He that hath received his testimony, hath set to his seal that God is true.–John 3:33
Wherein consists the essential difference between the righteous and the wicked? In this: the heart of the former receives the testimony of Christ, and thereby honors the God of truth; the latter rejects it, and thereby makes God a liar." 1 John 5:10. No marvel then that it is declared, "He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him;" John 3:36; and that "God is angry with the wicked every day." Psalm 7:11. They live in this daring, provoking sin of unbelief of the testimony of the Son of God. This is the greatest sin under heaven. O the long-suffering of God toward such stout-hearted rebels.
Consider, what is this testimony? It is the witness which Christ bears to the children of men', that he is the Son of God; that he came forth from God; that he came to fulfil the law of God; to honor the justice of God; to bring glory to all the attributes of God, by saying sinners according to the truth of God.
What is it to receive this testimony? Simply to credit it; just as one does by a person who in a solemn manner gives a plain and faithful evidence in court of what he knows of the cause on trial. Now here we see what a simple thing faith is: it is no other than receiving Christ's testimony; believing him to be what he declares he is, the Saviour of lost sinners; righteousness to us who have none of our own; an atonement for sins which must have sunk us to hell; redemption from the curse of the law, which we could never avert; and the hope of eternal life, which we have forfeited. Thus we receive the testimony of Jesus as a reprieve for condemned malefactors, an act of grace for rebels, tidings of mercy for miserable sinners. But alas! how do we puzzle our heads and perplex our hearts! For, instead of blessing Jesus for this precious testimony, considering its suitableness, and deriving our comfort from it, we set ourselves to questioning our faith: whether we have received it and do believe aright. This is our folly.
See the blessedness of receiving this testimony: "He hath set to his seal that God is true." Or, as some read it, God hath sealed him (by his Spirit) because he is true. As we set our seal to God's truth, he will seal our hearts with his consolations. We cannot honor God more, nor please him better, than to hear and believe his beloved Son.