August 28, 2025 • 21 mins
How does God make Himself known in a world drowning in noise? What happens when the eternal Word—the very Creator—steps into His creation? Pastor Harry takes us deep into John 1:6-13, unpacking the profound revelation of how light entered our darkness.
At the heart of this passage stands John the Baptist, divinely commissioned as the first witness to Christ. Far from generating light himself, his sole purpose was to point to it. This reflects our own calling as believers—not to shine our own light but to reflect His glory. The Greek term "martyria" (witness) reminds us that true testimony often comes at great cost, challenging our modern tendency to exchange the gospel of self-denial for messages of comfort and prosperity.
Most startling is the tragic rejection described: "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." The Creator entered His creation only to face rejection from those who should have recognized Him first. Yet amid this darkness shines an incomparable hope—"to all who did receive him...he gave the right to become children of God." This new birth comes not from human will or effort but solely from God's sovereign grace. Even the faith through which we believe is described as a divine gift, guarding us against pride and establishing salvation as entirely of grace.
Whether you're wrestling with questions about God's sovereignty in salvation, struggling to be an effective witness, or seeking to understand what it truly means to be "born of God," this episode offers biblical clarity and spiritual encouragement. Join the conversation by texting us your questions for our upcoming Q&A episode!
Please visit www.chosenbydesign.net for more information on Pastor Harry’s new book, "Chosen By Design - God’s Purpose for Your Life."
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
What does it mean for the word to be made known In a
world filled with noise,ideologies and conflicting truth
claims?
How do we recognize the voiceof God?
In today's episode, pastorHarry takes us to John, chapter
1, verses 6 to 13, where theApostle John reveals how the
light entered the world and howit was both testified to and
(00:31):
tragically rejected.
We'll examine the divinemission of John the Baptist, the
mystery of unbelief and theglorious truth of new birth that
comes not from man but from God.
These verses confront us with aquestion every soul must face
Will you receive the light orwill you turn away?
(00:53):
Join Pastor Harry as he unpackswhat it means to be a true
witness, how salvation reallyhappens and what it means to be
born of God.
Here's Pastor Harry Behrenswith today's teaching.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Hello, welcome again to the Takeaway.
I'm your host, pastor HarryBehrens, and in today's episode
we're continuing our journeythrough the Gospel of John with
a powerful section titled theWord Made Known.
We'll be exploring John 1,verses 6-13, a passage that
holds both theological weightand personal application.
This text not only teaches usabout John the Baptist's mission
(01:36):
, but also challenges us toconsider the nature of belief,
rejection and spiritual rebirth.
Now, before we dive in, let'stake a moment to reflect on
where we've been In our firsttwo episodes.
We opened the Gospel of Johnwith a bold declaration in the
beginning was the Word, and theWord was with God, and the Word
was God.
(01:57):
We explored the eternal natureof Jesus, the Logos, who was not
only present at creation butwas himself the agent of
creation.
Jesus is not just from God, heis God.
We then saw that in him waslife, and the life was the light
of men.
We examined how Jesus is thegiver of both physical and
(02:19):
spiritual life.
As Genesis reminds us, godbreathed life into man and, in
the same way, the life thatJesus gives awakens the soul.
But we also saw the tension.
The light shines in thedarkness and the darkness has
not overcome it.
Christ is victorious, yet manystill walk in blindness.
(02:39):
That sets the stage for today'stext.
What happens when the lightenters the world?
How does God make himself knownand how do people respond?
Now let's turn to John'spowerful insight into the one
who's sent to prepare the way.
In John, chapter 1, verse 6 to8, we read there was a man sent
(03:00):
from God whose name was John.
He came as a witness to bearwitness about the light.
John the Apostle establishes acritical truth the light of the
world, jesus Christ, did notarrive without testimony.
(03:23):
God sent a forerunner, a voicecrying in the wilderness, a man
named John.
In the Jewish legal system,truth required confirmation by
two or three witnesses.
We see this in Deuteronomy 19,verse 15.
It says Only on the evidence oftwo witnesses or of three
(03:43):
witnesses shall a charge beestablished.
John the Baptist was the firstpublic witness to Christ,
followed later by the Father.
In John 5, verse 37, it saysand the Father who sent me has
himself borne witness about me.
Jesus' own works.
In John 5, verse 36, for theworks that the Father has given
(04:05):
me to accomplish, bear witnessabout me.
And then the scriptures in John5, verse 39.
You search the scriptures.
It is they that bear witnessabout me and the Holy Spirit in
John 15, verse 26.
John's role was not to generatelight, but to point to it.
(04:28):
What's remarkable is how farGod went to affirm his son.
The law required only two orthree witnesses to confirm a
matter and remove all doubt, butthe father, in his abundant
wisdom, went beyond the minimum.
He provided not just sufficientproof, but overwhelming
testimony.
Five distinct witnesses arelisted in John's gospel John the
(04:53):
Baptist, the Father himself,the miraculous works of Jesus,
the scriptures, and then theHoly Spirit.
But there is yet a sixth one,not explicitly named in this
passage, but powerfully impliedin the unfolding and redemptive
history the church, you and I.
We are now called to stand asliving witnesses of his lordship
(05:15):
, his deity and his glory.
So consider this divine patternpattern John the Baptist, the
forerunner, the father whoglorifies the son, the works of
Jesus, which only God can do,the scriptures that testify from
the beginning, and the HolySpirit, who reveals and convicts
.
And then the church, christ'sbride made alive to reflect his
(05:38):
glory.
God did not merely meet thestandard, he exceeded it,
silencing every excuse andsatisfying even the harshest
skeptic.
The only question that remainsis will we bear witness or will
we stay silent while the lightshines?
Acts, chapter 1, verse 8,.
(05:58):
But you will receive power whenthe Holy Spirit has come upon
you and you will be my witnessesin Jerusalem and in all Judea
and Samaria and to the end ofthe earth.
Now, the word for witness inGreek is martyria, from which we
get the word martyr.
(06:19):
This is not incidental.
The call to witness is a callto sacrifice and to
truth-telling, regardless of thecost.
But sadly, in much of today'sChristian culture we've traded
the blazing fire of the truegospel for a flickering glow of
comfort, prosperity and personalsuccess.
The message that once calledmen and women to deny themselves
(06:43):
, take up their cross and followChrist has been repackaged into
one of self-fulfillment andworldly happiness.
But that gospel, if we can callit that, lacks power.
It does not glorify God, itglorifies man.
It places human desire abovedivine purpose and treats God as
a means to an end rather thanthe end himself.
(07:06):
But if we would just open ourBibles and believe what it says,
we would see it's all about hisglory, not ours.
And God is glorified not in ourcomfort, but often in our
suffering.
Now that may sound heavy, butit is actually the gateway to
hope, because our God is in thebusiness of resurrection.
(07:29):
When we suffer for Christ, wedeclare his resurrection power
in two ways First, by sufferingfor the one who has risen and
second, by knowing that weourselves have already been
raised with him.
Now, I say already becausethat's the language of scripture
.
Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 4,says he chose us in him before
(07:54):
the foundation of the world.
And Ephesians, chapter 2, verse6, says he raised us up with
him, seated us with him in theheavenly places, in Christ Jesus
.
That's not future tense, that'spresent.
Spiritually we are alreadyseated with Christ.
Yes, it's hard to grasp, Iunderstand.
Our flesh is here, still aging,still hurting, but spiritually,
(08:18):
truly, we are in him and he isin us, as 1 John 4, 13 says.
By this we know that we abidein him and he in us, because he
has given us of his spirit.
So if he is seated at the righthand of God and we are in him,
then where are we?
(08:38):
In the flesh we're here, but inthe spirit we are already in
eternal fellowship with theFather.
Past, present and future.
We are known, loved andpositioned in Christ.
Now, if that's hard to graspnow, take heart.
One day, when you shed thisflesh and enter fully into the
(08:59):
spirit, you'll see clearly whatis now only seen by faith that
he has always known you, that heformed you and that he saved
you for a purpose.
And that purpose is this to beHis witness for and of His glory
.
We are not the light, but weare called to reflect it.
(09:22):
A faithful witness doesn'tpoint to self but to the Savior.
Luke 1.13-17 and Isaiah 40.3confirm John's divine calling.
A voice cries In the wildernessprepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert ahighway for our God.
God planned John's ministry fromthe beginning.
(09:43):
His whole life existed to makeChrist known.
So let me ask are we living tomake Jesus known or ourselves
known?
John, chapter 1, verses 9 to13,.
The true light which giveslight to everyone, was coming
into the world.
He was in the world and theworld was made through him.
Yet the world did not know him.
(10:05):
He came to his own and his ownpeople did not receive him.
But to all who did receive him,who believed in his name, he
gave the right to becomechildren of God who were born
not of blood, nor the will ofthe flesh, nor the will of man
but of God, nor the will of manbut of God.
Now, this is a staggering truth.
The creator entered his owncreation and was rejected by it.
(10:29):
He came to his own and his ownpeople did not receive him.
The Greek terms highlight thistragedy.
His own refers to his owndomain, the world he made, then
his own people this would beIsrael who had the prophecies
and promises yet still rejectedhim.
Isaiah 53.3 says he wasdespised and rejected by men.
(10:53):
But here's the good news To allwho did receive him, who
believed in his name, he gavethe right to become children of
God.
Now, that sounds like humanchoice, doesn't it?
To all who did receive him, whobelieved in his name, many
point to this verse to provethat it is our choice to receive
him and believe.
But verse 13 goes on to say norof the will of the flesh, nor
(11:21):
of the will of man, but of God.
When we get to John, chapter 3,we will see Jesus go into
greater detail with Nicodemus onwhat it is to be born again.
But as we see here, it startswith the will of God and it ends
with the will of God.
Not of blood, family history orgenealogy.
(11:41):
Not of the will of flesh.
That would be something in usthat wanted God, not of the will
of man.
That would be we chose him, butit says we didn't.
If your will was free to choose, then why does it say here you
didn't?
This verse is clear and doesn'trequire any explanation to make
(12:02):
it say anything other than whatit says.
However, many people will spenda great deal of time trying to
explain why this doesn't saywhat it clearly says, which is
that you and I didn't do or willto do anything, and that it was
solely the will of God thatsaved us, chose us and ordained
(12:22):
us to be what and who we are.
That is the clear andstraightforward reading of the
text.
So why did God do it this way?
For his purpose, and thatpurpose is for his glory, not
ours.
This is the beauty of whattheologians call monergistic
regeneration that salvation isthe work of God alone, from
(12:44):
beginning to end.
He is not only the creator ofthe universe, but also the sole
initiator of our spiritualrebirth.
Just as Christ brought forthphysical life and creation, he
alone brings forth spirituallife in our hearts, even the
faith we need to believe in him.
Yes, even that is a gift.
(13:06):
We didn't wake up one day anddecide to believe in Jesus out
of our own intellect or will.
Scripture makes it abundantlyclear, ephesians, chapter two,
verses eight and nine for bygrace, you have been saved
through faith, and this is notyour own doing.
It is the gift of God, not aresult of works, so that no one
(13:26):
may boast.
Faith is not earned, it is notdiscovered, it is not mustered
up, it is given.
Romans, chapter 12, verse 3,says For by grace given to me, I
say to everyone among you notto think of himself more highly
than he ought to think, but tothink with sober judgment, each
(13:50):
according to the measure offaith that God has assigned.
Paul reminds us that not onlyis faith given, it is given in
measure, according to God's wiseand sovereign will.
This guards us from pride andinvites us into a life of
stewardship.
You may have more faith or lessthan someone else, but what
(14:11):
matters is what you do with whatyou've been given.
Faith is not a trophy, it is atrust, and each of us, one day,
will give account for how werespond to what God has
graciously poured into our lives.
Now, before we close, there'sone more vital distinction.
We need to understand thedifference between unbelief and
(14:35):
unforgivable sin.
In Matthew, chapter 12, verses31 to 32, jesus gives a sobering
warning.
Therefore, I tell you, everysin and blasphemy will be
forgiven, people, but theblasphemy against the Spirit
will not be forgiven.
And whoever speaks a wordagainst the Son of man will be
forgiven, but whoever speaksagainst the Holy Spirit will not
(14:58):
be forgiven, either in this ageor in the age to come.
Now, this is not about momentarydoubt, confusion or ignorance.
It is about a final, willfulrejection, a full awareness of
the truth and yet a hard-hearteddecision to oppose the Holy
(15:19):
Spirit's testimony about Christ.
Let's be clear Unbelief in andof itself is a forgivable sin.
The Apostle Paul is livingproof In 1 Timothy, chapter 1,
verse 13,.
He writes though formerly I wasa blasphemer persecutor and
insolent opponent, but Ireceived mercy because I had
(15:43):
acted ignorantly in unbelief.
Paul's story shows thatignorance can be met with mercy.
But once the light is fullyrevealed, once the truth of
christ is made known by thespirit and a person knowingly,
persistently and arrogantlyrejects it, that's not mere
unbelief, that's blasphemyagainst the Spirit.
(16:06):
John 6, verse 44, underscoresthis truth.
No one can come to me unlessthe Father who sent me draws him
, and I will raise him up on thelast day.
Now, no one believes unless Goddraws them.
And without that divine drawing, every person would ultimately
(16:27):
reject the gospel, no matter howclearly it was presented.
But here's the grace when Godchooses to reveal himself, he
overcomes our blindness, just ashe did with Paul in Acts 9,
verse 15.
Go for he is a choseninstrument of mine to carry my
name before the Gentiles andkings and the children of Israel
(16:48):
.
God didn't just forgive Paul.
He commissioned him not becausePaul sought him out, but
because Paul was chosen.
Persistent rejection, on theother hand, reveals a heart that
has not been born of God.
It is the fruit of the flesh,not of faith, and if Christ's
(17:08):
atonement didn't cover unbelief,then no one could be saved.
But praise God for what we readin Hebrews 10, verse 14 reminds
us, for by a single offering,he has perfected for all time
those who are being sanctifiedNow.
Who are those?
Well, that's the elect, thosewhom God has drawn, redeemed and
(17:34):
sealed as his own.
So where does that leave us?
Jesus came into the world tobring light.
He is the light, and he hascalled us to witness of that
light, just like John.
But witnessing starts withworship, with wonder, with a new
birth.
We cannot testify to a lightwe've never seen.
(17:57):
So I ask you have you receivedhim?
Have you believed in his name,not just intellectually, but
with the kind of faith thatflows from a heart reborn by God
?
Do you point to Christ, or areyou still clinging to your own
light?
(18:17):
Let's pray, father God.
We thank you for your word.
Let's pray, father God, wethank you for your word.
We thank you for this messageand the truth, to understand who
you are and what you've doneand for what purpose you have
done.
All things that we can discoverhow to enter into the light and
live in the light and proclaimthe light to glorify you and
glorify you fully.
God, I pray that you would openand soften the hearts of our
(18:40):
listeners today, that, for thosewho are truly seeking you, god,
that you would send your spiritinto their lives, that they
would be reborn and born anewand proclaim your greatness,
understanding what it is theyhave been forgiven from.
They have been forgiven oftheir unbelief, the rejection in
which they were born in.
(19:01):
They were born dead, servingsin and only sin, unable to come
to the truth.
But you set us free, god.
You gave us a new heart and anew life and a new purpose to
proclaim your greatness, toproclaim your glory and to take
part in it, that we may have thefullness of our Lord's joy.
(19:21):
Father, we love you and wethank you for this truth In
Jesus' name, amen.
As always, we thank you forjoining us today and I hope this
episode has helped you take astep closer in your relationship
with Jesus and that you have abetter and deeper understanding
of just how much God loves youand wants you to know him.
In our next episode, we're goingto take a moment to pause and
(19:43):
reflect on the last threeteachings and dedicate the time
to answering your questions.
So if something sparkedcuriosity, stirred your heart or
left you wanting clarity, Iwould love to hear from you.
You could just use the text uslink in the episode description
to send in your questions andcomments.
Your input truly matters.
It really helps us shape futureepisodes that speak directly to
(20:06):
your walk with Christ and thethings you're walking through,
and remember.
Every fourth episode in thisseries is set aside for exactly
this to answer your questionsand help you go deeper.
So please don't hesitate toreach out.
It's our hope that thisministry will continue to be a
tool to reach the lost and equipthe saints for a life that
(20:27):
brings glory to God.
God bless and we'll see younext time on the Takeaway.
Thank you.
What does it mean for the word to be made known In a
world filled with noise,ideologies and conflicting truth
claims?
How do we recognize the voiceof God?
In today's episode, pastorHarry takes us to John, chapter
1, verses 6 to 13, where theApostle John reveals how the
light entered the world and howit was both testified to and
(00:31):
tragically rejected.
We'll examine the divinemission of John the Baptist, the
mystery of unbelief and theglorious truth of new birth that
comes not from man but from God.
These verses confront us with aquestion every soul must face
Will you receive the light orwill you turn away?
(00:53):
Join Pastor Harry as he unpackswhat it means to be a true
witness, how salvation reallyhappens and what it means to be
born of God.
Here's Pastor Harry Behrenswith today's teaching.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Hello, welcome again to the Takeaway.
I'm your host, pastor HarryBehrens, and in today's episode
we're continuing our journeythrough the Gospel of John with
a powerful section titled theWord Made Known.
We'll be exploring John 1,verses 6-13, a passage that
holds both theological weightand personal application.
This text not only teaches usabout John the Baptist's mission
(01:36):
, but also challenges us toconsider the nature of belief,
rejection and spiritual rebirth.
Now, before we dive in, let'stake a moment to reflect on
where we've been In our firsttwo episodes.
We opened the Gospel of Johnwith a bold declaration in the
beginning was the Word, and theWord was with God, and the Word
was God.
(01:57):
We explored the eternal natureof Jesus, the Logos, who was not
only present at creation butwas himself the agent of
creation.
Jesus is not just from God, heis God.
We then saw that in him waslife, and the life was the light
of men.
We examined how Jesus is thegiver of both physical and
(02:19):
spiritual life.
As Genesis reminds us, godbreathed life into man and, in
the same way, the life thatJesus gives awakens the soul.
But we also saw the tension.
The light shines in thedarkness and the darkness has
not overcome it.
Christ is victorious, yet manystill walk in blindness.
(02:39):
That sets the stage for today'stext.
What happens when the lightenters the world?
How does God make himself knownand how do people respond?
Now let's turn to John'spowerful insight into the one
who's sent to prepare the way.
In John, chapter 1, verse 6 to8, we read there was a man sent
(03:00):
from God whose name was John.
He came as a witness to bearwitness about the light.
John the Apostle establishes acritical truth the light of the
world, jesus Christ, did notarrive without testimony.
(03:23):
God sent a forerunner, a voicecrying in the wilderness, a man
named John.
In the Jewish legal system,truth required confirmation by
two or three witnesses.
We see this in Deuteronomy 19,verse 15.
It says Only on the evidence oftwo witnesses or of three
(03:43):
witnesses shall a charge beestablished.
John the Baptist was the firstpublic witness to Christ,
followed later by the Father.
In John 5, verse 37, it saysand the Father who sent me has
himself borne witness about me.
Jesus' own works.
In John 5, verse 36, for theworks that the Father has given
(04:05):
me to accomplish, bear witnessabout me.
And then the scriptures in John5, verse 39.
You search the scriptures.
It is they that bear witnessabout me and the Holy Spirit in
John 15, verse 26.
John's role was not to generatelight, but to point to it.
(04:28):
What's remarkable is how farGod went to affirm his son.
The law required only two orthree witnesses to confirm a
matter and remove all doubt, butthe father, in his abundant
wisdom, went beyond the minimum.
He provided not just sufficientproof, but overwhelming
testimony.
Five distinct witnesses arelisted in John's gospel John the
(04:53):
Baptist, the Father himself,the miraculous works of Jesus,
the scriptures, and then theHoly Spirit.
But there is yet a sixth one,not explicitly named in this
passage, but powerfully impliedin the unfolding and redemptive
history the church, you and I.
We are now called to stand asliving witnesses of his lordship
(05:15):
, his deity and his glory.
So consider this divine patternpattern John the Baptist, the
forerunner, the father whoglorifies the son, the works of
Jesus, which only God can do,the scriptures that testify from
the beginning, and the HolySpirit, who reveals and convicts
.
And then the church, christ'sbride made alive to reflect his
(05:38):
glory.
God did not merely meet thestandard, he exceeded it,
silencing every excuse andsatisfying even the harshest
skeptic.
The only question that remainsis will we bear witness or will
we stay silent while the lightshines?
Acts, chapter 1, verse 8,.
(05:58):
But you will receive power whenthe Holy Spirit has come upon
you and you will be my witnessesin Jerusalem and in all Judea
and Samaria and to the end ofthe earth.
Now, the word for witness inGreek is martyria, from which we
get the word martyr.
(06:19):
This is not incidental.
The call to witness is a callto sacrifice and to
truth-telling, regardless of thecost.
But sadly, in much of today'sChristian culture we've traded
the blazing fire of the truegospel for a flickering glow of
comfort, prosperity and personalsuccess.
The message that once calledmen and women to deny themselves
(06:43):
, take up their cross and followChrist has been repackaged into
one of self-fulfillment andworldly happiness.
But that gospel, if we can callit that, lacks power.
It does not glorify God, itglorifies man.
It places human desire abovedivine purpose and treats God as
a means to an end rather thanthe end himself.
(07:06):
But if we would just open ourBibles and believe what it says,
we would see it's all about hisglory, not ours.
And God is glorified not in ourcomfort, but often in our
suffering.
Now that may sound heavy, butit is actually the gateway to
hope, because our God is in thebusiness of resurrection.
(07:29):
When we suffer for Christ, wedeclare his resurrection power
in two ways First, by sufferingfor the one who has risen and
second, by knowing that weourselves have already been
raised with him.
Now, I say already becausethat's the language of scripture
.
Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 4,says he chose us in him before
(07:54):
the foundation of the world.
And Ephesians, chapter 2, verse6, says he raised us up with
him, seated us with him in theheavenly places, in Christ Jesus
.
That's not future tense, that'spresent.
Spiritually we are alreadyseated with Christ.
Yes, it's hard to grasp, Iunderstand.
Our flesh is here, still aging,still hurting, but spiritually,
(08:18):
truly, we are in him and he isin us, as 1 John 4, 13 says.
By this we know that we abidein him and he in us, because he
has given us of his spirit.
So if he is seated at the righthand of God and we are in him,
then where are we?
(08:38):
In the flesh we're here, but inthe spirit we are already in
eternal fellowship with theFather.
Past, present and future.
We are known, loved andpositioned in Christ.
Now, if that's hard to graspnow, take heart.
One day, when you shed thisflesh and enter fully into the
(08:59):
spirit, you'll see clearly whatis now only seen by faith that
he has always known you, that heformed you and that he saved
you for a purpose.
And that purpose is this to beHis witness for and of His glory
.
We are not the light, but weare called to reflect it.
(09:22):
A faithful witness doesn'tpoint to self but to the Savior.
Luke 1.13-17 and Isaiah 40.3confirm John's divine calling.
A voice cries In the wildernessprepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert ahighway for our God.
God planned John's ministry fromthe beginning.
(09:43):
His whole life existed to makeChrist known.
So let me ask are we living tomake Jesus known or ourselves
known?
John, chapter 1, verses 9 to13,.
The true light which giveslight to everyone, was coming
into the world.
He was in the world and theworld was made through him.
Yet the world did not know him.
(10:05):
He came to his own and his ownpeople did not receive him.
But to all who did receive him,who believed in his name, he
gave the right to becomechildren of God who were born
not of blood, nor the will ofthe flesh, nor the will of man
but of God, nor the will of manbut of God.
Now, this is a staggering truth.
The creator entered his owncreation and was rejected by it.
(10:29):
He came to his own and his ownpeople did not receive him.
The Greek terms highlight thistragedy.
His own refers to his owndomain, the world he made, then
his own people this would beIsrael who had the prophecies
and promises yet still rejectedhim.
Isaiah 53.3 says he wasdespised and rejected by men.
(10:53):
But here's the good news To allwho did receive him, who
believed in his name, he gavethe right to become children of
God.
Now, that sounds like humanchoice, doesn't it?
To all who did receive him, whobelieved in his name, many
point to this verse to provethat it is our choice to receive
him and believe.
But verse 13 goes on to say norof the will of the flesh, nor
(11:21):
of the will of man, but of God.
When we get to John, chapter 3,we will see Jesus go into
greater detail with Nicodemus onwhat it is to be born again.
But as we see here, it startswith the will of God and it ends
with the will of God.
Not of blood, family history orgenealogy.
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Not of the will of flesh.
That would be something in usthat wanted God, not of the will
of man.
That would be we chose him, butit says we didn't.
If your will was free to choose, then why does it say here you
didn't?
This verse is clear and doesn'trequire any explanation to make
(12:02):
it say anything other than whatit says.
However, many people will spenda great deal of time trying to
explain why this doesn't saywhat it clearly says, which is
that you and I didn't do or willto do anything, and that it was
solely the will of God thatsaved us, chose us and ordained
(12:22):
us to be what and who we are.
That is the clear andstraightforward reading of the
text.
So why did God do it this way?
For his purpose, and thatpurpose is for his glory, not
ours.
This is the beauty of whattheologians call monergistic
regeneration that salvation isthe work of God alone, from
(12:44):
beginning to end.
He is not only the creator ofthe universe, but also the sole
initiator of our spiritualrebirth.
Just as Christ brought forthphysical life and creation, he
alone brings forth spirituallife in our hearts, even the
faith we need to believe in him.
Yes, even that is a gift.
(13:06):
We didn't wake up one day anddecide to believe in Jesus out
of our own intellect or will.
Scripture makes it abundantlyclear, ephesians, chapter two,
verses eight and nine for bygrace, you have been saved
through faith, and this is notyour own doing.
It is the gift of God, not aresult of works, so that no one
(13:26):
may boast.
Faith is not earned, it is notdiscovered, it is not mustered
up, it is given.
Romans, chapter 12, verse 3,says For by grace given to me, I
say to everyone among you notto think of himself more highly
than he ought to think, but tothink with sober judgment, each
(13:50):
according to the measure offaith that God has assigned.
Paul reminds us that not onlyis faith given, it is given in
measure, according to God's wiseand sovereign will.
This guards us from pride andinvites us into a life of
stewardship.
You may have more faith or lessthan someone else, but what
(14:11):
matters is what you do with whatyou've been given.
Faith is not a trophy, it is atrust, and each of us, one day,
will give account for how werespond to what God has
graciously poured into our lives.
Now, before we close, there'sone more vital distinction.
We need to understand thedifference between unbelief and
(14:35):
unforgivable sin.
In Matthew, chapter 12, verses31 to 32, jesus gives a sobering
warning.
Therefore, I tell you, everysin and blasphemy will be
forgiven, people, but theblasphemy against the Spirit
will not be forgiven.
And whoever speaks a wordagainst the Son of man will be
forgiven, but whoever speaksagainst the Holy Spirit will not
(14:58):
be forgiven, either in this ageor in the age to come.
Now, this is not about momentarydoubt, confusion or ignorance.
It is about a final, willfulrejection, a full awareness of
the truth and yet a hard-hearteddecision to oppose the Holy
(15:19):
Spirit's testimony about Christ.
Let's be clear Unbelief in andof itself is a forgivable sin.
The Apostle Paul is livingproof In 1 Timothy, chapter 1,
verse 13,.
He writes though formerly I wasa blasphemer persecutor and
insolent opponent, but Ireceived mercy because I had
(15:43):
acted ignorantly in unbelief.
Paul's story shows thatignorance can be met with mercy.
But once the light is fullyrevealed, once the truth of
christ is made known by thespirit and a person knowingly,
persistently and arrogantlyrejects it, that's not mere
unbelief, that's blasphemyagainst the Spirit.
(16:06):
John 6, verse 44, underscoresthis truth.
No one can come to me unlessthe Father who sent me draws him
, and I will raise him up on thelast day.
Now, no one believes unless Goddraws them.
And without that divine drawing, every person would ultimately
(16:27):
reject the gospel, no matter howclearly it was presented.
But here's the grace when Godchooses to reveal himself, he
overcomes our blindness, just ashe did with Paul in Acts 9,
verse 15.
Go for he is a choseninstrument of mine to carry my
name before the Gentiles andkings and the children of Israel
(16:48):
.
God didn't just forgive Paul.
He commissioned him not becausePaul sought him out, but
because Paul was chosen.
Persistent rejection, on theother hand, reveals a heart that
has not been born of God.
It is the fruit of the flesh,not of faith, and if Christ's
(17:08):
atonement didn't cover unbelief,then no one could be saved.
But praise God for what we readin Hebrews 10, verse 14 reminds
us, for by a single offering,he has perfected for all time
those who are being sanctifiedNow.
Who are those?
Well, that's the elect, thosewhom God has drawn, redeemed and
(17:34):
sealed as his own.
So where does that leave us?
Jesus came into the world tobring light.
He is the light, and he hascalled us to witness of that
light, just like John.
But witnessing starts withworship, with wonder, with a new
birth.
We cannot testify to a lightwe've never seen.
(17:57):
So I ask you have you receivedhim?
Have you believed in his name,not just intellectually, but
with the kind of faith thatflows from a heart reborn by God
?
Do you point to Christ, or areyou still clinging to your own
light?
(18:17):
Let's pray, father God.
We thank you for your word.
Let's pray, father God, wethank you for your word.
We thank you for this messageand the truth, to understand who
you are and what you've doneand for what purpose you have
done.
All things that we can discoverhow to enter into the light and
live in the light and proclaimthe light to glorify you and
glorify you fully.
God, I pray that you would openand soften the hearts of our
(18:40):
listeners today, that, for thosewho are truly seeking you, god,
that you would send your spiritinto their lives, that they
would be reborn and born anewand proclaim your greatness,
understanding what it is theyhave been forgiven from.
They have been forgiven oftheir unbelief, the rejection in
which they were born in.
(19:01):
They were born dead, servingsin and only sin, unable to come
to the truth.
But you set us free, god.
You gave us a new heart and anew life and a new purpose to
proclaim your greatness, toproclaim your glory and to take
part in it, that we may have thefullness of our Lord's joy.
(19:21):
Father, we love you and wethank you for this truth In
Jesus' name, amen.
As always, we thank you forjoining us today and I hope this
episode has helped you take astep closer in your relationship
with Jesus and that you have abetter and deeper understanding
of just how much God loves youand wants you to know him.
In our next episode, we're goingto take a moment to pause and
(19:43):
reflect on the last threeteachings and dedicate the time
to answering your questions.
So if something sparkedcuriosity, stirred your heart or
left you wanting clarity, Iwould love to hear from you.
You could just use the text uslink in the episode description
to send in your questions andcomments.
Your input truly matters.
It really helps us shape futureepisodes that speak directly to
(20:06):
your walk with Christ and thethings you're walking through,
and remember.
Every fourth episode in thisseries is set aside for exactly
this to answer your questionsand help you go deeper.
So please don't hesitate toreach out.
It's our hope that thisministry will continue to be a
tool to reach the lost and equipthe saints for a life that
(20:27):
brings glory to God.
God bless and we'll see younext time on the Takeaway.
Thank you.
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