Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1213
“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He has witnessed of His Son. He that believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself: he that believes not God, has made Him a liar; because he believes not the witness that God witnessed of His Son.” 1 John 5:9,10.
YOU observe that I have somewhat corrected the translation. The same word is employed in every case in the original, but for the sake of variety of expression the translators have used four different words in our version and so, instead of improving the sense, which, indeed, never can be in the case of the Holy Spirit’s writing, they have rather darkened the meaning. Put the word, “witness,” or, “testimony,” in each case, and you get the true meaning.
Last Thursday night I tried to show the great importance of faith and that while it was a most simple thing it was also most sublime. While it appeared to be weak, it was really the strongest of all motive principles, and produced the most amazing results. If, on this occasion I shall run in the same strain, for me, indeed, it will not be grievous, and for you it will be safe, for we cannot too often review the Truths of God which are the vitals of our holy religion. Faith stands, under the Covenant of Grace, in a leading position among the works of the regenerate man and the gifts of the Spirit of God.
Righteousness is no longer to him that works, but to the man that believes on Him that justifies the ungodly. The promise no longer stands to the man who does these things, that he shall live in them, else we were shut out of it, but, “The just shall live by faith.” God now bids us live by believing in Him. He saw that we were not willing to yield obedience to Him and remained rebellious. Perceiving, with a glance, that the root of that rebellion lay in lack of love to Him and in need of confidence in Him, He now begins, at the very foundation of the whole matter, and by a wondrous act of Grace, to claim our confidence. He gives us proof that He deserves it and then comes to us, and says, “Trust Me. Trust My Son, who has died for you, and you are reconciled to Me by His blood.
“Begin, then, the new life, with confidence in Me as the mainspring of all your actions, and thus shall you be saved. If I threaten you, you will only revolt more and more. If I strike you, you will sooner die under the rod than repent. Nothing remains with which to influence you but love. And now, in the Person of My Son, I commend My love to you and show you what good intents I have towards you. Come and trust Me. Let us be Friends again. Rely upon what I have worked in the Person of My Son, that you might be forgiven. Trust Him and you are saved.”
Men are willing enough to accept a Gospel which requires them to do something. They admire the impossible way of salvation by works. Man is afraid, when Sinai is altogether on a smoke, and begs that the terrible words of the Law may not be spoken to him again. And yet he still loves to wander around the foot of Sinai and is unwilling to come unto Mount Zion. The old spirit of Hagar is upon us—and until the Lord causes us to be born again we remain children of the bondwoman and will not rejoice in the promise. To accept the gift of Free Grace is contrary to our proud nature! The power of God is needed to induce us to throw down the tools with which we work for salvation and take, with joyful hands, the full, free and finished salvation which Jesus bestows on all who trust Him. One would have thought this plan of trusting in Jesus for salvation would be joyfully accepted by all, but, instead of that, no man receives the witness of God, though it is Infallible.
I wish to speak, this evening, a little upon the grounds of testimony—the reasons of faith—and may God grant, while we speak about them, Believers may be refreshed and unbelievers may be led to Jesus! First, in our text, we have the external evidence, or the witness of God to us—“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He has witnessed of His Son.” Then, secondly, we shall consider the internal evidence, or the witness of God in us. “He that believes on the Son has the witness in himself.” And then, thirdly, we shall inquire how we
are treating the witness of God, especially dealing with those of whom we find it said, “He that believes not God, has made Him a liar, because he believes not the witness that God witnessed of His Son.”
I. First, then, dear Friends, since our great business is that we believe God, let us see what reason we have for believing Him. THE EXTERNAL EVIDENCE given is stated in the first verse of the text, as the evidence of God to us, and it is prefaced by the remark that, “we receive the witness of men.” We are accustomed to receive the witness of men. David said, “All men are liars,” but he spoke in haste. There would be no history if we did not receive the witness of men. If we neglected human evidence there could be no courts of law, no trading between man and man except for cash money. Confidence would cease and the bands which unite the social fabric would be snapped. We do and must believe the testimony of men as a general rule—and it is only right that we should account witnesses honest till they have proven themselves false.