John 5:31-40 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.… I. THE PLAN OF SALVATION, coming to Christ. There must be personal contact between Christ and your spirit. Faith, like a hand, must spiritually grasp Him. 1. The text implies that we are to come to Jesus Christ for everything, for life includes all that is needful to salvation and salvation itself. 2. Christ gives us actual spiritual life and judicial life, so that we are saved from condemnation. 3. This way of coming to Christ is the only way, for "there is none other name," etc. 4. It is a sure and open way. None have ever tried it and failed. The Fountain has never been closed. II. YOUR POSITION IN REFERENCE TO THIS PLAN OF SALVATION. 1. I would have you get alone and say deliberately, "I will not come," etc. 2. You will not because you have not. (1) Some of you say softly, "I cannot." This is the same as "will not." If you had the will you would have the power. (2) Others, "I dare not." Turn that the other way, "I dare not refuse to come." 3. Think of what you are spurning. (1) Life eternal, and the day will come when you will think with anguish that you have despised it. (2) Christ Himself, incarnate, dying, glorified. (3) You refuse to come to Him. Not to Sinai, but to Calvary. Salvation is worth Christ dying for, but not worth your thinking about. 4. Think of why you will not come. (1) Do you hope to find salvation somewhere else? This is what the Jews did and failed: so will you. (2) Is it some secret sin? (3) Sheer frivolity perhaps. If you must play, play with something cheaper than the blood of Christ, something less precious than your souls. III. WHAT WILL BE THE RESULT OF THIS? I suppose some of you think you will come to Jesus some day. Why not now? Every day adds to the chances that you never will come to Christ. And if not you must die eternally. What is that? Ask those who know — Dives. IV. LET US HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE A CHANCE TO-NIGHT. 1. You may come. Christ invites; the Spirit and the Bride say, Come! 2. Respond, "I will come." (C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. |
    |