says…

John 12:44–45 ESV

45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.

Jesus is teaching the unity of the Son with the Father.

Although, different in person—>One in being.

Father, Son, Spirit—>Three persons in One essence.

If you see Me—>You not only see Me, but you see the Father, as well.

You see more than an ordinary man.

You see, as Paul writes…

Hebrews 1:3 ESV

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

The glory of God, and all that He is has been revealed in the Incarnate Son of God.

As J.C.Ryle said…

If to believe in Christ is to believe in the Father, and to see Christ is to see the Father, then Jesus Christ must be equal with the Father,—very and eternal God.

To say these truths of any other man would be blasphemous.

But to say this of Christ, the incarnate Son of God is glorious, saving truth.

So, Jesus goes on to reveal His mission…

John 12:46 ESV

46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

God Revealed

Christ came to a dark, hopeless, and sinful world.

He came to reveal the light and glory of God.

He came to conquer death and darkness for His sheep.

He came to remove guilt, shame, misery…

And, restore joy, happiness, liberty…

All through a restored relationship with God through His work.

But, says Jesus…your opportunity to take hold of such gracious benefits is limited…

John 12:47–48 ESV

47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

Judgment Is Coming

A hard truth to hear.

A hard truth to contemplate.

But, judgment comes for every single person.

God will judge all.

Your rejection of Christ and the Word of God will seal your doom.

And, you will be judged by the living Word of God.

Paul says in…

Romans 3:19 ESV

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

God’s Law will hold every person who rejected God accountable…

And, cast them into everlasting condemnation and punishment.

Jesus’ Authority is Divine

John 12:49 ESV

49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.

The authority of the Son is identical with the authority of the Father.

If you reject the Son…You reject the Father.

There is not other way to God except through the Son.

If you deny the deity of Christ…you reject Christ.

If you reject Christ…you reject the Father.

All that Christ teaches is in unity with the Father and equally authoritative as the Father.

Let’s think about this...

John 12:50 ESV

50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

The Mission of God in Jesus Christ is Eternal Life for all that the Father Has Given the Son.

This incarnational ministry of the eternal Son was to bring mercy to those who will receive Him.

While you can…receive Me, believe upon Me.

And, you will have everlasting life.

Warnings Are Good

This stern warning of Christ were intended to bring them from an intellectual assent to an heart assent.

We must recognize that there are some within the RL’s circle who did confess Jesus later.

Did they overcome their fear?

Was it an early, immature fear that was overcome and proven to be a denial that was out of character?

Were they only intellectual nodders, but God further revealed to them truths about Himself after the crucifixion to save them?

Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea made a bold move to lavish Jesus’ body with expensive ointments…

—> And, put Him in an expensive grave.

They were of the Sanhedrin.

They held their tongue, possibly, up until the crucifixion…

But, could not hold it any longer.

Their move to take care of the body of Jesus could have cost them everything.

We’re told in Acts that many Priests repented and believed upon Christ.

Where are you?

Do you just merely agree in the historical Jesus?

Or are you placing all your hope in the salvation that only Christ can give?

Are you trusting in Christ for all you need in this life and the next?

Closing Prayer