BELIEVE ME NOT

The Lord Jesus Christ made an interesting statement in Joh.10:37, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not." Everything that Jesus Christ ever did was a work of His Father. He said in Joh.5:19, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." From this we know that ANYTHING that Jesus Christ does is a work of the Father. And if He does not actually do the works of the Father, then He commands us not to believe Him. Now let's examine some things the Bible says that Jesus does, bearing in mind that everything that Jesus does is a work of the Father. Remember also that if Jesus does not do the works of His Father, we are not to believe Him. In Joh.17:2 the Son of God said in His prayer to His Father: "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." If the Son of God should fail to actually give eternal life to one that the Father gave to Him, then He has not done the work that the Father empowered Him to do. In that case, He says emphatically: "If I do not the works of my Father, BELIEVE ME NOT." Jesus said in Joh.6:38-39, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." Now if Jesus should happen to lose anyone that the Father gave to Him, then He will not have done the will of the Father. In that case He will not be doing the works of His Father. And what does He say about that? He says, "If I do not the works of my Father, BELIEVE ME NOT." Heb.9:26 declares, "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." It should be clear from this verse that one of the works the Father assigned to Jesus was to put away sin by His sacrifice. 1 Jo.3:5 says, "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins." Therefore, if Jesus did not ACTUALLY PUT AWAY SIN by His sacrifice, then He did not do the work for which He was manifested. In that case He did not do the work His Father gave Him to do. And what does Jesus say about this? He says, "If I do not the works of my Father, BELIEVE ME NOT." But whose sins did Jesus appear to put away? This is answered in Mat.1:21, "For he (Jesus) shall save HIS PEOPLE from their sins." Remember that Jesus does nothing of Himself. He only does that which the Father does (Joh.5:19). Hence, it is unquestionably the work of the Father that Jesus save His people from their sins. Now if Jesus should fail to save even one of His people from their sins, then He will not be doing the work of His Father. For it is His Father's work that He save His people from their sins. In that case, Jesus resounds again, "If I do not the works of my Father, BELIEVE ME NOT." At this point it should be obvious that Jesus Christ was specifically commissioned by His Father to save His people from their sins, to put away their sins, to give them eternal life and to never lose them. Jesus Christ did actually put away the sins of His people. Heb.1:3 says, "when he HAD by himself PURGED OUR SINS, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. This plainly presents the putting away of sins as an accomplished work. He did the work of the Father. And He will give eternal life to all that the Father gave Him and none of THEM shall be lost. Hear Christ speak in Joh.10:27-29, "My sheep (His people) hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish (He loses none of them), neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." Jesus indeed does the works of His Father. "He SHALL SAVE (no doubt about it) His people from their sins." If He fails to do these works, then He is not to be believed. But if He does these works, then He declares in Joh.14:11, "Believe me for the very work's sake." If Jesus is presented to you as merely OFFERING eternal life, but not actually giving it, then Jesus says, "Believe me not." Such a Jesus is not doing the works of the Father. The real Jesus GIVES eternal life to as many as the Father gave Him. If Jesus is presented as one who ends up LOSING SOME that He was given to save, then He says, "Believe me not." Such a Jesus is not doing the works of the Father. The real Jesus loses NONE He was given to save. If Jesus is presented to you as merely making the removal of sin a POSSIBILITY, then He says, "Believe me not." The real Jesus put away the sins of His people. If Jesus is presented to you as anything less than One Who "SHALL SAVE His people from their sins," then He says, "Believe me not." Such a Jesus is not doing the works of His Father. It should be obvious that Jesus is commonly depicted in the religious world as one who does NOT do the works of the Father. And people are being told to believe on such a Jesus. Yet to believe on such a Jesus is plainly an act of disobedience. For the Son of God said, "If I do not the works of my Father, BELIEVE ME NOT!" Imagine, people are being encouraged today to accept a Christ that Jesus said to reject! The only Lord Jesus Christ that is worthy of our faith is the One Who could triumphantly declare to His Father in Joh.17:4, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do!" Believe Him "for the very work's sake!" (This meditation is from a tract authored by Pastor Ben J. Mott, Jr.)