WHAT BELIEVERS RECEIVE
[p. 459] WHAT BELIEVERS RECEIVE
1 Corinthians 15: 1, 2; Acts 26: 15 - 20; John 7: 39
What is in mind is to speak about what believers receive. The word ‘receive’ is found in each of these scriptures, and it is thought that we might look first at what may be received in the way of doctrine, which is included in the gospel which, though received, yet the person receiving it may not be saved. In the second letter to the Corinthians the apostle speaks about receiving the grace of God in vain — a very searching matter. In the first epistle he speaks of the truth of the gospel that the Corinthians had received, saying “by which also ye are saved, unless ye have believed in vain”. It will be wholesome to dwell on this side of the matter, for we are now in this island, where the gospel in its terms is generally accepted. Were one to enquire of every person in the island as to whether he or she believed in Christ, the answer from most would be ‘Yes’, meaning that he was not a heathen, or a Jew, or a Mohammedan, but it would just convey that he was like the rest of the people, a Christian by profession. Were one to enquire in detail, he would own he believed in the inspiration of the Scriptures, and other acknowledgments would be readily made by most of the inhabitants of the island in order to show that they are Christians. Now the Corinthians were in that sense Christians; they had heard Paul preach; he had been there a year and a half and had preached many times. Others too had preached there; Timotheus and Silvanus, and in this passage Paul calls attention to what had been preached and made known to the Corinthians by him. He says, “... which also ye have received”. The things he presented would effect their salvation as they kept them in mind, “unless ye have believed in vain”, he says. Now this is the point — how have I believed? What kind of belief is mine? James says, speaking to those to whom he wrote, “Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well”, but then he adds, “the devils also believe and tremble”, James 2: 19. He says, Ye do well that ye believe there is one God. Were I to go over the same ground with such professing Christians who admit that they believe in the Bible and believe in God, meaning that they are not Jews or Mohammedans, I would say, You do well; thank God for that, but James says, “the devils also believe”. There are no infidels amongst the devils, and there will be none in hell; they may assume that now, but they will know then that there is a God, and a Jesus, who has power. So Paul says, “The gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain”. There must be faith. There was the solemn possibility of a person listening to Paul, or Silvanus, or Timotheus — that threefold testimony — and assuming to be a nominal Corinthian Christian, yet believing in vain. The person might remain in an unsaved condition, and be consigned to everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, for the word says, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha”, that is, let him be accursed when the Lord comes.
I am speaking to you with the hope that everybody here will be solemnised, and will challenge himself as to whether he has believed in vain, or to the saving of his soul. May every one challenge himself as I am speaking. You cannot afford to believe in vain. You do well if you believe in God, in Jesus and in the Bible, but challenge yourself before God as to whether your belief is in vain or not. Whether it is that kind which is to the saving of the soul. If you [p. 461] were to ask any of those Corinthians if they believed in the atoning work of Christ they would say, Yes, but perhaps you would find his conduct entirely different from Christian conduct — the grace he professed to receive was turned into lasciviousness. He had received the grace of God in vain. That is why this word ‘unless’ is brought in — “unless ye have believed in vain”.
I go on now to the passage in Acts 26, which records the commission of the apostle Paul, which he received from the Lord Jesus. The Lord appeared to him and appointed him as a servant to the Gentiles “to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, and they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me”. Now this word ‘receive’ here is in connection with the forgiveness of sins. You do not receive the forgiveness of sins in vain. You may hold it as a doctrine or religious belief, but to receive the thing itself is the point. Doctrine is important, but the thing itself, that is the remission of sins, is the point. How many, one enquires, in this audience have received the remission of sins? — I know a good few who have — not that you simply profess to hold the doctrine of Christianity — I may say the creed, etc., and have been baptised and all that; that does not mean I have received the remission of sins. What a wonderful thing it is to have it! It is not received in vain — once received I am forgiven for ever. You need not be doubtful about that. God says, “Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more”. I know of no stronger language than that — the language a Holy God employs in regard of the greatest sinner on earth who believes in Jesus. God says, “their sins and iniquities I will remember no more”. It is a serious thing to make God a liar. I speak to any timid Christian. I was speaking to someone yesterday,
[p. 462] and in principle she was making God a liar. The Lord Jesus in the house of Simon the leper in Luke 7, turned to a woman in that audience, as I might turn to any Christian here; and He said, “Thy sins are forgiven”. The more I enjoy the gospel myself, the more I love to hear it. There is not a Christian on earth that Jesus has not called attention to in some way. He was speaking in Simon’s house; Simon was not a believer; and Jesus said “Seest thou this woman”, and then He tells Simon what she had done. She showed she loved Jesus, because she was forgiven all her sins. He turned to the woman and He called Simon’s attention to her; He told Simon that her sins were forgiven. Jesus also said to her “thy sins are forgiven”; “Go in peace”. The woman we were speaking to yesterday doubted it. Here is the point, the Lord says, “Her sins which are many are forgiven”. She was a wicked woman, but now the whole position is changed. Simon thought the Lord did not know her, but He did. He said her sins were many, but He was going to die and remove them for ever. God must be met in regard of those sins. He would not overlook one, but Jesus had come and was going to the cross to bear away to the land of forgetfulness those sins which were many. I appeal to any who have not receive from the lips of Jesus the assurance of the forgiveness of your sins; it is now offered to everyone on the principle of faith, and that you will be justified from all things as believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you not ready to fall in with the rest of us here who have received it, and be numbered amongst us? If you say it is presumption, you are making Jesus a liar. The Lord Jesus says, “that they may receive the forgiveness of sins”. Do not put it away from you. Think over it.
“To open their eyes”, the Lord says to Paul. Opening of the eyes means that we are to be undeceived, that we might turn and listen to God and [p. 463] receive the remission of sins, and inheritance amongst those who are sanctified. Christians are endowed and enriched as all that is contrary to God is set aside, and we are set up in Christ — justified. It is God who justifies, and who is he that condemns? Who can condemn me? No one. It is Christ who has died and is at the right hand of God. Think of the provision for us, and He is making intercession for us that we may be saved now from dishonouring His holy name. The apostle is speaking to a king here and he says, “Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision; but showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance”. I have read that because it is important in relation to what has been said — repentance is necessary for forgiveness. The woman I spoke of wept out her repentance. The apostle shows here there should be works meet for repentance. If we profess to receive forgiveness, we should not go and resume our guilty ways — that would be believing in vain. Christianity is a real thing that deals with a man’s soul before God and brings out a practical walk here below.
After that comes the reception of the Spirit, as we have in John 7 — “And this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive”. This verse puts before us clearly that the Spirit of God is given to people and is to be received. The third point is that the Spirit is given to believers. I want to stress that the believer is to receive it. It leads me to say a few words on the passage in Hebrews 6, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they fall away to renew them again unto repentance”. Many are made doubtful and uneasy and harassed by that. It is possible to be partakers of the Holy Spirit and fall away; partaking of the Holy Spirit is not receiving the Holy Spirit, nor am I sealed by merely partaking. Many who attend spiritual meetings partake of the blessing effected by the Holy Spirit amongst the people of God — the ministry — they partake of it in a limited way. They are happy to partake of it, but presently they give it up. That is a most serious thing, it is apostasy. Falling away is apostasy, as we read in John that many of the Lord’s disciples went away back and walked no more with Him. How can any one claim to be a Christian who turns back, and walks no more with Christ or His people? There are such persons, and that is what is meant in Hebrews 6. They come into the thing outwardly, and presently they fall away and give it up.
I am going to speak of the actual receiving of the Holy Spirit of God. It was the great day of the feast and “Jesus stood and cried, if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink” — “unto Me”, says the Lord. It was the last day of the feast, and they were still thirsty, but the Lord says, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”. Now the point is the Lord’s own words, “He that believeth on me” out of his inward being there shall flow refreshment for others. It is for you as it is for others. It refers to the Holy Spirit which they who believe on Jesus shall receive. Jesus has now gone up to heaven and believers who receive Him, God gives them that wonderful gift of God, the Holy Spirit. Have you received that gift? What greater could you have? I am challenging you. You may never hear me or the gospel about Jesus again, and it is a crucial moment. Have you received the Holy Spirit? Philip preached at Samaria, and many believed [p. 465] there, but did not receive the Holy Spirit. When the apostles at Jerusalem heard of it they sent out Peter and John, who when there, prayed about it, and they laid their hands on them, and they received the Spirit. I am stressing reception in this matter. The passage in John states that they that believe on Jesus should receive the Spirit. The Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost — a wonderful fact and event when thousands of people came into the blessing of the Holy Spirit. What about all the Christians today; have they received the Holy Spirit? The reception of the Holy Spirit means that you are sealed for ever — the reception of forgiveness that you are forgiven for ever. It is a real abiding fact that nothing can alter. God says, “Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more”. It will give you the assurance that if your sins are dealt with they will never again be brought up against you. The reception of the Spirit is also abiding. I am stressing the reception of the Holy Spirit of God because it is only by this that you can be said to be sealed. Paul said, “He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts”. Think of that! God does all that, and it involves that I receive the Holy Spirit. May God help those who have not come into these things, and we want you to join us in having received the forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit. You will then be saved for ever. The Lord says, “They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”. May God help you now to settle these two great facts; the reception of the forgiveness of sins and the reception of the Holy Spirit.