John 4:46-54 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman… This appears to be the easiest of rules. But practically none is harder; certainly none is so little kept. I. Between man and man THE SOCIAL LAW OF FAITH IS SO STRICT THAT IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT A MAN SAYS YOU ARE HELD TO COMMIT THE GREATEST WRONG YOU CAN INFLICT UPON HIM. And God has the same sense of jealousy for His own truthfulness, and the same indignant feeling of wrong and outrage when His Word is questioned. Unbelief is giving God the lie. It is no light thing to treat any word of God as an unreality; it is an insult thrown in His face. II. WHO DOES TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD? The timid man? the unhappy man? the loiterer? the man who has no peace? the man who doubts his interest? the man who puts away the promises? Can any one of these escape the condemnation? III. ARE WE TAKING GOD AT HIS WORD? 1. God says, "All have sinned." Do you realize yourself a helpless sinner? 2. Jesus said, "It is finished." "Have you accepted your salvation as a finished thing, or are you thinking "I must do something to secure my salvation?" 3. He says, "He that cometh unto Me," etc. Do you say, "I fear He will not receive me." 4. He says "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." But you say, "No, not quite all." 5. He says to penitents. "You are forgiven now;" but you read it, "I shall be forgiven by and by." 6. He says, "Take no thought — I will provide." But you are anxious. Is all this taking God at His word? IV. THE MEANS OF CULTIVATING THE BLESSED ART. 1. You must go back to the simplicities of childhood. If its confidence has not been abused a little child takes everybody at his word, and never suspects anybody. 2. You must take honouring views of what God's Word is. The Spirit of God Himself is in that Word. 3. You must acquaint yourself with the Speaker. How shall we trust the Word if we do not trust the Speaker? (J. Vaughan, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. |
    |