NOTES OF AN ADDRESS.
READ John 5:23-2923That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:23‑29). JOH 5:23-2923That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:23‑29)
THE subjects here are Life and Judgment.
Jesus, the Son of God, is the Life-giver, and will be both the Raiser of the dead and the Judge. “The FATHER judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the SON.”
The words "all judgment" clearly show that He will be the Judge of the living as well as of the dead.
Before the time of judgment arrives the Judge tells us who will be judged, and who will not be judged. Nothing can be more at variance with the teaching of the Scriptures than the popular doctrine that there will be one general resurrection both of believers and unbelievers, and that all are yet to be judged as to salvation.
Such teaching is very pernicious. If a believer receives it, it always makes him uncertain as to his security. It deceives the unbeliever, not only by keeping him from knowing the true character of the gospel as presenting a present salvation, and his responsibility to God on hearing it, but by making him imagine that there is some distant hope for him, if salvation cannot be positively decided before this so-called " general judgment." It is a doctrine which the Lord's faithful servants should earnestly protest against. In this way many of God's children may be delivered from doubt and perplexity, and be led to rejoice in their present security, and in the blessed hope of soon being caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
In verse 24 of this chapter we have what we may call the verdict of Him who, as the Judge, will in due course execute divine judgment Observe what He says. He begins with a double assurance of the truth and importance of what follows: "Verily, verily, I say unto you.”
Then He speaks of hearing, believing, and having, and declares that the person who hears and believes has the present possession of everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (or judgment).
He is to hear; not to do something, or say something, or feel something; but to hear.
He is to hear Christ's word; not man's doctrines, man's creeds, man's opinions; but Christ's word. "He that heareth my word." How simple this is But it may be asked, what did Christ say? What word is ‘it that I am to hear?
Did He not say, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"? (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).) JOHN 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
Did He not say, “This is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:4040And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:40).) JOHN 6:4040And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:40)
These are some of Christ's words. Do you hear them? Do you receive them as Christ's own words? He came from heaven, and made God known; He declared the Father. God has spoken to us by His Son. Do you, then, hear Christ's word? This is the first point. And, having heard Christ's word, do you believe the Father sent Him? Do you give God the glory of having thus sent His only begotten Son; that "the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world"? (1 John 4:1414And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14).) 1JOHN 4:1414And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14)
This is divine mercy. This tells us the love of God to sinners. It originates in God Himself. He sends the Son. The Son reveals the Father, "This is life eternal," Jesus said, "that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent." (John 17:33And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3).) JOHN 17:33And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3) There cannot be peace with God if He is not known as the One who "sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." (1 John 4:99In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9).) 1JOHN 4:99In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9) God's infinite love in giving His only begotten Son to save you as a sinner, when dead in sins, is the only source of true peace.
Receiving this testimony, you can approach God with confidence; His word warrants it, and assures you that you have everlasting life. Hearing Christ's word, and believing on Him that sent Him, you have everlasting life; not, observe, when you die, or after death, but now: "hath everlasting life." And, more than this, you will not come into judgment. Many will meet with judgment; but you cannot, because Christ has been judged for you in the death of the cross, and He has given you eternal life. How can a person who already has everlasting life come into judgment? He who is the Judge of all says you shall not.
Can there be better authority? Can anything be more full of consolation? Could there possibly be a more stable ground of peace?
Could anything give more perfect rest to the soul? You have heard Christ's word. You have believed that God in rich mercy sent His Son to die for sinners. You then have everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (or judgment). There can be no room for doubt, because you have Christ's word for it, and the Scripture cannot be broken. He said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matt. 24:3535Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35).) MAT 24:3535Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)
What a firm foundation! What blessed security! What perfect peace! Could anything warrant more thorough confidence in God? The believer "shall not come into judgment." How can he, if Christ has been judged for him? If Christ was made sin for him, was put to death for him, bore the wrath of God for him, how can he be judged about his sins? Does not God now say, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more "? (Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17).) HEB 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17) The whole question, then, of judgment of sin is past for the believer.
Christ has purged our sins; and so completely has He done the work that He has sat down on The right hand of God.
It is therefore added that we have “passed from death unto life." This is the positive side of the subject. The believer was dead in sins, but is now in life on the other side of death; has passed out of his position in Adam in death, into a standing in life in Christ, the last Adam.
The believer "hath everlasting life;" his old Adam position has passed under the righteous judgment of God in the death of Christ his substitute; so that he is dead, and is now alive, his life being hid with Christ in God. So the next verse goes on to speak of Christ as a present Life-giver, a Quickener by His word of souls dead in trespasses and sins. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.”
This is still going on. The Son of God is speaking from heaven, through the ministry of divine grace, by His servants. Whatever be the instrumentality, it is Christ who quickens by His word and Spirit. Thank God, He is still the Giver of eternal life to souls dead in sins.
This "hour" has already extended to nearly two thousand years.
But, as we have seen, He is to execute judgment. The next verses therefore show that His power is yet to be exercised over the bodies of all who have actually died. The hour for that process may extend, too, over a long time. The twentieth chapter of Revelation shows clearly that a thousand years will elapse between these two resurrections. But here we are told that “ALL who are in their graves," saints or sinners, saved or lost,” shall hear His voice, and come forth.”
This is plain enough. Death must be destroyed by Jesus, the Prince of Life. Well, how do they come forth? Do they all rise at the same time? Is it one general resurrection? By no means; quite the reverse. “They that have done good unto the resurrection of life.”
What is it to do good? In the next chapter we are told that when some said unto Jesus, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered, and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom lie hath sent.”
This, observe, is a resurrection of those who have life, described in verse 24. No marvel then that we are told in Rev. 20, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection." Such will be forever with Christ, and like Christ. But what of those who have died in their sins, who have not life, but have done evil; that is, have not believed on the only begotten Son of God? We are told "they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation" (or judgment). This is another resurrection. These must be judged according to their works. The books will be opened, and a deliberate judgment of each case gone into.
But what can be the result of man's being judged by the light of divine holiness and truth? Certainly it can be nothing less than eternal damnation! Accordingly we are told that "he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life [he will have no part in the resurrection of life], but the wrath of God abideth on him." And we further read in the inspired account of this resurrection of judgment, that "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15).) REV 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
It must, then, be either the present possession of everlasting life, and going on to the resurrection of life; or, doing evil, that is, doing your own will, not hearing the voice of the Son of God, not believing on Him that sent Him, and going on to the resurrection of judgment.
To which of these two resurrections are you on the way? What is the path you are treading?
H. H. S.