JOHN iii. 18. “He that
believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God.”
JESUS CHRIST is here speaking of Himself, although in the
third person. To believe in Him is to credit His word, to
place confidence in His character, and to accept for our
personal benefit His varied services.
I. The believer not condemned.
He is not condemned, because Christ has appeared to put
away sin; because faith in Christ identifies us with His
sacrifice, and removes all personal guilt.
II. The unbeliever already condemned.
What does unbelief do? It despises the unspeakable
gift of God. It dishonours the Son of God Himself. It
refuses to listen even to God’s testimony concerning His
Son. The cause of unbelief must be evil. Unbelief is
in spirit and in deed and in letter sin. Unbelief is the
greatest folly. For neither is there salvation in any other.
The sentence against unbelief has gone forth from the lips
of the Judge. This sentence is confirmed by the conscience
of the unbeliever.
I ask each of my hearers, as in the sight of God—Do
you now believe?
Samuel Martin