John 12:36-43
While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, He departed and hid himself from them. Though He had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in Him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke of Him.
Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in Him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. (ESV)
1. What kind of faith did the Jews have? (John 12:42)
1.1 Their faith was defective – it was not saving faith.
2. What was the defect of their faith?
2.1 It was not a confessing faith (Rom. 10:9,10; Mat. 10:32).
2.2 They feared the Jewish authorities.
2.3 They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 5:43,44).
3. Secret disciples of the New Testament (John 19:38-40; Mark 15:43)
3.1 They moved from a defective to a saving faith.
Conclusion:
Is your faith a saving faith?