SAVING KNOWLEDGE
A SERMON BY

Maurice Montgomery

I have a couple of places that I want to read in the very beginning; Hebrews chapter 4 and Galations chapter 3. In fact I want to read in several different places tonight.

I want to talk to you about SAVING KNOWLEDGE...look at Hebrews 4.2 which says; "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them (them being those who fell in the wilderness many years before). And so Paul says "the gospel was preached unto them as well as unto us," but he goes on to say "the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."

Now turn back to Galations if you will. What I am attempting to show you to begin with is that there is but one gospel. One only. There never has been two, there never shall be two and never could be two gospels. There is only one. The same way Abraham was saved is the same way we are saved. Galations 3.8 "The scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham." Now this is the record of the gospel unto Abraham as far as the scriptural account goes. "In thee shall all nations be blessed." In that phrase is the good news. We are part of those nations and we ought to rejoice, for "in thy seed (in that greater Isaac; the Lord Jesus Christ) all nations" of the world have been blessed. And couched in that phrase is the good news to Abraham.

Now, how much God told Abraham, how much information he had.....I just don't know. It is not needful for me to know, else God would have written it down here for me and we could have read it, but we know that God made that promise to him. God told him "I am your shield and your exceeding great reward. You need no-one but me." Abraham BELIEVED God and God said, "that's good, you are a righteous man;" and it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Now turn back to John chapter one (we are talking about SAVING KNOWLEDGE.)

Let me make some statements first. I understand two thing very clearly, if I understand anything about the scriptures. Number one is, there has been a progressive revelation of Jesus Christ. In other words I am saying that from Genesis 3.15, where the first announcement of the deliverer redeemer is made, God continued to give increased light so that when we come to our day we have the complete revelation. We can read all about Christ. We know who his mother was, where he was born, what his name was and so many things about him. We have the history of his life which holds the account of his resurrection and his promise to return again. There has been a progressive revelation of light from the Lord concerning Him.

And I also know this, that salvation in itself, not only as pertains to the kingdom of God, but as pertains to every individual, salvation itself is a progressive continuous work of God. And for a man to try to determine when a man was actually quickened (made alive), or when he was thoroughly converted rather than being partially converted is foolish. It is none of our business. It is God's business.

The scriptures gives this illustration. Turn to Mark 4.26, "So is the Kingdom of God, as if a man casts seed into the ground and should sleep, and should rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up, HE KNOWETH NOT HOW." It is a great mystery and if you think earthly things like this are a mystery, what about spiritual things? They are even greater in mystery. "For the Earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the cycle because the harvest is come." And who knows when it is harvest time? Whenever GOD says it is harvest time, that is when it is harvest time. This "Earth" in the text just read, might be compared with the word of God as it goes forth. Like the parable of the sower. It brings forth fruit unbeknownst to anyone except the soul, mind and heart of the one who sat and heard it. God uses it and blesses it and brings it to their mind. They cannot get away from it. They hear his voice. He leads them; a little at a time. He reveals more and more to them. This is the way salvation is, and to try to sit down and explain it and apply time marks and drive in stakes for when a man was thoroughly or actually converted, quickened, or fully regenerated is foolish. "The foolishness of men." Because he says right here, "this is the way the kingdom is.....the seed sown....it comes up, it grows and increases and it comes to maturity and WHO KNOWETH HOW." Who knows how? WE don't know how. It is a great mystery. It is GOD working salvation in the heart and soul of an individual.

So...I know these two things. I know that salvation has been given by an increased revelation of God from the Old Testament through the New Testament. We even have the last chapter.....we know the ending. And I know that salvation is also a progressive continuous work of God in a man's heart, mind and soul. "It is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure." And "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it," he will continue and perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. Those two things I know about salvation.

With those two things in mind, it is hard to pinpoint what a man had to know in the Old Testament and how much a man had to know in the New Testament before he was thoroughly converted or a thorough, real, complete, Christian. We just don't know those things.

I know he had to do this....he had to BELIEVE God. That is what it is. However much God gave him, he BELIEVED GOD. That is the testimony of the Scriptures. He might have sat with Abraham for half the day, told him many, many, many things, but I don't know that. But I know that what He DID tell him, Abraham believed. The Bible does tell us that much. It tells us that for a very important reason. Because I am to believe what God says. If I am to be a child of Abraham and an heir of the Kingdom, joint heirs with Christ then I am going to have to believe God just as Abraham believed. However much he reveals to me, whatever he makes known to me, whatever he speaks, I must hear his voice and I must believe him.

This thing of how much a person must know as far as doctrinal statements of fact......I just don't know. No-one else does. It is foolish to try to set such a standard and say a man has to know this and thus and thus, or he is not quickened of God or a real Christian. "He can't be a real Christian until he has come to the fifth point, but now that he has, he is a real christian....endoctrinated." You can be a Calvinist and split hell wide open! I am talking about SAVING KNOWLEDGE. I am NOT talking about what a preacher conveys to a congregation. I am talking about what GOD is pleased to speak. It is one thing for me to stand up here and speak Gods word, but it is entirely another thing for God to take that word which I speak and HIMSELF speak through that word by the Holy Spirit. That is a different story altogether. And when HE speaks they HEAR his voice. His sheep do. They know Him. They follow Him. And another they will not follow. How much they know? I can only tell you they know SOME things.

They know who the MASTER, the boss, is. That is what Paul learned on the Demascus road. He learned who BOSS was didn't he? "Lord who is it?" He said "it is Jesus of Nazareth whom you persecute." He learned it. He learned that lesson.

But when God made this proclamation of gospel news, he was talking to Satan rather than Adam and Eve. But they were there and heard it. The promise was for their deliverance. God made that declaration of mercy; of a deliverer; of a conqueror who would come and be born seed of the woman. And we know that Eve was a child of God. We know that Adam and Eve offered up sacrifices which were acceptable unto God. We know that Abel offered up a sacrifice acceptable unto God. But how much did they know? They BELIEVED GOD. If they were truly converted (and I am sure Eve was), they did BELIEVE what God told them.

What did tell them? He said, from the seed of the woman is coming forth a DELIVERER to destroy Satans kingdom. They believed that much. Did they know WHEN he would be born? No. Did they know what his name would be? No. When Eve had her first child and named him Cain, she thought HE was HIM. That's just the way it is.

Here is what I want to emphasize again. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN, THERE NEVER CAN BE, AND THERE NEVER WILL BE BUT ONE GOSPEL. The Bible gives the examples of faith illustrated by these Old Testament men reaching all the way back to Abel, and the illustration is that if our faith could be like their faith, we would be in good shape.......doesn't it?

What was their faith? How many facts did they digest? How much clear light and knowledge did they have? Not as much as we have today.....I guarantee you. But they believed that ONE gospel. There is only one gospel. The gospel preached in the wilderness and the gospel preached in Paul's day and the gospel preached by me to you folks here are one and the same. There is but one gospel. We have to BELIEVE the gospel as Abraham BELIEVED the gospel. BELIEVE GOD.

Let me show you something I have noticed in the scriptures which has been a joy and delight to my soul. I have noticed that these Old Testament prophecies are all concerning A PERSON. They would all have us look to and wait for A PERSON. Not a doctrine, but A PERSON, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's look at some.

Here is a group of men who have been reading the Old Testament, who for many centuries had the ordained, organized religion of God. They had the tabernacle. They had the Temple. They had the history. They had the WORD committed to them. The promises and all this as Paul tells us in Romans and other places. One day a man comes on the scene who seems to appear out of nowhere. He was hidden in the wilderness until the DAY of his appearing. It was John the baptist. He dressed and spoke roughly like an Old Testament prophet. When he began to speak, men began to listen. He commanded their attention! They thought......"this might be the Christ."

Look with me to John 1.6......."There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might BELIEVE. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came to his own, and his own received him not." My point is....John was not THAT Light. John came to BEAR WITNESS of that Light. Look on down in verse 19......"this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, WHO ART YOU" buddy? Who are YOU? They were interested. They thought he might be THAT PROPHET. They thought he might be the CHRIST. This is exactly what they thought. They said "who are you?" Notice verse 20....."he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Are you Elias? And he said, I am not. Are you THAT PROPHET? and he answered, No. Then said they unto him, who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of THYSELF?" We want to know about you! Who are YOU? And he said, "I am" just "the voice of one crying in the wilderness." It was ALWAYS a PERSON who was looked for, always a PERSON who was set forth. How much knowledge they had of how he would deliver, and in what manner he would deliver......I don't know. But I know this, their faith was always in A PERSON. Their attachment was to A PERSON. Their submission was to A PERSON. They believed God concerning the testimony of his son. However full a testimony God gave them.....they believed it.

Now.....this next thing......I have tried to imagine this and walk along with these folks in the same frame of mind as best my imagination could. Look at John 1.35........"the next day after (the baptism) John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus." They LEFT JOHN and took off following the LORD JESUS CHRIST. They were INTERESTED in this LAMB OF GOD. "Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, what seek ye?" Can you imagine their timidity? They were following. They were staying close, but what would they say if they actually caught up to him? What would they ask him? So.....they were following along....hoping something would happen, and it did. Christ stopped, turned, and asked them "why are you following me?" "What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, where dwellest thou?" Where do you live? Where did you come from? And he said to them "Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother." And the first thing he did was go find his own brother Simon and said to him....."We have found THE MESSIAH." Now you think about it in the context of "Jewish thought and expectation," and you will find it marvelous. The EXCITEMENT they must have had in their minds and hearts. "We have found the Messiah."

My, my, my.....men had been waiting to say (and hear) that for thousands of years! Now they could say it! "We have found the MESSIAH, which is being interpreted THE CHRIST. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou are Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone." And the next day "Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, we have found him," (and you cannot imagine the excitement) "of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, and it is JESUS of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." We found HIM. We found THAT PROPHET. We found the MESSIAH, the Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. We FOUND him! Who is he? Where does he live? When did he come into the world? Well........it's JESUS of Nazareth.....we found HIM. Now we know his NAME don't we? That's who he is. HE is the messiah. HE is the Christ. HE is the Son of the living God. HE is the prophet which was prophesied from Genesis 3.15, all the way down through the scriptures.

Can you imagine these four or five men here? With the knowledge and understanding they had, they rushed back and told their families..."we found HIM." And after so many years "it's HIM." "Come! let me show you!" You talk about a time of excitement! It was a time of excitement.

Turn back to Matthew. These men had jobs, they had responsibilities and most of them had wives and families. Now, you have seen they found HIM. They had no doubt in their minds that "THAT" was "HIM," and "HIM" was MESSIAH. "We have found him." So excited. "Go get my brother and bring him to Christ." "I want him to see him too." But, evidently the next day, they all had to go back to their work, or help their father. Look at Matthew 4.18...."and Jesus walking by the sea of Gallilee saw two brethren. Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers." Remember that they had already met the Messiah. And, I imagine as they sat in their boats, talking to their father that their meeting of HIM was the subject of their conversation. "We have found the Messiah." "Wonder where he is, right now." "Wonder what he is going to do today?" "Wonder when we will see him again?" Well....they saw him again. "and he said to them, follow ME and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed HIM." That is all they had been talking about while they were fishing. They had found THE MESSIAH. Now HE had found THEM. "Going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother. And they were in a ship with Zebedee their father mending their nets, and he called THEM. And immediately they left the ship, and their father, and they follow HIM." So you see the progressive nature of this thing. They met him. He called them to be his disciples. He later made them to be his apostles.

Now look back to John....let me show you something there. John 3.22....He has some disciples now, and they are following him. How much information and how much knowledge and understanding they have we do not know. But here is the thing, THEY....KNEW.....HIM. They had found......HIM. They knew who HE....was, and that is all that mattered. "And after these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them, and there he baptised....." Look at chapter 4.2....."When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptised more disciples than John (thought Jesus himself baptised not, but his disciples) he departed." This is what I want you to see; the picture of how they met him, and how they followed him when he came and called them from their work in secular labors. They left all. They left their father. They left their business. They left lock stock and barrel to follow HIM.

Well.......it's not long until he is making disciples and his disciples are baptizing those who follow HIM. The ministry is growing you see. They come to Samaria, and you know the story there of how this woman makes ONE CONFESSION, ONE ACKNOWLEDGMENT. She knew some things. She knew there was a Messiah coming, and that when HE came, he would TELL them some things. He would tell them all things necessary, all things needful. But look what it says in Chapter 4.25.....The woman sayeth unto him, I know that Messiah cometh which is called Christ, and when HE is come, he will tell us all things. And Jesus said unto her, I that speak unto thee am He." And she threw her waterpot straight up in the air and took off back to the city. If you will permit me to paraphrase, that is exactly what happened! She forgot all about being thirsty. She forgot all about coming for water. She had met the MESSIAH! She went back into the city and said "I have met a man that told me all things that ever I did, is not this the Messiah. And many believed on him because of her word." And then the town went out and heard HIM speak, from his own lips. And they believed on HIM for his words. What happened here this day. They met the MESSIAH. What can possibly happen in a persons life that is more important than this? so wonderful as this. That this woman and the other people of the city...they met the MESSIAH.......and that is all that is necessary for us too. If we can meet HIM, we can submit to HIM, and love HIM, that is all that is necessary. Now...it has to be the true ONE, and it cannot be the one of our Sunday School imagination. It has to be the REAL messiah. But you will find that they were SUBMISSIVE to him.

Now look at John 8.....you see......when you have met this Messiah, whatever he reveal to you about himself in this word (what he revealed to them was through his spoken word), it is incumbent upon us to believe. We are bound to submit to it, because he is the Lord. Is that not right? And that is exactly what these disciples did. You say, "well, they didn't do it very perfectly." No, and you and I don't either. You say, "Peter rebelled a time or two." That is right, and WE DO TO. But if we are the elect of God, we WILL hear HIS voice, and we WILL submit to HIM, and we WILL follow HIM, and we will LOVE to have it so. But look what it says here in John 8.....it is similar to John 6 where it says "this is a hard saying, who can hear it?" He was talking about spiritual communion with God...eating and drinking his flesh and drinking his blood....who can hear these things, it is TOUGH. Many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more. You see....they could not submit to HIS word. And he said, you are my disciples indeed if you continue in my word. But look what it says here in John 8.21...."Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way and you shall seek me and shall die in your sins. Whither I go, you cannot come. Then said the Jews, will he kill himself because he sayeth, whither I go you cannot come. But he said unto them, you are from beneath, and I am from above. You are from the world and I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you that you shall die in your sins. FOR IF YOU BELIEVE NOT THAT I AM HE, YOU SHALL DIE IN YOUR SINS." Now my friends, THAT is the issue right there. THAT is the KEY to this thing of eternal life. BELIEVING THAT HE IS THE GREAT "I AM. That he is Mary's son. That he is the eternal son of God. You'll find that the confession, "Son of Man" brought to their mind "that prophet," "the Messiah," "the son of God." "Who do men say that I the son of man am?" Peter said, "You're the son of the living God," you are the Messiah, we KNOW WHO you are. They had problems with a lot of things he said, and a lot of folks could not receive it. A lot of folks did not believe that he was really the great "I AM," and they died in their sins. But here is what he said on this occasion, "you are from beneath, and I am from above." You are of this earth, but I came down from heaven. Same problem he had on other occasions. They could not receive it. They said, "We know your mother....father...family. We have worked along side of you,"......whatever. How can you say you came down from heaven? How can you say you are the "true bread" of God? It just doesn't make sense. Well....if you know HIM it makes sense. If you have submitted to HIM, it makes sense. If you love HIM, it will all work out...you'll understand all you need to understand. The main thing is....YOU'LL BELIEVE IT because HE said it. "Abraham believed God." "The God of glory," Stephen said, "appeared unto our father Abraham when he was yet in Ur of Chaldees," and when he saw the God of glory, he took off and followed him. All of the Gods he had ever known became nothing. Dead idols. Good for nothing. When God appeared to him, he left ALL.

Look at Matthew 10....I am using a lot of Scripture trying to prove a point or two. Eternal life is just exactly what God said it is...."this is life eternal, that they know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." THAT is life everlasting. Paul said his life ambition was to "know HIM (Christ). To win Christ. To be found in Christ. Isn't that enough? There are some who talk about how much doctrine a man must know to be a Christian, and go so far as to say that the apostles weren't Christians until after the resurrection. That is the most preposterous thing I ever heard. I UNDERSTAND that there are a lot of things they did not know, and I UNDERSTAND in Luke 24 that he had to open up the Scriptures and show them that all the Scriptures bore witness of him. I UNDERSTAND that it was necessary for him to explain to them that he must die and enter into his glory. A lot of these things they did not fully understand, but they DID believe in HIM. Didn't they say that? "WE TRUSTED THAT HE WAS THE ONE!" That statement they did make. And that statement was enough. All those things he told them from Matthew chapter 12 through Matthew 17, MOST of it they did not understand until later. He told them before hand they wouldn't! He said "but I will send the spirit" and he will teach you some things, and he will even bring these things back to your remembrance. You'll have some understanding of these things. But at the PRESENT they had all they NEEDED. But I want to tell you this, THEY WERE GODS PEOPLE, and THEY WERE CHRISTIANS, THEY WERE CHILDREN OF THE LIVING GOD, THEY WERE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM from the very beginning. Is that all right? You better believe it.

Let me show you something.....Matt 10....I have been amazed just reading through the gospels, at the many statements of CONFIRMATION that they DID know God, that for the time being, the time in which they lived, they knew all they needed to know. Look at verse 19.....you know, he was going to send these twelve out, two together to go into different cities to preach the gospel and work miracles, and he said this....(verse 19)" ..But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." You see, they had a FATHER and they had a SPIRIT already! And, it was the spirit of the living God. And, it was the Holy Spirit, which was to give them what they should speak. But notice it says they had a "FATHER." They had a heavenly father and he would send forth his spirit and give them what to say. Look at verse 29...."Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without YOUR FATHER." Was our Lord speaking out of turn? Was he giving them something which they had no right to? Absolutely not, they were the children of God, They were Christians. They were born of Gods spirit. They had God's spirit within them. And he said "your father"......it must have meant a lot to them when you view it in the context of this chapter. It must have comforted them to know that "not one sparrow" could fall without "your father." "Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." See, that is what he is telling them. They had a heavenly Father, because they knew Christ, and God in Christ.

In Matthew chapter 13 verses 11 and 16, he is speaking to them in parables. You will remember them. You know what it says there? They said, "why do you speak in parables?" He said, "Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand." But he says, "But blessed your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear." That sounds like a CHRISTIAN to me. "For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous have desired to see which ye see, and have not seen ; and to hear which ye hear, and have not heard ." They were never permitted, nor enabled.

Now look at John 17....here he is praying to his Father, and our Father. And he says in verse 6, "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world:" (now this was BEFORE the crucifixion, and before the garden of Gethsemane). I have MANIFESTED your name; what does that mean? It means that he has shown them God. MANIFESTED, that is WHO God is. "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have KEPT thy word." Isn't that amazing! Who keeps God's word but those who KNOW God? "They that are of God hear God's word," nobody else. "Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received , and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me." They were BELIEVERS weren't they? No other way you can look at it. It's just simple, plain fact.

Then, listen to these passages. Not only does he say these things, but he says in John 13, "these are clean every whit." Now that MUST be a Christian. They are clean, EVERY whit. Yes, but they didn't even know what "foot washing" was. I know that, but they were "clean EVERY whit." Is that all right?

Then in another place, where in the early part of his ministry, when he had sent the twelve out and they came back rejoicing that "even the demons are subject to us through your name," he says, don't rejoice in that, but "rejoice that your names are written in Heaven." Maybe he was speaking a little prematurely? Maybe he was telling them something they didn't know yet? You suppose? I doubt it. Their names were "written in Heaven." Boy! I bet that meant something to them. It sure means something to me.

Then in another place he said, "it is the Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." Reckon he spoke to quickly? that they didn't know anything about the kingdom yet? that they weren't in the kingdom yet? I don't think he did. Now I am not speaking disparagingly or lightly of divine truth of any sort, but I am telling you that which converts a man, a sinner, unto God; that which brings him into the Kingdom; that which makes him meet to be an heir with the saints; that which qualifies him to enter into God's heaven is not his familiarity with some doctrine. No, no, no. It is his familiarity with some person. And that person is the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course we could argue until the sun comes up and goes down again about how much they have to know about him, but that is not my business. It's God's business. I know one thing. All of those whom he calls, all of those who are ever saved by him are going to be called by him. They are going to be called by the truth. They are going to embrace Christ IN that truth. They will not rebel, nor continue to rebel against the truth of Christ, whatever it is. They don't have to understand all of these things, but they have to KNOW HIM. They have to love HIM. They have to follow HIM. And they will submit to HIM. Paul said, "I know whom." Not "in whom" nor "about whom." He said, "I know WHOM I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." You see....his confidence was in a PERSON. THAT person. The one who brought him down on the Demascus road.

Look at I John 5:20. I love this verse of Scripture. "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. THIS IS THE TRUE GOD, AND ETERNAL LIFE." Life everlasting. What is it? It is knowing HIM. Being in HIM. That's it. What can be better? What can cause greater rejoicing in the heart of an old sinner than to know the Messiah. Just like these apostles. I am convinced, that they went home that night, after meeting him and taking their brothers to him, FULL of excitement. "We found HIM." "Who is he?" "Where does he live?" The first thing that one of them ask him was, "where do you live?" His answer was, "come and see." "We have found him of whom all the Bible testifies." The one they had been waiting for century after century after century. "We found him." "His name is Jesus of Nazereth." "We found him." "We found him!" They got up the next day and went fishing. Soon afterward, he came by where they were and said "follow me." They left everything and followed him. Why? because they had a lot of knowledge and understanding? No sir, because of WHO he was. God will teach his people in his own time, as much as he wants them to know. He is well able and capable. He is full of grace and mercy. He knows HOW. I cant teach anyone anything, but he can. He's a good teacher. All of his people, "shall be taught of God." "Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the father," will go to Christ. That is what the Scripture says.

What is salvation? What is this saving knowledge? It is Jesus Christ the Lord. "For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." You can say what you will, salvation is nothing less, nothing more than a saving knowledge, a saving revelation to the heart, of Jesus Christ the Lord. I am convinced of this...that to these apostles, in all of their ignorance and remaining darkness, that this Jesus of Nazereth was to them...SOMEBODY. HE was SOMEBODY. And when he spoke they listened. And when they needed answers, they asked Him. And when he said "shut up," they shut up. And when he said "get up," they got up. They made a lot of mistakes and manifested a lot of foolishness, but they had come to the right place. They said, "we know that thou are THAT CHRIST, the son of the living God." "And, we know and are sure (dead certain) that you have the words of eternal life." And we are not going anyplace else. Knowing Christ. Knowing Christ.

His people don't have to know much as far as doctrine is concerned, but they do have to know HIM. And he will teach them in his own time. Whenever He gets ready. Because HE is the teacher. They will submit to him. They will learn to love him more. They will cling to him, and say in their dying breath, "if I can only have Christ, that is all I want." If I really know HIM that is all I need. You know why? because he promised to save me if I would trust HIM. HE did. I can't explain imputation. I don't know how in the world that it could be right and just for God to take our sins off our guilty souls and impute them righteously to his holy beloved Son. I don't understand that, but the Scriptures say that it is not only righteous and just but that it is the only way God can righteously and justly forgive us ungodly sinners. If I had to explain that, I would be in big trouble. But, if all I have to do is look to Christ in simple faith, I'm in good hands. I like that. And that is where it is. The more you look in the Scriptures, and read and meditate on his dealings with men and women as he passed through this world, the more you will realize how wonderfully compassionate, merciful and loving and kind he was. He never turned folks away in their need. He is able to save unto the uttermost, all that come unto God by HIM.

Let me give you this final illustration. I have a father who is 85 years old. He owns a couple acres of ground. One day he is going to die. He has a will. I don't know what is written in it. I am the executor, yet I still don't know what is in it. It doesn't make any difference. I don't have to understand all of the legal jargon, stipulations, and ramifications, in order to believe that I am going to be an heir. All that I would need is one word from father. He said, "when I die, I'm going to give you this." I wouldn't have to read the will. I wouldn't have to understand all of it. I BELIEVE my FATHER. Now....that is how men are saved by Jesus Christ ALONE. It is wonderful to die like David and to be able to say "God has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and SURE. This is all my desire and all my salvation." Wonderful, wonderful. But, he doesn't die any more surely in the arms of Christ, than the simple beginner who has first cast himself upon Christ. One of them understands a lot about the covenant, and the other has heard the word from the Master. "Come unto me, I will give you rest." That is all I need to know. I don't have to understand all the ramifications of the covenant. Do you? It's wonderful when we do. It is encouraging, it strengthens our faith. But all we need is a word from the Master. That is sufficient.

In John 14 he said, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if not , I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also." Weren't those wonderful words? But you say, "I don't understand." I have heard people preach, and debate about these "dwelling places" in heaven. What difference does it make? Here is the assurance of the word. "I am going away, I am going to leave, but I AM GOING TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU. And if I do that, I'M COMING AGAIN TO RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF, that where I am there you may be also." All I need is that word. That is all they needed. And that is what he gave them in his mercy.