Belief in the Son of God

… I want to read a few passages from the Gospel of John. The first one is very well known, chapter 3, verse 16. Let's read from verse 15. John says in verse 15 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should have life to save. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned away, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Now chapter 7, and verse 37. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow the rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Now chapter 16, and verse 26. At that day ye shall ask in my name, and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you. For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. Let me read that verse 27 again. For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. Now come back to chapter 9. And that's chapter 9. Jesus held that they had cast him out, and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. Now lastly, chapter 1. And verse 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons or the children of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born neither of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. I love to say that, in a company like this, that each gospel has a character from its own, and John has a very definite character that we cannot possibly mistake. And what I want to press upon you this afternoon, upon my own soul, is the great benefits that accrue to those who believe on the Son of God. We can see the difference. In the synoptic gospels, there is a great stress put upon repentance. When we come to the gospel by John, we never find that word mentioned. It's belief. Because the greatness and glory of the person is presented, and it is this that is the source of attraction. It is this that draws out the response from those who come in contact with the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. And while we might refer to ourselves as believers, and rightly so, perhaps we don't pay sufficient attention to the fact that because we are believers, we are also receivers. That because we have believed, in this glorious person, there are things that we receive, and receive, thank God, for all eternity. Things that are masculine, things that are abiding, things that are satisfying, things that are centered in the Lord Jesus, and do bound up with the knowledge of the Father, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now, it's a vast subject, but it's presented to us in very simple terms. And that's very, very important. Murray McChain, he composed a hymn, Jehovah Said Can You, and in it he spoke about John's simple age. Well, those truths might be presented in very simple language, but I think we all agree they are among the most profound in Scripture. The fact that things are stated simply doesn't mean that they aren't profound. Sometimes the profound statements that we make we have declared the truth of Scripture instead of making it, what shall we say, appetizing for the spiritual heart. Well, we begin in John chapter 3. There are many scriptures in the Gospel by John, and in his Epistle 2, it tells us that one of the great benefits that those who believe in Jesus receive is the gift of eternal life. I know that dreams have been written on eternal life, addresses too, and Bible readings, and sometimes at the end of them all we wonder if we really grasp the truth of what eternal life means. There's a great deal of confusion and sometimes controversy, quite unnecessary if we just accept the statements of Scripture at their face value and not the real gain of them in our souls. We know clearly that eternal life doesn't mean simply a continuity of life, because even unconverted people will have that, and unfortunately their condition is a condition of death, but they certainly have a continuity of existence. But the Lord, in John 17, gives us perhaps not exactly a definition of eternal life, but a statement that indicates its worth and value and greatness. This is eternal life, that they then know they are the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom they were sent. That is, eternal life seeks to be bound up in the knowledge of the Father and the Son, and known to us in the power and energy of the Holy Spirit. And that life cannot be satisfied by material things, such as we enjoy on earth, the life that we have. This is a life entirely apart from physical life, although enjoyed in our physical life, enjoyed because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. But oh my dear friends, how wonderful that through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have this wonderful gift of eternal life. A present possession, indisputably so, again and again and again, the scripture states that ye might know that ye have eternal life. We were saying somewhere else then, also eternal life has to be grasped, and Paul speaks about at the end, eternal life, pure and pure again, as something that will be enjoyed in the future in its entirety and fullness in the conditions of the proper tomb. But there's no question at all that those who believe in the Son now have this gift of eternal life, and a very precious thing it is. All the knowledge of the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, the Father, and the divine blessings that we have in Christ are connected with this gift. There can be no enjoyment of these things apart from this life. And this is what the Lord Jesus is presenting, particularly in the Gospel by John, that he comes into the world with the knowledge of the Father, knowledge of the Holy Spirit, because in this Gospel he reveals the Spirit, just as he reveals the Father, and makes them known to us and available for us by his entering into death and his glorious resurrection and ascension to the right hand of his Father. Wonderful, wonderful blessing, eternal life. I ought to say before we go any further that this belief is not simply the belief in a person who existed here, an historical person, it's much more than that. We believe our history books when they tell us that Julius Caesar was in Britain in 55 BC and that's just a historical fact that we appropriate and we know there were certain things connected with it. But that knowledge doesn't bring to us any great blessing. But the knowledge of this person does. And what does it mean to believe in him? I believe John's Gospel provides the answer in a very clear way. Listen to Nathanael's belief. Thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. There's a very definite form of belief. Listen to Peter's belief. When the Lord said to him and to the others, will thou also go away? He says, Lord, to whom shall we go? We go and assure him that thou art the Holy One of God. I'm quoting Mr. Diver's translation. The Holy One of God. Here was a form of belief that was a real blessing. Listen to Thomas' belief. My Lord, my God. Here was a very definite form of belief. And so we can go on. And there are many other testimonies in the Gospel by John. That belief in Christ is simply not the fact that he lived and died, although that's true and blessedly true, but the fact of who he was. All the glory and the splendor, the uniqueness of his person standing apart from all others in his glory and greatness. Son of God, God, the Word. Every name and title that we find connected with him in the Gospel by John is bound up in this matter of belief. We find John saying at the end of his Gospel, I've written these things that ye might know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. It's this that undergirds all that he writes in this great Gospel. The glory and distinctiveness of this person. So this is what it means to believe. And those who believe in him this way, they obtain these wonderful blessings. Lord, thank God we have believed in him. This glorious person whom we know came from glory into this world in order to make these things known to us. And here's where we all begin. In connection with his death, the death of the Son of God. God so loved the world. What a love. What a person to love. And he gave his only begotten Son. He could give no more, he could give no less. And those who believe in him have the gift of eternal life. And from there we proceed. And having this life, we go on to enjoy other great blessings that he showers upon us. And there are many, and they're great. And praise God, they return. So we move on to chapter 7. Before we leave, chapter 3 is another comforting one. And it says that those who believe in him will never come into judgment, never come into condemnation. Now that's very comforting. When we're on the side of the Son of God, when we've aligned ourselves with him, we're conscious that we're set free from every form of judgment, from every form of condemnation. If he has sheltered us with his blood, if he has cleansed us, if he has cancelled out our debt, if he has brought us into blessing, then that blessing is eternal and abiding. No further judgment at all. Oh, how wonderful it is to know him and all the blessings that flow from believing in him. So we come to John 7. That's chapter 7. If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. I can't go into the details of it here, but I understand that in connection with this feast that was commemorated at Jerusalem, the Feast of Pentecost, I think it was, there was a copious pouring out of water in a symbolical form to indicate the blessing and joy that belonged to Israel and that they look forward to in the future. And it's at the end of all this pouring out of water that the Lord stands up and says this wonderful statement, if any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. We know well the Lord is not talking about actual thirst, thirst that water can quench. He's talking about the deeper longings of the heart, the deeper longings of the mind and soul that only he can satisfy. And if people come to him, he will satisfy them. And so often in John, we get double negatives. It's not only never, it's never, never thirst. And that in emphasis, it indicates the greatness of the blessing that the Lord gives. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow the loads of living water. I think there is a distinction that can be made that is helpful that whenever we find water mentioned in Scripture, it's generally connected with the work of God, a figure of the work of God. When we get living water mentioned, it's a figure of the Holy Spirit. And this is what the Lord is telling you here, and it says so plainly. This speak he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive, for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. Here is one of the outstanding, unique blessings that belong to those who believe on the Son of God. They receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is stated in a few passages in the Acts of the Apostles. It's also stated in other parts of the New Testament. That the reception of the Holy Spirit is not consequent upon reaching a spiritual status or some measure of faithfulness. It's given because of belief or belief in Christ. This is the real reason why God gives this wonderful gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1 makes it very, very plain that the gift of the Spirit, the sealing of the Spirit, is consequent upon believing. Believing the work of the Gospel because it is centered in Christ. You will find this in Galatians 3.2 that they receive the Spirit because of the work of faith. You remember the controversy in Acts 15, in connection with the Gentiles. Peter says that they received light blessing with us when they had believed. And that light blessing was the gift of the Holy Spirit. When Paul went to Ephesus and found some disciples who had believed in the ministry of John the Baptist, but had never heard about Christ and the reception of the Spirit, he says, didn't you receive the Spirit when you believed? You see, it was quite a common thing to believe. It was the normal thing to believe and to receive the Holy Spirit. So here the Lord is emphasizing this, that because we believe on the Son of God, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is a sovereign action on the part of God. It's His prerogative to give the Spirit to those who believe on His Son. What a marvelous thing it is to have the gift of the Holy Spirit. Oh, how wonderful. It would cease to be a gift if we had to work for it. It would cease to be a gift if it depended upon something that I did, or you did, in order to acquire it. It would then be acquired on the basis of our faithfulness, our working, and in that sense would very definitely cease to be a gift. Oh, how plain the Scripture is. And here the Lord is saying, those who believe on Him would receive the Holy Spirit. Now then, what are the consequences of receiving this glorious person, going forth with the Father and the Son, receiving Him into our bodies? What are the consequences? What are the results? And oh, my, there are many. We could never address the Father in the intelligence and love that is demanded of such an approach if we had not the gift of the Holy Spirit. Because we are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, whereby we cry, Abba, our Father. That is, we respond to the Father in the same way as the Son did when He was here upon earth. Those two words are an indication of that. And I don't think they suggest that that's the completeness of it. It would indicate, I think, the intelligent approach to the Father and the response to Him, and only in the power of the Holy Spirit. Think of what Paul says, that no man can call Jesus Lord but by the power or in the power of the Holy Spirit. Demons, they say, curse on Jesus. No believer could possibly say that. A believer is inspired by the Spirit in reverence and intelligence and in what is due to the name of the Lord. And because they have the Holy Spirit, they're able to speak intelligently and reverently in connection with the Son of God. And then they think of the whole vast scheme of Christian privilege. And it's very, very great. And the Holy Spirit is the power by which it can be enjoyed and by which it can be fulfilled. And all the Christian responsibilities, and there are many, the Holy Spirit is the power by which we can put them into operation, by which we can fulfill them for the glory of God and for the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Christians, I think we all realize the awful power of temptation in our lives. And we've lived long enough to know that in ourselves, we're just unable to conquer that temptation, whatever it might be. And Satan knows definitely well the things that trip us up. Oh, praise God. We have a power that enables us to resist that temptation and to overcome it. We might have mentioned the verse in the first epistle of John, chapter 5, where it says, And this is the victory that gives us the victory over the world, even our faith, and that those who have believed in the Son of God obtain victory over the world. And the world is a great source of temptation to every believer. But faith in the Son of God helps the believer to overcome whatever temptation there is. And one can only speak very, very simply in how one has been helped in one's own life, that when temptation does come along, and when one is conscious of one's inability to overcome it, then there is the cry from the heart to the Lord. You ask Him to help. Why the Holy Spirit? Conscious that the Spirit is the power to overcome that particular form of evil. Know how thankful we are that we can all testify, I'm sure, every one of us, that when we do this, throwing our own resources overboard because they're pitiful and inadequate, and resting upon the power of the Holy Spirit, then we get help, and substantial help too. And so we can think of the indwelling Spirit as the power and resource for every feature of Christian living. That's a very wonderful thing. We're not left to our own resources. The Lord hasn't yet died. He hasn't gone through death. He hasn't ascended. He tells us plainly that the Holy Spirit was not yet given because the Lord was not yet glorified. We find in Acts chapter 2, we can see so reverently, He received the Spirit for the second time. You remember in His pathway to Jordan, He received the Holy Spirit marking Him out as the Messiah in order to fulfill His great function in order to do the will of God. And then, it says, Peter says, He has received this which you now see and hear, and that is the Holy Spirit bestowed upon His own here upon earth that they might be perhaps a pale reflection but a very true reflection of what He was when He was here upon earth. The reproduction in the lives of men and women of that glorious life in the power of the Holy Spirit. He shared it for them. He gave it to those who were for death, those who had believed on His name. Now we move over to chapter 16. In these chapters, chapters 13 to 16, we often find the Lord referring to that day. It's one of the key words. And He's anticipating the Spirit's day. The day when He would return to His Father and the Holy Spirit would be sent down at that day. There is a very similar statement in the prophecy of Isaiah. It's well worth reading in that day. And there the prophet is anticipating the glorious reign of Christ where as the Messiah, He shall rule for a thousand years for the benefit of Israel and the nations. And although it's not developed in Isaiah, we know it is in other parts that the church shall have part in that administration of glory and righteousness in that day. And well might we sing and long for that day. That day when Christ shall be supreme publicly, that day when we shall be blessed with Him. In the meantime, this is the Spirit's day. When the Spirit engages our hearts with Christ and with God the Father and all the things that are bagged up in the knowledge of them. So at that day He shall ask in my name that I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father Himself loveth you because He hath loved me and hath believed that I came out from God. Here is another form of belief in this glorious person and what a wonderful result. They believed that He came out from God. The Pharisees believed He was an imposter. Those who didn't believe in this they ridiculed His claims. They sought to kill Him for the things that He said and they refused to believe that He came out from God. Coming out from glory into this world in order to make God the Father known and the wondrous blessings that attach to Him. And so those who believe that He came out from God have this tremendous, shall I say, blessing and recompense. The Father loves them. The Father Himself loveth you because He hath loved me and hath believed that I came out from God. Isn't that enough, dear brethren, to send us on our way rejoicing this afternoon? The Lord's own words and we cannot possibly mistake them. The Father Himself loveth you. That's for every believer in the Son of God. And if the Father loves it must be a perfect love and a comprehensive love and a love that brings great benefits to the one who is loved. The Father Himself loveth you. And although Paul uses the name God in Romans 8, as far as I'm concerned I don't see any difference. He's a glorious person. And Paul says at the end of Romans 8 that there are many, many things, many things that exist and not one of them can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The love of the Father, the love of God so deep, so wonderful. And oh how marvelous to think that each one of us is blessed, is loved by this great and glorious person whom we know as God, our Father. The Father Himself loveth you. Oh what a statement. We can all take that. Hold it all with us this afternoon. We can all rest upon it and all the warmth and encouragement and comfort that it brings. No matter the circumstances. No matter the difficulties that we're passing through. No matter the frailty of our faith and belief. It stands true that all who believe in the Son of God are loved by the Father. And when we think of the Father's intention that is to land us in glory all conformed to the image of His Son. All like Him, there to be holy and without blame before Him in love. Surely we're arriving at the greatest thoughts of the Father for us. Not only to be sustained by the resource that He can give to us as we pass through this world, blessed as that is, but to see the completeness of the Father's love in having us in His presence like His Son not only for time but for all eternity. What is true positionally now will be true actually for never-ending ages. The Father's love. Doesn't the hymn say the Father's love? The source of all, sweeter than all that gives, rests on us now without a lie and lasts while Jesus lives. In that sense, it's death upon eternity. The Father's love. There's something sweet about it. The Father's love. He loves us because we love the Son and we have believed that He came out from God. Yes, we do not believe that He was a mere man who died and that was the end of Him as some people would like to believe. We believe that the heresy that was abundant at the time of John, they did not believe Jesus Christ coming in flesh. They did not believe a divine, glorious person coming out from the presence of God. They did not believe that. They did not believe that He came out from God and resisted that kind of teaching. And of course, it's prevalent today and Christ is relegated to a position equal to that of man, mortal man. No, says John, those who believe that He came out from God, they are specially the objects of the Father's love because they are acting in the face of prevailing sentiments, prevailing ideas in the world and are giving Christ His true place. And because of this, the Father loves them. The Father Himself, and I think there's an adage there, the Father Himself loveth you because He hath loved me and hath believed that I came out from God. Now we come back to John chapter 9. You know the story well of the man who was born blind. No one could help him. In fact, I suppose, no one sought to help him. They came into a position where it was inconceivable. Nothing could be done. The man was born blind and that was it. No one had ever been healed who was born blind. But he met the Son of God. He gave Him instructions which He followed. In some senses, we might think they were revolting. That mud should be made of spittle and placed upon his eyes and that this should be enough to make him see after he went to Siloam and washed off the clay. What he did is he was told. That's very, very important in Christian living. Sometimes we turn against the sharp edge of the word because it doesn't appeal to us. I can think of that man naturally saying, well, this is a hopeless kind of thing. Imagine clay made of a spittle being placed upon my eyes and if I go and wash, then I'll see. Well, it's a ridiculous thing I'm not going to do. In a sense, we wouldn't have blamed him if he had acted like that because that would be our natural reaction. But he didn't. It was the Son of God who was speaking to him and he believed what he was told and he went and he came to see Him. What a marvelous moment in his life he saw. And the first person he saw was the Son of God. And the Lord Jesus, he says to him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? Why, this man didn't know Him, had never heard of Him. He says, Who is he, Lord, that thou might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. He worshipped Him. Here is a belief linked with blessing that causes this man to worship the Son of God. Here is a definite statement by the Lord Jesus that he was the Son of God. We find him saying in an indirect way that he had said this in the past, Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, thou blest Themis, for I said, I am the Son of God. There is a clear statement. Then we find that his accusers at his trial on the cross said, He said that he was the Son of God, let God deliver him. Here we find him saying this again, Yes, I am the Son of God. And this great name, title, glory bowed the heart of this man in worship. And it ought to do the same for us. If we understand who he is and all his greatness and glory, the unique glory that belongs to him, because there is none like the Son of God, he stands unique and alone in this distinction, the only begotten Son. And this caused the man to bow down and worship Him. Oh, how thankful we are that we too are bowed in worship as we think of the greatness and glory of this person. He loved us. He gave himself for us. The Son of God loved me, said Paul, and gave himself for me. And not only that, but in association with Him, we stand before our God and Father in all the virtue of His glorious person and His glorious work. We could have no other standing like this before God, apart from being with Him and being in association with Him and in Him. How great He is. How infinitely great. And this requires divine revelation. This isn't something that we can approach or acquire through natural perception or intelligence. The wonderful Lord Jesus said to the disciples, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they gave different answers. Then He comes to them, Now what is your opinion? And Peter standing out, bold as he always was, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Blessed art thou, Simon of Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed the Son to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. The knowledge of the Son of God requires a revelation from the Father. Peter would never have understood who He was. It required a divine revelation to bring home to Peter the greatness of the Son of God. So this man, not only being told by the Lord that he was the Son of God, but also, because of the miracle of healing that had been done upon him, bowed his heart in worship. I think this is something that's true of ourselves. Oh, how much we owe to the Son of God. Oh, what blessings we are brought into in association with Him. And when we think of what He's done for us, when we think of what He still does for us, when we think of what He will yet do for us, oh, how right it is that we should worship Him. Oh, how infinitely great He is, God's own Son, so often Scripture presents Him in this way. And because we believe in Him, this leads us to the worship of Him, His glorious person. Now lastly, in chapter 1. I want you to notice this very carefully, because what I'm going to say might not be accepted by all, but I'm going to point out the reason for my statement. In verse 10, I want you to note the end of the verse, it says, the world knew Him not. Now pay attention to the negative. The world knew Him not. Now pay attention to the negative. The world knew Him not. The end of verse 11, says, His own received Him not. Now move over to verse 31, and John the Baptist is speaking. Just before we go there, verse 5. The end of verse 5, the darkness comprehended it not. Now we go over to verse 31, and the beginning of the verse says, and I knew Him not. At the end of verse 26, whom He know not. Now then, if you look at those statements very carefully, it tells us very simply, that there wasn't a person in the whole world, or any intelligence in the whole world, that accepted Christ. They didn't understand who He was. Every one of them. And we can't miss the plain statement of the scripture. Now I'm saying this because, it helps us to understand, what I'm going to read again to you. Verse 12. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power, to become the children of God, even to them that believed on His name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Now it's quite a common thing, for a person to say, on such and such a day, such and such a year, I was born again. And they say, well this was the day when I trusted the Lord Jesus as my Savior. Now I'm not going to quarrel with that expression, but it seems to me here, from the beginning of John's Gospel, that the reason why people believe on Christ, is because, first of all, they are born of God. Now if you follow closely, when I said, in these few references to the negatives, that that was comprehended enough, the world didn't know Him, His own didn't know Him, John the Baptist was the greatest born among women, He didn't know Him, the religious leaders didn't know Him, who then could know Him? And the truth is, apart from a divine work in the soul, which is new birth, not a single person would have received the Son of God. And this is what John's Gospel presents, the glorious work of God, in our hearts, by the Spirit, who draws to Christ, and this is reinforced by the words of the Lord Jesus, No man can come to me, except my Father draw him. And this is the dignity and glory, of the Gospel by John, as it presents blessing. It's not so much our repentance, in relation to our need, it's not so much our work, in following the Lord, because of some benefit we receive, it's rather the opposite. It's the divine work in the soul, that draws us to the Son, that opens our eyes to His greatness, and all this is the action that follows new birth. The activity of the Holy Spirit in the soul, producing our acceptance of Christ, or our belief in Him, this is what it says, even to them that believe on His name. Now, you might entirely disagree with what I've said, and I won't be offended if you do disagree with me, but I feel this with all my soul, that these negatives show clearly, that apart from a divine work, new birth, there would have been no acceptance of the Lord Jesus. All these different features that we mentioned, were blind, incapable, of understanding or appreciating, the glory of the Son of God. But, apart altogether, from what we might believe or disagree, it says plainly, as many as received Him, to them gave He power, to be the children of God. Now we know that when sons of God are mentioned, sons by adoption, it's a position that we are given, of dignity and nearness, that we have no right to. It was something given solemnly by God, a place of nearness and dignity, in relation to the place that the Son of God has before His Father. When we speak about children, it's because we are born, children by new birth, sons by adoption. I know that there are pictures of sonship, which are sons characteristically, sons of light, sons of day, and so on. But when we find this expression here, children of God, it is what they are, as the subjects of new birth. Now that's a marvelous thing. God should so love us. God should have such wondrous blessings for us. He should walk solemnly in us by His Spirit, and bring us into this nearness to Himself, with a nature, competent, able, to appropriate all that God makes known to us. And the Holy Spirit, the power to make it operate. How blessed we are. And this, through believing on His Son. Oh my dear friends, how wonderful. All hands together, there are very difficult to speak times, and that kind of thing, in connection with divine operations, yet all hands together, the new birth, the belief, the blessing, wonderful, wonderful fact, that we are the objects of such operations. Now these are only a few things, that we find in the Gospel by John, and in other parts of the world. Search them out for yourselves, a very fruitful source of study. What we derive from believing, on the name of God's own Son. Wondrous blessings. As we said at the beginning, let us be not only believers, but understand what it is to be receivers. Receiving all the things, that belong to us, through this wonderful belief. May it be so, in God's name. Amen. Let me say now, A.K. 5. A.K. 5. Oh Lord, thy works, unbounded, so good, so vast, so great, our thoughts are all confounded, whene'er we think of thee. For us, crowned capes from heaven, for us, to bleed and die, that, purchased and forgiven, we might ascend from heaven. Oh, loving God, we thank thee, we bless thy holy name. Thy love, once made thee willing, to bear our sin and shame, now thy love is willing, thy saints might be to raise, firstborn of many brethren, to thee, be all the praise. Amen. Amen. Right. As to the value of believing, …

… I'd like to continue the subject that we had before us last night, as to the value of believing in the Son of God, and things that can be derived from it. The first scripture is in John, chapter 11. John, chapter 11, and verse 17. Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already, that is Lazarus. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off. And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him. But Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wouldst ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus said unto her, My brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She said unto him, Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. Now chapter 12. And verse 44. Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me. I am come, a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. In a well-known portion, chapter 14. And verse 1. Let on your heart be trouble. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. That where I am, there ye may be also. Now verse 12. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also. And greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. Now lastly, chapter 20. Verse 24. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Bidamus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were with him, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the door being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord, and my God. Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name. Now you'll see again from the scriptures that we have read together, that they emphasize the importance of belief in this glorious person, the Son of God. As we said yesterday afternoon, it's not so much believing in a person who was here, an historical personage, but rather believing who he is. Believing what he said about himself. Believing the ministry that he brought. Believing all that was revealed through him, in connection with his God and Father, and with our blessings. And this belief, as we sought to show yesterday afternoon, brings many great blessings, much great encouragement to those who know him as the Son of God. We want to continue this then, and you know the story of Lazarus, how he died, and the Lord Jesus waited a considerable time until he went to the tomb. And then he called Lazarus by name, and Lazarus came out from amongst the dead, glorious demonstration of the glory of the Son of God. This had never been seen before. Here was the evidence that he was the Son of God. You remember in the epistle to the Romans, it was declared to be the Son of God by resurrection from among the dead. Now that's not particularly connected with the Lord's personal resurrection. We understand that the construction of the Greek indicates it's the resurrection of dead persons. And the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, was declared to be such when he raised Lazarus, the daughter of Jairus, the son of the widow woman. And there was a demonstration of his greatness and power as the Son of God. Well, he comes to the two sisters, and they're very upset, Martha and Mary. Mary perhaps showing the intelligence that faith brings. She sat quietly in the home, but Martha, the industrious one, she went to try and see what could be done. And she spoke to the Lord, and here we find him speaking to her. And he says, the verses that we've read together, Jesus said unto her, thy brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. This was something that was away in the distance as far as Martha was concerned. It wasn't something that she associated with the Lord's presence there. She knew that eventually there would be a resurrection. Even the Old Testament saints had this faith. But the Lord says, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Wonderful statement, this. I know that this statement of the Lord's is often read at the graveside when there is a burial. And I sometimes wonder if the joy of it and the truth of it is known by those who repeat it in such a pirate-like fashion. Read off the book, sometimes so cold with very little feeling in it, just part of a burial service. Now I'm sure if we enter in to the warmth and reality of this statement, its joy, its blessing, its power, its assurance, its confidence. I am the resurrection and the life. The Lord Jesus saying, all the hope in relation to death and life is centered in me. Without me, it has no meaning whatsoever. And he says, suppose a person dies, he shall live. Now we know that we have to turn to many other portions of the word of God to not exactly explain what the Lord meant, but to show how important a part it is in the Christian teaching. But when a Christian dies, it's not the end. The casket, as we heard at Weston-super-Mare, is that which is committed to the Lord and to the grave. The vessel of clay. The spirit has gone directly to be with Christ. But then there is to be a life. Life in a body. And a glorious body will be the portion of every believer in Christ. Now while they are living in the presence of Christ in their spirit, yet the final thought will be clothed upon, according to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, when every believer gone to be with Christ will receive the glorified body. The living, they'll be changed. The dead, they'll be raised. And every believer will be clothed upon with this wonderful body of glory which is similar to the Lord's body of glory. The Lord says, though he has died, he shall live. And these are the words of the Son of God himself. He's emphasizing in a most emphatic way that for those who believe in Christ, life is given a different kind of life. A life that death cannot touch. Some here might remember an older brother who used to serve amongst the saints, James McBroom. And he often said, what have we got that death cannot touch? And we say, praise God, we've got a life that death cannot touch. That receiving eternal life through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we have something that death cannot touch. Never. He that believeth in me, though he have died, yet shall he live. There's no doubt about it. They're words of assurance, words of confidence, words of power. And that's the position today. We believe in the Son of God. We die in faith. We fall asleep in Christ, whatever term you like to think of. And then when Christ comes, he'll raise us out from amongst the dead. We'll have that body of glory and we'll be with him forever. Consequent upon believing in Christ. And then he says, and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believe is found in this. And we say, yes, Lord, we do believe. Because these are the two parts that Paul refers to in the rapture. Those who have died in Christ. And those who are living at the time when the Lord comes. And they'll all receive this wonderful change. Wonderful thing that those who are living upon earth when the Lord comes will never die. They'll never go through death. They'll never know what the article of death is. Wonderful, wonderful dignity and blessing and privilege for those who are alive upon earth when the Lord comes. Never to go through death. Paul says, I would like to die. Oh, I would like to be like my master. And by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from amongst the dead. He says, my master died. I want to die too. He knew the power of resurrection. I want to know it too. How like the master Paul was. What the Lord is emphasizing is life. That because he is the resurrection and the life, then these things will be true of every believer. If a believer falls asleep in Christ, he'll be raised. If a believer is living upon earth, he'll be changed. And that's the wonderful hope that we have at the present moment. And never do we find in connection with a saint who dies, the thought that that's the end. If we read about a sleep, we know it has a reference to the body. Certainly not to the sleep of the soul as some teach. The sleep is connected with the body. The body is in a condition of sleep. And then the Lord, he awakens it by divine power and changes it completely. What a wonderful thing it is to be a Christian. If death does overtake us, oh the assurance that we have as we enter into it that all is well. That life is yet to be ours in the fullest possible sense. Our spirits go immediately to be with Christ. Oh what triumph, triumph there is in those words. I am the resurrection and the life. A positive statement. Our hopes, our confidence, they're bound up in Christ. The one who is the resurrection and the life. And the Lord says to Martha, believest thou this? Good question to ask at all times. Do we really believe it? Is it a statement in the Bible that we accept and has it entered into our souls? Do we really believe it? And if death should overtake us, all is well. We go immediately to be with Christ, waiting for the fulfillment of God's purpose for us. And we shall all be conformed to the image of God's Son. Think of how many people are frightened for death. Oh what fear there is in the hearts of men and women. Taking them away from everything they love. And they have nothing else. Awful thing. But the question is not like this. The Lord has shown me, says Peter, that shortly I'm going to put off my tabernacle. Paul says, I've reached the end of the course. I'm finished. I'm ready now to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Confident statements. Statements of power and blessing. Showing that they really believe what they have heard concerning Christ. It was an established matter with them. They were ready and they believed in the resurrection and the life. And then she says, yea Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, that should come into the world. Just one little remark about the statement of coming into the world. I think there are two ways in which we can view the coming of the Lord. The coming in service when publicly he comes after John the Baptist. That is his coming in public service. And you remember John the Baptist says, he who comes after me is before me what he was before me. John is taking a backward place in the one that's coming into public service. But then there's this initial coming, which is the incarnation. I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And I think this is the coming that's here, which should come into the world. Now we move on to chapter 12. Jesus cried and said, he that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. See here is what we've been referring to, that it's not only believing in a person who was here. A historical person, but a person who came with credentials from God. He stepped out from the presence of God and came into this world. That could not be said of any other person. Many persons might ascend into heaven, only one person came out of heaven. I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. Here we find a man with a mission. And as people believe on Christ, they're indicating that what God gave him to do was accomplished by him. They're not only believing in the Son, they're believing in the Father too. They're not only believing in the Son of Man, they're believing in God who sent him. And this is a very wonderful thing, that we view the whole scope of the coming of Christ. And see this was part of a plan, a definite plan. Not an afterthought. God's never in a crisis. God fulfills his purpose step by step. And so he sends his Son, his Son comes into the world, his Son accomplishes the will, the work that God gave him to do. It's wonderful to see this. It's all part of the one plan. Part of the great scheme whereby God could bring us to himself. He goes on to say, And he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me. What a wonderful statement that is. I might be sent as an ambassador from the Queen. I might say I've got the Queen's will to declare. But I couldn't possibly say that when persons see me, they see the Queen. They might see the Queen's authority, but they couldn't possibly see the Queen. But the Lord says, He that seeth me, seeth him that sent me. There he is the image of the invisible God. Again he says in chapter 14, He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. All that God is, his attributes, his nature, his glory, his greatness, has seen Christ. Isn't that a marvelous thing? Oh how great he was. Oh how great he is. He that seeth me, seeth him that sent me. Then he goes on to say, I am come a light into the world, and whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness. Now this is a simple thing that I want to draw your attention to. When we're talking about darkness, we're talking about spiritual darkness. Blind eyes, unable to see, not knowing where you're going. And all these things are true of those who do not believe in Jesus. Who do not believe in the Son of God. They may have a great deal of intellect. They may know a great deal about this world's affairs. As to their own future, as to the future of the world, as to what will happen, they know nothing at all. It's all darkness. How wonderful that simple people like ourselves, who believe in the Son of God, know something of the future in relation to ourselves and in relation to the world. This truth has entered into our hearts. The light has dispelled the darkness. You remember the psalmist who spoke about thy word is a light. The light my path. A lamp shone away from my feet. Well, this is what Christ did. Came into the world. Dispelled the darkness. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. And for the first time in the world's history, there was a man who dispelled the darkness and brought light into the lives of men and women. And brought light into the lives of people so that they could see. See which way they were going and look forward to the future of the greatest possible continents. Dear Christian friends, we are not in the darkness. We are sons of light. We are sons of the day. The darkness has been dispelled. The true light now shines. And oh, how wonderful that because we have believed in the Son, we have this confidence. We know where we're going. We know the course of this world. We know how things will shape. And we know God's great plan for the future. It's as plain as daylight in the word of God. That's the appropriate word to use too. It's plain as daylight because we are not in the darkness. We are following the Son of God. You remember it says, He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. You remember Paul says in the epistle to the Colossians, We have been transferred from the authority of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of God's love. The authority of darkness. Oh, how great that power is. And it really concerns us deeply, greatly that he seems to be making great inroads into a country where there was great light. And now the darkness seems to be sweeping over the land. How sad. Praise God, those who follow the Son of God. The darkness has been dispelled. And we have the light of another world in our hearts. How wonderful this is. And all through the New Testament we find this theme referred to again and again and again. And when we think of the final feature of it, at least one of the final features in the city, in the book of Revelation, It doesn't need any candle. Plenty of light there. Not a single vestige of darkness in any way whatsoever. Its light is the glory of God. Lightened with the glory of God. Wonderful place to be. Wonderful thing to look forward to. But wonderful at the present moment. Not to be in darkness. Not to be blind. The Pharisees were extremely religious. Very, very religious. Very punctilious in the way they obeyed all the conditions. But they were as dark as dark could be. They were blind. Didn't know where they were going. Didn't understand what the will of the Lord was. The Lord says, I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. We have to confess that there are many things that we don't know. That's not exactly darkness. We have to confess that there are some things very difficult to understand in the word of God. But that's something we can learn on our knees. But not to know where we're going. Not to know our ultimate destiny. Not to know what will happen in this world is darkness of the very worst kind. I remember when we were in Palestine about 18 years ago. Some of us were privileged to go into a place called the Tomb of the Kings. And we went into a square room about twice the size of this. And off from it were little passages. And in the passages there were little niches on the wall where presumably the bodies had lain. Well, the more we went into those little passages, we began to feel we were in a rabbit's world. And the guide, he had tapes. And he was showing us how to go, where to go. And his little light was burning. Well, after about ten minutes his little taper burned down and he would light another one and so on. Well, when we were coming back, we asked him, Adel, will we find our way back? You see, your taper went out. Will we find our way back? You would find it very difficult, he said, in the darkness. He says, I would find my way because I'm accustomed to this. So he was told, it's a good thing to have light, isn't it? Ah, yes, I know what you mean. I know what you mean. And Adel, though he was, he knew that we were referring to the light that comes from Christ. And oh, how wonderful it is. That where all is dark, moral and spiritual darkness, the labor in Christ knows to follow him. Because he is the light. And as we follow him and his teachings, we are set by never coming to any darkness that will hinder us spiritually. He is the light. And as we follow him, we are in the light too. Now, chapter 14. Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. When we read through the Gospel of John, we come face to face with plain statements that Christ is God. It states so emphatically in the opening verses. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. We've read, and we'll come to it in a few moments, that Thomas says, My Lord and my God. And the Lord Jesus didn't rebuke him for making that statement. And many, many other portions. Indeed, the Jews sought to stone him because he said God was his own father. Because by so saying, he was making himself equal with God. Twice over, that is in the Gospel by John. Because he said statements that made him equal with God. Here's another reference. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. Now, that statement coming from a mere man would be absolute blasphemy. The Lord Jesus is saying, You believe in God, I want you to believe in me too. Now, that would be blasphemy from any man. Coming from the lips of the Son of God, it was definitely correct. Here is a belief that warms the heart of every believer. When he opens up this wondrous truth concerning the Father's house. He says, You've got a troubled heart. You've got some heart trouble if you like. Well, he says, By believing in me, that trouble can be dispelled. It's often been noted that previous to this, the Lord Jesus was often troubled. Troubled in his spirit, distressed in his spirit for various reasons. Though how wonderful in the midst of all that was approaching for him, the cross and all that it meant to him, he could find time to comfort and encourage the hearts of his own. Let not your heart be troubled. My heart may be troubled as I think of approaching death and all the sorrow connected with it. I don't want your heart to be troubled. Oh, how considerate. He says, In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I think that's one of the many sweet statements that the Lord made. He's virtually saying, I wouldn't dream of keeping anything back from you. I want to tell you all that's in my heart. I want to encourage you and to show you what the end will be. Now here is real wonderful light that certainly dispels darkness. In my Father's house are many mansions or many abodes. Not everybody believes in what Brethren have taught, but I believe with all my heart that the Father's house is a conception of the blessing of God for every family that has been created, whether they are angels or Israel or the nations or the church, every family will be included, the whole concept of God's blessing. But there is a special place, the Lord says, for you, those who believe in Him, those who believe in His life and testimony, His death, His person, a special place for them. And He says, I go to prepare a place for you. Now that's a very comforting thing. The Lord had a special desire for His own. Some might say, what is He referring to His disciples? He's speaking to them. It's the disciples particularly that He's concerned about. Well, if you read all the other chapters, 15, 16, and the prayer in 17, you'll see that while He is praying for His disciples, He set the thinking of those who are going to follow, because particularly in His prayer, He says, So the Lord is taking into account all those who are going to receive Him through the ministry and service of the apostles and those who will follow. So we're all included in this. There's a place for us all, all those who believe in the Son. And this is a particular wonderful moment in time when we're privileged to take sides with a man who's been rejected and ridiculed and cast out, and yet we say, that's the man for us, the Son of God. We believe in Him. We believe all that He claimed. We believe His person. We believe in His work. We believe all that's written in the Word of God concerning Him. He says, Now, in our natural thinking, we might imagine someone going to prepare an elaborate room in a great mansion for special guests. And I suppose that's the kind of figure that the Lord is presenting to us. On the other hand, we believe that the preparation that is made is the fact that He, as man, has entered into the presence of God. And that is the guarantee that millions more will follow. He's the forerunner who has entered in. And the very term forerunner is an indication that there will be others who will be following. Now, I believe with all my heart that the Lord Jesus, having gone out of death, having ascended into the presence of God, has prepared the place in that sense that He's gone, as man, and thank God, all believers in Him will follow. That's a very, very wonderful thing. We've read in our history books and books about explorers and missionaries. They blazed the trail. They went first. They cut a path through the wilderness so that others could follow. And if we can use that reverently in connection with the Lord Jesus, how true it is of Him that He has shown the way. He is the way, as He says later on in this chapter. And He's gone to prepare that place for us. How wonderful. Then He says, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. I will come again. Oh, how wonderful these words are. They've been the hope and encouragement of believers down through the Christian testimony. Many believers, oh, how eagerly they looked for the coming of the Lord for many reasons. We think of that tremendous time of persecution during the Reformation, and I'm sure prior to that, the early ages of persecution in the first two centuries, two and a half centuries of the Church. Tremendous persecutions when thousands died and were treated in a most awful way. I'm sure many longed for the coming of the Lord. And also, those in the Reformation period being burned at the stake and tortured in many ways. And sad to say, thousands of believers today who are in prison and persecuted for their faith, I'm sure they're thinking the same thing. What a blessing it would be if the Lord came. What about us? In reasonable circumstances, affluent circumstances, have we longed for the coming of the Lord? That might be a bigger test than those who are passing through difficulties. I don't want to leave my nice home. I don't want to leave my young wife, my young husband, my family, my children. Young brother and his wife were in our home one night, and we were speaking about the coming of the Lord. And he said, Oh yes, we are looking, but I would like you to wait a little longer. They had just been married, and I suppose naturally, we can understand what their feelings were. And we've all had feelings more or less of that kind. The Lord says, I'm coming. And he says, I do want you to keep that hope right in your hearts. Because it's better than anything else. I will come again. You remember MacArthur when he had to leave the Philippines in the early part of the war? He said, I will come back. And he did, with an invading army, and secured the Philippines again. That was a mere mortal man with all the backing of nations behind him. But here is this glorious man, the Son of God, and he says he'll come back again. Come back, not dictated to by anything that pertains to earth. Come back, within the fulfillment of God's purpose for us. And whether it's persecution, or whether it's conditions of peace, we should all be concerned that this is perhaps the greatest thing that we can consider the return of the Lord Jesus for us. I will come again. Is it conceivable that this promise will not be fulfilled? Not that we know who the Son of God is. David Livingstone, the former Scottish explorer, he said that the Lord Jesus was a gentleman who never broke his word. And how true that was in his life. He proved this over and over again, the reality of trusting Christ. So it is here, I will come again. I would think that the Lord would look favorably on a little company like this, a company reading his own words, I will come again. And what an opportune moment that would be to go from here, right into his presence, glorifying, reading his own words, anticipating his own coming. We were concerned about his coming. Oh, what a wonderful thing that would be. I will come again. Then he says, receive you unto myself, where I am, there he may be also. Now, those mentions of the personal pronoun are very, very sweet indeed. He says, I'm not going to take you to heaven. I'm not going to take you to glory. That would be a wonder of the truth. But he says, I'm going to receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And here we have the feelings of the Lord in relation to his own. Those for whom he bled and died, he says, I want them beside me, just where I am. And what can be greater than to be with Christ? I remember reading about that statement, I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. And another went to visit a dear servant of the Lord, and he thought to comfort him. But he misquoted. He says, I know in whom I have believed. And the brother stopped. No, no, no, no, no, no. He says, I don't want a preposition between myself and the Lord. I know whom I have believed. And that's the great thing. And so it is here, the Lord wants us just to be in his presence. Nothing between. Nothing to hinder. We have to confess that many things hinder the enjoyment of the Lord in our lives. Our own foolishness, our own waywardness, things that get into our lives that push the Lord out. Oh, here he says, I'm going to bring you to this prepared place where I am, and there will be no sin, and there will be no foolishness, there will be no attacks of the enemy, no attacks of the world, no attacks of the flesh. Oh, what a marvelous place. And if we read those opening verses in Revelation 21, and John says, this won't be there, and that won't be there, and he mentions the things that won't be there, and we say, my, it must be a wonderful place, because we all know what tears are, we all know what pains are, we all know what death is, we all know what sorrow and crying is. Oh, we know these things. And when they're not there, what a wonderful place it must be. But the greatest of all, Christ will be there. And every saint near to him, and in conditions when they can respond to him in affection and intelligence. Now, where I am, there he may be also. Now, the next scripture is in chapter, verses 12 to 14. He says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father. Now, I honestly believe that this was perfectly fulfilled in the lives of the disciples, when they depended upon the gift of the Holy Spirit, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the fulfillment of the Lord's promise. Greater works. Well, just let's take one. When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, 3000 souls were converted. The Lord never had that experience in his life. When he appeared in resurrection, he appeared unto 500 brethren at once. Maybe a little more. 500 brethren. And we can always say that that was, if not the sum total of his life upon earth, very, very near to him. But yet, Peter, preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit, is used of the Lord to bring 3000 souls into blessing. And then, further on, we find, I think it's another 5000 that are converted. The dead are raised. People are healed. The news spreads out from the confines of Jerusalem and out from the confines of Palestine into the whole world, into Europe, and into the Near East. The word goes out, the servants of the Lord taking it with them. I think it's in that context that the Lord speaks about greater works. I cannot think for one moment that anything I can say or do will be greater than what the Lord said or did. That would be blasphemy. But the Lord, I think, is showing the expansion of the work that would be consequent upon his death and resurrection and ascension and descending down on the Holy Spirit. Now, I've said this often recently and I believe it to be true. When the Lord Jesus came into the world as a little babe, how few there were that found him. How few. Aged people. Elderly people. A few apparently insignificant people. Certainly not the elite of the land. Just a few. I think that's a tremendous indictment against the law. That's all that the law could provide. Those who were obedient to it. That's all that it could provide. A mere handful at the coming of the Lord into this world. What will it be when Christ comes again? My, what a harvest. Millions of people upon earth who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I saw a brother writing recently. A very brother, a brother wrote recently and he said in his estimation he believes that 25 million Christians in China at the present moment in spite of all the persecution against them and all the hatred that was hurled upon them in the cultural revolution he believes in his estimation at least 25 million Chinese. Mind, it's a nation of a billion people so that's quite a slice out though. 25 million. And I believe if we knew the facts in relation to Russia we would be amazed at the Christians there. Sad to say we're a bit down to scale as far as blessing is concerned in this country when we consider that about 60 million people in Britain a very, very small proportion of them real born again Christians. And yet if we take the aggregate all over the world every nation in the world provides some quota at least nearly every nation. Oh, what a change when the Lord comes. Millions of people waiting to hear that shout and all go to see him. I believe this is the evidence of the greater works. The thousands and millions who are waiting to receive him. The evidence of the greatness of the death and resurrection of Christ and the service of the Holy Spirit. Now we move on lastly I see the time is nearly gone. Chapter 20. Very sad about Thomas. We don't know why he missed that initial visitation from the Lord. He wasn't with the other disciples. It's often being brought forward as a warning to us not to stay away from the gatherings of the believers when they gather to the name of the Lord Jesus. We might be missing something. Well, Thomas, he certainly missed a great deal. He missed that initial coming of the Lord to his own when the disciples were glad to see the Lord. He said, I'm not going to believe. You can say what you like. I don't believe it. I won't believe it until I can put my fingers into the marks on his body. Well, the Lord very graciously came again particularly, I believe, for Thomas' sake. And Thomas, it was to his credit that when he saw this and was able to do what he wanted to do all his doubts vanished. And he refers to the Lord in this way. My Lord and my God. There isn't any doubt at all that it foreshadows the nation of Israel and their attitude to the Lord. First of all, unbelieving. And then, according to the mind of the prophet what are those wounds at their last in my hand? So what? These are the wounds I received in the house of my friend. And then the nation comes to the realization that the one whom they despise Jesus of Nazareth is really and truly their Messiah. And Thomas' confession is an indication of what the nation of Israel will do in a coming day in response to Christ. And never let us forget that it was an actual incident and the disciples saw the Lord and confessed him as his Lord and his God. God was standing before Thomas in the person of the Son of God. God manifests in flesh. But then the Lord says a remarkable thing. Thomas, you've seen and you have believed you're a true Jew. The Jews require a sign before they believe. But he says, blessed are those who haven't seen and have believed. And that brings us in. We've never seen the Lord. We've never seen those things that he did. We've never heard his voice. All that we have is in here and we accept in faith. And ours is the most blessed portion. Ours is the most privileged portion. That we haven't seen him, the Lord, we haven't heard him but we believe in him. By faith we appropriate these things and the Lord says ours is the most blessed portion. Because being brought into the faith scene we anticipate great blessings that Israel won't have and that's not disparaging Israel in any way whatsoever because their blessings will be perfect in relation to the promises that God gave to them. But to be united to Christ to form part of his bride to be living here for him in testimony and to be looking for him coming and many many other things is more blessing than actually seeing him as the Jews will in the future and have to confess their failure ours is the better place. O how wonderful that we are waiting for him the one whom having not seen we love. Praise God for that. We cannot boast of our love, not one of us but we can claim sincerely that it is there. We love him for all that he has done for us we love him for all that he is and we worship him accordingly. So you can see what tremendous advantages there are in believing in the Son of God. Now I hope that these few remarks yesterday afternoon and this afternoon will emphasize to our hearts in a deeper and fuller way what a dignified thing it is to be a believer a believer in the Son of God. May it be so. Praise be to God. …