Welcome to Truth Time, where you'll get a shot of the truth with no chaser.
On the last Truth Time program, we dealt with 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 13, where Paul said the words he speaks are not the words taught by man's wisdom, but words taught by the Holy Ghost, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
So the context is words.
We are to compare words with words.
Last week we discovered that in John chapter 5 verses 28 and 29, Christ said the hour is coming when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth, and they that have done good, they get the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, get the resurrection of damnation.
What's interesting to me is the same man that will stand up and tell you that this is your salvation doctrine, will also tell you that Ephesians 2:8 and 9 is yours.
If you just give that some thought, you should come to the conclusion that this simply cannot be.
They cannot both be mine.
They're diabolically different.
This would go against the law of non-contradiction.
These two passages stand in stark contrast to one another.
One involves works of the flesh, the other is grace alone, a gift of God and not of works.
This simply cannot be.
You can't have them both.
John is not teaching by grace are you saved through faith.
John isn't teaching salvation is not of yourselves, it's a gift of God.
John is not teaching that salvation is not of works, lest any man should boast.
This is clearly works for salvation.
And where are we in the Bible?
John chapter 5.
Let's see.
There's chapter 1, chapter 2, and then comes chapter 3, John 3:16.
And here we are two chapters after.
John chapter 5, and John is clearly teaching works as being a part of someone's salvation.
Well, let's move on today as we look into the book of John a little further.
Most that have read the book of John probably already know that Jesus performed many signs in the presence of his disciples.
However, what some might not be aware of is why?
What was the purpose of this?
Our answer is found in John chapter 20 verses 30 and 31, Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book.
Now listen to verse 31, Here is our answer. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name.
If you wanted everlasting life back here in the book of John, how did you get it?
Three words, through his name.
Not by the shed blood of Christ and him being your substitutionary atonement.
No, nowhere in the book of John will you find where God ceased to impute sins to all humanity.
No, John wrote down exactly what Christ did when he came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
And if the lost sheep of the house of Israel would confess him as their Messiah, the Son of God, they were promised everlasting life.
Hopefully you got that.
These things taking place in the book of John were not recorded so that someone could come along and start a denomination in the 17th century and claim to follow John the Baptist in water baptism.
John the Baptist is an Old Testament prophet and we say that with confidence while standing on the authority of Hebrews chapter 9 verses 16 and 17.
You see, there is where we find out that where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
For a testament is of force only after, after men are dead, otherwise it's of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
So listen, when you're reading the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, and Christ is still alive, then you can be 100% certain that you're not reading New Testament doctrine.
The Bible plainly tells us without the death of a testator, you cannot have a New Testament.
It's impossible.
So would that not mean that on the other side of Christ's death, you're reading Old Testament doctrine?
Don't believe me, check these things out for yourself, Hebrews 9 verses 15, 16, and 17.
The things that took place in the book of John were written so that the quote, "ye," in John 20 verse 31, the lost sheep of the house of Israel might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, they might have life through His name.
The "ye" there is not us and we're certain of that because we can read.
And Ephesians 2:12 says that you and I were not a part of what's going on in the time of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Now, it's important to note the absence of the death, burial, and resurrection for blood atonement.
Have you noticed that?
The information that was later revealed to Paul is often read back into the book of John, but it's not there.
Without the help of the apostle Paul, the gospel for your salvation today is not found in the book of John.
It would have to be read back in.
I contend that the gospel being preached here in the book of John is emphasizing belief on the name of Christ, belief in the fact that He is the Messiah, the Messiah that the fathers of old prophesied would come.
That was the emphasis and not the finished cross work of Christ.
There's clear proof of this in a multiplicity of verses found in the Bible.
Take Acts chapter 8 verse 37 for example.
Here Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart...
Okay stop right there.
What did this man of great authority, this Ethiopian eunuch, have to believe to be accepted into this Jewish church?
Well, you don't have to go far to get the answer.
It's right there in the verse.
And I quote, He answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Now that mirrors what we find in John 20:31 and it's in harmony with the words of Peter in Matthew 16 verse 15.
There's where Christ asked Peter, So whom do you say I am?
And Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And it was only after the Ethiopian eunuch admitted that Jesus Christ was the Son of God that Philip then agreed to baptize him.
The emphasis at the time was on the name and not the cross.
And this water baptism was all about submitting to the baptism whereby Israel agreed with God that yes, this is the Christ, the Son of God.
Do you see the pattern that's developing here?
When comparing words with words, we begin to see truth.
We see it clearly.
This here also lines up real nicely with John chapter 1 verse 31 where John says that the reason he's baptizing with water is so that Christ would be made manifest to Israel.
This gospel being preached back here was about salvation through his name, and not salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection.
Nothing about all nations being justified by faith in the finished cross work of Christ.
No no, it's about one nation, the nation Israel, believing and confessing that Jesus, confessing that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.
And that had to happen first, and then the Gentile nations could go to God through his chosen nation.
It's simply outstanding when we just believe the Bible.
Okay, we're back and you're listening to Truth Time Radio.
I'm Trey Searcy and today we're giving careful consideration to the book of John.
We touched on this briefly last week and that material is archived, by the way, at truthtimeradio.com.
If you're listening and, well, when you were a child you attended vacation Bible school where you were asked to repeat a prayer and then sent off believing that you were saved and probably told to go home and read the book of John.
Hey, for your eternal soul's sake, please listen closely.
The book of John is not a book containing your salvation doctrine.
The book of John is an outstanding book and vitally important to a believer, but the book of John does not contain your salvation doctrine.
This is why we're told to rightly divide the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation.
This book, the book of John, has a tremendous amount of information in it that can be very beneficial for us today.
We are not to chop up the Bible.
All of the Bible is for you, but it's not all to you.
All of the Bible is for you, but it's not all to or about you.
In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul says there is something we should remember.
Problem is, most today have forgotten what they should have remembered.
Forgotten that in time past, we, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called the uncircumcision by those of Israel, were without Christ and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.
The quote, "time past" that Paul is referring to is what we read about in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and also the early Acts period prior to Paul's conversion.
Paul was the first one saved and put into the body of Christ, and it is Paul that is our pattern for everlasting life, 1 Timothy 1:16.
Now, before you start shouting at the dashboard or your computer screen, what about John 3:16?
What about John 3:16?
Well, let me explain John 3:16 and I'll do it according to the scriptures and not according to tradition or popular belief.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
In 1 Corinthians 2:13 we're instructed to speak not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teaches.
That's right, we're to compare words with words.
Well, let's honor that.
Let's be obedient to God and do just that.
Let's compare scripture to scripture and not preacher to preacher.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.
To who?
God didn't give his Son to the world.
That's not what the verse said.
Read it again.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.
The reason he gave his Son is he loved the world.
But he did not give his Son to the world.
Please examine the verse a bit closer.
He did not give his Son to the world, but for the world.
So now we're left with a question.
Since we've discovered that he did not give his Son to the world, then just who did he give his Son to?
Well let's let him and not man answer this question.
Matthew 15:24.
Here Jesus answers himself.
He leaves no wiggle room, no room for error.
He plainly tells you and I who God gave his only begotten to.
And the answer is, Israel.
Christ said quote, I am not sent but unto, there it is, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, the house of Israel.
Could he have made it any clearer?
For all these years we've heard it taught that John 3:16 was salvation doctrine for today.
When right there in the very next chapter, chapter 4 verse 22, was truth that was there all along, hidden in plain sight.
Here Jesus tells the woman of Samaria, quote, Ye worship ye know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
Just believe the Bible.
How about that for a change?
If Christ, in easy to understand red letters, says salvation is of the Jews, then guess what?
At that time salvation was of the Jews, just like he said.
Not the Gentiles, not all nations, only one, only one nation, the nation Israel.
Common sense tells us we're not going to find our salvation doctrine here.
Our salvation doctrine cannot be here where Christ plainly said that salvation is of the Jews.
That's simply not possible.
Paul, in Romans 11, tells us that Israel has been blinded and have fallen.
They've been temporarily set aside.
So, if they're still our mediator, if salvation is still of the Jews, then we have a blinded mediator that has fallen.
Thankfully, this is not true, and as Paul tells us, there is now one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 2:5.
How many times must the Bible tell us before we actually start believing this?
Once?
Twice?
Three times?
How many times?
The evidence is everywhere.
Here's another one for you.
Romans chapter 15 verse 8.
Write it down.
Romans 15:8.
I mean, if you're going to keep on believing a lie, then you're going to have to completely disregard these verses.
In Romans 15:8, Paul says the same thing we've been reading.
The same thing.
Why is your church not teaching this?
I don't know.
Perhaps you should ask.
Paul says, and I quote, now this is a quote, no spin zone here, no denomination, no headquarters.
Paul says, quote, Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.
The circumcision was the Jews, just like John said.
Paul and John agree.
Why won't you?
This evidence is overwhelming.
Here's more.
Galatians 2 verse 9.
I mean, if the book of John has your salvation doctrine in it, then Christ sure did mess Paul up.
And all those churches, pastors, and individuals, including us today, that Paul wrote this information
down for, we've got serious problems.
Because it was Christ who told Paul what to write down.
That's confirmed in Galatians 1:11 and 1 Corinthians 14:37.
Now, here in Galatians 2:9 is where Paul says that when James, Peter, and who?
What's the next word?
John.
When James, Peter, and John, when they understood that the gospel called, and I quote, The gospel of the uncircumcision, verse 7, was given to Paul, after understanding that, they all shook hands with Paul in agreement.
They all agreed that he would take his grace gospel unto the uncircumcision, and they would take theirs unto the circumcision.
James, Peter, and John agreed.
That's interesting.
They accepted it, but your church won't.
But now, you know it.
If you're a Bible believer, you know that the book of John cannot possibly contain your salvation doctrine.
And you do know, do you not, that James is also a book written to the twelve tribes of the nation Israel, James 1:1.
Peter's books were also written to those same Jewish tribes, those tribes that had been scattered, 1 Peter 1:1.
Those of a royal priesthood and a holy nation, 1 Peter 2:9.
And verse 12 furthers the fact that Peter is not writing to us Gentiles because he tells his audience to have their conversation honest among, among the Gentiles.
If he were writing to the Gentiles, he wouldn't have said that.
So now, let's recap.
According to Matthew 15:24, John 4:22, Romans 15:8, and Galatians 2:9, God did not give his only begotten son to the John 3:16 world.
No, he was given on behalf of the world, but not to the world.
He was given to God's chosen nation, Israel, for the world's behalf.
And it was that nation that in time past, the world could be saved through.
Matthew 5:14 says, Ye are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
If we honor the context, we see that the ye in the verse is clearly Israel.
At that time, they were the salt of the earth, verse 13, and they were making sacrifices at the altar, verse 23, and in the future they'll inherit the earth, verse 5.
The light of the world at the time of John 3:16 was Israel, but they are not currently operating as the light of the world.
Israel today is predominantly atheist.
For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, so they could become the light of the world.
At that time, for a Gentile to be saved, they needed to go through Israel.
And that's how it was.
It no longer works that way, and that's why it's vital that you rightly divide the gospel that had the power to save then, from the present day gospel that has the power to save today.
Another noteworthy fact to consider.
John has three books located toward the back of your Bible, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John.
Are not those books in the back of your Bible, starting with Hebrews, called the Hebrew epistles?
And is it true or false that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, Galatians 3:28?
With that said, we can know assuredly that 1, 2, and 3 John could not possibly be written to us.
Think with me.
If we know from Paul that presently there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile, but in our Bible we can read of a time where there was, was a distinction between the two, should not that tell us something?
Since the books of John are found in the section of your Bible that a distinction was being made, and you nodded your head and agreed that there's no distinction anymore between the two, Galatians 3:28, then how can you now go to those books and make such a distinction claiming there's doctrine there for you?
That doesn't add up.
Instead of reading what Paul wrote back into other books where it doesn't belong, you should let him stand where he stands, alone, the apostle to the nations, with instructions that explain the Romans 16:25, the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery.
Doctrine for the church, the body of Christ, where there is now, now, no longer a distinction being made between Jew or Gentile, male or female, bond or free.
You cannot say there was no distinction between the two in any of the books of John.
John 4:22 is clear that at that time there was indeed a difference between Jew and Gentile.
I'll read it again in case you missed it.
If you were standing there at that time, John 4:22, Jesus would have said to you, you worship you know not what, we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
Sound like a distinction being made to you?
That's right, you're not Israel and he's no longer operating as anyone's Messiah.
He ceased being a Messiah when they crucified him.
He is now head of the church, which is his body, and he is now the savior of all men by faith, and no one has to come through Israel in order to get to God.
That's a time-past message, and not for today.
You cannot get saved that way today.
Stephen called his Jewish brethren stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears.
He said they were resistors of the Holy Ghost, and Paul said that God hath concluded them all in unbelief.
Now we're not talking about the nation Israel on your map today.
They're no different than you and I.
All today come to him by faith, by faith alone in his finished crosswork.
That's salvation for everyone on the planet today.
At this time, God is no longer recognizing Jew or Gentile, no distinction.
The Jews that we're talking about are the Jews of the Bible, and Stephen called them stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears.
Paul said God concluded them all in unbelief.
Now you tell me, does this sound like Israel is still in good standing with the Lord?
No, they have fallen.
No one comes up and under them and is saved by their program anymore.
That's why the instructions of your Bible changed.
They're no longer standing.
Things changed and they fell, Romans 11:11, due to their blindness, Romans 11:25.
We must respect the Bible's progressive revelation, and the fact that what Jesus later reveals to Paul on the other side of the cross is not yet being revealed back here in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.
And Paul said that in him God chose to preach to us the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephesians
3:8, unsearchable because they cannot be found outside of Paul's epistles.
But the reason there are those today who are so troubled in their Christian experience, is because they're trying to operate with one foot in Israel's earthly kingdom program, and the other foot operating according to the information that's been given to them by Christ through Paul.
Considering that there are so many that are told to go home and read the book of John, is it really any wonder that they get confused about grace and works?
Should it really surprise us that they would attempt to mix the two?
That's what many have been taught, even though Romans 11:6 forbids it.
The book of John does not have your salvation doctrine in it, and this becomes clear when we allow the Bible to speak for itself.
Until next time, check out the website, truthtimeradio.com.
I'm Trey Searcy.
And now, you know the truth.
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