The Merciful Warnings of the Christ Part Two

The merciful warnings of the Christ. This is the crisis of unbelief in a culture of compromise. Church, we are living in a world that is increasingly defined by its rejection of the truth, by absolute truth.

Especially when it comes to Jesus. Our cultures, not just drifting away from God, no, this is a headlong sprint into unbelief. Aggressively opposing the very idea of really all authority, but especially divine authority.

What makes this all the more tragic is that it's not just a problem that's outside the church. No, many pulpits across our nation have grown silent on the harder truths of the gospel. Seeker-sensitive pastors avoid the exact warnings that Jesus himself gave.

They preach about personal fulfillment, self-improvement, and earthly success. But often they refuse to speak about sin, about judgment, the reality of eternal judgment, the reality of eternal condemnation.

They hesitate. They hesitate to warn. They don't warn their congregations about hell because they fear it will make the people uncomfortable or that their church won't be popular. But friends, Jesus did not hesitate.

Look at what he says in verse 24. Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins. That is not a gentle suggestion. That is not metaphor. That is a direct, merciful warning from the only one who has the power to judge, the only one who can save.

Yet many pastors today would rather soften Jesus's words than just declare them plainly. They avoid preaching about eternal realities because they fear men more than God, people-pleasers. They refuse to say what Jesus said, yet they claim to represent him.

But we must understand something very clearly. Unbelief is not a minor issue. It is not just a personal choice. It is a fatal decision with eternal consequences. Jesus makes it clear that those who die in their sins, apart from him, will be lost.

Forever. In other words, there is no second chance after death. There's no do-overs and there's no neutral ground. The Pharisees, the religious leaders of Jesus's day, were confident, that they were confident in their own righteousness.

They believed they were the chosen people of God, yet they were spiritually blind. Jesus exposed their false confidence and he warned them. He warned that their prideful presumption, their earthly priorities, their persistent unbelief, and their purposeful ignorance were leading them straight to destruction.

And here's the terrifying reality. Those same fatal failures exist everywhere in the world today. Prideful presumption. Many people trust in their own goodness, assuming that because they are better than most, God will accept them.

Present priorities. People are consumed with this life, chasing wealth, comfort, entertainment, while really giving no thought to eternity. Persistent unbelief. Despite overwhelming evidence and the clear truth of scripture, many reject Christ because surrendering to him would mean they'd have to give up their sin.

It would mean they'd have to have humility. Yes, surrendering to Christ requires humility. And then purposeful ignorance.

Purposeful.

Some refuse to investigate the claims of Christ. Not because they lack evidence, but because they love their sin more than the truth. Jesus knew that most people would reject him. That is why in the Sermon on the Mount, he warns us, enter by the narrow gate.

For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction. And those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life. And those who find it are few.

Did you hear that?

Many are on the road to destruction. Few find the way to life. That is why the words of Jesus in John 8 should shake us to our core. And yet, many professing Christians, we'll say that in air quotes, live as if these warnings don't exist.

Many churches operate as if hell is not real. As if judgment is not certain. As if unbelief is just another way of thinking rather than the path to eternal separation from God's mercy. But Jesus does not leave room for doubt.

He declares that all shall know him. That all shall know who he is. Either by their conversion or actually by their condemnation. All will know him. The choice is before every person. Repent and believe or die in your sins.

This morning as we look at verses 24 through 30, let us listen carefully to the merciful warnings of the Christ. Because the most dangerous thing a person can do is to ignore the words of the only one who can save them.

The merciful warnings of the Christ and the crisis of unbelief. Beloved, we are living in a time where unbelief is not just present. It is celebrated. In our culture, rejecting God is seen as what? Intellectual, enlightened.

Rejecting God today is even seen as virtuous. People wear their skepticism like a badge of honor. Boasting in their independence from any divine authority. The modern world preaches a gospel of self-sufficiency.

Declaring really that truth is whatever you want it to be. Morality is fluid. That's your truth. I have my truth, you have your truth. And Jesus, if they acknowledge him at all,.

That's a big if,.

Is just another religious figure among many. But the Bible tells a different story. Jesus doesn't leave room for doubt about who he is. He issues a sobering warning. I told you that you would die in your sins.

For unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins. That is not a suggestion. That is not an opinion. The Pharisees of Jesus' day were the religious elite. The ones who should have recognized him first, yet they were blind to the truth.

And here's the frightening reality. That same failure is just as present today as it was back then. Unbelief isn't a new problem. It's the same spiritual blindness that has plagued humanity since the fall.

But the warning remains the same. Reject Christ and you will die in your sins. There is no middle ground. This passage serves as a divine warning to all who would dismiss Christ's authority. It highlights several crucial themes.

First, the necessity of knowing God truly, not just religiously. Second, the danger of spiritual ignorance. This is willful blindness to the truth. Next, the absolute necessity of faith in Christ, the only way to salvation.

And finally, the certainty of divine judgment. Rejecting Christ has eternal consequences. Jesus's words in this passage cut through religious pretense and earthly priorities, forcing every listener to examine their own soul.

In verses 19 through 22, we saw false confidence in religion. The Pharisees were convinced they knew God, yet they rejected the very one sent by God. Spiritual deception is deadly. Religious affiliation does not equal salvation.

In verse 23, we saw a worldly perspective. Jesus contrasted the earthly minded with those who are born of heaven. Those fixated on temporary things cannot grasp eternal realities. This section is both a warning and a call to repentance.

Jesus's words demand that we confront the state of our own hearts. In other words, will we believe or will we die in our sins? The merciful warnings of the Christ. Now, Jesus had already spoken of his departure.

Chapter seven, verse 34, he told the Jewish leaders, you will seek me and you will not find me where I am. You cannot come. Now, in John eight, 24 through 30, he expands on this warning with even greater clarity and urgency.

The heart of this passage is a direct and merciful confrontation with the religious leaders of his day, men who prided themselves on their knowledge of the law, yet were blind to the very one that the law pointed to.

In John eight, Jesus is engaged in this heated exchange with the Pharisees within the temple courts, specifically in the treasury. I mean, the location, you can't think of a more ironic setting is the temple made to be the dwelling place of God among men.

And yet here, God is here, the temple built for him in front of the ones who claim to teach him and promote him. And yet, look at their attitude. The location is significant. It was within the court of women.

This is where the collection boxes for temple offerings were placed. So it's, you gotta think probably one of the most busiest areas of the temple. This setting underscores the public nature of Jesus's declaration.

His words were not spoken in secret, in other words. They weren't spoken in secret, but openly in the heart, the very heart of Jewish religious life. The Pharisees, the dominant religious leaders of the time prided themselves on their strict adherence to the law.

They were legalists. They prided themselves on their tradition-based interpretations of scriptures, teachings, the law. They equated external righteousness with divine favor. Divine favor is fulfilling the law, living a certain way.

Yet they failed to recognize the very Messiah whom the scriptures foretold. You can't get more, a better illustration of spiritual darkness. In John 8, verse 19, they ask, where is your father? Where is your father?

A question dripping with both ignorance and arrogance. Of course, Jesus responds by exposing their spiritual blindness. You know neither me nor my father. If you knew me, you would know my father also.

That's a profound statement. The Pharisees, the supposed experts in the law were completely ignorant to God because they rejected the one sent by the father. Their legalism and self-righteousness had hardened their hearts.

They didn't even recognize the truth anymore. The temple where this exchange occurs was the central place of worship, the symbolic dwelling of God's presence. Yet Jesus, who is the true dwelling place of God among men, stood in their midst and they rejected him.

And this foreshadows really the coming end of the old covenant system. Of course, we take baptism. This is the new covenant in what? In my blood. The temple would soon be obsolete.

Why?

Because Christ himself is the true mediator between God and man. This passage ultimately points to the reformed doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. Sole Fide, Solus Christus. The Pharisees sought righteousness through law-keeping, but Jesus makes it clear that faith in him alone is the dividing line.

This is the dividing line between salvation and condemnation. Unbelief leads to spiritual death, period. The Pharisees would die in their sins because they refused to believe. Faith in Christ alone saves.

This is not a New Testament teaching. Just as Abraham was justified by faith, Genesis 15, then he believed in Yahweh, God, and he counted it to him as righteousness. So too must all who come to God do so through faith, faith in Christ alone.

The works of the law cannot justify. The Apostle Paul says this in his letter to the church in Galatia. Nevertheless, Galatians 2. Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, since by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified.

Christ's atoning work is central. The cross is where Jesus accomplished, accomplished. When I was typing up this manuscript, I had it in there. The cross is where Jesus is accomplishing the salvation of his people.

No, accomplished, correct that, pastor. This is a final work, a completed work, a finished work, accomplished. He accomplished the salvation of his people. Those who look to him in faith receive eternal life.

In verses 19 through 30, really it's a powerful indictment against self-righteousness and it's a call to recognize Jesus as the true revelation of God. The Pharisees standing in the very place where God was supposed to be worshiped rejected God in the flesh.

The only way to be justified before God is not through works of the law, but through faith in the great I am. And we're gonna see in this passage, that is Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ. The warning of Jesus is as urgent today as it was then.

So urgent. If you die in your sins, there is no hope beyond the grave. Our world, like the Pharisees, is obsessed with earthly things. And when you're just looking at earthly things, you're blind to eternal realities.

Many churches refuse to preach the hard truths of Christ's words. But Jesus did not soften the message. He made it clear. Believe in him or perish in your sins. The question before us is simple. Who do you say that Jesus is?

Will you believe his words, trust in his finished work, and submit to his lordship? Or will you, like the Pharisees, reject him and face the eternal consequences? This passage is not just historical, it is personal.

Jesus' merciful warnings call each of us to examine our hearts. And so that's the introduction of the sermon. Are we ready to hear? Let's be with our Lord, and let's hear his merciful warnings. Four fatal failures that lead to spiritual death.

So if you weren't here last week, go on our YouTube channel and watch the first part of the sermon. We covered the first two points last Sunday. Four fatal failures that lead to spiritual death. Number one, it was prideful presumption, in verses 19 through 22.

The self-righteous trust in their own works rather than Christ's. And number two, present priorities, verse 23. The earthly minded live for this world instead of the eternal. And number three, persistent unbelief.

The unbelieving reject Christ as the only way to salvation. Verse 24, persistent unbelief. Jesus says, therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.

The absolute necessity of faith in Christ. Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins. This statement underscores the crucial reality that faith in Christ is the determining factor. This is the determining factor between eternal life and everlasting condemnation.

The Lord identifies unbelief as the ultimate, think about it like this too, unforgivable transgression. Well, the Lord can forgive us of everything, right? Well, if you don't believe in him, how does that work?

Rejecting him as Messiah and the Son of God results in eternal separation from the love of the Father. While all other transgressions can be pardoned through repentance, refusal to acknowledge Christ leads to spiritual death.

And let's think about this phrase, I am he. This carries profound theological weight. Let me explain this a little bit. The Greek text does not include he. So in your Bible, notice, I'm not sure in your translation, I'm preaching from the legacy standard, the he there will be italicized.

That's supplied by the translator, it's in the verb. But the original does not include that. So actually, what does this mean? It makes the phrase simply I am. This is an I am statement. Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.

A direct reference to the divine name revealed in Exodus where God identified himself to Moses. This is Exodus 3 .14. And God said to Moses, I am who I am. And he said, thus, you shall say to the sons of Israel, I am has sent to you.

This title is reiterated, of course, throughout the scriptures, but we see it a lot in the prophecy or prophecies of Isaiah, affirming God's eternal and self-existent nature. I'll give you a few. Isaiah 43 .10, you are my witnesses, declares Yahweh, and my servant whom I have chosen so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.

Before me, there was no God formed and there will be none after me. Isaiah 46 .4, even to your old age, I am he. And even to your graying years, I will bear you. I have done it and I will carry you and I will bear you and I will rescue you.

I love that verse. One more, Isaiah 48 .12, hear me, O Jacob, even Israel, whom I called, I am he. I am the first, I am also the last. Did you hear it in there? Yeah, by employing this designation, Jesus unmistakably claims his divine identity.

Who is Jesus? God, Yahweh, in the flesh. It's him, the one foretold, the anointed one, the savior of mankind. Eternal father, wonderful counselor, prince of peace. But the Pharisees were well-versed in scripture, so surely they would have recognized him, right?

No, they recognized this claim, but they refused to accept its truth. Their hearts were hardened. Their minds were blinded by spiritual pride. This is the tragic consequence, really, of spiritual blindness.

Jesus warns that those who do not believe will die in their sins. Initially, and catch this, he refers to sin in the singular, but then later expands, sins in the plural. Notice the change. This shift emphasizes that unbelief is not merely one sin among many, rather it is the root of all rebellion against God.

Unbelief, to reject Christ is to reject the sole source of redemption, ensuring, guaranteeing that all other sins will not be forgiven. This is the great tragedy of spiritual blindness. Those who refuse to recognize Christ persist in accumulating guilt, keeping condemnation upon condemnation upon themselves.

The Pharisees, rather than acknowledging their need for a savior, they clung to their religious traditions and self-righteousness. They rejected the very remedy for sin that God had provided. And so, too, many today, do we not do the same?

Do we not see this in our culture? They dismiss the truth of Christ, prioritizing worldly values over eternal realities,.

Over the truth.

They seek fulfillment in temporary things, temporary pleasures, neglecting the ultimate need for salvation. This is the urgency. There's a tragedy here. This is the urgency of responding to Christ's call.

Jesus' warning is not merely a statement of judgment. No, this is a call to repentance, a call to believe. The phrase, if you do not believe that I am, demands a response. Every person must confront the reality of Christ's identity and his mission.

The restoration of sinners begins with the light of faith, which leads to righteousness. It leads to a transformed life. Yet, humanity's natural inclination is to seek false remedies, ignoring the gravity of sin.

People acknowledge their brokenness, but often turn to futile solutions, like psychology, for example, the study of the soul with experts who don't believe in the soul. We're gonna fix you because you're feeling depressed, but we believe that your ancestor was pond scum.

Your ancestor is a single-celled amoeba. You're really just a primate. How can we fix you, monkey? I don't wanna hear advice from somebody that doesn't believe in God. You're gonna fix my soul and help me, but you think that I'm a primate?

I'm really not even a primate. I'm just stardust floating through the universe.

What?

Christians go to people who are experts who deny the existence of God. They're not an expert. They're doomed for destruction. Man-made philosophies, man-made conjectures devoid of the power of God's word and devoid of the power of God's spirit, self-improvement, religious rituals, moral efforts, rather than embracing Christ as the only means of salvation, the failure to recognize Jesus as the great I am results in an internal separation from God's grace.

There is no alternative plan here. There is no alternative path to life. Rejecting Christ is rejecting life itself. This truth is reiterated in John 6. Remember when Jesus walked on the sea, John 6. Now when the evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they began to cross the sea to Capernaum.

It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them, and the sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. Then when they had rowed about 25 or 30 stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat, and they were frightened.

But he said to them, it is I am. Do not be afraid. So they were willing to receive him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. There is no alternative path to life.

Rejecting Christ is rejecting life itself. The eternal consequences of rejecting Christ. The certainty of divine judgment is inescapable. Those who die in their sins will face the full weight of God's righteous wrath.

Not just his wrath, his righteous, holy, good, pure, loving, even wrath. Completely just and perfect. His righteous wrath. Righteous and wrath together should make, pause for a minute. Oh no, no, this isn't a judge that's bad.

No, this is a good judge. A righteous, pure, holy wrath. Terrifying to think about. The Pharisees' rejection of Christ was not simply an intellectual misunderstanding. It was a willful defiance against the revealed truth of God.

Jesus' warning in verse 24 stands as a solemn declaration to all who would ignore his authority. Sadly, many today remain indifferent to this warning. Consumed by the values of this world. They are blind to the incomparable gift freely offered by God.

Eternal life. Christ offers eternal life with God.

Freely.

But Christ's mercy extends even in his warning. His words are an invitation to salvation. Urging sinners to recognize their need and to turn to him in faith. Jesus' interaction with the Pharisees reveals the peril of rejecting Christ.

Their refusal to believe exposed their deep spiritual blindness and separation from the father. True knowledge of God is essential. It's essential. Not mere religious practice. Spiritual ignorance leads to eternal ruin.

Faith in Christ is the only means of salvation. Not one of many, the only means. Rejecting Christ guarantees judgment. Christ's words cut through superficial religious practices or religious traditions.

On the day of judgment, it's not gonna matter how you were raised and what church you were raised in. It's one thing. Did you believe in him? And if you truly believe in him, what is the course or the way that we can look at that?

You'll follow him. You'll believe the Bible. You'll believe the Bible. How about this? You'll love being around God's people. You'll love his word. You'll love praying. The thing I see so much in today's society is how there's this independence from the church.

I have my own thing going with God. I don't need the church. Christ shed his blood for the church, for the elect. You know what the elect means? Chosen ones. God loves you before the foundation of the world and sent his son to die for your sins.

That's what happened. The believers, the assembly, the congregation, he shed his blood for the church. You love Christ but you don't love the church? Impossible. You don't have a right relationship with Christ if you don't have a right relationship with his people.

Period. Period.

I see that as a very popular thing. You know, where are we looking? What are we looking for? The visible expression of God's kingdom on the earth can only be found in one place and it's in a faithful congregation that preaches the word of God, you know, hopefully twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Come to Wednesday night church. This is it, folks. You're not gonna find it at the YMCA. It's church, the visible expression of God's people, his kingdom on earth until he returns. Where are you looking?

Are you captivated by the temporary values of this world? Are you sustained in truth that exists outside of the Bible? Substitutions and other anecdotes that man has created? Or have you placed your faith in the only one who alone grants eternal life?

This passage demands that we do not delay, do not delay. Believe in the great I am today and receive the gift of salvation before it's too late. This reminds me of the illustration of the burning building and the only way out.

The burning building and the only way out. Imagine you're in a towering skyscraper, high above the ground, when suddenly the fire alarms start going off. They're blaring. Thick smoke fills the halls. Flames consume everything in their path.

Confusion is there. Panic sets in. People around you begin searching for a way out. Some try to break windows. Others take the stairs, but the fire is too intense. Then, through the smoke, a firefighter appears.

He shouts above the chaos, follow me, I know the only way out. But some people hesitate, doubting his words. Others insist they can find their own way. But those who trust him and follow his lead escape to safety.

And there are some who ignored him and those who ignored him perished in the flames. Jesus' words are like that firefighter's words. Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins. The world is like a burning building.

Sin has engulfed humanity and there's only one way out, faith in Christ. Many try to escape through morality, self-effort, religious rituals. But no path leads to safety except the one that Christ provides.

For unbelievers, this is a clear warning. Rejecting Christ is rejecting the only escape from eternal destruction. There is no other way of salvation. Acts chapter four, and there is salvation in no one else.

For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. For believers, this is a reminder. Faith in Christ is not just about escaping judgment. It's more than that.

It's about trusting him daily. Sometimes even as Christians, we hesitate to fully rely on Christ's guidance. We think we can add fallen man's understanding of the soul to scripture. Somehow find the help we need for personal fulfillment and contentment.

We think we can navigate life on our own. But just as those in the burning building had to trust the firefighter completely, we must continually put faith in Jesus, the great I am, who leads us not only to salvation, but through every trial we will ever face while we're here on this earth.

The question is simple. Will you follow the only one who knows the only way out? This passage underscores several crucial truths. The difference between knowing about God and truly knowing him. The devastating consequences of spiritual ignorance.

The absolute necessity of faith in Christ and the inescapable reality of divine judgment. Jesus is compassionate, compassionate, yet firm warnings challenge every listener to confront the condition of their own heart.

Four fatal failures that lead to spiritual death. Number one, prideful presumption. Number two, present priorities. Number three, persistent unbelief. The unbelieving reject Jesus as the only way to salvation.

And number four, purposeful ignorance. The intellectually dishonest refuse to acknowledge the truth. Verses 25 through 30, purposeful ignorance. Look at verse 25. So they were saying to him, who are you?

Jesus said to them, what I have been saying to you from the, what have I been saying to you from the beginning? I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but he who sent me is true and the things which I heard from him, these I am saying to the world.

They did not know that he had been speaking to them about the father. So Jesus said, when you lift up the son of man, then you will know that I am he. And I do nothing for myself, but I speak these things as the father taught me.

And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him. And as he was speaking these things, many believed in him. Here we see the unchanging testimony of Christ.

The unchanging testimony. The question of Christ's identity is at the heart of the gospel. The Pharisees reveal their persistent blindness by asking, who are you? Their inquiry was not born out of a genuine desire to understand, but no, it's out of heart and unbelief.

Jesus' response points to the consistency of his revelation. He has been declaring his identity from the very beginning. This passage compels us to recognize Christ's warnings, the clear and consistent testimony of Christ's identity.

The tragic blindness of those who reject the truth, the inseparable connection between Christ's words and God's eternal plan, the inescapable consequences of denying Jesus as the Messiah. Each of us must answer the question, who do we say that Jesus is?

Here we see the Pharisees, it's not just their ignorance, it's their willful ignorance. Willful ignorance. The Pharisees ask, who are you? And this is not the first time they have confronted him, of course, nor is it an innocent question.

Throughout his ministry, Christ has provided ample, at this point, evidence of his identity, his teachings, his miracles, the testimony of his father. Yet the religious leaders persist in their refusal to believe.

Their question is not one of sincerity. This is not sincere inquiry, but stubborn resistance. They're not seeking the truth, in other words, they're just rejecting it. Jesus's response, from the beginning, emphasizes that his identity has been clear all along.

He's not revealing something new. He has been declaring the same truth since the start of his ministry. The problem is not that Jesus has been unclear, no. The problem is the Pharisees' unwillingness to hear.

The Apostle John is recording for us the unchanging nature of Christ's message. Jesus's words do not change based on his audience's response. From the very beginning of his ministry, he has proclaimed the same message, that he is the fulfillment of God's promises, the light of the world, and the only way to the Father.

The phrase, from the beginning, does not mean Jesus was newly revealing his divine nature, but that his testimony has been unwavering. Christ's message aligns perfectly with the Old Testament prophecies.

The covenant established with the patriarchs, the words of the prophets, and the expectations of the Messiah all pointed to him. His teaching is not an isolated claim, it is the culmination of God's redemptive plan for mankind.

The Pharisees, who claim to uphold the scriptures, should have recognized him. Instead, their refusal to believe exposed their spiritual blindness, the consequences of rejecting Christ. Jesus's response serves as both an affirmation of truth and a warning.

It's a warning. Those who reject his identity as the promised Messiah are rejecting the only path to salvation. The Pharisees' persistent questioning, it was not a search for clarity, it was a rejection of divine revelation.

Spiritual blindness is not merely ignorance, it is a willful condition of the heart. The Pharisees' refusal to believe stemmed from a hardened resistance to God's truth. See, they pretended to seek knowledge, but their rejection of Christ revealed their true nature.

To deny Christ is to deny the one who sent him, and this rejection, of course, carries eternal consequences. Verse 25 challenges us to examine our own response to Christ. The Pharisees asked, who are you?

Not because they lacked evidence, but because they refused to accept the truth. Jesus's identity has been clearly revealed, both in his words and in the testimony of scripture. Christ's identity has been consistent from the beginning.

His message aligns with God's plan perfectly. Rejecting Christ leads to spiritual blindness, with eternal separation from God's mercy and God's love. We're all faced with the same question the Pharisees asked, but unlike them, we must listen with hearts that are willing, willing hearts to receive the truth.

Do we recognize Christ for who he truly is? Or do we resist his truth, clinging to our own understanding? The way we answer determines our eternity. Let us not be among those who ask in unbelief, who are you?

But among those who boldly proclaim, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. John goes on to highlight the authority and judgment of Christ in verse 26. Jesus declares, I have many things to say and to judge of you, but he who sent me is true and I speak to the world those things which I have heard from him.

Here, Christ asserts that his words are not self-derived, but come directly from the father. He is the divine messenger sent by God, the savior and the judge, relaying the unchangeable truth of God. Yet he does not unleash the full weight of judgment at this moment.

Instead, he warns that judgment is inevitable for those who reject his message. Though he could expose their sins in full measure, he certainly could. He patiently continues his role as the teacher, delivering the truth entrusted to him.

This statement challenges the modern tendency to reshape Jesus into a figure who only affirms and never confronts. Sadly, too many churches, too many churches today emphasize a version of Christianity that avoids uncomfortable truths, particularly the reality of divine judgment.

Yet Jesus himself did not shy away from the warning of the consequences of rejecting God's word, the living word himself. If Christ, the perfect son of God, speaks both grace and judgment, then a faithful church must do the same, must do the same.

A gospel devoid of judgment is an incomplete gospel, one that misrepresents Christ, leaves people in spiritual peril. Jesus's words also highlight the authority of divine truth. I mean, just think about it.

We live in an era where subjective experiences and feelings often determine what is considered,.

Quote, truth.

Christ's unwavering commitment to proclaiming what he has received from the Father stands in stark contrast. He does not cater to cultural sensitivities or he doesn't adapt his message to suit the audience's preferences.

Instead, he speaks with divine authority, affirming that God's truth is not up for negotiation. For modern believers, this passage serves as a sobering reminder that we cannot afford to follow a diluted gospel.

Christ's mission was not to make people comfortable, certainly not to make them comfortable in their sin. You know, I heard that, and I think I may have even said this from the pulpit, and it's sort of like a cliche thing.

Christ doesn't leave you in your sin. Calls you out of it, and it's kind of like, that's, yes, true, amen, but it can be preached from a pulpit. I've heard that recently. The biggest churches. It's kind of like, cool, man, get the Hallmark card out and put a little sticker on our fridge.

If you don't believe in Christ, you will die in your sins. Let's have the full picture, not these pithy, feel-good kind of warm and fuzzies. No, this is, it's more than just not making, not allowing people to be comfortable in their sin.

His mission wasn't to make people comfortable in their sin. It was to call them to repentance and faith, to ignore this aspect of his teaching really is to ignore Christ himself. True faith does not seek to mold Jesus into a more palatable figure.

It submits to the real Jesus who speaks the words of life. Why would we want to dilute that or change it? Even when those words confront and convict, we must listen to him. Those who reject Christ's message are not merely rejecting an idea.

They are rejecting the very truth of God. And with that rejection comes eternal consequences. Let us therefore embrace the full counsel of Christ's words, not just the parts that make us feel good, but the truths that call us to genuine transformation and holiness, holiness.

It's another word you don't hear a lot. You are to be holy as I am holy. So we can just be Christians and just live a life of debauchery. You put your life up to a person who's a practical atheist, you can't even tell the difference.

I'm in Christ. Are you holy? Do you pursue holiness? I'm not talking about legalistic perfection,.

But do you love God?

Do you love God? Do you want to change your life and be like his example? The ultimate pattern of example is what? The Lord was marked by something. He had a zeal for the honor and holiness of the one who sent him.

Did he not? We read about that this morning in Sunday school. The temple. The apostle John points out here importantly, little note in here. They did not know that he had been speaking to them.