Undercover Christians John 12:40-50 A Silent Majority? What Jesus Said

A Silent Majority?  Is it possible to be a silent or secret believer?  Luke 12:8-9 gives some insight. Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

Luke 12:8-9 (NASB) 8 “And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; 9 but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

A Silent Majority?  Is it possible to be a silent or secret believer?  Luke 12:8-9 gives some insight.  Is the belief described here genuine?  John uses three verbs in describing this type of believer and the outcome:  Believe  Confess  Love Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

A Silent Majority? 1. We are told these men “believed on” Jesus  John uses this phrase for true belief  Many believed  Rulers were among the believers  John’s pattern of unbelief followed by some who believe tells us of God always having a remnant  Romans 11:1-5 Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

Romans 11:1-5 (NASB) 1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED Y OUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN Y OUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.” 4 But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO B AAL.” 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice

A Silent Majority? 2. We are also told “they did not confess”  These two statements seem contradictory  They recognized the true cost of discipleship even though they were not willing to pay the cost  Secret discipleship is a contradiction – either the secrecy kills the discipleship or the discipleship kills the secrecy  “Cheap Grace” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

A Silent Majority? 3. We are told “they loved praise from men”  Praise here equals doxa or glory  John is ironically referring back to verse 41  He is comparing earthly glory to heavenly glory  The Jews already had a value scale that compared the praise of men to the praise of God  It was more important for them to be thought well of by superiors and praised by those under them Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

A Silent Majority?  So what does this teach about discipleship? 1. Belief in Christ and confession of Christ belong together 2. Even granted the possibility of secret discipleship, belief without confession is dangerous 3. The value of God’s approval over the variable and passing praise of men Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

Romans 10:9-10 (NASB) 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

What Jesus Said  Jesus’ relationship to the Father  Jesus claims to be God  It is the only way we see God clearly  It is how we know God  We know God’s character through the character of Jesus Christ  God is revealed in flesh and blood in Jesus alone Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

What Jesus Said  Jesus as the “light of the world”  Apart from Jesus, this world is darkness  Because we are created in “His image,” we have some light to give to this world but nothing in terms of the spiritual realm!  The light of Jesus exposes the spiritual darkness  Jesus tells us we can be delivered out of darkness  Jesus gives a solution to our darkness – HIM Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

What Jesus Said  Jesus tells of the danger of unbelief  Jesus speaks of a future day of judgment  We are in the day of grace but ….  2 Peter 3:4-9 Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

2 Peter 3:4-9 (NASB) 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

What Jesus Said  Jesus tells of the danger of unbelief  Jesus speaks of a future day of judgment  We are in the day of grace but ….  2 Peter 3:4-9  The world will end  How will you answer, “what right do you have to enter my kingdom”? Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

What Jesus Said  There is a command to believe  The Father commanded Jesus to say this  The command is to believe  Acts 17:30; 2:38 Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

Acts 17:30 (NASB) 30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, Acts 2:38 (NASB) 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What Jesus Said  There is a command to believe  The Father commanded Jesus to say this  The command is to believe  Acts 17:30; 2:38  This command from Jesus is out of love  God’s love calls on us to repent and believe Undercover Christians John 12:40-50

Application Will you believe in this “light of the world”? Is your belief one that is joined with confession? When was the last time you confessed Him before men? Undercover Christians John 12:40-50