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| Gateway Baptist Church Independent Unaffiliated Separated Soul-Winning KJV "It Does Make A Difference What You Believe". |
When the Word of God speaks of some who believed, or a class of believers, one must
not assume that they believed on Christ according to the record that God gave of His
son. John wrote, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God . . . I
Jn 5:1.
Many, however, believed any one of a number of things concerning the man, Jesus, but
did not believe that Jesus is the Christ. In John 7:31 we see the case in point: And
many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more
miracles than these which this man hath done?
Most people read that many of the people believed on him and jump to the conclusion
that they believed on him according to the record that God gave of His Son. But, the
question posed by those who believed on him in John 7:31 proves conclusively that
regardless what they believed about the man, they did not believe that Jesus is the
Christ.
Notice, " . . . many . . . believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do
more miracles than these which this man hath done?" True, they believed on him but
only as this man, not as the Christ. Such believing does not culminate in being born
of God.
It was said of others, And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto
the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we heard him ourselves, and
know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world Jn 4:41-42.
In John 8:30-31, we have two classes of believers. One is saved. The other is lost. To
those gathered, Jesus said, "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know
that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I
speak these things. And he that sent me is with me . . .." Then verse 30 says, "As he
spake these words, many believed on him."
These, believed on him at that moment or as he spake these words. Therefore their
faith was produced by the record that God gave of His Son, which record one must
consult in order to know the Son since . . . no man knoweth the Son, but the father .
. . Mt 11:27.
In verse 31, these are they who believed on him the day before, and it is to them that
the remainder of John eight applies. To these the Lord Jesus said, "If ye continue in
my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free."
These were not free. Consider their responses to the Lord Jesus in the balance of
chapter eight.
In verse 33, They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any
man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Then in verse 39, They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Verse 41,
they said, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Their lack of
understanding and offense is even more evident in verse 48, Then answered the Jews,
and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
The same group continues in verses 52-53 saying, Now we know that thou hast a devil.
Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall
never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the
prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
This group's final response is found in verse 59. Then took they up stones to cast at
him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of
them, and so passed by.
The day before we read, "Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the
temple, and taught" (Jn 7:14). As John eight opens, we read, And early in the morning
he came again into the temple (as He had the day before), and all the people came unto
him; and he sat down, and taught them. Thus we have present in John eight those who,
the day before, believed on him Jn 7:31. As their testimony and actions show in John
eight, they did not believe on Him as God's word requires in order to be born of God
since they did not believe He was the Christ.
In John 8:12 we read, Then spake Jesus again unto them . . . , that is to all present.
In verses 21-29, we have the content of the Lord's message. Summarizing, this message
consisted of: 1) His Deity (vs 23-24); 2) His sinlessness (vs 29); 3) His death (vs
28); and 4) His ascension (vs 21).
Then in verse 30 we read, As he spake these words (the words beginning in verse 21 and
ending with verse 29 which we just summarized), many believed on him. To say as he
spake these words, many believed on him is equivalent to Paul's words, So then faith
(belief) cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God Rm 10:17.
But, in verse 31 the Lord speaks to those Jews that had believed him the day before.
The day before they said, Thou hast a devil . . . (Jn 7:20), and in John 8:48 their
testimony remained the same, " . . . thou . . . hast a devil."
There was no change in their attitudes from one day to the next. To them then, Christ
said, "If ye continue in my word (unlike those disciples in John 6:66 who were
offended at His claim to Deity, verses 41-42 and went back, and walked no more with
him), then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free . . . ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you
(for the same reason given in John 5:38) . . . ye seek to kill me, a man that hath
told you the truth . . . If God were your Father (which He was not), ye would love me
(and they did not) . . . Ye are of your father the devil . . .And because I tell you
the truth, ye believe me not" (vs 31-32; 37; 40; 42; 44-45).
Thus, the words addressed to those Jews that had believed him were addressed to that
class of believers who, the day before, . . . believed on him, and said, When Christ
cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? Jn 7:31. They
believed on him, but not that He was the Christ. So Christ says to them a day later,
"And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not" (Jn 8:45).
When Christ said, ". . . ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,"
the question is, what is the truth referred to? Is it all truth? If it is, no one has
ever been made free!
In John 8:40, the Lord referred to Himself as One that hath told you the truth, but
added, And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not (vs 45). The truth in
question was specifically taught in John eight, and to know it was to be free.
Some did not know it. They did not believe on Christ. Therefore, they were not free.
Yet of others in John 8:30, many believed on him. Their belief was based upon His
testimony as he spake these words. Therefore, it was a scriptural concept of Himself,
and He clearly said that was the whole issue for, " . . . if ye believe not that I am
he, ye shall die in your sins" (Vs 24).
Since many believed on him (vs 30), it must also be understood some did not. That is,
some did not believe on Him as revealed by the Father in His Word. These did not know
something--which to know makes one free.
But, what is it? The truth! From John eight, there was one thing some did not know.
Christ said, " . . . Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should
have known my Father also" (vs 19). No one can know the Father apart from knowing the
Son. To reject the Son is to reject the Father who sent Him (Mt 10:40; 11:27; Jn
12:44-45; 13:20).
Every child of God knows, not all truth, but this truth. Christ said of them, "I am .
. . known of mine (Jn 10:14).
John, in writing to the saved said, "I have not written unto you because ye know not
the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth" (I Jn 2:21). What
do the words no lie is of the truth refer to? The next verses say, Who is a liar but
he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father
and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father I Jn 2:22-23.
The lie is to deny that Jesus is the Christ. That lie is not of the truth which every
child of God knows for God has no children who do not believe that Jesus is the Christ
(I Jn 5:1).
Those Jews which had believed him (Jn 8:31) the day before, did not believe that He
was the Christ (Jn 7:31). Therefore, they were not believers in Jesus as Christ and
they did not know that specific truth which reveals the true identity of Jesus, which
to know makes one free, free indeed. BD
not assume that they believed on Christ according to the record that God gave of His
son. John wrote, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God . . . I
Jn 5:1.
Many, however, believed any one of a number of things concerning the man, Jesus, but
did not believe that Jesus is the Christ. In John 7:31 we see the case in point: And
many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more
miracles than these which this man hath done?
Most people read that many of the people believed on him and jump to the conclusion
that they believed on him according to the record that God gave of His Son. But, the
question posed by those who believed on him in John 7:31 proves conclusively that
regardless what they believed about the man, they did not believe that Jesus is the
Christ.
Notice, " . . . many . . . believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do
more miracles than these which this man hath done?" True, they believed on him but
only as this man, not as the Christ. Such believing does not culminate in being born
of God.
It was said of others, And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto
the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we heard him ourselves, and
know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world Jn 4:41-42.
In John 8:30-31, we have two classes of believers. One is saved. The other is lost. To
those gathered, Jesus said, "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know
that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I
speak these things. And he that sent me is with me . . .." Then verse 30 says, "As he
spake these words, many believed on him."
These, believed on him at that moment or as he spake these words. Therefore their
faith was produced by the record that God gave of His Son, which record one must
consult in order to know the Son since . . . no man knoweth the Son, but the father .
. . Mt 11:27.
In verse 31, these are they who believed on him the day before, and it is to them that
the remainder of John eight applies. To these the Lord Jesus said, "If ye continue in
my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free."
These were not free. Consider their responses to the Lord Jesus in the balance of
chapter eight.
In verse 33, They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any
man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Then in verse 39, They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Verse 41,
they said, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Their lack of
understanding and offense is even more evident in verse 48, Then answered the Jews,
and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
The same group continues in verses 52-53 saying, Now we know that thou hast a devil.
Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall
never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the
prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
This group's final response is found in verse 59. Then took they up stones to cast at
him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of
them, and so passed by.
The day before we read, "Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the
temple, and taught" (Jn 7:14). As John eight opens, we read, And early in the morning
he came again into the temple (as He had the day before), and all the people came unto
him; and he sat down, and taught them. Thus we have present in John eight those who,
the day before, believed on him Jn 7:31. As their testimony and actions show in John
eight, they did not believe on Him as God's word requires in order to be born of God
since they did not believe He was the Christ.
In John 8:12 we read, Then spake Jesus again unto them . . . , that is to all present.
In verses 21-29, we have the content of the Lord's message. Summarizing, this message
consisted of: 1) His Deity (vs 23-24); 2) His sinlessness (vs 29); 3) His death (vs
28); and 4) His ascension (vs 21).
Then in verse 30 we read, As he spake these words (the words beginning in verse 21 and
ending with verse 29 which we just summarized), many believed on him. To say as he
spake these words, many believed on him is equivalent to Paul's words, So then faith
(belief) cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God Rm 10:17.
But, in verse 31 the Lord speaks to those Jews that had believed him the day before.
The day before they said, Thou hast a devil . . . (Jn 7:20), and in John 8:48 their
testimony remained the same, " . . . thou . . . hast a devil."
There was no change in their attitudes from one day to the next. To them then, Christ
said, "If ye continue in my word (unlike those disciples in John 6:66 who were
offended at His claim to Deity, verses 41-42 and went back, and walked no more with
him), then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free . . . ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you
(for the same reason given in John 5:38) . . . ye seek to kill me, a man that hath
told you the truth . . . If God were your Father (which He was not), ye would love me
(and they did not) . . . Ye are of your father the devil . . .And because I tell you
the truth, ye believe me not" (vs 31-32; 37; 40; 42; 44-45).
Thus, the words addressed to those Jews that had believed him were addressed to that
class of believers who, the day before, . . . believed on him, and said, When Christ
cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? Jn 7:31. They
believed on him, but not that He was the Christ. So Christ says to them a day later,
"And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not" (Jn 8:45).
When Christ said, ". . . ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,"
the question is, what is the truth referred to? Is it all truth? If it is, no one has
ever been made free!
In John 8:40, the Lord referred to Himself as One that hath told you the truth, but
added, And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not (vs 45). The truth in
question was specifically taught in John eight, and to know it was to be free.
Some did not know it. They did not believe on Christ. Therefore, they were not free.
Yet of others in John 8:30, many believed on him. Their belief was based upon His
testimony as he spake these words. Therefore, it was a scriptural concept of Himself,
and He clearly said that was the whole issue for, " . . . if ye believe not that I am
he, ye shall die in your sins" (Vs 24).
Since many believed on him (vs 30), it must also be understood some did not. That is,
some did not believe on Him as revealed by the Father in His Word. These did not know
something--which to know makes one free.
But, what is it? The truth! From John eight, there was one thing some did not know.
Christ said, " . . . Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should
have known my Father also" (vs 19). No one can know the Father apart from knowing the
Son. To reject the Son is to reject the Father who sent Him (Mt 10:40; 11:27; Jn
12:44-45; 13:20).
Every child of God knows, not all truth, but this truth. Christ said of them, "I am .
. . known of mine (Jn 10:14).
John, in writing to the saved said, "I have not written unto you because ye know not
the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth" (I Jn 2:21). What
do the words no lie is of the truth refer to? The next verses say, Who is a liar but
he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father
and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father I Jn 2:22-23.
The lie is to deny that Jesus is the Christ. That lie is not of the truth which every
child of God knows for God has no children who do not believe that Jesus is the Christ
(I Jn 5:1).
Those Jews which had believed him (Jn 8:31) the day before, did not believe that He
was the Christ (Jn 7:31). Therefore, they were not believers in Jesus as Christ and
they did not know that specific truth which reveals the true identity of Jesus, which
to know makes one free, free indeed. BD
| From the Penalty of Sin--Belief CHAPTER 8 By Bobby Dunn |