Church Order: Worship, Sacraments, and the Lord's Supper

The Terrible Sin of Man Part 2 of 3

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Church Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-11-20

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver continues his series on the bondage of the human will, arguing from John 5 that man by nature will not and cannot come to Christ. He examines three charges Jesus levels against the Jews—lack of God's Word abiding in them, absence of love for God, and seeking honor from men rather than from God—and shows how each renders faith impossible. Weaver contends that the will is not free but enslaved to sin, and that the doctrine of free will is a Roman Catholic heresy opposed by historic Protestant confessions.

[John Weaver] John chapter 5. This is the second part of the message that I started last week. I will try to tie everything together the coming week. The title of the message is the terrible sin of man. And I'm dealing with actually the theory or the teaching of free will. Showing you that there is in the Bible no such animal. And then next week I'm going to show you between free agency or freedom of will and free will. So, notice if you would in John chapter 5, beginning there with verse 32, our Lord says, There is another that beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. You sent unto John, and he beareth witness unto the truth.

[John Weaver] But I receive not testimony from man, but these things I say that you might be saved. He was a burning and shining light, and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John. For the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself who hath sent me hath borne witness of me.

[John Weaver] You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape. You have not his word abiding in you, for whom he hath sent him you believe not. Search the scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life, and there they which testify of me. and you will not come to me that you might have life. I receive not honor from men, but I know you, that you have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, and whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. And if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?

[John Weaver] Remember, if you would please, last week, we looked at this context in great detail. And I showed you the context of verse 40 when our Lord looked at these people and said, and you will not come to me that you might have life. Our Lord referred to the testimony of John the Baptist and he only referred to his testimony for the benefit of the people because he said you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light and then he said but these things I send you that you might be saved so he referred to John the Baptist but he gave three appeals as testimonies for himself he appealed to his works he appealed to the father and he appealed to the Scriptures. And you remember the Holy Spirit of course inspired the Scriptures. So God only appeals to Himself. So the Son appealed to His works, He appealed to the Father, and He appealed to the Scriptures which were indeed and are indeed the work of the Holy Spirit of God. And in light of all of that testimony, in light of all of that evidence, He said, you will not come to me that you might have life.

[John Weaver] In other words, the problem with man is not an insufficient amount of evidence. It's not the verity of the evidence. It's not the truthfulness of the evidence. The fact is their wills are locked in stubborn rebellion against God. So our Lord clearly stated in verse 40, that man by nature will not come to him.

[John Weaver] Now I have heard preachers all my life say, well, sinners could come. if the only will to come.

[John Weaver] Now there are two problems with that statement. The first problem is John 6 and verse 44. Look at it very quickly. John 6 verse 44. Here's what our Lord said. Our Lord says, No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day. Now, preachers say, you can come if you will come, but our Lord said, no man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. So, obviously, either preachers are lying or Christ is lying, and obviously it is not Jesus Christ, because He is God and He speaks the truth. He says, no man can come. So, when you hear someone say, well, you can come if you will come, then you need to think of John 6, 44. The second problem is this. When you hear people say, well, you can come if you will come, what they are actually doing is viewing the will in abstraction from man. Because the truth of the matter is this, no man can come to Christ apart from or without grace.

[John Weaver] Man's will is not free. It is bound in sin, wickedness and rebellion. It is held captive to his lust, thoughts and desires.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to give you a quote and I'm going to take the rest of this week and next week basically to explain this quote. John Calvin in his bondage and liberation of the will said this, listen carefully. We allow that man has choice and that it is self-determined so that if he does anything evil it should be imputed to him and to his own voluntary choosing.

[John Weaver] We do away with coercion and force because this contradicts the nature of the will and cannot coexist with it. We deny that choice is free because through man's innate wickedness it is of necessity driven to what is evil and cannot seek anything but evil. And from this it is possible to deduce what a great difference there is between necessity and coercion. For we do not say that a man is dragged unwillingly into sinning, but that because his will is corrupt, he is held captive under the yoke of sin and therefore of necessity will in an evil way. For where there is bondage, there is also necessity. But it makes a great difference whether the bondage is voluntary or coerced. We locate the necessity to sin precisely in the corruption of the will from which follows that it is self-determined."

[John Weaver] And certainly that is true. Now let me try to give you just a very quick illustration to explain what Calvin just said. Let's suppose that we have in front of us a drunk. And he has been a drunk man for years and years and years. So, you confront the drunk about his sin. his wickedness and his rebellion. You tell him maybe about heaven and hell. You tell him about the redemption that we have in Jesus Christ and that he can be redeemed and delivered from his sin of drunkenness through Jesus Christ. Now you tell him all of this. And then you place a Bible in front of him and a fifth of whiskey and you look at the drunk and say, You choose whichever one you desire. Would you like to guess which one the drunk is going to choose? He's going to choose the fifth of whiskey. Why is he going to choose the fifth of whiskey?

[John Weaver] Because his will is in bondage to his lust and his desires. His will is enslaved and unless grace sets him free, He will always choose that which is evil. Man sins because he is a sinner. And he not only sins because he is a sinner, he sins because he loves his sin. He enjoys his sin. He wants to sin. And he does that voluntarily. His will is not somewhere held in abstraction. No, no, no. His will is controlled by his mind, by his desires, by his lusts, and a host of other things as well.

[John Weaver] So, in John chapter 5, when our Lord gives them the witness of His works, and the witness of the Father, and the witness of the Scripture, yet He still has to say to them in John 5 and verse 40, and you will not come to me that you might have life. John 5 and verse 40, It's not an evidence of free will. John 5 in verse 40 is an evidence of the bondage of the will. Because in light of all of that evidence, man will not come. Now, divinely speaking, man cannot come. Humanly speaking, man will not come.

[John Weaver] Now, today I want to show you very quickly the charges that our Lord levels against these individuals. And I want you to see how these charges are related to the will. I also want you to see cause and effect. Our Lord says, and you will not come to me that you might have life. Everything I'm going to show you is related to that. So there are three causes and three effects or three causes and three results. Let me show them to you very quickly.

[John Weaver] Let's look in John 5. I'm going to give you first all the overview and then we'll take the three charges particularly. Notice if you would, in verse 38, our Lord says, and you have not His word abiding in you, that is the cause. What is the result? Or what is the effect? Here it is, for whom He has sent, Him you believe not. You can say verse 40, and you will not come. So you have not his word abiding in you. And verse 40, you will not come. Look in verse 42.

[John Weaver] But I know you that you have not the love of God in you. That's the cause. Watch verse 43. Here's the result. I come in my father's name and you receive me not. Wow. Look in verse 44. He asked, He asked, in verse 44, how can you believe who receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? So, since they are not seeking the honor that comes from God only, what's the result? Verse 47, but if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words? In other words, they refuse to believe. So let's look at these charges one at the time. First of all, in verse 38, here's the first charge when he said, and you have not his word abiding in you, note carefully, for whom he hath sent him you believe not.

[John Weaver] Now actually verse 39 verifies verse 38, for that's when he says, search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. If you really had his word abiding in you, says Christ, If you really knew the Scriptures, they're the ones that testify of Me." So had they known the Word of God, had they had His Word abiding in them, they could not have helped but to have known Jesus Christ. I want you to note what He said in verse 38. And He said,"...and you have not His Word abiding in you." That is, you do not have His Word continuing in you. Do you remember what our Lord told these Jews in John 8 in verse 31? I want you to look there. Look what He said. John 8 and verse 31. Look what He said.

[John Weaver] Here it is very clearly stated. John 8 verse 31, Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, You continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed, or then are you truly my disciples. In other words, the proof that they were genuine, sincere, and real believers would be evidenced by the fact that the word of God was continuing in them. Wow! When you go back and you understand John 5 and verse 38, when he says, and you have not his word continuing in you, What is our Lord saying?

[John Weaver] You have no idea who I am. You have no idea of the truth. There cannot be trust in Christ when there is ignorance of Christ. Let me say that again. There cannot be trust in Christ when there is ignorance of Christ. There can be no coming to Christ wherever there is not a perception and an understanding of Christ. How in the world? Toby has some friends in Pennsylvania.

[John Weaver] At least one, don't you? Of course, I met one. But Toby has some friends in Pennsylvania. Let's invite the congregation to go to his friend. How can we go there? We don't even know the man. We don't know where He is. We don't know how to get to Him. How in the world can people come to Christ when they're absolutely, totally ignorant of Him? I want you to look in John chapter 4, if you would, at verse 10, because here our Lord is speaking to the woman at the well. And He's already told her that, well, He could give her some water that she would never have to thirst again. And look what she said in John 10.

[John Weaver] Jesus said unto her, Watch this. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water. But here's the whole point. She didn't know who Christ was. She didn't know the gift that he had. How could she come to Christ without knowing who he was? How could she come to Him if she was totally, absolutely ignorant of Him?

[John Weaver] You remember, it was the Apostle Paul who was preaching on Mars Hill. And he told these Athenians, he said, as I pass by, I saw your altar to the unknown God. Him declare I unto you. Let me just tell you that the God of the Bible today, is still an unknown God to most people. Most people have a God of their imagination. They may have a God of their ancestors. They may even have a God of their denomination. But they're totally, absolutely, completely ignorant of the God of the Bible. And men are just as blind and just as depraved today as the Athenians were in Paul's day and time.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you. Turn in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. And let's begin there with verse 17. I want you to see what our Lord says. Ephesians 4. And notice if you would please verse 17. Watch this. Ephesians 4 verse 17. Our Lord says it like this. This I say therefore and testify in the Lord."

[John Weaver] Now he's writing these Ephesian believers. So he says, this I say and testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk. Let me paraphrase this for you. Don't walk, don't live like the unsaved. This is what he's saying. I want you to note what characterizes the unsaved. He says, this I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity that is the uselessness, the worthlessness of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart.

[John Weaver] Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness. Now I want you to look in verse 18 He says that unsaved man, natural man, has the understanding darkened. He's alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. He's totally ignorant of God and because of the blindness of his heart. Well, since he's totally ignorant of God, what does he do? He gives himself over to lasciviousness. He gives himself over to whatever pleases his flesh. He's absolutely, totally ignorant of God. You cannot come to Christ if you're ignorant of Christ. You cannot come to Christ if you do not know who He is. Look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4.

[John Weaver] And notice if you would please verses 3 and 4. 2 Corinthians 4 verses 3 and 4. Here the Apostle Paul makes this statement. He said, But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, and whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Notice if you would, he says very plainly that their minds are blinded.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to John chapter 5. I want you to look at this. With this understanding in your mind, look at verse 38. Our Lord says,"...and you have not His Word abiding in you. For whom He hath sent, him you believe not." Well, how could they believe if they were totally ignorant of who Christ was? That's why He said, search the Scriptures.

[John Weaver] You think you've got eternal life? Search there they which testify of me. How can you come to me? You don't even know who I am. So this charge is you do not have the Word of God abiding in you. Man cannot come and man by nature will not come. Because he has no idea who Jesus Christ is. He's totally ignorant of the Word of God. You're going to see this more next week. So the result then of not having His Word abiding in us, or dwelling in us, is that man by nature does not believe in Christ, and he will not come to Christ.

[John Weaver] By the way, let me just say this. There is an application here even to Christians. The reason we get ourselves in so much trouble so many times is because His Word is not abiding in us the way it should be. If His Word was dwelling in us, we would not do a lot of things that we normally do. You remember what David said? Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

[John Weaver] With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me... What did he say? O let me not wander out of your way? What's he going to do? He said, let your word dwell in my heart that I might not sin against thee. If his word continues in us, it's going to affect our lives. It's going to change our lives. When that word does not dwell or we tend to be forgetful and unthinking, we're going to end up getting ourselves in trouble because we'll act contrary to the word of God and we'll bring the curse and the judgment of God upon us.

[John Weaver] So, there's an application here even for Christians, not just for the unsafe. The Word of God must be abiding in us. That's why we must read the Word of God, not only daily, but meditate upon it, think upon it, and apply it. Watch the second charge, verse 42. He says, but I know you that you have not the love of God in you. Wow. But I know you that you do not have the love of God in you. Now, in verse 38, they didn't have the word of God in them. Now he says you don't have the love of God in you. The word love here denotes the strong, fervent, spiritual love. It's the agape love. Over and over, we have been commanded to love the Lord with all of our hearts. We looked at that truth a number of months back when I preached a message on how to love the Lord with all of our hearts. I showed you all of those verses, even in the Old Testament. But you have to remember this, that true love is obedience.

[John Weaver] That's why in Romans 13 and verse 10, the Bible says that love is the fulfilling of the law. Our Lord Himself said in John 14 and verse 15, if you love me, my commandments." Wow. If you love me, keep my commandments. Now look what he said, I know that you have not the love of God in you. How did he know they did not have the love of God in them? Well, first of all, he's God, he's omniscient, he knows everything.

[John Weaver] But secondly, all he had to do was observe their actions. Because love is obedience. You remember what he said in John 14 verse 21, let me just quote it. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. What? He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. And then in John 14 verse 24 he said, He that keepeth not my sayings, loveth me not. And the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father which hath sent me. And boy, the one that really climaxes everything is 1 John 5 and verse 3. where He says, and this is the love of God that we keep His commandments and His commandments are not grievous.

[John Weaver] So all our Lord had to do was look at their lives and He saw how rebellious and wicked and ungodly they were. And He said, I know you that you have not the love of God in you. Do you remember that passage in 1 John 2 where He said this in verse 4, He that saith, I know him, And keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Wow. Now I want you to note what our Lord said. First of all he said, you don't have my word of God, you don't have the word of God abiding in you. Now he says, you do not have the love of God in you. They were wicked, they were rebellious, they were ungodly.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. How can you come to someone of whom you're totally and completely ignorant. Here's my next question. Why would you come to someone that you don't know and you don't love? How then can a sinner come to Christ? Stop and think about this. If he's ignorant of Christ, If there's no love of Christ or love of God in him, how can he come to Christ? How can he will to come to Christ? Why would he or why should he even think of coming to Christ? He's ignorant of Him. The love of God is not in him.

[John Weaver] How could you go to Him? I have an uncle, or I had an uncle, he's now dead. He was one of the most lovable, gentle, kind individuals that you would have ever met. Everybody loved him. He's just plain and simple. I could sit here and describe my uncle to you, and you would think, man, that's a great guy. Yeah, he was. But if I were to sit here and tell you, love my uncle, you can't love him. You know why you can't love him? You don't know Him. It's impossible to love someone that you do not know. Our Lord said, my first charge is, you don't have His word abiding in you. Secondly, His love is not in you.

[John Weaver] I want you to look at verse 43. Here's the result of not having the love of God in you. He said, I'm coming in my father's name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. You know, I find this interesting. Men will believe anything and anyone but the Bible and Jesus Christ. He said, I've come in my father's name. What's the result? You won't receive me. You won't have me.

[John Weaver] I was waiting to get a haircut the other day, and I was looking at a National Geographic, because it was actually on the King James Bible, the section that I was looking at. But they got to talking about the Rastafarians. And, yeah. The originator, a man by the name of Rastafarian, said he was Christ. Of course, he was a black man. He was Christ. And the Rastafarians deny Christ and say that this black man is the Messiah. And they say Africa is the homeland, Africa is this and Africa is that.

[John Weaver] And here are these guys praying to Rastafarius. My question is this. How can you believe some individual is Christ, and you won't even believe that Christ is Christ? The point I'm trying to make, when men are ignorant of Christ, and the love of God is not in them, they will not come to Christ, and the truth is, they cannot come to Christ. Because they're totally, absolutely ignorant of who He is. Now, I want to point something out. Our Lord looked at these people in John 5 and verse 14 and said, and you will not come to me that you might have life.

[John Weaver] I hope you are beginning to see right now that your understanding as well as your affections influence and control your will. The will cannot be viewed in abstraction somewhere. No. It is controlled and influenced by our understanding or our lack thereof, as well as our lusts and our desires. So our Lord said, you have not his word dwelling in you. You have not the love of God in you.

[John Weaver] If you'll look in verse 30, 44, here's the third charge verse 44. How can you believe who receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only.

[John Weaver] Now, look at that very carefully because I'm going to make a statement in just a moment. But our Lord asked this question, how can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? If I were to ask the catechetical question, what is the chief duty of man? Everyone knows the answer, to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Well, our Lord asked this question. How can you believe who receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that comes from God? Now, it is true we say that our chief duty is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. But the scribes and the Pharisees and the Jews of our Lord's day, were full of pride and they wanted the recognition of man. And here's a statement I want you to listen to and absorb.

[John Weaver] According to John 5 and verse 44, pride and the desire for vain glory makes faith impossible. Now think about that. Pride and the desire for vain glory makes faith impossible. Our Lord asks, how can you believe indicating a total absolute impossibility? How can you believe? Which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only. Our Lord is saying that pride in vain glory makes faith impossible. May I ask you what natural unsaved man is filled with pride and vain glory. I want you to look in your Bibles, pull John 5, but turn back to Matthew 23. Matthew 23, and let me just show you a few verses relating to what our Lord is actually saying. Look at Matthew 23, beginning there with verse 1. Matthew 23, verse 1.

[John Weaver] Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples saying the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat Let me paraphrase this for you They wanted to be the head honcho They wanted to be in control They wanted to be looked up to I the one watch they sit in Moses seat He says, all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe and that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on men's shoulders. But they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men.

[John Weaver] They make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments. and love the uppermost rooms in the feasts, and the chief seats of the synagogues, and greetings of the markets, and to be called Rabbi, Rabbi, but be ye not called Rabbi, for one is your master, even Christ, and all are your brethren." But notice what he said. They love, they love the uppermost rooms of the feasts. They love the chief seats. They love to be greeted. What's he saying?

[John Weaver] They prefer the praise and recognition and admiration of man. If you would turn right over to John 12 and look at verse 43, here is the indictment against not only these people but natural man. John 12, notice if you would please verse 43, our Lord says it very plainly concerning the Pharisees. In fact, let's read verse 42 just so that you can see it's in the context. Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him, But because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. Why would man not seek the honor that comes from God alone? The answer is, because they desire the praise and the recognition of man more. You know, I have thought innumerable times about the controlling elite, not only in America, but the world. And they think they are in the hot seat now. You just wait. Can you imagine what it's going to be like when they faced the judge of all the earth, the sovereign God of heaven and earth, and they thought that they were in control, and they loved their power, and they loved the praise and the recognition of man far more. In fact, they don't even believe in God. They deny God.

[John Weaver] I tell you what, I'd rather be the humblest believer and be penniless, and a wanderer, and walk this world over seeking bread every day, then I had to be a multi-billionaire who ignored God, denied Christ, and trampled His Word under my feet. Because one day, there's going to be a judgment. And we're going to find out all this praise and recognition of man is worthless. Here's a question I often ask myself.

[John Weaver] What difference will it make a hundred years from now anyhow? You just stop and think about that. We'll all be dead. So what if you gave me every medal and every recognition that you could give me? What would it matter a hundred years from now? I'll be dead. You'll be dead. All of that recognition is gone. The reason men do not seek the honor that comes from God alone, listen carefully, is because they desire honor and recognition from man instead of God. They do not put God first, are you listening? They put themselves first. Man by nature is an idolater. He worships himself. Why would you come to Christ if you're your own God?

[John Weaver] Was that not the temptation in Genesis 3, and you shall be as God's, knowing or determining good and evil for yourselves? You don't need God to give you His law. You can make up your law as you go along. And that's what man wants to do. And our Lord says, how can you believe? How can you? Pride and vainglory. makes faith impossible.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to look at the effect. Look in John chapter 5, at verses 45 and 47. Because he asks this question in verse 44 of John 5. How can you believe who receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? Watch. Our Lord says, Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, and whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?" What is our Lord saying? You want the praise and recognition of man? You're not going to receive me. You're not going to believe me. You don't even believe the one whom you say you believe, Moses. Moses is standing there doing this. That's the one, Lord. That's the one. Our Lord said, I don't have to accuse you. You're accused from the one that you trust in because you really don't believe His words.

[John Weaver] For had you believed His words, you would believe in Me. So the effect or the result is ultimately men do not believe in Christ. They will not believe the word of God. They do not love God. Therefore, they do not honor God. They care only for themselves. Consequently, their wills are in bondage to their fallen nature. Man is not free. He is bound in the chains of sin. Now, if the Bible teaches that man's will is in bondage to sin, and it does, let me ask you this question. From whence then is all the emphasis on this damnable and heretical doctrine of free will.

[John Weaver] Well, you will remember, I hope, at least several weeks ago from the messages on true theology, I talked about Pelagius. Pelagius, you remember, was in the fourth century. And Pelagius advocated free will. Of course, it was advocated also in Genesis chapter 3. But Pelagius set forth this doctrine of free will And Augustine, one of the early church fathers, debated him, proved his theories absolutely false, and consequently he so defunct Pelagius that nobody was going to follow the teachings of Pelagius. So Cassian came along a little bit later, and he took a little bit from Augustine, a little bit from Pelagius, and he taught then a modified Pelagianism, and he still held to free will.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you something that you probably do not know. The greatest advocate of free will is the Roman Catholic Church. Now listen carefully. It surprises many Baptists to discover that in reality they're really very good Roman Catholics. Now, Baptists would abhor such a comparison. For it is true that most Baptists, but yet it is true that most Baptists hold to the doctrine of free will. Baptists glory in the fact that we're not Protestants. We were never in the Roman Catholic Church. We were a separate entity that held true to the faith. We're not Protestants. Yet, in reality, most Baptists are good little Roman Catholics.

[John Weaver] And they don't even realize it. Now, how can I make such a claim? I had a preacher challenge me one time. And he was asking me why I believed in the doctrine of election, why I believed in predestination. And he was a Baptist preacher, and so I asked him, I answered all his questions. I said, now I've got one to ask you. I said, why is it that you being a Baptist hold Roman Catholic doctrine? He said, I don't believe Roman Catholic doctrine.

[John Weaver] I said, sure you do. I said, you believe in the free will of man. He said, that's not Roman Catholic. I said, sure it is. 1563, the Council of Trent which is an avowed standard of potpourri said this, I'm quoting, these are their words. Council print 1563, if anyone shall affirm that man's free will moved and excited by God does not by consenting cooperate with God the mover and exciter so as to prepare and dispose itself for the attainment of justification If, moreover, anyone shall say that the human will cannot refuse complying if it pleases, but

[John Weaver] that it is unactive or inactive and merely passive, let such an one be accursed. If anyone shall affirm that since the fall of Adam, man's free will is lost and extinguished, having title only a name without a thing, and a fiction introduced by Satan in the church, let such a one be accursed.

[John Weaver] Now, here is the counsel of Trent. Canon 5, same counsel. If anyone says that since Adam sinned, the free will of man is lost and extinguished, or that it is a thing with only a name, yet name without a reality of figment and fine, introducing the church by Satan, let him be anathema." And the word anathema means to be cursed and set aside for certain and sure destruction. So here is the Roman Catholic Church saying in their official counsel that man's will is free, that man does cooperate with God, in fact man can prepare and dispose himself for the attainment of justification or the attainment of salvation. And if anyone says he can't, let him be accursed. John Calvin, who of course had run-ins with the Roman Catholics, said this, The papist told that man through his own free will returns to God.

[John Weaver] And on this point is our greatest contest with them at this day. What was the greatest contest between the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church? It was free will. So again, the greatest contest between the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church was free will. You remember I quoted this passage last week, where Martin Luther thanked Erasmus for bringing this up. He said, you've put your finger on the vital spot, the hinge on which everything turns.

[John Weaver] Here is a quote, and I want you to listen carefully. This came from the Sovereign Grace Union, publication number 173. This is amazing. During the Armenian range of Archbishop Laud, the persecutor of the Puritans and the Covenanters, zealous Armenians were promoted to the best bishoprics. A famous letter written by a Jesuit to the rector of Brussels and endorsed by Archbishop Laud himself was found in the study at Lambeth. A copy of the letter was found among the papers of a society of priests and Jesuits at Clerkenwell in 1627. Here's what was written.

[John Weaver] Now we have planted the sovereign drug Arminianism and we hope will purge the Protestants from their heresy and it flourisheth and beareth fruit in due season. I'm at this time transported." Remember, a Jesuit priest is writing this. I'm at this time transported with joy to see how happily all instruments and means, as well as greater, smaller, cooperate with our purposes. But to return to the main fabric, our foundation is Arminianism.

[John Weaver] Interestingly, all of the historical confessions of faith have always taught that the will of man was in bondage to sin, and that only the grace of God could set that will free. First of all, let me give you a quote from the Westminster Confession of Faith, and I'm not going to be reading the scriptures. There are scriptures attached to all of these, but here's what the Westminster Confession of Faith says about man's will. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation. So as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto. When God converts a sinner and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone enables him to freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good. Yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly nor only will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil.

[John Weaver] Now I'm going to explain this more next week, but all he's saying is this. All the Westminster Confession is saying is this. that if man turns to God, it's because God has worked in his life and freed his will from his bondage and allows him to come to Christ through grace. Now, the Westminster Confession of Faith was written 1644 to 1648. I've got a number of books on the confession. I've preached many of sermons based upon the truth of that confession. And what a lot of people do not know is that Baptists used that confession for a number of years. Finally, in 1689, they drew up what is known as the Old London Confession of Faith. And you know, the interesting thing is this. The Old London Confession of Faith is a Baptist confession of faith But if you read the Old London Confession of Faith, you're going to be amazed because the Westminster Confession and the Old London Confession are almost word for word except when it comes to baptism and ecclesiology. When it comes to the doctrine of church and baptism, of course the Baptist is different.

[John Weaver] But the Old London Confession and the Westminster Confession are almost word for word and about every point. What I'm trying to say is this, historically, Baptists and Presbyterians have been like this. They've just disagreed on baptism, and they've disagreed on the order of the church, ordering the church. That was it. So, what happened in 1742 was this. A hundred Baptist pastors met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and adopted the Old London Confession to be their confession of faith. And it then became known as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith. Now if you take an old London Confession of Faith and a Philadelphia Confession of Faith, you'll find that they are word for word.

[John Weaver] Because they're one and the same. So I want to read to you what the London Confession of Faith, and it was a Baptist Confession, and the Philadelphia Baptist Confession of Faith says concerning man's will. Listen carefully. Once again, there's scriptures all in here. I'm not using the scriptures. But the London Confession and the Philadelphia Baptist Confession says this, God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice that is neither forced nor by any necessity of nature determined to good or evil. Man in his state of innocency had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God, Adam in the garden, yet was unstable or immutable so that he might fall from it. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to do any spiritual good accompanying salvation. So as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereto."

[John Weaver] What? Do you realize that the Westminster Confession, the Old London Confession, the Philadelphia Confession, go absolutely stark contrary to the Council of Trent, where the Roman Catholic said, if any man deny this, let him be accursed. So according to Roman Catholic doctrine, any Presbyterian Any Baptist, any Reformed believer who believes that man's will is in bondage and man does not cooperate with God is under the curse of God according to the Roman Catholics.

[John Weaver] Now, I hope you remember Augustus Toplady. Rock of ages. Augustus Toplady was not only a preacher, he was a hymn writer, he was alive with George Whitefield, the Wesleys, the 18th century, Augustus' top lady wrote this. Listen carefully. Queen Mary and her Spanish husband well knew that Calvinism is the very life and soul of the Reformation and that potpourri will never flourish until the Calvinistic doctrines were eradicated. Her efforts to destroy by sword and by fire those who upheld the truth earned for her the unenviable appellation of Bloody Mary. Are you listening?

[John Weaver] The charge on which many of them were burnt at the stake was that they held to the doctrine of predestination and rejected the Armenian Popish doctrine of free will. Bloody Mary burned men at the stake because they did not believe in free will. John Owen, the Prince of Preachers, said this, I love this quote, Our next task is to take a view of the idol himself, of this great deity of free will, whose original being, not well known, he has pretended like the Ephesian image of Diana to have fallen down from heaven, and to have his endowments from above.

[John Weaver] But yet considering what a nothing he was at his first discovery, in comparison of the vast giant-like hugeness which he has now grown, we may say of him as the painter of this monstrous picture which he amended or rather marred according to everyone's fancy, and then he quotes Latin, hunk populus viscit, which means, it is the issue of the people's brains. If John Owen were alive today, he would say it like this, those who believe in free will are touched in the head. Instead of saying, it's an issue of the people's brains.

[John Weaver] Charles Spurgeon said, what is the heresy of Rome but the addition of something to the perfect merits of Jesus Christ, the beginning in and of the works of the flesh to assist in our justification, And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer? Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here. Let me tell you, folks, the Word of God, which I will show you next week, Lord willing, teaches free grace and not free will. Free will has never taken one individual to heaven. But it has taken a multitude to hell. Our Lord rightly said to these people, you will not come to me that you might have life. And lighted the overwhelming evidence, His works, the testimony of the Father, the testimony of the Scriptures, they would not come. Why? They had not His Word abiding in Him.

[John Weaver] They had not His love in Him. And they desired the honor of man more than the honor of God. And therefore, they would not come because they loved the praise of man more than the praise of God. So the question that has to be asked is this. Are you a believer in the Word of God? Are you a good little Roman Catholic who does not even read the Bible? Because they are taught, it's impossible for man to understand.

[John Weaver] The priest has to interpret it for them. What good is your Bible if you do not read it and study it and apply it? Let me go a step further. When men are ignorant of Christ, when they do not love Christ, when they refuse to honor Christ, they cannot come and they will not come to Christ. And you remember what our Lord said. We're there. Look in John 5 at verse 22 and 23. Watch this carefully. John 5 verse 22 and 23. Watch.

[John Weaver] For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." Why has the Father committed all judgment to the Son? Here's why. That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father who hath sent Him. If you do not come to Jesus Christ, you are dishonoring the Father. If you do not love Jesus Christ, you are dishonoring the Father. If you do not know Jesus Christ, you are dishonoring the Father. And if you dishonor the Father, you dishonor the Son. And God shall judge you through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] We do not need free will. We need the grace of God in our lives. Not only in order to be saved, but after we are saved. For our Lord said, help me out, without me you can do what? Nothing. Not one thing. How desperately we need the grace of God. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee, we thank You, we trust Thee, and we love Thee through the Lord Jesus Christ. We confess and acknowledge that He is God in the flesh, that He is the Lord of glory, the Savior, the Redeemer, And without Him, Lord, no man will come unto Thee. And Father, we ask for grace, even as Your children, to love Thee as we should, and to abide in Thy Word, and to carry forth in obedience to Thee, and in through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Amen.

The Terrible Sin of Man Part 2 of 3

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	8LJuJt8Yo-8
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Worship, Sacraments, and the Lord's Supper
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-11-20
Dictation Name
Book	Book 185: The Terrible Sin of Man — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	74

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Review of John 5 Context

Weaver reviews the context of John 5:40, where Jesus says 'you will not come to me that you might have life,' emphasizing that the problem is not insufficient evidence but the stubborn rebellion of the human will.

John chapter 5. This is the second part of the message that I started last week. I will try to tie everything together the coming week. The title of the message is "The Terrible Sin of Man." And I'm dealing with actually the theory or the teaching of free will, showing you that there is in the Bible no such animal. And then next week I'm going to show you between free agency or freedom of will and free will. So, notice if you would in John chapter 5, beginning there with verse 32, our Lord says,

Scripture Reading — John 5:32-47

"There is another that beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. You sent unto John, and he beareth witness unto the truth." "But I receive not testimony from man, but these things I say that you might be saved. He was a burning and shining light, and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John. For the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself who hath sent me hath borne witness of me." "You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape. You have not his word abiding in you, for whom he hath sent him you believe not. Search the scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life, and there they which testify of me. And you will not come to me that you might have life. I receive not honor from men, but I know you, that you have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, and whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. And if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?"

Remember, if you would please, last week, we looked at this context in great detail. And I showed you the context of verse 40 when our Lord looked at these people and said,

Scripture Reading — John 5:32-47

"And you will not come to me that you might have life."

Our Lord referred to the testimony of John the Baptist and He only referred to his testimony for the benefit of the people because He said,

Scripture Reading — John 5:32-47

"You were willing for a season to rejoice in his light."

And then He said,

Scripture Reading — John 5:32-47

"But these things I say unto you that you might be saved."

So He referred to John the Baptist, but He gave three appeals as testimonies for Himself. He appealed to His works, He appealed to the Father, and He appealed to the Scriptures. And you remember the Holy Spirit, of course, inspired the Scriptures. So God only appeals to Himself. So the Son appealed to His works, He appealed to the Father, and He appealed to the Scriptures which were indeed and are indeed the work of the Holy Spirit of God. And in light of all of that testimony, in light of all of that evidence, He said,

Scripture Reading — John 5:32-47

"You will not come to me that you might have life."

In other words, the problem with man is not an insufficient amount of evidence. It's not the verity of the evidence. It's not the truthfulness of the evidence. The fact is their wills are locked in stubborn rebellion against God. So our Lord clearly stated in verse 40 that man by nature will not come to Him.

Now I have heard preachers all my life say, "Well, sinners could come if they only will to come."

The Bondage of the Will: Cannot vs. Will Not

Weaver contrasts the common saying 'you can come if you will' with Jesus' words in John 6:44 that no man can come unless drawn by the Father, arguing that man's will is bound in sin and not free.

Now I have heard preachers all my life say, "Well, sinners could come if they only will to come." Now there are two problems with that statement. The first problem is John 6 and verse 44. Look at it very quickly. John 6 verse 44. Here's what our Lord said. Our Lord says,

Scripture Reading — John 6:44

"No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day."

Now, preachers say, "You can come if you will come," but our Lord said,

Scripture Reading — John 6:44

"No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him."

So, obviously, either preachers are lying or Christ is lying, and obviously it is not Jesus Christ, because He is God and He speaks the truth. He says, "No man can come." So, when you hear someone say, "Well, you can come if you will come," then you need to think of John 6:44. The second problem is this. When you hear people say, "Well, you can come if you will come,

Scripture Reading — John 6:44

" what they are actually doing is viewing the will in abstraction from man. Because the truth of the matter is this, no man can come to Christ apart from or without grace.

Man's will is not free. It is bound in sin, wickedness and rebellion. It is held captive to his lust, thoughts and desires. Now, I want to give you a quote and I'm going to take the rest of this week and next week basically to explain this quote. John Calvin in his "Bondage and Liberation of the Will" said this, listen carefully. "We allow that man has choice and that it is self-determined so that if he does anything evil it should be imputed to him and to his own voluntary choosing."

Calvin's Distinction Between Necessity and Coercion

Weaver quotes John Calvin to explain that man sins voluntarily yet necessarily because his will is corrupt, using the illustration of a drunkard choosing whiskey over a Bible to show the will's bondage to lust.

Now, I want to give you a quote and I'm going to take the rest of this week and next week basically to explain this quote. John Calvin in his "Bondage and Liberation of the Will" said this, listen carefully. "We allow that man has choice and that it is self-determined so that if he does anything evil it should be imputed to him and to his own voluntary choosing." "We do away with coercion and force because this contradicts the nature of the will and cannot coexist with it. We deny that choice is free because through man's innate wickedness it is of necessity driven to what is evil and cannot seek anything but evil. And from this it is possible to deduce what a great difference there is between necessity and coercion. For we do not say that a man is dragged unwillingly into sinning, but that because his will is corrupt, he is held captive under the yoke of sin and therefore of necessity will in an evil way. For where there is bondage, there is also necessity. But it makes a great difference whether the bondage is voluntary or coerced. We locate the necessity to sin precisely in the corruption of the will from which follows that it is self-determined."

And certainly that is true. Now let me try to give you just a very quick illustration to explain what Calvin just said. Let's suppose that we have in front of us a drunk. And he has been a drunk man for years and years and years. So, you confront the drunk about his sin, his wickedness and his rebellion. You tell him maybe about heaven and hell. You tell him about the redemption that we have in Jesus Christ and that he can be redeemed and delivered from his sin of drunkenness through Jesus Christ. Now you tell him all of this. And then you place a Bible in front of him and a fifth of whiskey and you look at the drunk and say, "You choose whichever one you desire." Would you like to guess which one the drunk is going to choose? He's going to choose the fifth of whiskey. Why is he going to choose the fifth of whiskey?

Because his will is in bondage to his lust and his desires. His will is enslaved and unless grace sets him free, he will always choose that which is evil. Man sins because he is a sinner. And he not only sins because he is a sinner, he sins because he loves his sin. He enjoys his sin. He wants to sin. And he does that voluntarily. His will is not somewhere held in abstraction. No, no, no. His will is controlled by his mind, by his desires, by his lusts, and a host of other things as well.

Three Charges and Their Effects on the Will

Weaver introduces three causes from John 5—not having God's Word abiding, not having the love of God, and seeking honor from men—and their effects, showing how each prevents coming to Christ.

So, in John chapter 5, when our Lord gives them the witness of His works, and the witness of the Father, and the witness of the Scripture, yet He still has to say to them in John 5 and verse 40, "And you will not come to me that you might have life." John 5 and verse 40, it's not an evidence of free will. John 5 and verse 40 is an evidence of the bondage of the will. Because in light of all of that evidence, man will not come. Now, divinely speaking, man cannot come. Humanly speaking, man will not come.

Now, today I want to show you very quickly the charges that our Lord levels against these individuals. And I want you to see how these charges are related to the will. I also want you to see cause and effect. Our Lord says, "And you will not come to me that you might have life." Everything I'm going to show you is related to that. So there are three causes and three effects or three causes and three results. Let me show them to you very quickly. Let's look in John 5. I'm going to give you first all the overview and then we'll take the three charges particularly. Notice if you would, in verse 38, our Lord says, "And you have not His word abiding in you," that is the cause. What is the result? Or what is the effect? Here it is, "For whom He has sent, Him you believe not." You can say verse 40, "And you will not come." So you have not His word abiding in you. And verse 40, you will not come. Look in verse 42.

"But I know you that you have not the love of God in you." That's the cause. Watch verse 43. Here's the result. "I come in my Father's name and you receive me not." Wow. Look in verse 44. He asked, in verse 44, "How can you believe who receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?" So, since they are not seeking the honor that comes from God only, what's the result? Verse 47, "But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?" In other words, they refuse to believe. So let's look at these charges one at a time. First of all, in verse 38, here's the first charge when He said, "And you have not His word abiding in you," note carefully, "For whom He hath sent him you believe not."

First Charge: Ignorance of God's Word

Weaver explains that without God's Word abiding in them, people are ignorant of Christ and cannot believe or come to Him, citing Ephesians 4:17-18 and 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 to show the natural man's blindness.

Now actually verse 39 verifies verse 38, for that's when He says,

Scripture Reading — John 5:38

"Search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. If you really had His word abiding in you,"

says Christ, "If you really knew the Scriptures, they're the ones that testify of Me." So had they known the Word of God, had they had His Word abiding in them, they could not have helped but to have known Jesus Christ. I want you to note what He said in verse 38. And He said,

Scripture Reading — John 5:38

"...and you have not His Word abiding in you."

That is, you do not have His Word continuing in you. Do you remember what our Lord told these Jews in John 8 in verse 31? I want you to look there. Look what He said. John 8 and verse 31. Look what He said.

Here it is very clearly stated. John 8 verse 31,

Scripture Reading — John 8:31

"Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, 'You continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed,'"

or "then are you truly my disciples." In other words, the proof that they were genuine, sincere, and real believers would be evidenced by the fact that the word of God was continuing in them. Wow! When you go back and you understand John 5 and verse 38, when He says, "And you have not His word continuing in you," what is our Lord saying? You have no idea who I am. You have no idea of the truth. There cannot be trust in Christ when there is ignorance of Christ. Let me say that again. There cannot be trust in Christ when there is ignorance of Christ. There can be no coming to Christ wherever there is not a perception and an understanding of Christ. How in the world? Toby has some friends in Pennsylvania.

At least one, don't you? Of course, I met one. But Toby has some friends in Pennsylvania. Let's invite the congregation to go to his friend. How can we go there? We don't even know the man. We don't know where he is. We don't know how to get to him. How in the world can people come to Christ when they're absolutely, totally ignorant of Him? I want you to look in John chapter 4, if you would, at verse 10, because here our Lord is speaking to the woman at the well. And He's already told her that, well, He could give her some water that she would never have to thirst again. And look what she said in John 10.

Jesus said unto her, watch this. "Jesus answered and said unto her, 'If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.'" But here's the whole point. She didn't know who Christ was. She didn't know the gift that He had. How could she come to Christ without knowing who He was? How could she come to Him if she was totally, absolutely ignorant of Him? You remember, it was the Apostle Paul who was preaching on Mars Hill. And he told these Athenians, he said, "As I pass by, I saw your altar to the unknown God. Him declare I unto you." Let me just tell you that the God of the Bible today is still an unknown God to most people. Most people have a God of their imagination. They may have a God of their ancestors. They may even have a God of their denomination. But they're totally, absolutely, completely ignorant of the God of the Bible. And men are just as blind and just as depraved today as the Athenians were in Paul's day and time.

Now let me show you. Turn in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. And let's begin there with verse 17. I want you to see what our Lord says. Ephesians 4. And notice if you would please verse 17. Watch this. Ephesians 4 verse 17. Our Lord says it like this. "This I say therefore and testify in the Lord."

Now he's writing these Ephesian believers. So he says,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:17-19

"This I say and testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk."

Let me paraphrase this for you. Don't walk, don't live like the unsaved. This is what he's saying. I want you to note what characterizes the unsaved. He says,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:17-19

"This I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity,"

that is the uselessness, the worthlessness of their mind,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:17-19

"having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart." "Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness."

Now I want you to look in verse 18. He says that unsaved man, natural man, has the understanding darkened. He's alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. He's totally ignorant of God and because of the blindness of his heart. Well, since he's totally ignorant of God, what does he do? He gives himself over to lasciviousness. He gives himself over to whatever pleases his flesh. He's absolutely, totally ignorant of God. You cannot come to Christ if you're ignorant of Christ. You cannot come to Christ if you do not know who He is. Look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4.

And notice if you would please verses 3 and 4. 2 Corinthians 4 verses 3 and 4. Here the Apostle Paul makes this statement. He said, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, and whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." Notice if you would, he says very plainly that their minds are blinded.

Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to John chapter 5. I want you to look at this. With this understanding in your mind, look at verse 38. Our Lord says, "...and you have not His Word abiding in you. For whom He hath sent, him you believe not." Well, how could they believe if they were totally ignorant of who Christ was? That's why He said, "Search the Scriptures." You think you've got eternal life? Search there they which testify of me. How can you come to me? You don't even know who I am. So this charge is you do not have the Word of God abiding in you. Man cannot come and man by nature will not come because he has no idea who Jesus Christ is. He's totally ignorant of the Word of God. You're going to see this more next week. So the result then of not having His Word abiding in us, or dwelling in us, is that man by nature does not believe in Christ, and he will not come to Christ.

Second Charge: Absence of Love for God

Weaver argues that love for God is demonstrated by obedience, and since the Jews lacked this love, they would not receive Christ; he emphasizes that one cannot love or come to someone unknown.

By the way, let me just say this. There is an application here even to Christians. The reason we get ourselves in so much trouble so many times is because His Word is not abiding in us the way it should be. If His Word was dwelling in us, we would not do a lot of things that we normally do. You remember what David said? "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed thereto according to thy word." "With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me..." What did he say? "O let me not wander out of your way?" What's he going to do? He said, "Let your word dwell in my heart that I might not sin against thee." If His word continues in us, it's going to affect our lives. It's going to change our lives. When that word does not dwell or we tend to be forgetful and unthinking, we're going to end up getting ourselves in trouble because we'll act contrary to the word of God and we'll bring the curse and the judgment of God upon us.

So, there's an application here even for Christians, not just for the unsaved. The Word of God must be abiding in us. That's why we must read the Word of God, not only daily, but meditate upon it, think upon it, and apply it. Watch the second charge, verse 42. He says, "But I know you that you have not the love of God in you." Wow. "But I know you that you do not have the love of God in you." Now, in verse 38, they didn't have the word of God in them. Now He says you don't have the love of God in you. The word love here denotes the strong, fervent, spiritual love. It's the agape love. Over and over, we have been commanded to love the Lord with all of our hearts. We looked at that truth a number of months back when I preached a message on how to love the Lord with all of our hearts. I showed you all of those verses, even in the Old Testament. But you have to remember this, that true love is obedience.

That's why in Romans 13 and verse 10, the Bible says that love is the fulfilling of the law. Our Lord Himself said in John 14 and verse 15,

Scripture Reading — John 14:15, 21, 24

"If you love me, keep my commandments."

Wow.

Scripture Reading — John 14:15, 21, 24

"If you love me, keep my commandments."

Now look what He said, "I know that you have not the love of God in you." How did He know they did not have the love of God in them? Well, first of all, He's God, He's omniscient, He knows everything. But secondly, all He had to do was observe their actions. Because love is obedience. You remember what He said in John 14 verse 21, let me just quote it. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." What? "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." And then in John 14 verse 24 He said, "He that keepeth not my sayings, loveth me not. And the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father which hath sent me." And boy, the one that really climaxes everything is 1 John 5 and verse 3, where He says, "And this is the love of God that we keep His commandments and His commandments are not grievous."

So all our Lord had to do was look at their lives and He saw how rebellious and wicked and ungodly they were. And He said,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:3

"I know you that you have not the love of God in you."

Do you remember that passage in 1 John 2 where He said this in verse 4, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Wow. Now I want you to note what our Lord said. First of all He said, "You don't have my word of God, you don't have the word of God abiding in you." Now He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:3

"You do not have the love of God in you."

They were wicked, they were rebellious, they were ungodly.

Now let me ask you a question. How can you come to someone of whom you're totally and completely ignorant? Here's my next question. Why would you come to someone that you don't know and you don't love? How then can a sinner come to Christ? Stop and think about this. If he's ignorant of Christ, if there's no love of Christ or love of God in him, how can he come to Christ? How can he will to come to Christ? Why would he or why should he even think of coming to Christ? He's ignorant of Him. The love of God is not in him.

How could you go to Him? I have an uncle, or I had an uncle, he's now dead. He was one of the most lovable, gentle, kind individuals that you would have ever met. Everybody loved him. He's just plain and simple. I could sit here and describe my uncle to you, and you would think, man, that's a great guy. Yeah, he was. But if I were to sit here and tell you, love my uncle, you can't love him. You know why you can't love him? You don't know Him. It's impossible to love someone that you do not know. Our Lord said, my first charge is, you don't have His word abiding in you. Secondly, His love is not in you.

I want you to look at verse 43. Here's the result of not having the love of God in you. He said, "I'm coming in my Father's name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive." You know, I find this interesting. Men will believe anything and anyone but the Bible and Jesus Christ. He said, "I've come in my Father's name." What's the result? You won't receive me. You won't have me.

Third Charge: Seeking Honor from Men

Weaver asserts that pride and desire for vain glory make faith impossible, as Jesus asked 'How can you believe?' He cites Matthew 23 and John 12:43 to show that natural man loves the praise of men more than God.

I was waiting to get a haircut the other day, and I was looking at a National Geographic, because it was actually on the King James Bible, the section that I was looking at. But they got to talking about the Rastafarians. And, yeah. The originator, a man by the name of Rastafarian, said he was Christ. Of course, he was a black man. He was Christ. And the Rastafarians deny Christ and say that this black man is the Messiah. And they say Africa is the homeland, Africa is this and Africa is that.

And here are these guys praying to Rastafarius. My question is this. How can you believe some individual is Christ, and you won't even believe that Christ is Christ? The point I'm trying to make, when men are ignorant of Christ, and the love of God is not in them, they will not come to Christ, and the truth is, they cannot come to Christ. Because they're totally, absolutely ignorant of who He is. Now, I want to point something out. Our Lord looked at these people in John 5 and verse 14 and said, "And you will not come to me that you might have life."

I hope you are beginning to see right now that your understanding as well as your affections influence and control your will. The will cannot be viewed in abstraction somewhere. No. It is controlled and influenced by our understanding or our lack thereof, as well as our lusts and our desires. So our Lord said, "You have not His word dwelling in you. You have not the love of God in you." If you'll look in verse 44, here's the third charge. Verse 44. "How can you believe who receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only."

Now, look at that very carefully because I'm going to make a statement in just a moment. But our Lord asked this question, "How can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?" If I were to ask the catechetical question, what is the chief duty of man? Everyone knows the answer, to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Well, our Lord asked this question. "How can you believe who receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that comes from God?" Now, it is true we say that our chief duty is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. But the scribes and the Pharisees and the Jews of our Lord's day were full of pride and they wanted the recognition of man. And here's a statement I want you to listen to and absorb.

According to John 5 and verse 44, pride and the desire for vain glory makes faith impossible. Now think about that. Pride and the desire for vain glory makes faith impossible. Our Lord asks, "How can you believe?" indicating a total absolute impossibility. "How can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only." Our Lord is saying that pride and vain glory makes faith impossible. May I ask you what natural unsaved man is filled with pride and vain glory? I want you to look in your Bibles, pull John 5, but turn back to Matthew 23. Matthew 23, and let me just show you a few verses relating to what our Lord is actually saying. Look at Matthew 23, beginning there with verse 1. Matthew 23, verse 1.

"Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples saying, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.'" Let me paraphrase this for you. They wanted to be the head honcho. They wanted to be in control. They wanted to be looked up to. I the one watch they sit in Moses' seat. He says, "All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe and that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on men's shoulders. But they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men."

"They make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms in the feasts, and the chief seats of the synagogues, and greetings of the markets, and to be called Rabbi, Rabbi, but be ye not called Rabbi, for one is your master, even Christ, and all are your brethren." But notice what He said. They love, they love the uppermost rooms of the feasts. They love the chief seats. They love to be greeted. What's He saying? They prefer the praise and recognition and admiration of man. If you would turn right over to John 12 and look at verse 43, here is the indictment against not only these people but natural man. John 12, notice if you would please verse 43, our Lord says it very plainly concerning the Pharisees. In fact, let's read verse 42 just so that you can see it's in the context. "Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."

Now let me ask you a question. Why would man not seek the honor that comes from God alone? The answer is, because they desire the praise and the recognition of man more. You know, I have thought innumerable times about the controlling elite, not only in America, but the world. And they think they are in the hot seat now. You just wait. Can you imagine what it's going to be like when they face the judge of all the earth, the sovereign God of heaven and earth, and they thought that they were in control, and they loved their power, and they loved the praise and the recognition of man far more. In fact, they don't even believe in God. They deny God.

The Historical Roots of Free Will Doctrine

Weaver traces the doctrine of free will from Pelagius to the Roman Catholic Council of Trent, contrasting it with the Westminster Confession and the historic Baptist Philadelphia Confession, which teach the bondage of the will.

I tell you what, I'd rather be the humblest believer and be penniless, and a wanderer, and walk this world over seeking bread every day, than I had to be a multi-billionaire who ignored God, denied Christ, and trampled His Word under my feet. Because one day, there's going to be a judgment. And we're going to find out all this praise and recognition of man is worthless. Here's a question I often ask myself. What difference will it make a hundred years from now anyhow? You just stop and think about that. We'll all be dead. So what if you gave me every medal and every recognition that you could give me? What would it matter a hundred years from now? I'll be dead. You'll be dead. All of that recognition is gone. The reason men do not seek the honor that comes from God alone, listen carefully, is because they desire honor and recognition from man instead of God. They do not put God first, are you listening? They put themselves first. Man by nature is an idolater. He worships himself. Why would you come to Christ if you're your own God?

Was that not the temptation in Genesis 3, "And you shall be as gods, knowing or determining good and evil for yourselves"? You don't need God to give you His law. You can make up your law as you go along. And that's what man wants to do. And our Lord says, "How can you believe? How can you?" Pride and vainglory makes faith impossible.

Now I want you to look at the effect. Look in John chapter 5, at verses 45 and 47. Because He asks this question in verse 44 of John 5. "How can you believe who receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?" Watch. Our Lord says,

Scripture Reading — John 5:45-47

"Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, and whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?"

What is our Lord saying? You want the praise and recognition of man? You're not going to receive me. You're not going to believe me. You don't even believe the one whom you say you believe, Moses. Moses is standing there doing this. That's the one, Lord. That's the one. Our Lord said, "I don't have to accuse you. You're accused from the one that you trust in because you really don't believe His words."

For had you believed His words, you would believe in Me. So the effect or the result is ultimately men do not believe in Christ. They will not believe the word of God. They do not love God. Therefore, they do not honor God. They care only for themselves. Consequently, their wills are in bondage to their fallen nature. Man is not free. He is bound in the chains of sin. Now, if the Bible teaches that man's will is in bondage to sin, and it does, let me ask you this question. From whence then is all the emphasis on this damnable and heretical doctrine of free will?

Well, you will remember, I hope, at least several weeks ago from the messages on true theology, I talked about Pelagius. Pelagius, you remember, was in the fourth century. And Pelagius advocated free will. Of course, it was advocated also in Genesis chapter 3. But Pelagius set forth this doctrine of free will. And Augustine, one of the early church fathers, debated him, proved his theories absolutely false, and consequently he so defunct Pelagius that nobody was going to follow the teachings of Pelagius. So Cassian came along a little bit later, and he took a little bit from Augustine, a little bit from Pelagius, and he taught then a modified Pelagianism, and he still held to free will.

Now let me tell you something that you probably do not know. The greatest advocate of free will is the Roman Catholic Church. Now listen carefully. It surprises many Baptists to discover that in reality they're really very good Roman Catholics. Now, Baptists would abhor such a comparison. For it is true that most Baptists, but yet it is true that most Baptists hold to the doctrine of free will. Baptists glory in the fact that we're not Protestants. We were never in the Roman Catholic Church. We were a separate entity that held true to the faith. We're not Protestants. Yet, in reality, most Baptists are good little Roman Catholics.

And they don't even realize it. Now, how can I make such a claim? I had a preacher challenge me one time. And he was asking me why I believed in the doctrine of election, why I believed in predestination. And he was a Baptist preacher, and so I asked him, I answered all his questions. I said, "Now I've got one to ask you." I said, "Why is it that you being a Baptist hold Roman Catholic doctrine?" He said, "I don't believe Roman Catholic doctrine." I said, "Sure you do." I said, "You believe in the free will of man." He said, "That's not Roman Catholic." I said, "Sure it is. 1563, the Council of Trent which is an avowed standard of popery said this," I'm quoting, these are their words. Council of Trent 1563, "If anyone shall affirm that man's free will moved and excited by God does not by consenting cooperate with God the mover and exciter so as to prepare and dispose itself for the attainment of justification. If, moreover, anyone shall say that the human will cannot refuse complying if it pleases, but

that it is unactive or inactive and merely passive, let such an one be accursed. If anyone shall affirm that since the fall of Adam, man's free will is lost and extinguished, having title only a name without a thing, and a fiction introduced by Satan in the church, let such a one be accursed." Now, here is the Council of Trent. Canon 5, same council. "If anyone says that since Adam sinned, the free will of man is lost and extinguished, or that it is a thing with only a name, yet name without a reality of figment and fine, introducing the church by Satan, let him be anathema." And the word anathema means to be cursed and set aside for certain and sure destruction. So here is the Roman Catholic Church saying in their official council that man's will is free, that man does cooperate with God, in fact man can prepare and dispose himself for the attainment of justification or the attainment of salvation. And if anyone says he can't, let him be accursed. John Calvin, who of course had run-ins with the Roman Catholics, said this, "The papist told that man through his own free will returns to God."

And on this point is our greatest contest with them at this day. What was the greatest contest between the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church? It was free will. So again, the greatest contest between the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church was free will. You remember I quoted this passage last week, where Martin Luther thanked Erasmus for bringing this up. He said, "You've put your finger on the vital spot, the hinge on which everything turns." Here is a quote, and I want you to listen carefully. This came from the Sovereign Grace Union, publication number 173. This is amazing. "During the Arminian range of Archbishop Laud, the persecutor of the Puritans and the Covenanters, zealous Arminians were promoted to the best bishoprics. A famous letter written by a Jesuit to the rector of Brussels and endorsed by Archbishop Laud himself was found in the study at Lambeth. A copy of the letter was found among the papers of a society of priests and Jesuits at Clerkenwell in 1627. Here's what was written."

"Now we have planted the sovereign drug Arminianism and we hope will purge the Protestants from their heresy and it flourisheth and beareth fruit in due season. I'm at this time transported." Remember, a Jesuit priest is writing this. "I'm at this time transported with joy to see how happily all instruments and means, as well as greater, smaller, cooperate with our purposes. But to return to the main fabric, our foundation is Arminianism." Interestingly, all of the historical confessions of faith have always taught that the will of man was in bondage to sin, and that only the grace of God could set that will free. First of all, let me give you a quote from the Westminster Confession of Faith, and I'm not going to be reading the scriptures. There are scriptures attached to all of these, but here's what the Westminster Confession of Faith says about man's will. "Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation. So as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto. When God converts a sinner and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone enables him to freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good. Yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly nor only will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil."

Now I'm going to explain this more next week, but all he's saying is this. All the Westminster Confession is saying is this: that if man turns to God, it's because God has worked in his life and freed his will from his bondage and allows him to come to Christ through grace. Now, the Westminster Confession of Faith was written 1644 to 1648. I've got a number of books on the confession. I've preached many of sermons based upon the truth of that confession. And what a lot of people do not know is that Baptists used that confession for a number of years. Finally, in 1689, they drew up what is known as the Old London Confession of Faith. And you know, the interesting thing is this. The Old London Confession of Faith is a Baptist confession of faith. But if you read the Old London Confession of Faith, you're going to be amazed because the Westminster Confession and the Old London Confession are almost word for word except when it comes to baptism and ecclesiology. When it comes to the doctrine of church and baptism, of course the Baptist is different.

But the Old London Confession and the Westminster Confession are almost word for word on about every point. What I'm trying to say is this, historically, Baptists and Presbyterians have been like this. They've just disagreed on baptism, and they've disagreed on the order of the church, ordering the church. That was it. So, what happened in 1742 was this. A hundred Baptist pastors met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and adopted the Old London Confession to be their confession of faith. And it then became known as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith. Now if you take an old London Confession of Faith and a Philadelphia Confession of Faith, you'll find that they are word for word.

Because they're one and the same. So I want to read to you what the London Confession of Faith, and it was a Baptist Confession, and the Philadelphia Baptist Confession of Faith says concerning man's will. Listen carefully. Once again, there's scriptures all in here. I'm not using the scriptures. But the London Confession and the Philadelphia Baptist Confession says this, "God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice that is neither forced nor by any necessity of nature determined to good or evil. Man in his state of innocency had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God," Adam in the garden, "yet was unstable or immutable so that he might fall from it. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to do any spiritual good accompanying salvation. So as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereto."

What? Do you realize that the Westminster Confession, the Old London Confession, the Philadelphia Confession, go absolutely stark contrary to the Council of Trent, where the Roman Catholic said, "If any man deny this, let him be accursed." So according to Roman Catholic doctrine, any Presbyterian, any Baptist, any Reformed believer who believes that man's will is in bondage and man does not cooperate with God is under the curse of God according to the Roman Catholics.

Testimony of Reformers and Conclusion

Weaver cites Toplady, Owen, and Spurgeon to show that free will is a popish heresy, and concludes that men need God's grace both for salvation and for Christian living, as without Christ they can do nothing.

Now, I hope you remember Augustus Toplady. "Rock of Ages." Augustus Toplady was not only a preacher, he was a hymn writer, he was alive with George Whitefield, the Wesleys, the 18th century. Augustus Toplady wrote this. Listen carefully. "Queen Mary and her Spanish husband well knew that Calvinism is the very life and soul of the Reformation and that popery will never flourish until the Calvinistic doctrines were eradicated. Her efforts to destroy by sword and by fire those who upheld the truth earned for her the unenviable appellation of Bloody Mary." Are you listening? "The charge on which many of them were burnt at the stake was that they held to the doctrine of predestination and rejected the Arminian Popish doctrine of free will." Bloody Mary burned men at the stake because they did not believe in free will. John Owen, the Prince of Preachers, said this, I love this quote, "Our next task is to take a view of the idol himself, of this great deity of free will, whose original being, not well known, he has pretended like the Ephesian image of Diana to have fallen down from heaven, and to have his endowments from above."

"But yet considering what a nothing he was at his first discovery, in comparison of the vast giant-like hugeness which he has now grown, we may say of him as the painter of this monstrous picture which he amended or rather marred according to everyone's fancy," and then he quotes Latin, "hunc populus viscit," which means, "it is the issue of the people's brains." If John Owen were alive today, he would say it like this, those who believe in free will are touched in the head. Instead of saying, "it's an issue of the people's brains." Charles Spurgeon said, "What is the heresy of Rome but the addition of something to the perfect merits of Jesus Christ, the beginning in and of the works of the flesh to assist in our justification? And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer? Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here." Let me tell you, folks, the Word of God, which I will show you next week, Lord willing, teaches free grace and not free will. Free will has never taken one individual to heaven. But it has taken a multitude to hell. Our Lord rightly said to these people, "You will not come to me that you might have life." And lighted the overwhelming evidence, His works, the testimony of the Father, the testimony of the Scriptures, they would not come. Why? They had not His Word abiding in Him.

They had not His love in Him. And they desired the honor of man more than the honor of God. And therefore, they would not come because they loved the praise of man more than the praise of God. So the question that has to be asked is this. Are you a believer in the Word of God? Are you a good little Roman Catholic who does not even read the Bible? Because they are taught, it's impossible for man to understand.

The priest has to interpret it for them. What good is your Bible if you do not read it and study it and apply it? Let me go a step further. When men are ignorant of Christ, when they do not love Christ, when they refuse to honor Christ, they cannot come and they will not come to Christ. And you remember what our Lord said. We're there. Look in John 5 at verse 22 and 23. Watch this carefully. John 5 verse 22 and 23. Watch.

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." Why has the Father committed all judgment to the Son? Here's why. "That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father who hath sent Him." If you do not come to Jesus Christ, you are dishonoring the Father. If you do not love Jesus Christ, you are dishonoring the Father. If you do not know Jesus Christ, you are dishonoring the Father. And if you dishonor the Father, you dishonor the Son. And God shall judge you through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not need free will. We need the grace of God in our lives. Not only in order to be saved, but after we are saved. For our Lord said, help me out, "Without me you can do what? Nothing." Not one thing. How desperately we need the grace of God. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee, we thank You, we trust Thee, and we love Thee through the Lord Jesus Christ. We confess and acknowledge that He is God in the flesh, that He is the Lord of glory, the Savior, the Redeemer. And without Him, Lord, no man will come unto Thee. And Father, we ask for grace, even as Your children, to love Thee as we should, and to abide in Thy Word, and to carry forth in obedience to Thee, in and through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Bondage of the Human Will

Summary: Man's will is not free but enslaved to sin, so that he cannot and will not come to Christ apart from divine grace.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Man's will is not free. It is bound in sin, wickedness and rebellion.' He cites John 6:44 and John 5:40 to argue that man cannot and will not come.

Ignorance of Christ Prevents Faith

Summary: Without God's Word abiding in a person, they are ignorant of Christ and therefore unable to believe or come to Him.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'There cannot be trust in Christ when there is ignorance of Christ... How in the world can people come to Christ when they're absolutely, totally ignorant of Him?'

Love for God Demonstrated by Obedience

Summary: True love for God is shown by keeping His commandments; the absence of such love means a person will not receive Christ.

Evidence: Weaver quotes John 14:15 and 1 John 5:3, saying, 'If you love me, keep my commandments... all our Lord had to do was look at their lives and He saw how rebellious and wicked and ungodly they were.'

Pride and Vain Glory Make Faith Impossible

Summary: Seeking honor from men rather than from God renders faith impossible, as Jesus indicated in John 5:44.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'According to John 5 and verse 44, pride and the desire for vain glory makes faith impossible.' He cites Matthew 23 and John 12:43.

Free Will as a Roman Catholic Heresy

Summary: The doctrine of free will is a Roman Catholic teaching condemned by historic Protestant and Baptist confessions.

Evidence: Weaver quotes the Council of Trent and contrasts it with the Westminster and Philadelphia Confessions, saying, 'the greatest contest between the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church was free will.'

Necessity of Grace for Salvation and Sanctification

Summary: Both salvation and the Christian life depend entirely on God's grace, as man can do nothing without Christ.

Evidence: Weaver concludes, 'We do not need free will. We need the grace of God in our lives. Not only in order to be saved, but after we are saved.'

Key Arguments

Man's will is in bondage, not free

Summary: Jesus said 'no man can come' (John 6:44) and 'you will not come' (John 5:40), proving the will is enslaved to sin and unable to choose Christ without grace.

Evidence: Weaver argues, 'preachers say, "You can come if you will come," but our Lord said, "No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him."'

Ignorance of Christ prevents coming to Him

Summary: Without the Word of God abiding in them, people are ignorant of Christ and cannot believe; the natural mind is darkened and blinded by Satan.

Evidence: Weaver cites John 5:38 and Ephesians 4:17-18, saying, 'You cannot come to Christ if you're ignorant of Christ.'

Lack of love for God results in rejecting Christ

Summary: Since love is obedience, the Jews' disobedience proved they had no love for God, and therefore they would not receive Christ.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'How can you come to someone of whom you're totally and completely ignorant? ... Why would you come to someone that you don't know and you don't love?'

Pride makes faith impossible

Summary: Jesus' question 'How can you believe?' in John 5:44 indicates that seeking human honor renders faith absolutely impossible.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Our Lord is saying that pride and vain glory makes faith impossible.'

Free will is a Roman Catholic doctrine opposed by true Baptists

Summary: The Council of Trent anathematized those who deny free will, while historic Baptist confessions affirm the bondage of the will.

Evidence: Weaver quotes the Council of Trent and the Philadelphia Confession, saying, 'most Baptists are good little Roman Catholics' for holding free will.

Grace alone enables faith and obedience

Summary: Man cannot prepare himself for salvation or do any spiritual good; only God's grace frees the will to come to Christ.

Evidence: Weaver quotes the Westminster Confession: 'Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation.'

Scripture References

John 5:32-47

Context: Weaver reads the passage as the primary text, focusing on Jesus' testimony and the charge that they will not come to Him.

John 5:40

Context: Central verse: 'And you will not come to me that you might have life.' Weaver uses it to show the bondage of the will.

John 6:44

Context: Jesus says no man can come unless the Father draws him, contradicting the idea that man can come if he wills.

John 8:31

Context: Jesus says true disciples continue in His word; Weaver contrasts this with the Jews not having His word abiding in them.

John 4:10

Context: Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that if she knew the gift of God, she would have asked; Weaver uses it to show ignorance prevents coming.

Ephesians 4:17-19

Context: Describes the natural man's darkened understanding and ignorance, supporting the charge that without God's Word, man cannot come.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Context: The god of this world blinds the minds of unbelievers; Weaver uses it to show why men are ignorant of Christ.

John 14:15, 21, 24

Context: Jesus equates love with keeping His commandments; Weaver uses these to show that lack of obedience proves lack of love.

1 John 5:3

Context: Love for God is keeping His commandments; Weaver cites it to reinforce that love is obedience.

1 John 2:4

Context: Whoever claims to know God but does not keep His commandments is a liar; Weaver uses it to show the Jews' hypocrisy.

Matthew 23:1-7

Context: Jesus condemns the Pharisees for doing works to be seen by men; Weaver uses it to illustrate seeking honor from men.

John 12:42-43

Context: Many believed but did not confess because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God; Weaver cites it as the indictment of natural man.

John 5:22-23

Context: All judgment is committed to the Son so that all should honor the Son; Weaver warns that not coming to Christ dishonors the Father.

John 5:44

Context: Jesus asks how they can believe when they receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor from God; Weaver calls this the third charge.

John 5:38

Context: Jesus says they do not have His word abiding in them; Weaver identifies this as the first charge.

John 5:42

Context: Jesus says He knows they do not have the love of God in them; Weaver identifies this as the second charge.

John 5:45-47

Context: Jesus says Moses accuses them because they do not believe his writings; Weaver shows this as the effect of seeking human honor.

Psalm 119:9, 11

Context: Weaver alludes to David's words about cleansing his way by God's word and hiding it in his heart to avoid sin.

Romans 13:10

Context: Love is the fulfilling of the law; Weaver mentions it to support that love is obedience.

Genesis 3

Context: Weaver references the temptation 'you shall be as gods' to show man's idolatrous self-worship.

Historical References

John Calvin, Bondage and Liberation of the Will

Context: Weaver quotes Calvin's distinction between necessity and coercion in sin, explaining that man sins voluntarily yet necessarily due to a corrupt will.

Pelagius (4th century)

Context: Weaver mentions Pelagius as an early advocate of free will, whose teachings were debated and refuted by Augustine.

Augustine

Context: Weaver notes that Augustine debated Pelagius and proved his theories false.

Cassian

Context: Weaver says Cassian later taught a modified Pelagianism, still holding to free will.

Council of Trent (1563)

Context: Weaver quotes the Council of Trent's canons on free will, showing the Roman Catholic Church's official stance that man cooperates with God and free will is not lost.

Westminster Confession of Faith (1644-1648)

Context: Weaver reads from the confession to show its teaching that man has lost all ability of will to spiritual good and cannot convert himself.

Old London Confession of Faith (1689) / Philadelphia Confession of Faith (1742)

Context: Weaver explains that Baptists adopted the Westminster Confession almost word for word, and reads its statement on the bondage of the will.

Augustus Toplady (18th century)

Context: Weaver quotes Toplady on Queen Mary's persecution of those who rejected free will, calling it the 'Arminian Popish doctrine.'

John Owen

Context: Weaver quotes Owen's satirical description of free will as an idol and 'the issue of the people's brains.'

Charles Spurgeon

Context: Weaver quotes Spurgeon equating the heresy of Rome and Arminianism as adding something to the work of Christ.

Important Quotes

Man's will is not free. It is bound in sin, wickedness and rebellion. It is held captive to his lust, thoughts and desires.

Significance: Succinctly states Weaver's central thesis that the will is enslaved, not free.

According to John 5 and verse 44, pride and the desire for vain glory makes faith impossible.

Significance: A bold claim that human pride is an absolute barrier to saving faith.

The charge on which many of them were burnt at the stake was that they held to the doctrine of predestination and rejected the Arminian Popish doctrine of free will.

Significance: Toplady's historical claim that free will was a dividing line during the Marian persecutions.

Free will has never taken one individual to heaven. But it has taken a multitude to hell.

Significance: Weaver's stark conclusion on the danger of the free will doctrine.

We do not need free will. We need the grace of God in our lives.

Significance: The practical application: reliance on grace rather than supposed human ability.

Discussion Questions

How does the distinction between 'cannot' and 'will not' in John 5:40 and John 6:44 shape our understanding of human responsibility and divine sovereignty?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that man both cannot (divinely speaking) and will not (humanly speaking) come to Christ.

In what ways does ignorance of Christ prevent someone from coming to Him, and how should this affect our evangelism?

Context: Weaver argues that without God's Word abiding, people are ignorant and cannot believe.

Why does Weaver equate love for God with obedience, and what are the implications for those who claim to love God but live in disobedience?

Context: Weaver cites John 14:15 and 1 John 5:3 to show that love is demonstrated by keeping commandments.

How does the desire for human praise and recognition make faith impossible, according to John 5:44?

Context: Weaver states that pride and vain glory render faith impossible because they prevent seeking honor from God.

What are the historical and theological differences between the Roman Catholic doctrine of free will and the Reformed/Baptist confessions on the bondage of the will?

Context: Weaver contrasts the Council of Trent with the Westminster and Philadelphia Confessions.

How does the illustration of the drunkard choosing whiskey over a Bible help explain the nature of the will's bondage?

Context: Weaver uses the illustration to show that the will is enslaved to lust and desires.

Why does Weaver say that 'most Baptists are good little Roman Catholics' regarding free will, and do you agree with his assessment?

Context: Weaver claims that many Baptists unknowingly hold a Roman Catholic doctrine by affirming free will.

What practical difference does it make in the Christian life to believe that we need God's grace not only for salvation but also for daily obedience?

Context: Weaver concludes that without Christ we can do nothing, emphasizing ongoing dependence on grace.

Applications

Abide in God's Word

Summary: Believers must read, meditate on, and apply Scripture daily so that God's Word dwells in them, preventing sin and guiding their lives.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The Word of God must be abiding in us. That's why we must read the Word of God, not only daily, but meditate upon it, think upon it, and apply it.'

Examine Your Love for God

Summary: True love for God is proven by obedience to His commandments; believers should examine whether their lives reflect genuine love.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If you love me, keep my commandments... all our Lord had to do was look at their lives and He saw how rebellious and wicked and ungodly they were.'

Seek Honor from God, Not Men

Summary: Christians should prioritize God's approval over human praise, recognizing that pride and desire for recognition hinder faith.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'Pride and the desire for vain glory makes faith impossible... They prefer the praise and recognition and admiration of man.'

Depend on God's Grace Continually

Summary: Both salvation and sanctification require God's grace; believers must acknowledge their inability and rely on Christ for all things.

Evidence: Weaver concludes, 'We do not need free will. We need the grace of God in our lives. Not only in order to be saved, but after we are saved.'

Reject the Doctrine of Free Will

Summary: Weaver implies that holding to free will is a dangerous error; believers should embrace the biblical teaching of the will's bondage and God's sovereign grace.

Evidence: Weaver calls free will a 'damnable and heretical doctrine' and traces it to Roman Catholicism.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:59:41Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:41:11Z

Clean Transcript

The Terrible Sin of Man Part 2 of 3

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

John chapter 5. This is the second part of the message that I started last week. I will try to tie everything together the coming week. The title of the message is "The Terrible Sin of Man." And I'm dealing with actually the theory or the teaching of free will, showing you that there is in the Bible no such animal. And then next week I'm going to show you between free agency or freedom of will and free will. So, notice if you would in John chapter 5, beginning there with verse 32, our Lord says, "There is another that beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. You sent unto John, and he beareth witness unto the truth."
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"But I receive not testimony from man, but these things I say that you might be saved. He was a burning and shining light, and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John. For the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself who hath sent me hath borne witness of me."
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"You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape. You have not his word abiding in you, for whom he hath sent him you believe not. Search the scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life, and there they which testify of me. And you will not come to me that you might have life. I receive not honor from men, but I know you, that you have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, and whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. And if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?"
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Remember, if you would please, last week, we looked at this context in great detail. And I showed you the context of verse 40 when our Lord looked at these people and said, "And you will not come to me that you might have life." Our Lord referred to the testimony of John the Baptist and He only referred to his testimony for the benefit of the people because He said, "You were willing for a season to rejoice in his light." And then He said, "But these things I say unto you that you might be saved." So He referred to John the Baptist, but He gave three appeals as testimonies for Himself. He appealed to His works, He appealed to the Father, and He appealed to the Scriptures. And you remember the Holy Spirit, of course, inspired the Scriptures. So God only appeals to Himself. So the Son appealed to His works, He appealed to the Father, and He appealed to the Scriptures which were indeed and are indeed the work of the Holy Spirit of God. And in light of all of that testimony, in light of all of that evidence, He said, "You will not come to me that you might have life."
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In other words, the problem with man is not an insufficient amount of evidence. It's not the verity of the evidence. It's not the truthfulness of the evidence. The fact is their wills are locked in stubborn rebellion against God. So our Lord clearly stated in verse 40 that man by nature will not come to Him.
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Now I have heard preachers all my life say, "Well, sinners could come if they only will to come."
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Now there are two problems with that statement. The first problem is John 6 and verse 44. Look at it very quickly. John 6 verse 44. Here's what our Lord said. Our Lord says, "No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day." Now, preachers say, "You can come if you will come," but our Lord said, "No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." So, obviously, either preachers are lying or Christ is lying, and obviously it is not Jesus Christ, because He is God and He speaks the truth. He says, "No man can come." So, when you hear someone say, "Well, you can come if you will come," then you need to think of John 6:44. The second problem is this. When you hear people say, "Well, you can come if you will come," what they are actually doing is viewing the will in abstraction from man. Because the truth of the matter is this, no man can come to Christ apart from or without grace.
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Man's will is not free. It is bound in sin, wickedness and rebellion. It is held captive to his lust, thoughts and desires.
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Now, I want to give you a quote and I'm going to take the rest of this week and next week basically to explain this quote. John Calvin in his "Bondage and Liberation of the Will" said this, listen carefully. "We allow that man has choice and that it is self-determined so that if he does anything evil it should be imputed to him and to his own voluntary choosing."
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"We do away with coercion and force because this contradicts the nature of the will and cannot coexist with it. We deny that choice is free because through man's innate wickedness it is of necessity driven to what is evil and cannot seek anything but evil. And from this it is possible to deduce what a great difference there is between necessity and coercion. For we do not say that a man is dragged unwillingly into sinning, but that because his will is corrupt, he is held captive under the yoke of sin and therefore of necessity will in an evil way. For where there is bondage, there is also necessity. But it makes a great difference whether the bondage is voluntary or coerced. We locate the necessity to sin precisely in the corruption of the will from which follows that it is self-determined."
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And certainly that is true. Now let me try to give you just a very quick illustration to explain what Calvin just said. Let's suppose that we have in front of us a drunk. And he has been a drunk man for years and years and years. So, you confront the drunk about his sin, his wickedness and his rebellion. You tell him maybe about heaven and hell. You tell him about the redemption that we have in Jesus Christ and that he can be redeemed and delivered from his sin of drunkenness through Jesus Christ. Now you tell him all of this. And then you place a Bible in front of him and a fifth of whiskey and you look at the drunk and say, "You choose whichever one you desire." Would you like to guess which one the drunk is going to choose? He's going to choose the fifth of whiskey. Why is he going to choose the fifth of whiskey?
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Because his will is in bondage to his lust and his desires. His will is enslaved and unless grace sets him free, he will always choose that which is evil. Man sins because he is a sinner. And he not only sins because he is a sinner, he sins because he loves his sin. He enjoys his sin. He wants to sin. And he does that voluntarily. His will is not somewhere held in abstraction. No, no, no. His will is controlled by his mind, by his desires, by his lusts, and a host of other things as well.
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So, in John chapter 5, when our Lord gives them the witness of His works, and the witness of the Father, and the witness of the Scripture, yet He still has to say to them in John 5 and verse 40, "And you will not come to me that you might have life." John 5 and verse 40, it's not an evidence of free will. John 5 and verse 40 is an evidence of the bondage of the will. Because in light of all of that evidence, man will not come. Now, divinely speaking, man cannot come. Humanly speaking, man will not come.
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Now, today I want to show you very quickly the charges that our Lord levels against these individuals. And I want you to see how these charges are related to the will. I also want you to see cause and effect. Our Lord says, "And you will not come to me that you might have life." Everything I'm going to show you is related to that. So there are three causes and three effects or three causes and three results. Let me show them to you very quickly.
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Let's look in John 5. I'm going to give you first all the overview and then we'll take the three charges particularly. Notice if you would, in verse 38, our Lord says, "And you have not His word abiding in you," that is the cause. What is the result? Or what is the effect? Here it is, "For whom He has sent, Him you believe not." You can say verse 40, "And you will not come." So you have not His word abiding in you. And verse 40, you will not come. Look in verse 42.
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"But I know you that you have not the love of God in you." That's the cause. Watch verse 43. Here's the result. "I come in my Father's name and you receive me not." Wow. Look in verse 44. He asked, in verse 44, "How can you believe who receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?" So, since they are not seeking the honor that comes from God only, what's the result? Verse 47, "But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?" In other words, they refuse to believe. So let's look at these charges one at a time. First of all, in verse 38, here's the first charge when He said, "And you have not His word abiding in you," note carefully, "For whom He hath sent him you believe not."
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Now actually verse 39 verifies verse 38, for that's when He says, "Search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. If you really had His word abiding in you," says Christ, "If you really knew the Scriptures, they're the ones that testify of Me." So had they known the Word of God, had they had His Word abiding in them, they could not have helped but to have known Jesus Christ. I want you to note what He said in verse 38. And He said, "...and you have not His Word abiding in you." That is, you do not have His Word continuing in you. Do you remember what our Lord told these Jews in John 8 in verse 31? I want you to look there. Look what He said. John 8 and verse 31. Look what He said.
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Here it is very clearly stated. John 8 verse 31, "Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, 'You continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed,'" or "then are you truly my disciples." In other words, the proof that they were genuine, sincere, and real believers would be evidenced by the fact that the word of God was continuing in them. Wow! When you go back and you understand John 5 and verse 38, when He says, "And you have not His word continuing in you," what is our Lord saying?
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You have no idea who I am. You have no idea of the truth. There cannot be trust in Christ when there is ignorance of Christ. Let me say that again. There cannot be trust in Christ when there is ignorance of Christ. There can be no coming to Christ wherever there is not a perception and an understanding of Christ. How in the world? Toby has some friends in Pennsylvania.
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At least one, don't you? Of course, I met one. But Toby has some friends in Pennsylvania. Let's invite the congregation to go to his friend. How can we go there? We don't even know the man. We don't know where he is. We don't know how to get to him. How in the world can people come to Christ when they're absolutely, totally ignorant of Him? I want you to look in John chapter 4, if you would, at verse 10, because here our Lord is speaking to the woman at the well. And He's already told her that, well, He could give her some water that she would never have to thirst again. And look what she said in John 10.
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Jesus said unto her, watch this. "Jesus answered and said unto her, 'If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.'" But here's the whole point. She didn't know who Christ was. She didn't know the gift that He had. How could she come to Christ without knowing who He was? How could she come to Him if she was totally, absolutely ignorant of Him?
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You remember, it was the Apostle Paul who was preaching on Mars Hill. And he told these Athenians, he said, "As I pass by, I saw your altar to the unknown God. Him declare I unto you." Let me just tell you that the God of the Bible today is still an unknown God to most people. Most people have a God of their imagination. They may have a God of their ancestors. They may even have a God of their denomination. But they're totally, absolutely, completely ignorant of the God of the Bible. And men are just as blind and just as depraved today as the Athenians were in Paul's day and time.
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Now let me show you. Turn in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. And let's begin there with verse 17. I want you to see what our Lord says. Ephesians 4. And notice if you would please verse 17. Watch this. Ephesians 4 verse 17. Our Lord says it like this. "This I say therefore and testify in the Lord."
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Now he's writing these Ephesian believers. So he says, "This I say and testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk." Let me paraphrase this for you. Don't walk, don't live like the unsaved. This is what he's saying. I want you to note what characterizes the unsaved. He says, "This I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity," that is the uselessness, the worthlessness of their mind, "having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart."
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"Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness." Now I want you to look in verse 18. He says that unsaved man, natural man, has the understanding darkened. He's alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. He's totally ignorant of God and because of the blindness of his heart. Well, since he's totally ignorant of God, what does he do? He gives himself over to lasciviousness. He gives himself over to whatever pleases his flesh. He's absolutely, totally ignorant of God. You cannot come to Christ if you're ignorant of Christ. You cannot come to Christ if you do not know who He is. Look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4.
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And notice if you would please verses 3 and 4. 2 Corinthians 4 verses 3 and 4. Here the Apostle Paul makes this statement. He said, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, and whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." Notice if you would, he says very plainly that their minds are blinded.
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Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to John chapter 5. I want you to look at this. With this understanding in your mind, look at verse 38. Our Lord says, "...and you have not His Word abiding in you. For whom He hath sent, him you believe not." Well, how could they believe if they were totally ignorant of who Christ was? That's why He said, "Search the Scriptures."
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You think you've got eternal life? Search there they which testify of me. How can you come to me? You don't even know who I am. So this charge is you do not have the Word of God abiding in you. Man cannot come and man by nature will not come because he has no idea who Jesus Christ is. He's totally ignorant of the Word of God. You're going to see this more next week. So the result then of not having His Word abiding in us, or dwelling in us, is that man by nature does not believe in Christ, and he will not come to Christ.
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By the way, let me just say this. There is an application here even to Christians. The reason we get ourselves in so much trouble so many times is because His Word is not abiding in us the way it should be. If His Word was dwelling in us, we would not do a lot of things that we normally do. You remember what David said? "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed thereto according to thy word."
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"With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me..." What did he say? "O let me not wander out of your way?" What's he going to do? He said, "Let your word dwell in my heart that I might not sin against thee." If His word continues in us, it's going to affect our lives. It's going to change our lives. When that word does not dwell or we tend to be forgetful and unthinking, we're going to end up getting ourselves in trouble because we'll act contrary to the word of God and we'll bring the curse and the judgment of God upon us.
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So, there's an application here even for Christians, not just for the unsaved. The Word of God must be abiding in us. That's why we must read the Word of God, not only daily, but meditate upon it, think upon it, and apply it. Watch the second charge, verse 42. He says, "But I know you that you have not the love of God in you." Wow. "But I know you that you do not have the love of God in you." Now, in verse 38, they didn't have the word of God in them. Now He says you don't have the love of God in you. The word love here denotes the strong, fervent, spiritual love. It's the agape love. Over and over, we have been commanded to love the Lord with all of our hearts. We looked at that truth a number of months back when I preached a message on how to love the Lord with all of our hearts. I showed you all of those verses, even in the Old Testament. But you have to remember this, that true love is obedience.
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That's why in Romans 13 and verse 10, the Bible says that love is the fulfilling of the law. Our Lord Himself said in John 14 and verse 15, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Wow. "If you love me, keep my commandments." Now look what He said, "I know that you have not the love of God in you." How did He know they did not have the love of God in them? Well, first of all, He's God, He's omniscient, He knows everything.
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But secondly, all He had to do was observe their actions. Because love is obedience. You remember what He said in John 14 verse 21, let me just quote it. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." What? "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." And then in John 14 verse 24 He said, "He that keepeth not my sayings, loveth me not. And the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father which hath sent me." And boy, the one that really climaxes everything is 1 John 5 and verse 3, where He says, "And this is the love of God that we keep His commandments and His commandments are not grievous."
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So all our Lord had to do was look at their lives and He saw how rebellious and wicked and ungodly they were. And He said, "I know you that you have not the love of God in you." Do you remember that passage in 1 John 2 where He said this in verse 4, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Wow. Now I want you to note what our Lord said. First of all He said, "You don't have my word of God, you don't have the word of God abiding in you." Now He says, "You do not have the love of God in you." They were wicked, they were rebellious, they were ungodly.
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Now let me ask you a question. How can you come to someone of whom you're totally and completely ignorant? Here's my next question. Why would you come to someone that you don't know and you don't love? How then can a sinner come to Christ? Stop and think about this. If he's ignorant of Christ, if there's no love of Christ or love of God in him, how can he come to Christ? How can he will to come to Christ? Why would he or why should he even think of coming to Christ? He's ignorant of Him. The love of God is not in him.
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How could you go to Him? I have an uncle, or I had an uncle, he's now dead. He was one of the most lovable, gentle, kind individuals that you would have ever met. Everybody loved him. He's just plain and simple. I could sit here and describe my uncle to you, and you would think, man, that's a great guy. Yeah, he was. But if I were to sit here and tell you, love my uncle, you can't love him. You know why you can't love him? You don't know Him. It's impossible to love someone that you do not know. Our Lord said, my first charge is, you don't have His word abiding in you. Secondly, His love is not in you.
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I want you to look at verse 43. Here's the result of not having the love of God in you. He said, "I'm coming in my Father's name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive." You know, I find this interesting. Men will believe anything and anyone but the Bible and Jesus Christ. He said, "I've come in my Father's name." What's the result? You won't receive me. You won't have me.
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I was waiting to get a haircut the other day, and I was looking at a National Geographic, because it was actually on the King James Bible, the section that I was looking at. But they got to talking about the Rastafarians. And, yeah. The originator, a man by the name of Rastafarian, said he was Christ. Of course, he was a black man. He was Christ. And the Rastafarians deny Christ and say that this black man is the Messiah. And they say Africa is the homeland, Africa is this and Africa is that.
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And here are these guys praying to Rastafarius. My question is this. How can you believe some individual is Christ, and you won't even believe that Christ is Christ? The point I'm trying to make, when men are ignorant of Christ, and the love of God is not in them, they will not come to Christ, and the truth is, they cannot come to Christ. Because they're totally, absolutely ignorant of who He is. Now, I want to point something out. Our Lord looked at these people in John 5 and verse 14 and said, "And you will not come to me that you might have life."
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I hope you are beginning to see right now that your understanding as well as your affections influence and control your will. The will cannot be viewed in abstraction somewhere. No. It is controlled and influenced by our understanding or our lack thereof, as well as our lusts and our desires. So our Lord said, "You have not His word dwelling in you. You have not the love of God in you."
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If you'll look in verse 44, here's the third charge. Verse 44. "How can you believe who receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only."
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Now, look at that very carefully because I'm going to make a statement in just a moment. But our Lord asked this question, "How can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?" If I were to ask the catechetical question, what is the chief duty of man? Everyone knows the answer, to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Well, our Lord asked this question. "How can you believe who receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that comes from God?" Now, it is true we say that our chief duty is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. But the scribes and the Pharisees and the Jews of our Lord's day were full of pride and they wanted the recognition of man. And here's a statement I want you to listen to and absorb.
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According to John 5 and verse 44, pride and the desire for vain glory makes faith impossible. Now think about that. Pride and the desire for vain glory makes faith impossible. Our Lord asks, "How can you believe?" indicating a total absolute impossibility. "How can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only." Our Lord is saying that pride and vain glory makes faith impossible. May I ask you what natural unsaved man is filled with pride and vain glory? I want you to look in your Bibles, pull John 5, but turn back to Matthew 23. Matthew 23, and let me just show you a few verses relating to what our Lord is actually saying. Look at Matthew 23, beginning there with verse 1. Matthew 23, verse 1.
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"Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples saying, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.'" Let me paraphrase this for you. They wanted to be the head honcho. They wanted to be in control. They wanted to be looked up to. I the one watch they sit in Moses' seat. He says, "All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe and that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on men's shoulders. But they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men."
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"They make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms in the feasts, and the chief seats of the synagogues, and greetings of the markets, and to be called Rabbi, Rabbi, but be ye not called Rabbi, for one is your master, even Christ, and all are your brethren." But notice what He said. They love, they love the uppermost rooms of the feasts. They love the chief seats. They love to be greeted. What's He saying?
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They prefer the praise and recognition and admiration of man. If you would turn right over to John 12 and look at verse 43, here is the indictment against not only these people but natural man. John 12, notice if you would please verse 43, our Lord says it very plainly concerning the Pharisees. In fact, let's read verse 42 just so that you can see it's in the context. "Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
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Now let me ask you a question. Why would man not seek the honor that comes from God alone? The answer is, because they desire the praise and the recognition of man more. You know, I have thought innumerable times about the controlling elite, not only in America, but the world. And they think they are in the hot seat now. You just wait. Can you imagine what it's going to be like when they face the judge of all the earth, the sovereign God of heaven and earth, and they thought that they were in control, and they loved their power, and they loved the praise and the recognition of man far more. In fact, they don't even believe in God. They deny God.
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I tell you what, I'd rather be the humblest believer and be penniless, and a wanderer, and walk this world over seeking bread every day, than I had to be a multi-billionaire who ignored God, denied Christ, and trampled His Word under my feet. Because one day, there's going to be a judgment. And we're going to find out all this praise and recognition of man is worthless. Here's a question I often ask myself.
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What difference will it make a hundred years from now anyhow? You just stop and think about that. We'll all be dead. So what if you gave me every medal and every recognition that you could give me? What would it matter a hundred years from now? I'll be dead. You'll be dead. All of that recognition is gone. The reason men do not seek the honor that comes from God alone, listen carefully, is because they desire honor and recognition from man instead of God. They do not put God first, are you listening? They put themselves first. Man by nature is an idolater. He worships himself. Why would you come to Christ if you're your own God?
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Was that not the temptation in Genesis 3, "And you shall be as gods, knowing or determining good and evil for yourselves"? You don't need God to give you His law. You can make up your law as you go along. And that's what man wants to do. And our Lord says, "How can you believe? How can you?" Pride and vainglory makes faith impossible.
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Now I want you to look at the effect. Look in John chapter 5, at verses 45 and 47. Because He asks this question in verse 44 of John 5. "How can you believe who receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?" Watch. Our Lord says, "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, and whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?" What is our Lord saying? You want the praise and recognition of man? You're not going to receive me. You're not going to believe me. You don't even believe the one whom you say you believe, Moses. Moses is standing there doing this. That's the one, Lord. That's the one. Our Lord said, "I don't have to accuse you. You're accused from the one that you trust in because you really don't believe His words."
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For had you believed His words, you would believe in Me. So the effect or the result is ultimately men do not believe in Christ. They will not believe the word of God. They do not love God. Therefore, they do not honor God. They care only for themselves. Consequently, their wills are in bondage to their fallen nature. Man is not free. He is bound in the chains of sin. Now, if the Bible teaches that man's will is in bondage to sin, and it does, let me ask you this question. From whence then is all the emphasis on this damnable and heretical doctrine of free will?
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Well, you will remember, I hope, at least several weeks ago from the messages on true theology, I talked about Pelagius. Pelagius, you remember, was in the fourth century. And Pelagius advocated free will. Of course, it was advocated also in Genesis chapter 3. But Pelagius set forth this doctrine of free will. And Augustine, one of the early church fathers, debated him, proved his theories absolutely false, and consequently he so defunct Pelagius that nobody was going to follow the teachings of Pelagius. So Cassian came along a little bit later, and he took a little bit from Augustine, a little bit from Pelagius, and he taught then a modified Pelagianism, and he still held to free will.
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Now let me tell you something that you probably do not know. The greatest advocate of free will is the Roman Catholic Church. Now listen carefully. It surprises many Baptists to discover that in reality they're really very good Roman Catholics. Now, Baptists would abhor such a comparison. For it is true that most Baptists, but yet it is true that most Baptists hold to the doctrine of free will. Baptists glory in the fact that we're not Protestants. We were never in the Roman Catholic Church. We were a separate entity that held true to the faith. We're not Protestants. Yet, in reality, most Baptists are good little Roman Catholics.
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And they don't even realize it. Now, how can I make such a claim? I had a preacher challenge me one time. And he was asking me why I believed in the doctrine of election, why I believed in predestination. And he was a Baptist preacher, and so I asked him, I answered all his questions. I said, "Now I've got one to ask you." I said, "Why is it that you being a Baptist hold Roman Catholic doctrine?" He said, "I don't believe Roman Catholic doctrine."
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I said, "Sure you do." I said, "You believe in the free will of man." He said, "That's not Roman Catholic." I said, "Sure it is. 1563, the Council of Trent which is an avowed standard of popery said this," I'm quoting, these are their words. Council of Trent 1563, "If anyone shall affirm that man's free will moved and excited by God does not by consenting cooperate with God the mover and exciter so as to prepare and dispose itself for the attainment of justification. If, moreover, anyone shall say that the human will cannot refuse complying if it pleases, but
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that it is unactive or inactive and merely passive, let such an one be accursed. If anyone shall affirm that since the fall of Adam, man's free will is lost and extinguished, having title only a name without a thing, and a fiction introduced by Satan in the church, let such a one be accursed."
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Now, here is the Council of Trent. Canon 5, same council. "If anyone says that since Adam sinned, the free will of man is lost and extinguished, or that it is a thing with only a name, yet name without a reality of figment and fine, introducing the church by Satan, let him be anathema." And the word anathema means to be cursed and set aside for certain and sure destruction. So here is the Roman Catholic Church saying in their official council that man's will is free, that man does cooperate with God, in fact man can prepare and dispose himself for the attainment of justification or the attainment of salvation. And if anyone says he can't, let him be accursed. John Calvin, who of course had run-ins with the Roman Catholics, said this, "The papist told that man through his own free will returns to God."
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And on this point is our greatest contest with them at this day. What was the greatest contest between the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church? It was free will. So again, the greatest contest between the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church was free will. You remember I quoted this passage last week, where Martin Luther thanked Erasmus for bringing this up. He said, "You've put your finger on the vital spot, the hinge on which everything turns."
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Here is a quote, and I want you to listen carefully. This came from the Sovereign Grace Union, publication number 173. This is amazing. "During the Arminian range of Archbishop Laud, the persecutor of the Puritans and the Covenanters, zealous Arminians were promoted to the best bishoprics. A famous letter written by a Jesuit to the rector of Brussels and endorsed by Archbishop Laud himself was found in the study at Lambeth. A copy of the letter was found among the papers of a society of priests and Jesuits at Clerkenwell in 1627. Here's what was written."
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"Now we have planted the sovereign drug Arminianism and we hope will purge the Protestants from their heresy and it flourisheth and beareth fruit in due season. I'm at this time transported." Remember, a Jesuit priest is writing this. "I'm at this time transported with joy to see how happily all instruments and means, as well as greater, smaller, cooperate with our purposes. But to return to the main fabric, our foundation is Arminianism."
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Interestingly, all of the historical confessions of faith have always taught that the will of man was in bondage to sin, and that only the grace of God could set that will free. First of all, let me give you a quote from the Westminster Confession of Faith, and I'm not going to be reading the scriptures. There are scriptures attached to all of these, but here's what the Westminster Confession of Faith says about man's will. "Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation. So as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto. When God converts a sinner and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone enables him to freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good. Yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly nor only will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil."
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Now I'm going to explain this more next week, but all he's saying is this. All the Westminster Confession is saying is this: that if man turns to God, it's because God has worked in his life and freed his will from his bondage and allows him to come to Christ through grace. Now, the Westminster Confession of Faith was written 1644 to 1648. I've got a number of books on the confession. I've preached many of sermons based upon the truth of that confession. And what a lot of people do not know is that Baptists used that confession for a number of years. Finally, in 1689, they drew up what is known as the Old London Confession of Faith. And you know, the interesting thing is this. The Old London Confession of Faith is a Baptist confession of faith. But if you read the Old London Confession of Faith, you're going to be amazed because the Westminster Confession and the Old London Confession are almost word for word except when it comes to baptism and ecclesiology. When it comes to the doctrine of church and baptism, of course the Baptist is different.
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But the Old London Confession and the Westminster Confession are almost word for word on about every point. What I'm trying to say is this, historically, Baptists and Presbyterians have been like this. They've just disagreed on baptism, and they've disagreed on the order of the church, ordering the church. That was it. So, what happened in 1742 was this. A hundred Baptist pastors met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and adopted the Old London Confession to be their confession of faith. And it then became known as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith. Now if you take an old London Confession of Faith and a Philadelphia Confession of Faith, you'll find that they are word for word.
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Because they're one and the same. So I want to read to you what the London Confession of Faith, and it was a Baptist Confession, and the Philadelphia Baptist Confession of Faith says concerning man's will. Listen carefully. Once again, there's scriptures all in here. I'm not using the scriptures. But the London Confession and the Philadelphia Baptist Confession says this, "God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice that is neither forced nor by any necessity of nature determined to good or evil. Man in his state of innocency had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God," Adam in the garden, "yet was unstable or immutable so that he might fall from it. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to do any spiritual good accompanying salvation. So as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereto."
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What? Do you realize that the Westminster Confession, the Old London Confession, the Philadelphia Confession, go absolutely stark contrary to the Council of Trent, where the Roman Catholic said, "If any man deny this, let him be accursed." So according to Roman Catholic doctrine, any Presbyterian, any Baptist, any Reformed believer who believes that man's will is in bondage and man does not cooperate with God is under the curse of God according to the Roman Catholics.
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Now, I hope you remember Augustus Toplady. "Rock of Ages." Augustus Toplady was not only a preacher, he was a hymn writer, he was alive with George Whitefield, the Wesleys, the 18th century. Augustus Toplady wrote this. Listen carefully. "Queen Mary and her Spanish husband well knew that Calvinism is the very life and soul of the Reformation and that popery will never flourish until the Calvinistic doctrines were eradicated. Her efforts to destroy by sword and by fire those who upheld the truth earned for her the unenviable appellation of Bloody Mary." Are you listening?
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"The charge on which many of them were burnt at the stake was that they held to the doctrine of predestination and rejected the Arminian Popish doctrine of free will." Bloody Mary burned men at the stake because they did not believe in free will. John Owen, the Prince of Preachers, said this, I love this quote, "Our next task is to take a view of the idol himself, of this great deity of free will, whose original being, not well known, he has pretended like the Ephesian image of Diana to have fallen down from heaven, and to have his endowments from above."
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"But yet considering what a nothing he was at his first discovery, in comparison of the vast giant-like hugeness which he has now grown, we may say of him as the painter of this monstrous picture which he amended or rather marred according to everyone's fancy," and then he quotes Latin, "hunc populus viscit," which means, "it is the issue of the people's brains." If John Owen were alive today, he would say it like this, those who believe in free will are touched in the head. Instead of saying, "it's an issue of the people's brains."
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Charles Spurgeon said, "What is the heresy of Rome but the addition of something to the perfect merits of Jesus Christ, the beginning in and of the works of the flesh to assist in our justification? And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer? Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here." Let me tell you, folks, the Word of God, which I will show you next week, Lord willing, teaches free grace and not free will. Free will has never taken one individual to heaven. But it has taken a multitude to hell. Our Lord rightly said to these people, "You will not come to me that you might have life." And lighted the overwhelming evidence, His works, the testimony of the Father, the testimony of the Scriptures, they would not come. Why? They had not His Word abiding in Him.
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They had not His love in Him. And they desired the honor of man more than the honor of God. And therefore, they would not come because they loved the praise of man more than the praise of God. So the question that has to be asked is this. Are you a believer in the Word of God? Are you a good little Roman Catholic who does not even read the Bible? Because they are taught, it's impossible for man to understand.
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The priest has to interpret it for them. What good is your Bible if you do not read it and study it and apply it? Let me go a step further. When men are ignorant of Christ, when they do not love Christ, when they refuse to honor Christ, they cannot come and they will not come to Christ. And you remember what our Lord said. We're there. Look in John 5 at verse 22 and 23. Watch this carefully. John 5 verse 22 and 23. Watch.
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"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." Why has the Father committed all judgment to the Son? Here's why. "That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father who hath sent Him." If you do not come to Jesus Christ, you are dishonoring the Father. If you do not love Jesus Christ, you are dishonoring the Father. If you do not know Jesus Christ, you are dishonoring the Father. And if you dishonor the Father, you dishonor the Son. And God shall judge you through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
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We do not need free will. We need the grace of God in our lives. Not only in order to be saved, but after we are saved. For our Lord said, help me out, "Without me you can do what? Nothing." Not one thing. How desperately we need the grace of God. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee, we thank You, we trust Thee, and we love Thee through the Lord Jesus Christ. We confess and acknowledge that He is God in the flesh, that He is the Lord of glory, the Savior, the Redeemer. And without Him, Lord, no man will come unto Thee. And Father, we ask for grace, even as Your children, to love Thee as we should, and to abide in Thy Word, and to carry forth in obedience to Thee, in and through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:59:41Z

The Terrible Sin of Man Part 2 of 3

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver continues his series on the bondage of the human will, arguing from John 5 that man by nature will not and cannot come to Christ. He examines three charges Jesus levels against the Jews—lack of God's Word abiding in them, absence of love for God, and seeking honor from men rather than from God—and shows how each renders faith impossible. Weaver contends that the will is not free but enslaved to sin, and that the doctrine of free will is a Roman Catholic heresy opposed by historic Protestant confessions.

Introduction and Review of John 5 Context

Scripture Reading — John 5:32-47

"There is another that beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. You sent unto John, and he beareth witness unto the truth." "But I receive not testimony from man, but these things I say that you might be saved. He was a burning and shining light, and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John. For the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself who hath sent me hath borne witness of me." "You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape. You have not his word abiding in you, for whom he hath sent him you believe not. Search the scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life, and there they which testify of me. And you will not come to me that you might have life. I receive not honor from men, but I know you, that you have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, and whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. And if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?"

Remember, if you would please, last week, we looked at this context in great detail. And I showed you the context of verse 40 when our Lord looked at these people and said,

Scripture Reading — John 5:32-47

"And you will not come to me that you might have life."

Our Lord referred to the testimony of John the Baptist and He only referred to his testimony for the benefit of the people because He said,

Scripture Reading — John 5:32-47

"You were willing for a season to rejoice in his light."

And then He said,

Scripture Reading — John 5:32-47

"But these things I say unto you that you might be saved."

Scripture Reading — John 5:32-47

"You will not come to me that you might have life."

Now I have heard preachers all my life say, "Well, sinners could come if they only will to come."

The Bondage of the Will: Cannot vs. Will Not

Weaver contrasts the common saying 'you can come if you will' with Jesus' words in John 6:44 that no man can come unless drawn by the Father, arguing that man's will is bound in sin and not free.

Scripture Reading — John 6:44

"No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day."

Now, preachers say, "You can come if you will come," but our Lord said,

Scripture Reading — John 6:44

"No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him."

Scripture Reading — John 6:44

" what they are actually doing is viewing the will in abstraction from man. Because the truth of the matter is this, no man can come to Christ apart from or without grace.

Calvin's Distinction Between Necessity and Coercion

Three Charges and Their Effects on the Will

Weaver introduces three causes from John 5—not having God's Word abiding, not having the love of God, and seeking honor from men—and their effects, showing how each prevents coming to Christ.

First Charge: Ignorance of God's Word

Now actually verse 39 verifies verse 38, for that's when He says,

Scripture Reading — John 5:38

"Search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. If you really had His word abiding in you,"

Scripture Reading — John 5:38

"...and you have not His Word abiding in you."

Here it is very clearly stated. John 8 verse 31,

Scripture Reading — John 8:31

"Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, 'You continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed,'"

Now he's writing these Ephesian believers. So he says,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:17-19

"This I say and testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk."

Let me paraphrase this for you. Don't walk, don't live like the unsaved. This is what he's saying. I want you to note what characterizes the unsaved. He says,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:17-19

"This I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity,"

that is the uselessness, the worthlessness of their mind,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:17-19

"having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart." "Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness."

Second Charge: Absence of Love for God

Weaver argues that love for God is demonstrated by obedience, and since the Jews lacked this love, they would not receive Christ; he emphasizes that one cannot love or come to someone unknown.

That's why in Romans 13 and verse 10, the Bible says that love is the fulfilling of the law. Our Lord Himself said in John 14 and verse 15,

Scripture Reading — John 14:15, 21, 24

"If you love me, keep my commandments."

Wow.

Scripture Reading — John 14:15, 21, 24

"If you love me, keep my commandments."

So all our Lord had to do was look at their lives and He saw how rebellious and wicked and ungodly they were. And He said,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:3

"I know you that you have not the love of God in you."

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:3

"You do not have the love of God in you."

They were wicked, they were rebellious, they were ungodly.

Third Charge: Seeking Honor from Men

The Historical Roots of Free Will Doctrine

Scripture Reading — John 5:45-47

"Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, and whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?"

Testimony of Reformers and Conclusion

The Terrible Sin of Man Part 2 of 3

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	8LJuJt8Yo-8
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Worship, Sacraments, and the Lord's Supper
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-11-20
Dictation Name
Book	Book 185: The Terrible Sin of Man — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	74

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review of John 5 Context: Weaver reviews the context of John 5:40, where Jesus says 'you will not come to me that you might have life,' emphasizing that the problem is not insufficient evidence but the stubborn rebellion of the human will.
The Bondage of the Will: Cannot vs. Will Not: Weaver contrasts the common saying 'you can come if you will' with Jesus' words in John 6:44 that no man can come unless drawn by the Father, arguing that man's will is bound in sin and not free.
Calvin's Distinction Between Necessity and Coercion: Weaver quotes John Calvin to explain that man sins voluntarily yet necessarily because his will is corrupt, using the illustration of a drunkard choosing whiskey over a Bible to show the will's bondage to lust.
Three Charges and Their Effects on the Will: Weaver introduces three causes from John 5—not having God's Word abiding, not having the love of God, and seeking honor from men—and their effects, showing how each prevents coming to Christ.
First Charge: Ignorance of God's Word: Weaver explains that without God's Word abiding in them, people are ignorant of Christ and cannot believe or come to Him, citing Ephesians 4:17-18 and 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 to show the natural man's blindness.
Second Charge: Absence of Love for God: Weaver argues that love for God is demonstrated by obedience, and since the Jews lacked this love, they would not receive Christ; he emphasizes that one cannot love or come to someone unknown.
Third Charge: Seeking Honor from Men: Weaver asserts that pride and desire for vain glory make faith impossible, as Jesus asked 'How can you believe?' He cites Matthew 23 and John 12:43 to show that natural man loves the praise of men more than God.
The Historical Roots of Free Will Doctrine: Weaver traces the doctrine of free will from Pelagius to the Roman Catholic Council of Trent, contrasting it with the Westminster Confession and the historic Baptist Philadelphia Confession, which teach the bondage of the will.
Testimony of Reformers and Conclusion: Weaver cites Toplady, Owen, and Spurgeon to show that free will is a popish heresy, and concludes that men need God's grace both for salvation and for Christian living, as without Christ they can do nothing.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Man's will is in bondage, not free

Jesus said 'no man can come' (John 6:44) and 'you will not come' (John 5:40), proving the will is enslaved to sin and unable to choose Christ without grace.

Weaver argues, 'preachers say, "You can come if you will come," but our Lord said, "No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him."'

Ignorance of Christ prevents coming to Him

Without the Word of God abiding in them, people are ignorant of Christ and cannot believe; the natural mind is darkened and blinded by Satan.

Weaver cites John 5:38 and Ephesians 4:17-18, saying, 'You cannot come to Christ if you're ignorant of Christ.'

Lack of love for God results in rejecting Christ

Since love is obedience, the Jews' disobedience proved they had no love for God, and therefore they would not receive Christ.

Weaver says, 'How can you come to someone of whom you're totally and completely ignorant? ... Why would you come to someone that you don't know and you don't love?'

Pride makes faith impossible

Jesus' question 'How can you believe?' in John 5:44 indicates that seeking human honor renders faith absolutely impossible.

Weaver states, 'Our Lord is saying that pride and vain glory makes faith impossible.'

Free will is a Roman Catholic doctrine opposed by true Baptists

The Council of Trent anathematized those who deny free will, while historic Baptist confessions affirm the bondage of the will.

Weaver quotes the Council of Trent and the Philadelphia Confession, saying, 'most Baptists are good little Roman Catholics' for holding free will.

Grace alone enables faith and obedience

Man cannot prepare himself for salvation or do any spiritual good; only God's grace frees the will to come to Christ.

Weaver quotes the Westminster Confession: 'Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation.'

Scripture References

John 5:32-47: Weaver reads the passage as the primary text, focusing on Jesus' testimony and the charge that they will not come to Him.
John 5:40: Central verse: 'And you will not come to me that you might have life.' Weaver uses it to show the bondage of the will.
John 6:44: Jesus says no man can come unless the Father draws him, contradicting the idea that man can come if he wills.
John 8:31: Jesus says true disciples continue in His word; Weaver contrasts this with the Jews not having His word abiding in them.
John 4:10: Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that if she knew the gift of God, she would have asked; Weaver uses it to show ignorance prevents coming.
Ephesians 4:17-19: Describes the natural man's darkened understanding and ignorance, supporting the charge that without God's Word, man cannot come.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4: The god of this world blinds the minds of unbelievers; Weaver uses it to show why men are ignorant of Christ.
John 14:15, 21, 24: Jesus equates love with keeping His commandments; Weaver uses these to show that lack of obedience proves lack of love.
1 John 5:3: Love for God is keeping His commandments; Weaver cites it to reinforce that love is obedience.
1 John 2:4: Whoever claims to know God but does not keep His commandments is a liar; Weaver uses it to show the Jews' hypocrisy.
Matthew 23:1-7: Jesus condemns the Pharisees for doing works to be seen by men; Weaver uses it to illustrate seeking honor from men.
John 12:42-43: Many believed but did not confess because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God; Weaver cites it as the indictment of natural man.
John 5:22-23: All judgment is committed to the Son so that all should honor the Son; Weaver warns that not coming to Christ dishonors the Father.
John 5:44: Jesus asks how they can believe when they receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor from God; Weaver calls this the third charge.
John 5:38: Jesus says they do not have His word abiding in them; Weaver identifies this as the first charge.
John 5:42: Jesus says He knows they do not have the love of God in them; Weaver identifies this as the second charge.
John 5:45-47: Jesus says Moses accuses them because they do not believe his writings; Weaver shows this as the effect of seeking human honor.
Psalm 119:9, 11: Weaver alludes to David's words about cleansing his way by God's word and hiding it in his heart to avoid sin.
Romans 13:10: Love is the fulfilling of the law; Weaver mentions it to support that love is obedience.
Genesis 3: Weaver references the temptation 'you shall be as gods' to show man's idolatrous self-worship.

Historical References

John Calvin, Bondage and Liberation of the Will: Weaver quotes Calvin's distinction between necessity and coercion in sin, explaining that man sins voluntarily yet necessarily due to a corrupt will.
Pelagius (4th century): Weaver mentions Pelagius as an early advocate of free will, whose teachings were debated and refuted by Augustine.
Augustine: Weaver notes that Augustine debated Pelagius and proved his theories false.
Cassian: Weaver says Cassian later taught a modified Pelagianism, still holding to free will.
Council of Trent (1563): Weaver quotes the Council of Trent's canons on free will, showing the Roman Catholic Church's official stance that man cooperates with God and free will is not lost.
Westminster Confession of Faith (1644-1648): Weaver reads from the confession to show its teaching that man has lost all ability of will to spiritual good and cannot convert himself.
Old London Confession of Faith (1689) / Philadelphia Confession of Faith (1742): Weaver explains that Baptists adopted the Westminster Confession almost word for word, and reads its statement on the bondage of the will.
Augustus Toplady (18th century): Weaver quotes Toplady on Queen Mary's persecution of those who rejected free will, calling it the 'Arminian Popish doctrine.'
John Owen: Weaver quotes Owen's satirical description of free will as an idol and 'the issue of the people's brains.'
Charles Spurgeon: Weaver quotes Spurgeon equating the heresy of Rome and Arminianism as adding something to the work of Christ.

Important Quotes

Man's will is not free. It is bound in sin, wickedness and rebellion. It is held captive to his lust, thoughts and desires.

Succinctly states Weaver's central thesis that the will is enslaved, not free.

According to John 5 and verse 44, pride and the desire for vain glory makes faith impossible.

A bold claim that human pride is an absolute barrier to saving faith.

The charge on which many of them were burnt at the stake was that they held to the doctrine of predestination and rejected the Arminian Popish doctrine of free will.

Toplady's historical claim that free will was a dividing line during the Marian persecutions.

Free will has never taken one individual to heaven. But it has taken a multitude to hell.

Weaver's stark conclusion on the danger of the free will doctrine.

We do not need free will. We need the grace of God in our lives.

The practical application: reliance on grace rather than supposed human ability.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the distinction between 'cannot' and 'will not' in John 5:40 and John 6:44 shape our understanding of human responsibility and divine sovereignty?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that man both cannot (divinely speaking) and will not (humanly speaking) come to Christ.

[Question]

In what ways does ignorance of Christ prevent someone from coming to Him, and how should this affect our evangelism?

[Context]

Weaver argues that without God's Word abiding, people are ignorant and cannot believe.

[Question]

Why does Weaver equate love for God with obedience, and what are the implications for those who claim to love God but live in disobedience?

[Context]

Weaver cites John 14:15 and 1 John 5:3 to show that love is demonstrated by keeping commandments.

[Question]

How does the desire for human praise and recognition make faith impossible, according to John 5:44?

[Context]

Weaver states that pride and vain glory render faith impossible because they prevent seeking honor from God.

[Question]

What are the historical and theological differences between the Roman Catholic doctrine of free will and the Reformed/Baptist confessions on the bondage of the will?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts the Council of Trent with the Westminster and Philadelphia Confessions.

[Question]

How does the illustration of the drunkard choosing whiskey over a Bible help explain the nature of the will's bondage?

[Context]

Weaver uses the illustration to show that the will is enslaved to lust and desires.

[Question]

Why does Weaver say that 'most Baptists are good little Roman Catholics' regarding free will, and do you agree with his assessment?

[Context]

Weaver claims that many Baptists unknowingly hold a Roman Catholic doctrine by affirming free will.

[Question]

What practical difference does it make in the Christian life to believe that we need God's grace not only for salvation but also for daily obedience?

[Context]

Weaver concludes that without Christ we can do nothing, emphasizing ongoing dependence on grace.

Applications

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