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Devotions from Gospel Chapel Ministries HOME SERMONS SERMON NOTES
LIBERTY AND JOY ARE FOUND
"Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." (JOH 3:28-30)
See how blessedly John the Baptist deflated all the Jews’ expectation of inciting a controversy. They came all puffed up: they had a plan, and they were going to put a big commotion into operation. He deflated it: he took the lower place. Do you know how to deflate a controversy? When we can truly take the lower place, people can come to us to try to incite division, but they can’t even raise a quarrel because of our humility, because we’re willing to be nothing and let Christ be everything. John took the lower place, reminding them that he was only a messenger. He didn’t try to claim that he was anything. He took that lower seat and said that he was only a messenger sent to run before his Master. He only came to serve.
Is that where you and I are? Do you and I understand what that humility is, that we’re able to bow humble hearts before the Lord and enter His service? "Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him." (JOH 3:28) He was only sent by Christ to run before Him, to be His servant.
In total contrast to the Jews’ objective to incite jealousy in John’s heart, John directs them to look by faith unto Jesus. They come trying to get John excited, as though Jesus was taking over his ministry, and He says, "I don’t even want you to follow me! I want you to fix your eyes on that blessed Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ." That’s when the miracle, the beginning of miracles, will take place in their hearts, that their hearts might be filled with joy. What he’s pointing out to them is that their hearts are nothing but a desolate desert, an empty place, and that joy in that blessed Bridegroom is found by looking unto Jesus.
"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom [‘He that hath the bride,’ the one that the bride has run to, is the bridegroom, not me. Then John directs them to look by faith.]: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." (JOH 3:29)
Where is our joy? Is it our chief joy that the Holy Spirit takes those precious things of Christ and reveals them unto us, that we can hear that precious Bridegroom’s voice speaking to us personally, fixing our eye of faith upon that blessed atonement and the love of the Father? John sets forth the love of the Son, who He must be lifted up. He sets forth the love of the Father, available to "whosoever believeth." He puts all responsibility right back on you and me. Do we believe? Then He comes and tells us what it means to believe.
Does the light condemn you, or do you come to the light? "He that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest." I don’t have anything to hide, and if there be any evil within me, I come to the light that I might discern it, so that I can repent of it. I do not cherish sin.
The older we become, the more we learn to see the sinfulness of sin. We learn to understand those things that, as children, we didn’t even realize were sins. They become so grievously sinful when we really learn to see them in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now John explains that the obvious effect of looking to Christ is that our lives are filled with joy and consolation in Him. He goes on to tell them, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (JOH 3:30) That’s the blessed effect: that you and I can come to humble ourselves before God, that we become nothing in His sight. "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores." (ISA 1:6)
Not only do we decrease as our hearts rejoice in the Heavenly Bridegroom, but our will becomes dissolved in His will. 2CO 3:17 says, "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." By nature, you and I are bondservants of Satan and sin, but where the Spirit of God is instilled in the heart, "there is liberty." What is true Christian liberty but to be delivered from the power and the filth of sin? It is to be washed from sin, to be delivered from all that spiritual adultery and be set at liberty from Satan and all his power.
See the immediate effect of becoming a recipient of the Spirit of Christ in 2CO 4:1-2. "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty [See what the immediate effect], not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." That’s the effect of the Spirit of Christ.
JOH 3:32 says, "And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony." Why was this? The scribes and Pharisees were not able to believe the simple truth about Jesus because it conflicted with all their dos and don’ts, from which they had fabricated their own "commandments of men." Notice 1CO 1:22-23. "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness."
This reminds me of a time I was working with an attorney preparing a brief. He knew before we started that we were allowed to have a total of 25 pages. When he had pegged 120, I said, "Do you realize that we’re beyond the bounds? Do you realize that you’ve got more than we can have?" So he threw it out, and we put together 25 pages. This is what we have to do with all our religion that’s outside the Bible. We have to put away all those 120 pages of church doctrines and start over with "thus saith the Lord."
The haughty, legalistic Pharisee in our heart by nature cannot stoop far enough to come to the foot of the cross as an empty-handed beggar. There’s where we need God’s grace to be able to give it all over and to stoop to the point of being a humble, empty-handed beggar before God.
Jesus taught us the acceptable posture of heart in the perfect prayer. MAT 6:10-12 says, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven [Unconditional surrender to the will of God. See the beggar’s language in the next two verses]. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
Our lesson concludes with JOH 3:35-36. "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand [See the authority that the Father gave His Son for such unconditional sovereignty]. He that believeth on the Son [those who learn to reverence that authority] hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
The most precious distinction of our identification with Christ, that the Saviour gave to those of us who believe, comes out of JOH 3:17-21: those who heed the light, those who do truth, are the believers. Those who are under condemnation (the light is their condemnation) are the unbelievers. Amen
Shall we go on to sin,
Because thy grace abounds?
Or crucify the Lord again,
And open all his wounds?
Forbid it, mighty God!
Nor let it e’er be said
That we, whose sins are crucified,
Should raise them from the dead.
We will be slaves no more,
Since Christ has made us free;
Has nailed our tyrants to his cross,
And brought us liberty.
~Author: Watts
Our sermons and devotions are a ministry of Gospel Chapel located in Conrad, Montana. We also have a daily devotion and sermon notes on-line. We pray this devotion has been a blessing to those who read it. Thank you.