 We've come to John chapter 2 in this small paragraph, this small section of scripture from verse 23 to 25 and reminded that as we've been working through the gospel of John, we looked at John chapter 1, we worked our way into John chapter 2, and as we've been looking at the testimony of Jesus Christ, the glory of Jesus Christ manifested, we're reminded by John of the purpose for which he's writing, and that purpose is so that those that behold his glory, those that behold the revelation of Jesus Christ might believe that Jesus Christ is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing in him, they might have eternal life in his name. It's the purpose for which John is writing. Now as that revelation has been disclosed, as that glory has been manifested, so to speak, from the pages of scripture, we see various reactions to the revelation of Jesus Christ. One of those reactions that we've seen is the reaction of his disciples. Jesus displays his glory, and his disciples believed in him, and they savingly believed in him, and they follow him still as we work through the gospel. But we've also seen another reaction to the revelation of Jesus Christ, and that's the reaction of the Pharisees, the Jewish opponents, those that opposed the message of Christ, and we've seen them in great hostility oppose who he is and what he's done, what he's come to do. But still yet today, as we work into verses 23-25, we're introduced to a third reaction to the revelation of Jesus Christ, the third reaction. There are those that upon the revelation of who Jesus Christ is, upon the signs that he performs, those who believe on Jesus Christ and yet are not saved. Those that believe and yet don't savingly believe, and we're introduced to the idea in scripture that is throughout scripture that there is the possibility that you may believe in Jesus Christ and still go to hell. You can believe in Jesus Christ and still go to hell. Now what is the specific nature of this reaction? What causes this reaction? How would we identify it? How would we define it? What does God see when he looks into the heart of man? How might that view or that perspective differ from what you see there? What would God see when he looks at your heart? Only as we come to see our heart more the way God sees it. Only as we come to see our heart more as the Lord Jesus Christ sees it, can we fully and completely appreciate the greatness of God's mercy and love toward us in Christ. It's only as we come to understand our own hearts that we can see his love and mercy in a proper context. And I want to plead with you this morning, judge your own heart. Judge your own heart. You have a traitor in your breast. You have a betrayer in your chest that seeks to deceive you. That seeks to justify you in your sin. And if you are to be right with God, you must come to a proper understanding of the condition of your own heart apart from Christ. Judge your own heart that you might not be judged with the world. And then behold the wondrous grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ that would save wretched, wicked, ungodly sinners like you and me. It's the glory of God in Christ Jesus our Lord that he would do such a thing. Amen. In our text, we're going to judge our hearts this morning. In one respect from verse 23, we'll see that our hearts and our faith apart from Christ is counterfeit. It's counterfeit, artificial. It's hypocritical. It's superficial, fake, disingenuine. It is unsaving. It is damning. Our hearts apart from Christ are counterfeit. Point two on your notes from verse 24, we'll see that our hearts apart from Christ because of the counterfeit nature of their superficial faith are condemned. We are condemned before the Lord Jesus Christ. In point three on your notes, being both counterfeit and condemned, our hearts are laid bare before the Lord, who is the judge. They are exposed. Our hearts are counterfeit, condemned and exposed before the Lord. Judge your own heart. If you're to judge your own heart apart from Christ, you'll see that your heart apart from Christ is counterfeit. Where the Bible says, now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did. Now verses 23 to 25 here, give us some insight into what happened in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ between the cleansing of the temple where he cast out those money-grubbing money changers and those merchants out of the temple, cleanse the temple. Between that time and the time of his conversation with Nicodemus that begins in John chapter 3. This explains, gives us a little bit of insight into what happened during that week of the festival where obviously from verse 23 to 25 Jesus was teaching. Jesus was preaching. He was having one conversation with one person after another and as the text says, he performed many signs, many miracles. Now the end of verse 23, that very word there, the last word did, the tense of that word tells us in verse 23 that he was performing signs and miracles throughout this week. They were happening all the time. It was an ongoing work in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ to perform signs and miracles. And Jesus Christ said the purpose for those were so that they would point or testify of him, of who he was. So he was performing signs and miracles, many of them. And just like there were many signs that he did, many miracles that he performed, the signs were so well known, so widespread that verse 23 also says that many who were in Jerusalem at that time saw the signs and miracles and believed in his name when they saw the signs. Now think about it for a moment, verse 23. What if these verses, what if this passage ended there at verse 23? Listen to it. When he was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did. What would you think if it ended right there? Yeah. A great awakening is taking place in Jerusalem. Got people saved. And we read in chapter one in verse 12 that to as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God to what? To those who believe in his name. So we're using the same terminology, they believe in his name. We would expect a similar result for those that believe in his name. And yet here in verse 24 we see a very ominous but. This is the but that transitions to bad news. It's the, the but that you might hear on your last day at your new job where the boss says you do great work, but. Or it's that girl that you liked in high school. And she says, I think you're a really nice guy, but, you know, it's the, it's the but that precedes bad news. We have an ominous but in verse 24 that transitions to bad news. Here in verse 23 it says many believed but. And in this but that begins verse 24, we have to recognize the utter and eternal tragedy of what this is saying. This is a big but in the Bible and the scripture teaches the consequences of this transition throughout the Bible. This is tragic. It reveals this transition in verse 24 reveals a very sobering truth from the pages of the Bible. John Bunyan in his book pilgrims progress describes an entrance way to hell even from the very gates of heaven. He calls it a door in the side of a hill from where you can hear the cries of the tormented. And you can smell the fire and smoke of the brimstone. It's a door that the hypocrites go in by. Those that have a long made a show of their faith who have long made a show of their profession in Christ. But at the end are only pretenders. Matthew chapter 7 verse 13 describes it this way. Matthew says enter by the narrow gate. This is Christ speaking for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many. He says many who go in by it because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life. And there are few who find it. You have the many on the broad road to destruction. You have the few that find they have to even look for it that find the narrow gate which leads to life. Those that pass through that entrance to hell at the end of the broad road are professing Christians. These are professing Christians. The Bible here isn't referring to atheists. Not referring to Buddhists or Muslims or Hindus. It's referring to professing Christians. Matthew 7 goes on to describe it this way. They are those that say Lord, Lord. They make a profession of Jesus Christ as Lord. And Jesus goes on to say many who say Lord, Lord shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. He says many will say to me in that day Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in your name? Cast out demons in your name. Done many wonders in your name. And then I, Jesus Christ the judge, will declare to them I never knew you. Depart from me you who practice lawlessness. Not only is it a possibility that someone may believe in Jesus and go to hell. It's a parent from verse 23. It's a parent from verse 24 and many other passages in Scripture that many do. That a vast majority do. Now let that sink in for a moment. Not only is it a possibility to believe in Jesus and go to hell, but the Scripture teaches that many do. That a vast majority of those that profess the name of Christ go to hell. Verse 23 in John chapter 2 introduces to us the counterfeit believer. The counterfeit Christian. This is one of those many depictions in the Bible of damned believers. Those that profess to believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and yet possess a counterfeit or a fake or a hypocritical faith. We can look at several examples. The Scripture has multiple examples throughout the pages of the Bible that testify to this very thing. Look back with me at Acts chapter 8. Acts chapter 8. Scripture gives these accounts to us as a warning. We're to see them today here as a warning. Acts chapter 8. And look at Acts chapter 8 beginning in verse 9. Christ has been preached in Samaria. There's been a great awakening in Samaria. The Samaritans are being saved. And here we come to the account of Simon Magus, Simon the sorcerer in Acts chapter 8 verse 9. Listen to what the Bible says about Simon. It says in verse 9, there was a certain man called Simon who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria claiming that he was someone great to whom they all gave heed from the least of the greatest saying, this man is the great power of God. And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. And listen to this from verse 13. Then Simon himself also believed. And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and was amazed seeing the miracles and signs which were done. In the same way that those in Jerusalem saw the miracles and signs, Simon did. Simon saw the miracles, saw the signs, saw the giving of the Holy Spirit and believed and continued with Philip for a while, was baptized. It says here that Simon believed. Now listen to verse 14. When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Mary had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet, he had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Look at Simon's response, verse 18. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money saying, give me this power also that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him, Simon, your money perish with you because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money. Peter saw, at that point into Simon's heart, he saw the fruit of Simon's counterfeit faith and he rebuked Simon. Listen to what he said in verse 21. You've neither part nor portion in this matter for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore this your wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you for I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity. Simon had a counterfeit faith. Simon was still in the bonds of his iniquity. Simon was lost. Simon is an example, is an object lesson in the reality that you can believe in a counterfeit way. You can believe in a superficial way. You can believe in Jesus Christ and wind up in hell. Go with me to John chapter 8. John chapter 8. Let's look at a couple of examples here that make this point. John chapter 8. As we consider these things we've got to remember and consider what the Bible teaches about saving Biblical belief and the difference here that it brings to our mind the contrast with unsaving counterfeit artificial or superficial belief. John chapter 8. We see another example of that. Look down at verse 28. John chapter 8 verse 28. Here Jesus said to them when you lift up the son of man then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing of myself but as my father taught me I speak these things and he who sent me is with me. The father has not left me alone for I always do those things that please him. Look at verse 30. As he spoke these words many believed in him. Now let's look at the characteristic or a profile of those that are said here to believe in Christ. Verse 31. Jesus said to those Jews who believed him he said if you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. They answered him. We are Abraham's descendants that have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say you'll be made free? Jesus answered them most assuredly I say to you whoever commits sin is a slave of sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever but a son abides forever therefore if the son makes you free you shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's descendants but you seek to kill...wait a minute these are guys that believe in Jesus and yet they seek to kill him? What's wrong with that picture? You seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. I speak what I've seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father. They answered and said to him Abraham is our father Jesus said to them if you were Abraham's children you would do the works of Abraham but now these say they believe in Jesus Christ but now you seek to kill me a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God Abraham did not do this you do the deeds of your father and they said to him we're not born of fornication we have one father God we have Jesus being born of fornication so to speak with his virgin mother Mary and Joseph so to speak they were taking a stab at the Lord here verse 42 Jesus said to them if God were your father you would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God nor have I come of myself but he sent me why do you not understand my speech because you are not able to listen to my word listen to the description that Jesus is making not even able to receive his word verse 44 you are of your father the devil wow and the desires of your father you want to do he was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaks a lie he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it but because I tell you the truth you do not believe me these are those that said they believed in him Jesus Christ is throwing it right back at them it is possible not only possible altogether likely that many say they believe in Jesus Christ profess Christ as Lord and yet don't believe savingly and will wind up in hell verse 45 because I tell you the truth you do not believe me which of you convicts me of sin and if I tell you the truth why do you not believe me he who is of God hears God's words therefore you do not hear because you are not of God people that profess Christ and yet do not savingly believe there is a sign of the end times in Matthew chapter 24 verse 24 where many false teachers will come and will perform lying signs and wonders it is not that the signs and wonders they are producing are false it is that they are deceiving these signs and wonders performed by these deceiving so called disciples will be so real so powerful that the scripture in Matthew 24 describes them as being that which could if it were possible even deceive the elect and what are people going to do people saying that they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will run off after these false teachers and perish they are going to go to hell you are going to see that happen more and more frequently as the day draws near more and more we have seen it time and time and time again haven't we false disingenuous fake artificial superficial counterfeit faith someone professes the name of Christ and they run off after error run off after sin fake faith look at 2nd Peter 2nd Peter chapter 2 2nd Peter chapter 2 often times they run off after a false teacher or false teaching their faith is proven hypocritical superficial 2nd Peter chapter 2 look down at beginning at verse 18 and here speaking of false teaching and the deceptiveness of false teachers listen how it describes these in verse 18 2nd Peter chapter 2 verse 18 for when they these false teachers speak great swelling words of emptiness they allure through the lust of the flesh through lewdness the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error stop and think about that for a moment maybe at one point in your life before the Lord saved you genuinely you felt guilty over your sin maybe you came to grips with how your sin offended God your conscience was pricked and you decided that you know what I need to get my life in order I'm offending the Lord I need to go to church here maybe even thought that you were saved at some point made a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ only to come to realize later that you were not genuinely saved but you left the wickedness of the world behind to so to speak come to church you in many cases left some of your sin behind maybe made a moral reformation to in a so called way come to Christ here these are those who in that case have actually escaped the error of their sin to some degree or escaped the error of the world have made some kind of profession have donned the door of a church maybe have made some kind of moral reformation here they are under false teaching listen to this from verse 19 while these false teachers promise them liberty peace peace when there is no peace you can be a Christian and live in your sin why are you so hung up over your sin the Lord Jesus Christ is forgiving simply ask for forgiveness I tell you what just bow your head right now close your eyes no looking around just whisper this prayer as I say it aloud Lord Jesus come into my heart I know I'm a sinner make me the man you want me to be Lord I give my life to you and then they will tell you you are saved where is Jesus right now did you mean it when you said that prayer right when there is no peace here they promise them liberty they themselves are slaves of corruption what about those that say come to the Lord and you'll be healthy wealthy and wise have all of your wishes all your desires fulfilled in Christ just come to the Lord you'll be rich what a wicked prostituting of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ they promise them liberty and their captives to their sin listen to this for by whom by these wicked false teachers a person is overcome and by him also he is brought into bondage those that deceive those that are being deceived some of these guys aren't deceived they're malicious they're doing it for dishonest gain isn't that what Jeremiah says of false teachers look at verse 20 for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ they are again entangled in them and overcome the latter end is worse for them than the beginning for it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them but it has happened to them according to the true proverb a dog returns to his own vomit and a sow having washed to her wallowing in the mire gotta understand, acknowledge this is talking about an unbeliever not someone who has saved and lost their salvation that's not what the bible teaches this was someone who has never saved to begin with they went out from us because they were not of us had they been of us they would have stayed with us but they went out that it might be made manifest and it might be shown they were never of us to begin with overcome by false teaching in each of these examples what we see is an artificial faith a counterfeit faith a spurious faith a false profession in Christ we don't see genuine saving faith here that accords with Scripture because we don't see it enduring we don't see it fruit producing we don't see it repentant we don't see it persevering to the end we see a false faith a fake faith a faith that doesn't last it's a counterfeit faith and it flows from a counterfeit heart you have to recognize this from Scripture and contend with it not only is it a possibility to profess the name of Christ will go to hell many will many will not all faith that looks like faith is faith not all faith that looks like faith is faith so the text says they believed and yet we know their belief was a complete sham so their belief is a complete sham where do they go wrong what's missing here what's the problem what exactly did or didn't they believe the question you need to begin to ask yourself is how do I know that my faith is genuine how do I know if I've gone wrong how do I know that my faith will persevere to the end how do I know that what I have is not a sham no one no one comes to Christ with a counterfeit faith and gets away with it not then and not now your faith must be genuine saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and listen this is critical this is eternal of eternal significance examine yourself before the Lord and do that honestly do business with God through His Word right now is your faith a sham faith like the faith of these has your faith waxed and waned has your faith disappeared how do you know what does genuine faith look like what should you expect from John chapter 2 verses 23 and 24 let me give you three marks to consider from John chapter 2 verses 23 and 24 let me give you three marks of counterfeit faith counterfeit faith first mark is this counterfeit faith is misplaced it's misplaced verse 23 says many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did counterfeit faith is a misplaced faith it has a wrong object they're true unbelief here in verse 23 their true unbelief is tied to its true foundation its true foundation is the signs that Jesus Christ did they saw the signs but they did not connect them to the Savior they saw the miracles but not the man who performed them Jesus said that His works the works that He did were to testify of Him they were to point them to Jesus Christ His works were to testify of who He is and what He came to do they were to point them to Christ and yet the people didn't make that connection they didn't connect the miracles of the Savior with Christ the Lord of glory who came to seek and to save that which is lost the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world they didn't make that connection and instead the object of their trust the object of their faith so to speak were the signs that He did counterfeit faith has a counterfeit object here all of their faith really is in the signs that Jesus did and that is so much like people today isn't it this is no different 2,000 years ago and right here today many today put their faith in an experience when I was 12 15, 23, whatever it was I got convicted over my sin I walked an aisle during an altar call I said a prayer and I meant it when I said it I wrote that date in my Bible and now whenever I doubt I'll go back and look at that date and say that's what I was saved where is their faith the object of their faith is that one time moment of faith that one time experience of saying that prayer when they meant it the object of their faith is the sincerity of their own deceitfully and desperately wicked heart in saying that prayer they're putting their trust in an experience some walked an aisle set of prayer others spoke in tongues some got baptized for others their faith is in the hope that their marriage will get fixed or their faith is strictly and only in the hope that their family will get fixed or their kids will get fixed I remember witnessing to a woman one time who had just broken up with her living boyfriend she was distraught over it she was weeping over her sin crying out to God to save her and wanting to follow the Lord with all her heart soul mind and strength so she said she came to church here for a period of time but when her boyfriend came back she bolted her faith was in a hope that Jesus Christ would bring her boyfriend back not in the hope that the Lord would save her wretched soul no interest in following Christ for who he is and what he's done if your faith is placed anywhere but in Christ alone your faith is a counterfeit faith and you are on your way to hell someone might say I'm doing the sacraments in the catholic church I'm doing the sacraments that the catholic church told me to do if you're trusting in those sacraments to get yourself to heaven you're on your way to hell someone else may say I said the sinner's prayer first question they'll ask you is did you mean it when you said it yes what do you think Jesus is right now in my heart don't doubt it if you're trusting in that for your salvation you are on your way to hell it is a false lying response to the gospel if you're placing your hope for heaven in the sincerity of saying a prayer you're on your way to hell the hymn says my hope is built on nothing less but what Jesus blood and righteousness my hope is built founded grounded on nothing less than Jesus blood and his righteousness counterfeit faith is a misplaced faith secondly counterfeit faith is an uncommitted faith in verse 23 John here says that many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did verse 24 said but Jesus did not commit himself to them I want to put these two things together for you in verse 23 the word believed there from the language, from the Greek is referring to a one-time moment of faith it's a one-time event one moment in time they believed at that moment because they saw the miracle they believed at that moment because they saw the sign but their belief didn't result in an ongoing commitment an entrustment of all that they are to all that he is it didn't result in an entrustment of themselves to Christ it's a moment in time that actually followed after him for a while and later turned away and didn't follow him any longer we see the crowds in John chapter 6 followed him for a while out of curiosity followed him out for a while because he said them but didn't follow them for who he is and what he came to do and they didn't follow him for long but now listen verse 24 it says but Jesus did not commit himself to them interesting that word for believe many believed in verse 23 and that word for commit in verse 24 are the same root word John is using a play on words here it's the same exact root word believed in verse 23 and commit in verse 24 now listen the difference in translation is due to the tense of the word in verse 24 is telling us that this is an ongoing perpetual continual commitment or entrustment of Jesus to them it's speaking of an ongoing commitment an ongoing faith so to speak they believed in him verse 23 but he didn't believe in them so to speak verse 24 they believed or didn't commit themselves in an ongoing way in verse 23 to commit himself in an ongoing way in verse 24 same root word the difference is one time belief one time momentary faith temporary faith verses ongoing committed persevering faith here's the lesson those that are in verse 23 that believed in his name when he saw the signs that he did and yet were not saved those are the false faith the real hearers of the parable of the sower in matthew chapter 13 turn with me there very quickly matthew chapter 13 let's take a look at that we have the parable of the sower and I want you to see the explanation of the parable beginning in verse 18 miracle faith or misplaced faith is a stony ground faith it's not going to last look at matthew 13 verse 18 therefore Jesus says hear the parable of the sower when anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart this is he who received the seed by the wayside listen to this verse 20 but he who received the seed on stony places this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy yet he has no root in himself but endures only for a while for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word immediately he stumbles these that hear the word and fall away are not saved this is not a christian being described here in matthew 13 this is someone who hears receives it with joy immediately springs up but it's like the weeds in that gravelly parking lot out there they have no root because the ground is rocky if you reach down you can just tug one and they'll come right up no root you want to test if your faith is real has it persevered has it with stood trial have you put it through the fire and it comes out strong you want to test a true believer put them through fire put them through difficulty put them through adversity we've seen that faith that superficial counterfeit faith fail left and right haven't we time and time again someone says i believe in the lord jesus christ i'm a christian little difficulty comes false faith they fall they fail and they're out of here someone says i believe in the lord jesus christ conflict comes along unwilling to be a peacemaker unwilling to resolve conflict and they're gone someone says i believe in the lord jesus christ and the moment that a little bit of difficulty little bit of persecution comes along they're gone it's not a persevering enduring faith a counterfeit faith we see that faith fail all the time genuine faith is going to persevere there's a story about charles spurgeon charles spurgeon would preach the gospel preach the sermon on sunday morning and then when someone made a profession or faith or someone wanted to believe in the name of lord jesus christ turn to christ and follow him by faith spurgeon wouldn't begin to counsel them until tuesday morning tuesday morning were the first appointments that he set for counseling those that made a profession of faith in lord jesus christ there was another pastor near spurgeon who in his understanding when someone made a profession he said he needed to strike while the iron was hot so he would counsel them right there and then he would baptize them immediately after because in his mind he had to strike while the iron is hot the way that spurgeon responded to that was by saying listen if god heats the iron the iron is still going to be hot on tuesday if god heats the iron it's going to be hot two days later on tuesday it's going to be hot two weeks later it's going to be hot two months later two years later two decades later it's going to be hot because god lit it on fire amen genuine saving faith is a persevering enduring faith it doesn't wax and wane it doesn't go away you say you got saved and you went through these long tracks of time where you lived like the devil what would have happened if you died during that time you lived like the devil those times where you lived like the devil testimony that you weren't genuinely saved to begin with shouldn't ask yourself have i trusted in the lord jesus christ maybe you need to ask yourself has the lord jesus christ entrusted himself to me counterfeit faith is misplaced it's uncommitted thirdly it's man-made it is solely and exclusively man-made john said in verse 24 that jesus did not commit himself to them showed clearly there that jesus christ saw something deficient or derelict or artificial in their so-called faith certainly it was a misplaced faith certainly it was an uncommitted faith it would prove to be a superficial faith a fruitless faith but the reason that it is a counterfeit faith is that it is exclusively man-made man-produced solely a product of man's deceitful wicked heart and we'll see that in the case of nicodemus back in john chapter 3 this passage in john chapter 2 verses 23-25 serves as a transition he sets up the teaching here in verses 23-24 and 25 and then gives us an example of this in nicodemus beginning in john chapter 3 we'll get to nicodemus next week the remedy to this nicodemus faith the nicodemus is going to come with the remedy to this counterfeit faith that those that pass over exhibited believing the signs that jesus said the remedy to all that is exactly what jesus told nicodemus in chapter 3 verse 3 you must be born again you must be born again your faith needs to be birthed from above needs to be a fruit of regeneration a fruit of the new birth genuine saving faith is only possible when you've been made alive in christ jesus if you have true saving, lasting, fruit producing faith in christ it is because god grace and mercy to you even when you were dead in your trespasses made you alive together with christ and called you to himself caused you to be born again of his spirit man in the flesh is condemned it is only the new creation that avails before god how do you know if your faith is born from above if your faith is born from above it is going to produce the fruit that the bible says it is going to produce without exception it will produce the fruit that the bible says it will produce it will produce repentance turning from sin it will produce a sorrow over your sin if you have genuine saving faith you'll have sorrow over your wickedness and your offense before god you can't help but mourn how you've offended god with your sin you'll have sorrow over your sin you'll have a diligence about digging that sin out of your life you'll have a diligence about obeying the lord following him and doing that by faith you'll have a hungering and a thirsting for righteousness is it not the testimony of every true christian the thing they want before the lord is to be pleasing in his sight to be free from sin to walk in a way that is worthy of the calling with which he's called us you'll hunger and thirst for righteousness you'll have a love and a devotion to the word of god you'll have a hatred for sin yours and others you'll have a hatred for sin you'll have a vehement desire this is all 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 a vehement desire a zeal for the lord you'll have an evangelistic heart humility saving belief saving faith is something that humble people do there's a humility to it you'll have a love for the brothers not an emotional sentimental only kind of love it's a love that takes action you show up to love the brothers you show up to encourage those that teach you show up to be there with the body of christ a desire for those things listen, no desire for those things you need to question whether you have a desire for christ the lord the epicenter for the lord's work in this world is his church if you're not a part of that if you're not a part of his teaching a part of his ordinances a part of his evangelism a part of his work then you're not a part of the lord you're gonna have patience peace, joy, kindness gentleness, self control you're gonna be a peacemaker and lastly it's gonna persevere there's been any warning passages in scripture that tell us to persevere to pursue this kind of faith you just sort of wait on it lord just give me the faith lord lord commands you to exercise faith lord I'm just waiting on you to grant me repentance lord commands you to repent the bible tells us if you profess the name of christ persevere to the end for those that have been enlightened for those that have tasted of the heavenly gift and the good powers of the age to come and then have fallen away Hebrews chapter 6 says it is impossible to renew them again to repentance since they trample underfoot the son of god they count the blood of the covenant a common thing we must persevere in the faith goes on in Hebrews chapter 6 passage don't be sluggish listen if you are tempted to slow down for the lord or tempted to stop stop that right this minute repent of that and follow the lord with fervent faith don't do it if you're tempted to rest on your laurels that's the first step toward apostasy don't do it stay fervent for the lord we're to exhort one another daily to that right stir one another up to loving good works so much more as you see the day approaching are we seeing the day approaching now amen everywhere you look right we need to be doing that more and more and more fervently follow the lord if you're tempted to rest don't do it point two on your notes if your faith is counterfeit if you've not been born again if your heart is counterfeit then your heart is also condemned in verse 24 Jesus said he did not commit himself to them because he knew all men this idea of Jesus not committing himself to them is the judgment it's the judgment of the lord Jesus Christ he's judged he judges them for a false encounter of faith and they stand condemned as do all men outside of Christ you diagnose your own heart outside of Christ the bible diagnosis it for you you need to agree with this diagnosis Romans 3 says there's none you're righteous think you're a good person no you're not you're ungodly you're unrighteous you're wicked it doesn't matter how old you are 8 3 12 22 your heart is wicked your heart is deceitful above all things you're not righteous you're not good there's none who understands you say wait a minute I can't understand no you don't these things are spiritually discerned no one apart from the spirit of God understands these things wait a minute I've sought up no you haven't apart from the spirit of God you don't seek anything you have fruit for your own motives you want self indulgence you want your own way got some wicked motive for anything you do because you're in sin you're apart from Christ they've all turned aside Lord says they become together unprofitable you are a waste apart from Christ because you don't live for the purposes for which the Lord created you so apart from the Lord apart from his grace and mercy apart from the new birth apart from being in him we are unprofitable profitless there's none good no not one their throat is an open tomb their tongues have practiced deceit the poison of snakes is under their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift ashed blood the anger in your heart the Lord defines as murder the anger in your heart is murderous destruction and misery are in their ways the way of peace they've not known fear of God before their eyes we to fear the Lord yes we are outside of Christ you need to fear God you need to fear of closing your eyes one moment and opening them the next in hell you need to fear death you need to fear getting in your car pulling out on the road you need to fear going to sleep you need to fear some disease you need to fear that somebody's gonna mug you kill you on the street you need to fear dying you need to fear the Lord whatever the law says Roman says there says to those who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty if you're outside of Christ here this morning if you've never put your faith in Him and turn from your sin do you see yourself as guilty you need to witness to people who don't see themselves as bad people who don't see themselves as bad and they don't see God as mad God is angry with the wicked every day and you are guilty before God here in saying that He knew all men not looking for crowds not looking for crowds here He's looking for true disciples that will come and die that's a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ who will abandon all will take up their cross daily and die die to themselves for Christ he wasn't catering to the crowds he wasn't surveying the crowds to find out what they wanted so he could preach ear tickling messages to them and win them with comfort and encouragement he wasn't picking all the right songs wasn't concerned about preaching stuff that they wanted to hear and playing stuff they wanted to hear and entertaining the masses to draw in the crowds that's what most churches do today they beef up the experience to draw in the masses they focus on the wrong thing they focus on the wrong message and they produce a bunch of damned believers and they pack the so called church today with damned believers and that's the condition of the modern church point 3 on your notes from verse 25 there's no use in denying it no use in fighting it your heart is exposed before God in verse 25 Jesus had no need that anyone should testify of man all these witnesses that are stacked up testifying to the Lord Jesus Christ for the good of men for the good of sinners that they might see him as the son of God Jesus Christ and be saved and yet not a single witness is needed for men Jesus Christ knows exactly what's in your heart he knows exactly what's in my heart he knows men he sees them he sees every indifference every apathetic disobedience he sees every hostility every superficial confession he knows true faith he knows false faith he looks on your heart your heart is laid bare before him every square inch there's nothing that you can hide every thought he knows your heart and he knows it better than you do and the one that knows you better even than you know yourself will be your judge one day let me ask you speaking of this issue of the heart were those in Jerusalem that saw the signs that he did at Passover when they said they believed in him were they being insincere if you'd asked them they would have said, yeah I believe he's standing right in front of me I believe him, I saw the miracle you think that Simon Magus if you were to ask Simon would Simon say that he was insincere in his belief in Christ was he being dishonest in that sense or pretending were they just all pretending no they would have said they were sincere what if you had done an altar call in Jerusalem at the end of that festival week for all those that saw the miracles how many would have come down the aisle and said a prayer to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved how many of them would have done it all by the droves right saw Jesus Christ the Messiah has come, saw the miracles I'm going to run down the aisle, I'm going to say this prayer I'm going to be saved Simon Magus in that prayer in a heartbeat would he have said that he was sincere sure he would have they're not deliberately being insincere listen you can be sincere and be sincerely wrong you can be sincere and be sincerely lost a great mistake of many people the great error of many a false teacher is to make the grounds of faith the sincerity of a deceitfully wicked heart they assume they said a prayer sincerely they assume that God heard that prayer they assume all this because they believe a set of facts they assume all this because there was a time where they had an experience or when they did something and all the time Jesus Christ did not commit himself to them they have no interest in the things of God there's no heart for God there's none of that fruit that genuine saving faith produces and so there is no saving faith it's based almost entirely on emotion almost entirely if not emotion, maybe guilt can a lost person have their conscience pricked can a lost person feel guilt over sin? sure they can the faith they profess is temporary over decades it's just proven time and time and time again that these so called salvation don't last and listen if you preach if you presume to preach that man centered emotionally based superficial emotional response to the gospel then you're going to get people coming in like that in droves and you're packing the church with damned believers the church is full of weeds some of these people have been saved I mean thousands of them saved 3, 4, 5 times I don't think I'm saved I'm not sure that I really meant it I'm going to do it again I'm in my sin I've been in my sin for 2 years I'm going to rededicate my life oh I've got to rededicate it again Lord why isn't this sticking they're preaching a false gospel and you're giving a false response you can't hide the truth from the Lord Jesus Christ you can't hide your heart from him you know in verse 24 and 25 the basis of Jesus' judgment here the basis of his judgment is his omniscience this is the glorious omniscience of the Lord Jesus Christ knows all things knows a man's heart everything about your heart everything about you he knows you this is the glory of the omniscience of Jesus Christ this is a clear testimony again of who Jesus is Jesus is God in the flesh and this is to manifest his glory so that you might believe that he is the Christ the Son of God and that believing in him you might have life in his name in John chapter 6 verse 64 listen to what is said here of Jesus Jesus said there are some of you who do not believe wow for Jesus knew it says from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who would betray him and he said therefore I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my father Jesus knew Nathaniel seeing him under a fig tree when he wasn't there seeing him walking toward him behold in Israelite in whom there is no deceit he knew him knew his heart knew Judas knew that Judas would betray him he knew the Samaritan woman at the well go get your husband that's right you have no husband and the ones you have warns your husband either he knew her no secrets in your life not the slightest part of you he can read you like a book think about Peter Jesus Christ knew the future told Peter before the rooster crows twice you're gonna deny me three times knew the future then after Peter had denied him and they're on the shore together and Jesus is talking to Peter and Jesus is graciously and mercifully restoring Peter he's asking Peter do you love me Lord you know I love you Peter do you love me you know I love you Peter do you love me Lord you know all things you know my heart you know I love you Jesus knows our hearts and here is the glorious truth all that the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ knows you knows every piece of your heart Lord Jesus Christ knows me there's nothing about me that is hidden before him the fact that he knows he knows us he knows our hearts are deceitful above all things he knows we are desperately wicked he knows your every thought he knows all of that sin that you are constantly in he knows the bitterness he knows the anger he knows the temper he knows the lust he knows the greed he knows the envy he knows everything about you he knows how wicked and deplorable you are unprofitable he knows that even the good that you do is like a filthy rag you are sinfully disgusting he is furious with you because of your sin his eyes are of pure eyes than to behold evil and yet outside of Christ even the plowing of the wicked is sin he knows you're lying he knows every wicked thought every wicked word in his nostrils every time you do it he knows your ignorance he knows your covetousness he knows your rebellion he knows your disobedience against your parents he knows your lack of respect your lack of honor he knows every bit of all of that filth and yet he came to die for you he came to die for me while we were yet ungodly Christ came to save sinners he extends to you in all of your sin in all of your rebellion against God extends to you a free offer of his grace that if you'll just abandon the wickedness that you're living in turn from that turn to Christ just trust him to save you can't trust in any of your works you've got no good works your only hope is Jesus Christ just trust him believe in him believe in a committed persevering way turn from your sin put your faith in Christ and Christ will save even you there is mercy today right now in the Lord Jesus Christ let him and be saved what are you waiting for amen let's pray Father in heaven Lord thank you for this glorious mercy that we have in Christ this glorious salvation that you've provided for us in Christ God what an amazing grace what an amazing love you know all there is to know about us and yet even in that condition you came to die we praise you Lord what a glorious provision for sin what amazing grace amazing mercy I pray Lord that if there's someone here who isn't saved who's I just never seen that before I pray God open their blind eyes open plow up that stony hard heart save them for your name for your glory in Jesus name amen