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"Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that
sent Me, hath everlasting life" (John 5: 24).--One of the essential features of this faith
is the belief that Christ is the Sent One. The passages relating to this theme in
John's Gospel are too numerous to quote, and to give only a few would spoil the effect of
the cumulative testimony. We hope that none of our readers will rest unacquainted with
this important testimony of John's Gospel.
"For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me. But if ye
believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words" (John 5: 46, 47).--Another
essential feature is that the same faith that receives the words of Christ as gospel truth
must also receive His testimony to the authority and truth of the writings of Moses.
The whole witness concerning faith in John's Gospel is summed up in the words of
20: 30, 31: "But these are written." Faith is connected with documentary testimony
attested by eye-witnesses--"in the presence of His disciples." There is no room here for
feelings or fancies.
"That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20: 31).--To
believe that Jesus is the Christ is to believe that He is the Messiah of the Scriptures, the
Anointed One, and therefore the true Prophet, Priest and King. It is to believe that He
was the Sent One, and that He became man, for this involved in the title, "the Son of
God".
(To be concluded).
#20. Simple gospel notes on John 3: 16.
(4:) The essential link. (concluded).
pp. 72, 73
"And that believing ye might have life through His name" (John 20: 31).--This is the
great result: life. All gifts and graces, all work and witness, must arise out of this initial
gift, for without life all else is impossible.
While pisteuo, the verb "to believe", occurs in John's Gospel some ninety-eight times,
the noun pistis, "faith", is never used. While the real lesson that underlies this
distribution of the words is not seen upon the surface, it would be wise in teaching from
this Gospel to remember the fact, and to speak in harmony with it. The deeper lesson
involved may occupy our attention at some other time.
It may be as well at this point to raise the question, Why should faith above all things
be made essential? Faith is essential, for without it contact is impossible. Even in
everyday affairs, can we enter into any important business of life without faith? Is there
no faith in the Post Office and its system when you drop that valuable letter, without