Studies in the Gospel According to John" By R. A. TORREY (These Studies are for careful study, not rapid and heedless reading)
II. The Public Ministry of Jesus Leading Those Who Were of the Truth to Believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God. Ch. 1:19— 12:5 (Continued.)
the Son of God came to do is accom plished for him. We are not accepted before God on the ground of our own good works, or on the ground of what we have done or ever shall do, we are accepted before God solely on the ground of what the Lord Jesus did when He took our sins upon Himself, and on the single condition of believ ing on Him who thus bòre our sins. We are not accepted before God on the ground of our own character or on the condition that we possess a true character, we are accepted on the ground of- His atoning death and on the condition of believing on Him who died, “ He that believeth on Him is not judged.” ! If the vilest sinner in the world should this moment be lieve on Jesus, ' the moment he be lieved judgment would be passed for him forever (cf. ch. 5: 24 R. V .). The Greek word translated “ con demned” in the Authorized Version is properly translated “ judged” in the Revised Version. As said in com menting on verse 17, John never uses the Greek verb which is commonly translated/“ condemn” and which is a compound of the word commonly translated “ judge” and a preposition, but John does frequently use the Greek verb which is translated “ judge” in a condemnatory sense, and it has that sense in a measure in this verse. “ He that believeth not hath been judged already.” While there is no judgment for the one who believes on the Son of God, no matter what hii past may have been, there is immedi-
7. John’s Comments on the In terview between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus,—3:16-21. V. 18. “He that believeth on him is not condemned (rather, judged ) : but (omit, but ) he that believeth not is condemned (rather, hath been judged) already, because he hath not believed in (rather, on) the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John here declares that though the Son of God did not come into the world to judge the world but that the world might be saved through Him (v. 17), nevertheless, His coming would result in judgment, indeed that the final and decisive judgment of men would turn upon what they did with this very Son of God who came not to judge but to save. The Saviour re jected means final and hopeless dpom. “ He that believeth on Him is not judged:” the simple act of believing on Jesus delivers the belieyer at once from all judgment. The Lord Jesus bore all our sins in His own body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13), and the moment we ap propriate to ourselves what He did in thus dying in our place, by simply be lieving on Him, that moment all judg ment is a thing of the past. There is absolutely no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). The whole sin question and judgment question is settled forever. As far as forgiveness of sin and justification be fore God is concerned, the believer is saved the moment he believes. What (Copyright, 1913, by R. A. Torrey)
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