One of the enjoyable things Judy and I did while on vacation was to visit the Tennessee Museum of the Bible. I knew there was a book store involved, so I went into their mini mall bay in Pigeon’s Forge with low expectations. I thought there might be a few old Bibles and then shelves of the books they were trying to sell. There were lots of books for sale, but they also had curtains around two walls hiding the good stuff – $3 million dollars of old Bible and manuscripts. For $15.00 a piece, we were offered a guided tour through textual history, led by the wife of the owner. I couldn’t read one of the couples with us, because they were almost totally silent. The other two were totally ignorant about textual history – amazed at what they were told and saw. Our guide knew her material, answering of my questions and comments with intelligence and enthusiasm. She obviously loves the Word of God.
We walked through several rooms with impressive old Bibles, listening to reasonably accurate information. The first room dealt with the Hebrew and Greek scriptures, and the next got into early English translations. The theme was decidedly Textus Receptus and pro King James Bible. There was nothing said about Westcott and Hort and the perverted versions which came from them. And this omission, I thought, was just a little deceptive. We can’t deny the existence of other versions. So the tour didn’t tell the whole story. But what it did tell was good. The last room we entered praised various famous Bible owners: some U.S. Presidents, an astronaut and people like Charlie Kirk. If I had to give the museum a grade, it would be a B+ or A-. It was worth the money.
In talking about the Old Testament our guide wowed at least one of the other couples when she said that we think of the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20, but to the Jews, there are 613 commandments. She didn’t go into detail, but for Jews there are 248 “do these” commandments and 365 “do not do these.” Many of them involve the Tabernacle, so they no longer apply until such time as the Temple is rebuilt. And yet, to the orthodox Jew there are still 369 commands which they are supposed to obey.
Now, just think about that. How many people throughout the world believe the Ten Commandments are KEY to personal salvation? How many people think they must keep, to a reasonable degree, the Ten Commandments or they can’t go to Heaven? Aren’t there millions who make that a part of their religion? Do you, or did you ever have that opinion? Of those that do, sadly, 95% have never studied Exodus 20, where they are first given to us. If they did, they’d conclude that not a single person has, or ever could, ever reach Heaven through the law. I believe there is no one, who has ever fully obeyed even one of those ten divine commandments. But remember, to the Jews there aren’t just ten commandments there are 369. How much more impossible is it for someone to successfully obey all those laws?
As we read earlier, there was a day when one of the Pharisees, a scribe, came to Christ Jesus asking, “Which is the FIRST commandment of all?” meaning, “What is the most important commandment?” Because the Lord knew the sincerity of the man, He gave Him the proper answer. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” Notice that Jesus implied that these two things are one commandment.
What I hope to show you this morning is that John’s statement in our text parallels that of the Lord Jesus. When it comes to salvation from sin, there are not Ten Commandments, and there are not 613 or 369. “This is (God’s) commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” The Ten Commandments were never designed to save people from their sins. The Ten Commandments, as well as the 369 others, were given to drive sinners to the Saviour for forgiveness and deliverance. “THIS is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.”
This morning let’s consider God’s commandment, God’s restrictive condition and then God’s Son.
This is God’s COMMANDMENT, that we should believe…”
Someone might be thinking, “Oh, here we go again: another sermon about believing on Christ.” “Why doesn’t this guy ever preach on world events, self-improvement or at least other Bible subjects?” The fact is: I do preach on other things, but on Sunday morning my usual theme will be salvation in Christ. I want you to feel comfortable in inviting others to come on Sunday morning with the expectation they will hear some form of the gospel. And if you want to hear messages on other subjects stay for our afternoon service or come on Wednesday. Then there is the additional fact that we are studying verse by verse through the Epistle of First John. And it is the Holy Spirit through the Apostle John who has given us this verse and subject today. And in this case, He has given us a special word to add to our usual presentation of the gospel. “This is his COMMANDMENT, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.”
What exactly is a “commandment?” It is not a plea or a request, no matter how urgent and heart-felt the offer might be. It is an obligation; a demand, a requirement. The evangelist, as someone who knows the blessings that come with faith in Christ the Saviour, may urge you to trust Christ. Parents may, with tears and broken hearts, plead with their children to come to the Saviour. But when it comes to the Lord Himself, He doesn’t suggest, request, plead or urge. He COMMANDS you to believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.
And who is it that has issued this command? Don’t look at me. I have no authority to command you to do anything. I am not a king or a part of a senate, passing laws and demanding obedience. I can only plead, urge and suggest. The Commander is God; Jehovah who created all things by his power and for his glory, can issue orders. “Hath not the potter power over the clay?” Can’t the Creator say to His creation, “I DEMAND that you do this or that?”
As a general rule humanity hates God and His authority, trying hundreds of things to avoid His commands. That is one reason why the idea of evolution is so prevalent today. Evolution is an attempt to deliver humanity from responsibility under the Creator. All our modern versions of idolatry, like NFL football and NHL hockey, are designed to keep us from God. Paul told the idolatrous Greek philosophers “The times of this ignorance (of yours) God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” God commands repentance and “that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.”
In Romans 2, Paul was telling his country-men, the Jews, that they were in serious trouble before God. Most of them refused to repent of their idolatries, and they had rejected the Messiah, demanding His death. “They despised the riches of God’s goodness and forebearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God was leading them to repentance.” And “with their hard and impenitent hearts, they were TREASURING UP – they were STORING and BANKING UP – the wrath of God against the day of wrath and revelation of His righteous judgment.” It could be said that every time a command of God is given and disobeyed the righteous wrath of God is increased and intensified. It is one thing to commit a crime and sin against God, but to defy God’s command to repent and trust Christ is the highest form of “contempt of court.”
“This is God’s commandment, that we should BELIEVE on the name of His Son Jesus Christ…”
Earlier we read of the scribe to came to Christ with question about which commandment was most important. Actually that same question was asked on another occasion but without any real desire for the answer. In Matthew 22 and Luke 10 we read: “When the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked (Christ) a question, TEMPTING him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus gave him the same answer as he had the first man. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great command. and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
I bring this to your attention, because it appears to contradict what John tells us. John says, “This is (God’s) commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.” Is John saying that faith in Christ is a lesser command than to love God with all our heart, soul and mind? No he is not. I believe that to obey what John tells us, is, at the same time, to obey what Jesus tells us. To love God is to love God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – all equally. And as John has been telling us in this epistle, love is not a simple intellectual exercise; it is real and practical. Let’s not talk about loving God if we aren’t leaning on Him in the same fashion as John when he physically leaned on the Lord Jesus. Let’s not talk about loving God if we don’t believe what He says, trusting him with all our hearts, all our souls and with all our minds. The person who loves God will put his trust for eternity on the person of the Lord Jesus.
This is the restrictive part of God’s commandment. To believe God or to love God, generically, is not enough; to believe on His Son Jesus Christ is essential. How many commandments are there in the Decalogue; the Ten Commandments? How many commandments do Orthodox Jews say there are in the Old Testament? But which is the first of all the commandments?
God ordered the men of His covenant nation to be circumcised, and I assume that John himself had been circumcised. But that was not mentioned in this epistle. God commanded the people of Israel to visit the temple several times a year. But that was not a command reiterated by any of God’s apostles. John didn’t command people to be baptized and to join one of Christ’s churches, even though those two things are important. There may have been 369 things John could have said God commanded, but he didn’t mention any them. “THIS is his commandment, That we should BELIEVE on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.”
How many scriptures would you like me to share which reiterate this commandment? How many times must I implore you to obey this divine command: Acts 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” When a group approached with the question “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” In other words, when they asked: “What must we do to please God and do His will?” “Jesus answered and said unto them, this the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent,” referring to Himself. John 14:1: “Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
Going along with faith in Christ as a command there are dozens and dozens of other scriptures, coming from the lips of Jesus and from His disciples, which simply display the essential nature of that faith. I Peter 2:6 and Romans 9:33: “Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that BELIEVETH on him shall not be confounded (or ashamed).” Galatians, 2:16: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have BELIEVED in Jesus Christ, that we might justified by the faith of Christ.” Romans 10:4: “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that BELIEVETH.” Acts 10:43: “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever BELIEVE in him shall receive remission of sins.”
Christ said it, and John, Paul, Peter and others repeated it: The first commandment of them all is: “believe on the name of the Son of God.” The answer to our sin problem is not obedience to the Ten Commandments, or any of the other hundreds of laws. The answer to our sins is this command: “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” But, to that statement John added a word which creates confusion for some people.
“This is God’s commandment, that we should believe on the NAME of His Son Jesus Christ…”
At some point on our expedition last week, Judy and I went into a fast food joint and ordered a small meal. The cashier came running up after whipping off some dirty tables. He apologized, but I told him never to apologize for trying to keep the place clean. Then when I handed him too much cash, he returned the overpayment. And when he did, I said something like, “Hey, an honest man as well as clean.” He grinned; said something about being religious, pulling out a cross and other items on a silver chain, which he may have thought proved that he was a Christian.
Of course, I know nothing of that man’s faith or religion. But I do know that millions of people wear crosses around their necks, who are not true children of God. Some of them even think that by their religious symbols they are becoming Christians. And similarly there are millions who speak the name of “Jesus,” and who even believe on Jesus, but the “Jesus” they identify is a figment of their imagination – not the one found in the Bible. They wear the name “Jesus” as if it was a surgical mask to keep them from the infection God’s judgment.
Of course, Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. This is a doctrine we touch upon regularly, so I will just summarize it this morning. God exists in three equal and co-existent Persons. There are not three Gods. And it isn’t true that the one true God sometimes lives in Heaven, and sometimes ministers on earth in the form of the Holy Spirit, but during His incarnation there He was in the form of the Lord Jesus. The one true and living God exists in three equal and eternal Persons. As John tells us here: Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the son of Mary, is also the Son of God. He has always been the Son of God, not by birth and descent, but in the unfathomable nature of God. But that Jesus is the Son of God is not what I’d like to emphasize.
Consider: “This is God’s commandment, that we should believe on the NAME of His Son Jesus Christ…” I will try to prove this in just a minute using the Word of God… But John’s reference to the NAME of God’s Son, refers to everything that has been revealed about Him. It speaks of who He is, what offices He holds, the work that He has done and the authority He possesses. John is not referring to the nickname, alias, title or appellation of Jesus. When a stranger picks up a book with my name on the cover, he might think, “That’s an odd name,” and even wonder if it is a pseudonym. But when most of you hear my name, you think of me personally, not the 20 letters that make up Kenneth David Oldfield.
Many times in the early chapters of Genesis, Abraham and others “called upon the name of the Lord.” They weren’t praying to a few syllables, as if it was some sort of idol. They were calling upon the God whose name is “Jehovah.” When Moses asked to see the face of God, the Lord proclaimed His name before him. David on one occasion, and the priests on many others, “He blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.” In other words, he blessed them under the authority of God, not simply as the King of Israel. Psalm 20:7: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” It is foolish to trust in a name, even if it is the superlative name of Jehovah. David wasn’t speaking about God’s nickname, but about the infinite God behind that name.
I could multiply Old Testament illustrations, but there are just as many in the New Testament. When Paul was beginning his Christian life, he couldn’t keep silent about his Saviour. Acts 9:29: “He spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians, but they went about to slay him.” “In the name of the Lord Jesus,” clearly explains that he spoke in Christ’s authority. In Acts 19 some people were “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” How could anyone be immersed in a word, even if it was the great name of the Lord Jesus. No. They were baptized under the authority of Christ, and in the light of what Christ did on the cross. Romans 10:13 is a highly misused scripture. It says, “Whosoever shall call upon the NAME of the Lord shall be saved.” Paul was not telling people to repeat the name of Jesus in order to be saved. He was urging that faith in all that Jesus is and what He did and is necessary for our redemption. I Corinthians 6:11: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” Not only is salvation a gift of grace under the authority, person and sacrifice of Christ, but everything the Christian does to serve the Lord should be in the name of Christ. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him” (Colossians 3:17).
Conclusion:
Salvation from sin is a divine work; it is the greatest of all miracles flowing out of the grace of God. I will never draw back from the sovereignty of God in the work of salvation. But still, the Lord has laid out one command – one absolute and essential order before us all. “That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.” Don’t let the little word “should” slow you in your obedience. In the original language there is only one word, uttered in an authoritative voice: “believe.”
“This is his COMMANDMENT, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.” “What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” You are hanging by a thread above the yawning mouth of hell with all its heat and flame leaping up toward you. Throw a rope around God’s Son Jesus Christ and bind your soul to Him. Salvation from sin depends entirely upon the Lord and his strength and grace. Believe on Him; trust Him and Him a lone.
When you do that the last phrase in the verse will fall into its proper place: “and love one another.”
Will you repent of your sin this morning and trust your soul to the eternal Son of God, this morning?