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Pray that this pandemic will end soon and the resumption of the postal service.
Subject 8 : The Holy Spirit
[8-7] The Beautiful Gospel That Allows the Holy Spirit to Dwell within Believers (Isaiah 9:6-7)
(Isaiah 9:6-7)
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this. —ASV
Through what can the Holy Spirit dwell within believers? |
The beautiful gospel of water and the Spirit. |
To receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit from God, one must have faith in the beautiful gospel of water and the Spirit given by our Lord.
Our Lord’s name is called “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God.”
He referred to Himself as the way to Heaven.
Jesus Christ has given the beautiful gospel to all sinners.
Among many people in this world, there are numerous sinners living in darkness. Though they strive to escape darkness, they cannot free themselves from their sins because they do not know the beautiful gospel, resulting in a lifetime of struggling in sin and ultimately facing death—a futile existence.
However, some individuals search for truth and eventually encounter the beautiful gospel, leading to a blessed life.
To meet this beautiful gospel and be freed from sin is accomplished solely through God’s special grace.
However, encountering the beautiful gospel is not an easy task; it is impossible without God’s grace.
If we meet the Lord and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are recipients of an extraordinary blessing.
Unfortunately, many people are unaware that God’s blessings come through faith in this beautiful gospel.
However, you can receive amazing blessings by encountering the beautiful gospel.
When you believe in the beautiful gospel accomplished by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, you receive God’s blessings.
The only one who saves us from worldly sins and grants us grace is Jesus Christ alone.
No other ideologies or religions of this world can completely save humans from sin or genuinely help them.
What person can save himself from his own sin and from death?
God tells us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 16:25).
Humans enter paths of destruction through religions they create themselves. Many religions in this world emphasize their own righteousness and speak of salvation from sin, but truly, only the beautiful gospel of water and the Spirit given by the Lord can save all people from sin, destruction, and curses.
Jesus alone is the Savior who rescues all sinners from all worldly sins and curses.
John 14:6 The Lord said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Our Lord gave His flesh and blood to all the sinners of this world who stand on the path of death. He also referred to Himself as the way to obtain true life.
God the Father declared that no one can enter Heaven unless they believe in the beautiful gospel accomplished by His Son, Jesus.
We must all believe in the beautiful gospel that Jesus Christ has given us to be saved from sin, and by believing that He is our Savior, we will enter Heaven.
Long Ago, in the Land of Israel...
“Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it” (Isaiah 7:1).
Originally, Israel was one nation.
However, during the reign of King Rehoboam, the nation was divided into the South and the North.
In the southern kingdom of Israel, ruled by Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon, was the Tabernacle where God dwelled.
Later, Jeroboam, a close servant of King Solomon, rebelled against him and established a kingdom in the north, and from then on, Israel was divided into the southern and northern kingdoms.
From that time, the faith in Jehovah God began to be corrupted.
Because of that corrupted faith, heretical beliefs have prevailed until now.
Jeroboam became the founder of heresy. In order to preserve his own kingship, he distorted the Law of God and became the originator of heretical faith.
He created a false religion for the people of Israel who were seeking God. After that, all the people of Israel became accustomed to the false religion that he had created.
Jeroboam then allied himself with the king of Aram and opposed the king and people of southern Israel.
At that time, God prophesied through the prophet Isaiah that Jeroboam’s plan would not succeed and that he would be defeated.
God said through Isaiah:
‘Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”— thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, nor shall it come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, so that it will not be a people. The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established”’ (Isaiah 7:5-9).
At that time, to the king of the southern kingdom, King Ahaz, God spoke a prophetic word through the prophet Isaiah, but it seems that the king could not believe it.
He thought, “Even if just the king of Aram invades right now, my country might be destroyed,” and hearing that both the king of Israel and the king of Aram had allied to attack, his heart trembled like the leaves of a tree shaken by the wind.
Then God’s servant Isaiah appeared and delivered God’s will, saying, “Within sixty-five years the northern kingdom of Israel will be destroyed,” and “The evil plot formed by the two kings will never come to pass.”
God’s servant told King Ahaz to ask for a sign concerning this matter.
“Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above” (Isaiah 7:11).
Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:13-14). This prophecy was given as a sign that God would save His people Israel.
Who Is the Enemy of God?
Who is the enemy of God in this age? |
It is those who do not believe in the beautiful gospel of the truth that Jesus fulfilled through His baptism and the blood of the Cross. |
The enemy of mankind is sin itself, and that sin originates from Satan.
Then who is the Savior who can deliver humanity from Satan?
That Savior is Jesus Christ, who came to this earth.
Many people, due to the weakness of the flesh, commit many sins and carry those sins in their hearts. The master of those sins is Satan, and therefore humanity is under the authority of Satan.
For example, even today, countless people visit fortune-tellers when the problems of their lives are not resolved, and they try to align their lives according to what is told to them. This is also something that happens under the authority of Satan.
God gave the prophet Isaiah a sign of salvation, saying that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a child, and His name would be called Immanuel.
This prophecy was God’s foretold plan that Jesus would come in human form to deliver sinners from the oppression of Satan.
According to this prophecy of God, Jesus came to this earth in the likeness of man, born through the body of a virgin, in order to save humanity from sin.
If Jesus had not come to this earth as the Savior of mankind, you and I would have had no choice but to live a life under the authority of Satan, oppressed by sin and living the life Satan wanted us to live.
However, because Jesus came to this earth in the flesh, was baptized by John, and died on the Cross, He gave us the beautiful gospel that completely saves sinners from sin.
As a result, many people have received the remission of sins by believing in the beautiful gospel and have become children of God.
Even today, some theologians make absurd claims about Jesus, asking, “Is He God, or is He a created human being?”
Conservative theologians say, “Jesus is God,” while liberal theologians argue, “He was an illegitimate child born from Mary and Joseph,” and they fight with each other. It is truly pathetic.
These liberal theologians do not believe in Jesus’ power to walk on water, and they say, “When Jesus was walking on a hill, the disciples, seeing Him from a distance, mistakenly thought He was walking on the water, but He was not actually walking on the water.”
Today’s so-called doctors of theology are not doctors of true theology. Instead, they are the most faithless individuals.
With a brain of only 130 IQ, they try to believe only what they can understand about the beautiful gospel of truth.
Another example is their inability to believe in Jesus’ miracle of feeding five thousand people with two fish and seven loaves of barley bread.
These liberal theologians say, “When people were following Jesus and starving in the fields, Jesus could not let them go hungry. So He called His disciples to bring all the food they had left. The disciples brought a boy’s lunch to Jesus. Seeing this, the adults felt ashamed and brought out all the food they had intended to eat for themselves. Everyone shared the food they brought out, and there were seven baskets of leftovers.”
In this way, they twist Jesus’ words to fit their human understanding and believe only what they can comprehend.
However, to believe in the truth of God is to believe in the beautiful gospel just as it is, as given by God.
Faith that accepts God’s Word only when it is understandable, and refuses to believe when it is not, is not true faith in God.
True faith is absolutely trusting and accepting God’s Words in one’s heart, whether or not they make sense from a human perspective.
The Word that Jesus Christ would come to this earth in the form of a man is the first sign of God fulfilling His prophecy spoken to mankind—that He would save humanity from all the sins of the world.
Jesus came to this world in human form to save mankind from all sin.
Isaiah prophesied that Jesus, as the Savior, would be born into this world through the body of a virgin.
In Genesis 3:15, God prophesied, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
This prophecy was God’s promise that Jesus, who is God Himself, would come in human form to destroy Satan’s power and save humanity from all sin.
To fulfill this prophecy, Jesus came to earth in human flesh to rescue humanity groaning under the weight of sin.
The Bible records, ‘“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law” (1 Corinthians 15:55-56).
Everyone, the sting of death is human sin.
Because people have sin, they are attacked by death.
Satan uses sin to enslave people as his servants.
However, our God promised, “Her seed; He shall bruise your head.”
This means that Jesus would come in human form to remove the deadly poison of sin that entered humanity through Satan.
Jesus came to this earth as a man, was baptized by John, and was crucified to bear the judgment for sin, so that those who believe in this beautiful gospel may be saved from their sins.
This truth is the very Word that God spoke as a promise and prophecy to Satan when our ancestors, Adam and Eve, had sinned.
In this era, God’s enemies are those who do not believe in the beautiful gospel of truth that Jesus accomplished through His baptism and the blood of the cross.
Why Did Jesus Have to Be Born on This Earth?
God gave the Law and the beautiful gospel to save humanity from sin.
Through the Law given by God, people became deeply aware of their sinfulness before Him.
The Law served as a warning, helping people recognize their sins.
When humanity was trapped under the Law, enslaved by sin, Jesus came to fulfill the Law.
Jesus also had to be born under the Law. That is why He came during the age of the Law.
The reason the Law is necessary for people is that they must first know their sin in order to receive the remission of sins. In other words, just as a person must first realize that something filthy is stuck to their body before they try to wash it off, people must know God’s Law to realize and understand their own sins.
Without God’s Law, sin would not exist, and there would have been no need for Jesus to come to this earth.
By knowing God’s Law, you can have an opportunity to meet Him.
After learning about God’s Law, we recognized our sins, and after recognizing our sins, we came to know and believe in the beautiful gospel of truth through Jesus Christ.
If God had not given the Law to humanity, there would be no sinners and no judgment for sin.
That is why, after giving the Law, God gave us the Word of the beautiful gospel and saved all sinners from their sins.
The law that must exist between the Creator and the created beings is the law of salvation, which is the law of God’s love.
God told man, “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.”
This was the Law established by God for mankind, and it became the foundation of the law of love so that people may become complete from sin.
Also, God’s law of salvation is based on the standard of sin being removed.
God said, “I am your Creator, and all things came into being through Me.”
This means that God must be the absolute being to mankind, and people must believe in the law of salvation fulfilled through the beautiful gospel.
God is the Absolute One, and He is absolutely good.
That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son means that God is the Savior of the sinners of the world.
If God had created man but had not given the beautiful gospel that saves from sin, mankind would have blamed God.
However, God established the law of salvation between Himself and mankind in order to save us from the destruction of sin.
Through God’s law, humanity was able to see themselves as they truly are—weak and lacking.
By seeing their weaknesses and shortcomings, people came to believe in the beautiful gospel that Jesus gave and were saved.
When we disobey God’s Word, we realize we have sinned, and sinners seek God’s grace for the washing away of their sins.
Jesus, who is God, was born into this world through the body of a woman.
Jesus came to this earth to save all of humanity from sin.
His coming to this earth was in accordance with God’s plan, to fulfill the will of God by coming in the body of a human. We believe in the beautiful gospel that the Lord has given us. Therefore, we praise the Lord.
Some people blame God, saying, “Why did God make humans so weak and allow them to fall into sin and suffer?”
But God did not desire human suffering. Rather, it is because people do not believe in the beautiful gospel that Jesus Christ fulfilled that suffering has come upon them.
God gave both the beautiful gospel and suffering to make people into God’s children so they might enjoy the same authority as God. This was God’s plan.
But Satan has instilled thoughts in people that oppose God, whispering, “No, no! God is a dictator! Live as you please! Be independent! Stand on your own!”
In doing so, Satan has led people away from faith in God.
Yet those who live without God are opposing His plan of salvation.
Jesus came to this earth Himself to call those under Satan’s power and save them from sin.
We must never become people who live without God.
All Humanity Was Destined for Hell from Birth Because of Sin
There is no unchanging truth in this world except for the beautiful gospel given by Jesus, which is the eternal and unchanging truth itself.
Therefore, people could rely on this truth to escape the power of Satan.
Humanity, having inherited Adam’s sin, was subject to judgment, but now, through Jesus Christ, we have received the glory of becoming children of God.
“Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed” (Isaiah 9:1).
God glorified us who believe in the beautiful salvation accomplished by His Son, Jesus.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined” (Isaiah 9:2).
Today, this Word has been fulfilled in us.
We have received, through faith in the beautiful gospel, a blessing that brings eternal satisfaction—something we could never taste in this world.
Jesus Christ came to save humanity from all sin and granted eternal life and Heaven to those who believe in the beautiful gospel.
The Light of the Beautiful Gospel Was Shined upon Us, Who Had No Hope
Human life is like a mist that exists only briefly in this world and then disappears. All lives are like grass that withers. Grass boasts of its vitality for only a few months out of the year, then disappears according to God’s providence.
We, too, were vain beings without truth or meaning.
However, God met us through the beautiful gospel, rescuing us from a lifetime of futile toil and making us His children through His righteousness.
What an incredible grace this is!
A life that was momentarily meaningless has been transformed into an eternal one by God, and we have even received the glory of becoming His children.
Through the Lord’s grace, there is a soul who believed in the beautiful gospel and received all heavenly blessings.
Let us hear her testimony.
【I was born into a family that did not believe in God.
Thus, I grew up without knowing Him, thinking that my mother’s practice of offering water and praying at dawn was a beautiful act of faith. As I grew up, I could not find any meaning in why I should live and realized that I was an insignificant being.
Because of this lack of self-worth, my life became hollow, leaving me with nothing in my heart and leading to a desolate existence.
This kind of life exhausted me greatly, and I ended up rushing into marriage. My married life was peaceful because I had no expectations or desires, allowing me to live quietly and calmly.
During this time, I had a child, and it was only then that love began to exist in my heart. Something precious entered my heart, giving me hope and making me afraid of losing it.
That is when I began to seek God. I was weak and powerless, so I needed an absolute Lord. I needed a God to entrust myself and my precious one to, who would protect us.
After that, I started going to church. At first, my faith was a mix of vague fear, longing, and belief, similar to the kind of belief my mother had when she prayed with the water bowl.
Then one day, I happened to attend one of the small gatherings at that church.
While singing praise, I suddenly began to cry under a power I did not understand. I was embarrassed and tried to stop the tears, but they poured down uncontrollably, regardless of my will.
Those who saw it laid hands on me and prayed, saying they were rejoicing and congratulating me because this was a sign that the Holy Spirit had come upon me. But I was confused.
At that time, I didn’t know God’s Word well, and because my faith was vague, I couldn’t confidently say that this unknown power was the Holy Spirit.
The first church I attended was a church focused on the Holy Spirit movement, where many supernatural manifestations took place, and almost the entire congregation could speak in tongues.
While attending that church, there was once a special revival meeting where they invited a pastor known for having received the Holy Spirit, so I decided to attend.
That pastor gathered many people and claimed that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he could heal sinusitis. But I thought, ‘Sinusitis is a condition that can be treated at a hospital.’
What I was more curious about was what Word and what kind of faith this pastor had received the Holy Spirit through.
However, rather than explaining the Word or faith, he went on to show off his power by calling up high school students and “prophesying” whether or not they would get into college.
Many people cheered for him, calling on the Lord as if they were witnessing the power of God.
But I could not understand them on a human level. I also could not acknowledge that power as being from the Holy Spirit.
At that moment, I thought that sinusitis should be treated at a hospital, and whether or not someone goes to college is not what’s important—what’s more important is doing one’s best.
Therefore, I could not accept these acts as works of the Holy Spirit.
To me, the power and love of God were not found in these kinds of acts or that kind of faith.
So, as I watched the believers who accepted those things, I had no choice but to leave that church.
Afterward, I began attending a quieter church from a different denomination. I chose that church because it seemed to have the Word.
Through the sermons of that church, I came to know the Law, and through the Law, I realized how truly unrighteous I was.
As a result, my view of God became one of fear. I could no longer approach God with confidence, and it felt as though the Spirit of God had turned His face away from me.
The Word says in Isaiah 59:1-2,
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
This passage applied directly to me. Because my entire life and even my thoughts stemmed from the wages of sin, becoming a child of God and receiving the indwelling of the Holy Spirit—God’s Spirit—seemed utterly impossible.
I was so fearful of God that I fervently prayed prayers of repentance at all times.
No one forced me to do it; I prayed earnestly because I wanted to stand before God and because I knew I had sin. However, these prayers did not completely remove my sins. They only served to show my sincerity and heart to God, but the sin remained.
Afterward, even as I continued attending church, I began to resent God. I wanted to be righteous before Him, but because of my shortcomings, I could not achieve righteousness. As a result, resentment and sin continued to build up in my heart.
While I was living that kind of religious life, something happened—my father collapsed. He suffered through surgeries and intensive care for 40 days and eventually passed away.
Yet, I could not pray for him even once.
This was because I felt so certain of my own sinfulness that I thought if a sinner like me prayed for him, it might bring him even greater suffering.
I fell into despair about my faith. I wanted to follow God, but couldn’t, and because of that, I resented Him and eventually abandoned Him.
My life of faith ended this way.
I had believed that by trusting in the Lord, His Holy Spirit would be with me and bring peace to my restless life. I longed for Him to be present in my empty life, but contrary to these hopes, my faith journey came to an end like this.
Afterward, my life became even more filled with emptiness, fear, and resentment than before.
But even then, the Lord did not abandon me—He came and found me. Truly, He led me to meet a pastor who had received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through the Word.
This pastor taught me through Scripture that Jesus took upon Himself all the sins of the world—including mine—when He received baptism from John in the same manner as the laying on of hands in the Old Testament.
The pastor explained that Jesus took on all sins by being baptized, and by being judged on the cross, He removed all the sins of this world and all my sins.
While listening to this message, all the foggy and unclear things in my heart became bright through faith in that Word.
I came to know and believe that all my sins had been washed away.
In this way, God granted me the removal of sin and, at the same time, gave me the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Now, because of that Holy Spirit, I enjoy peace.
Regardless of my weaknesses, I am now living a complete life led by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit quietly leads me, teaching me right from wrong through His Word and enabling me to overcome the world.
He has also fully answered my prayers and allowed me to live a life of true value and absolute purpose.
I am deeply grateful to God for allowing His Holy Spirit to dwell within me.】
In this way, all of us have come to live lives indwelt by the Holy Spirit, having received the grace of salvation from sin given by Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my Lord who has allowed us the beautiful gospel. Our God has granted such blessings to the righteous. The heart of the righteous is joyful and glad. The Lord has granted us eternal joy.
We know how thankful we must be for the love and grace of salvation given by God. The Lord has given us joy through the beautiful gospel of Heaven, not of this world.
These are things that cannot be bought with worldly money.
God gave the true and holy Holy Spirit to our vain hearts along with the beautiful gospel, and through that gospel He made us into those who are joyful and overflowing with gladness.
The beautiful gospel that the Lord has given us helps and leads our lives so that our hearts may be filled with joy and we may live blessed lives.
Our Lord rejoices and delights in the righteous who live in blessings through the beautiful gospel He has given us.
As it is recorded in the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament, Mary said, “For with God nothing will be impossible… Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:37-38).
At the moment Mary obediently believed the beautiful word given through the angel by God, Jesus was conceived in Mary’s heart. In the same way, the beautiful gospel has been conceived in the hearts of the righteous.
“For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian” (Isaiah 9:4).
The suffering, sickness, and all oppression in our lives came through Satan the devil, and we humans had to fight against Satan the devil.
However, human beings themselves were weak and lacked the strength to completely overcome Satan or remove his power.
However, God loved us and fought all these battles against Satan the devil in our place—and won the victory for us.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
God promised to make all who believe glorious people of God through the beautiful gospel that Jesus Christ fulfilled by His baptism and blood on the Cross, for sinners who were under sin—that is, under the authority of Satan.
God made this promise, and according to the Word of this promise, He fought against Satan and won. And so, He brought us deliverance and victory from under the authority of Satan.
Our Lord Himself came to this earth and promised that by His own authority, He would remove this darkness (sin).
The name of our Lord is also called “Wonderful.” “Wonderful” means wondrous or marvelous.
It was a mysterious and incomprehensible thing for God Himself to come as a man.
‘“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”’
Just as the Lord promised us deliverance from sin, He has given us eternal removal of sin.
Just as the name of Jesus is “Wonderful,” Jesus personally performed this wondrous work for us.
“His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God.”
God, as our Counselor, planned the salvation from the many sins we commit through the beautiful gospel and fulfilled it, and thus granted us who believe in Him eternal salvation from sin.
Just as it is said that the wisdom of man is inferior to the foolishness of God, the work in which Jesus Himself was baptized by John the Baptist and died on the Cross, thereby removing the sins of the world once for all according to God’s plan—this is the wisdom of the beautiful gospel.
This work, which the Lord fulfilled for us, is a wondrous and mysterious act.
It was the law of love that brings about salvation for us. The law of love that brings salvation is the perfect gospel of truth through which the Lord, by water and blood, made the Holy Spirit dwell within us.
In Isaiah 53:10, God says, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; he has put Him to grief.”
This means that He carried out His will by offering His Son as a trespass offering.
That is, He had His Son receive baptism to pass the sins of the world onto Him, and made His Son suffer bruising, grief, and pain in His flesh, so that His Son would receive judgment for all the sins of mankind.
All of this—saving all mankind once for all—is the beautiful gospel of truth.
In order to save us humans from sin, Jesus offered His body as the trespass offering for sin to the Father and bestowed upon us the grace of salvation by sufficiently paying the price for the sins of mankind.
The Sacrificial Law Given by God
How many sins did Jesus take on through the baptism He received from John? |
All the sins of the past, present, and future—from the beginning to the end of the world. |
In the Old Testament, the sacrificial law for atoning one day’s worth of sin is recorded.
According to this law, the person who had committed sin had to bring a blemishless offering, lay their hand on its head, and transfer their sin to the offering through the laying on of hands.
Then, the blood of the animal was taken, applied to the horns of the burnt offering altar, and the remaining blood was sprinkled on the ground—thus atoning for one day’s sin.
God established this sacrificial law to remove sin.
In order for a person to receive the removal of sin before God, a sacrificial offering was needed for their sin, and the person had to lay hands on the sacrificial animal to transfer their sin.
This laying on of hands was ordained by God as the method of transferring the sinner’s sin.
When someone obeyed this sacrificial law and gave the offering, that person received the removal of sin.
This sacrificial law was what God gave in the Old Testament era before Jesus Christ came, in order to remove the people’s sins.
Also, God, knowing that all people are weak and unfaithful and thus unable to receive the cleansing of sin, appointed a specific day on which all the sins that had been accumulated over a year could be blotted out at once.
That day was the tenth day of the seventh month every year in the Old Testament. God appointed a high priest to transfer the sins of the entire year onto a sacrificial offering, and this was the wisdom of Jehovah.
God did all things according to His own plan and predestination.
The removal of sin that God gave to humanity came from God’s wisdom and love. This is the power of God.
God appointed one representative—that is, the high priest representing the people—to lay his hands on the head of the sacrificial goat and transfer all the yearly sins of the people of Israel onto it.
Then the animal was killed, and its blood was applied to the horns of the altar of burnt offering.
These horns of the altar of burnt offering symbolized the book of judgment in which people’s sins were recorded. Applying the blood to the four horns of the altar meant erasing the names written in the book of judgment. This is because life is in the blood.
The sacrificial animal received all the sins that had been accumulated over the year by the Israelites through the laying on of hands and shed its blood to pay the price for their sins on their behalf.
God delivered mankind from all judgment for their sins by having the sacrificial offering, which had received all the sins through the laying on of hands, be put to death as the judgment for those sins.
This was God’s planned love, God’s wisdom, and the law of love toward mankind.
In this way, humans receive the remission of their sins through God’s plan.
Jesus Christ came to this earth as the trespass offering to fulfill this planned love.
Just as the Israelites in the Old Testament knew and believed that their sins were blotted out through this sacrificial law, Jesus Christ came as the trespass offering to receive all the sins of all people in the world.
If we look at the promised words, it says, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; he has put Him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10) or “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
The marvelous and mysterious work that the Lord would accomplish for us was the fulfillment of God’s plan by Jesus Christ, through which He would completely remove all the sins of the earth and give peace to all who believe this.
God’s promise was a promise of love that would bring peace to all humanity. God made the promise to us, and our Lord practically fulfilled that promise.
Matthew 1:18, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”
Here, the meaning of the name ‘Jesus’ is “for He will save His people from their sins,”—that is, the Savior. The word ‘Christ’ means “the Anointed One”—King, the heavenly High Priest, and Prophet. Jesus, being without sin, came through the body of a virgin to save mankind from sin; He is our King and our Savior.
‘“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet’ (Matthew 1:21-22).
Jesus Bore All the Sins of the World through His Baptism in the Jordan River
In Matthew 3:13-17, it is written: ‘Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”’
At this moment, John the Baptist appears.
So why did Jesus need to be baptized by John?
There was a reason why Jesus had to receive baptism from John.
The reason is that Jesus needed to perform the marvelous work of saving all sinners in the world.
To bear all the sins of humanity once and for all according to God’s plan, Jesus had to be baptized by John.
God Himself, Jesus, came to receive baptism from John. This was a mysterious act for all mankind.
“The government will be upon His shoulder.” The term “government” means authority or power.
Jesus possesses authority as the ruler of heaven and earth, as well as power as the King of this world—authority that belongs solely to Him.
Moreover, Jesus performed a wondrous act to remove humanity’s sins.
This wondrous act was taking on all human sins once and for all through His baptism by John. This is why Jesus was baptized by John.
Jesus received baptism as a sacrificial offering to take on the sins of the world through John.
The reason Jesus was baptized by John was to bear all the sins of humanity.
Furthermore, when He said that it was “For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness,” He meant that removing all the sins of humanity was righteous and fitting.
Romans 1:17 says, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.”
This means that the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel of God.
So, does the true gospel of the water and the Spirit reveal the righteousness of God? Yes, that gospel is the beautiful gospel in which Jesus Christ received baptism from John and took upon Himself all the sins of the world, and was crucified on the Cross.
The gospel of the water and the Spirit is the beautiful gospel in which the righteousness of God is revealed.
Then, when, where, and through whom did Jesus take on the sins of the world?
At the Jordan River, Jesus took on all the sins of the world by being baptized by John.
The term “all righteousness” in Greek is “Δικαιοσύνη (Dikaiosynē).”
This means that Jesus most fairly and justly took on the sins of mankind.
This specifically refers to the baptism Jesus received from John.
The fact that Jesus was baptized by John to take on the sins of the world signifies that it was absolutely just and right.
In order to remove all the sins of mankind, Jesus absolutely had to receive baptism from John.
“For thus” Jesus being baptized by John to bear the sins of the world was right and proper.
Furthermore, it was absolutely necessary for Jesus to be baptized by John in order to give us peace.
If Jesus had not been baptized by John and had not shed His blood on the cross, He could not have become our Savior.
Jesus, as a guilt offering, took on all the sins of this world and was sacrificed as a sacrificial offering.
In Isaiah 53:6, Jehovah says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
To fulfill God’s will, Jesus had to take upon Himself all the sins of humanity with His body.
Therefore, Jesus came in human flesh as a guilt offering to receive baptism from John.
Jesus bore humanity’s sins through baptism and shed His blood on the cross to be judged in our place in order to accomplish what was most just and perfect love for us.
God Himself testified when Jesus was baptized by John: ‘And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”’
A Child Was Born for Us
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the Creator God who made all things in the universe. Not only is He the Son of the Almighty Father, but because He made us, He is our God and the Prince of Peace.
Jesus is the God who brought happiness to humanity.
Jesus is the God of truth. Truly, He took on all our sins and saved us, and He gave us peace.
Everyone, is there sin in this world? No, there is not.
The reason we can confidently say that there is no sin is because we believe in our hearts the beautiful gospel accomplished through the baptism Jesus received from John and the blood on the Cross.
Jesus did not lie to us.
Jesus paid for all our sins through His baptism and blood.
He has made those who believe this into the people of God and has given peace to those who believe.
Also, Jesus became King to those who became His people through faith.
And He allowed them to live forever as holy people, without sin, through faith.
Let us praise the Lord and give thanks before Him.
“Behold, The Lamb of God Who Takes Away the Sin of the World”
John 1:29 says, ‘The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”’
After Jesus Christ accomplished the righteous act with John—the act of being baptized and taking on all the sins of the world—Jesus appeared again before John the Baptist, bearing all the sins of the world.
John testified about Jesus, saying, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
In John 1:35-36, it is further recorded: ‘The next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”’ Jesus is the Messiah, the Lamb promised by God in the Old Testament.
According to this prophetic word, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, came to this earth and practically received baptism to become our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Savior, and Redeemer.
A Child was born to us, and He received baptism from John to bear the sins of all mankind.
By paying the price for those sins, He gave us the removal of sin and became the Prince of Peace who grants us peace. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
Humanity was destined for destruction due to fundamental sin. Human beings, because of their weaknesses and faults, committed many sins while living in this world, and were pitiful beings who had no choice but to live under the weight of sin and end up in hell.
No person, because of their own weakness, could even hope to see the Kingdom of God, let alone enter it—they were miserable lives indeed.
Before such lives appeared Jesus Christ, who is God Himself.
He came in person to bear all human sins that were inevitable due to human weakness by receiving baptism from John at the Jordan River.
He took those sins upon Himself and headed toward the cross. There He was crucified and died. “It is finished.” These words that Jesus cried out at His death were a declaration that He had saved all humanity from sin and death and granted eternal life to those who believe in Him.
“Behold! the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Everyone! Where are all the sins of this world? Are they not upon Jesus Christ’s body?
Where are those faults that made us live miserably under sin in this world? They have all been transferred to Jesus Christ.
Where are all our sins? They are upon Him who holds authority—the Almighty God—upon His body.
All the Sins from Birth to Death!
You and I commit sins continuously while living on this earth after being born.
We committed sins from age 1 to 20. Where did those sins go? They were passed onto the body of Jesus Christ.
The sins committed from age 21 to 30 were also passed onto Jesus. If someone lived in this world until the age of 82, it means that all the sins he committed from birth to death were passed onto Jesus.
The sins of his children and even the sins of his grandchildren were all passed onto Jesus Christ.
From Adam to the last person living at the end of the world, all the sins committed by everyone in this world were passed onto Jesus.
When Jesus Christ was baptized by John, all those sins were passed onto Him.
How can there be any sin in us who believe in Jesus Christ? There is none.
Now, to us who believe in the beautiful gospel given by Jesus Christ, there can no longer be any sin.
Do you have sin? There is no sin—Amen.
This beautiful gospel is truly the amazing gospel in which Jesus Christ saved us from the sins of the world once and for all. Praise be to the Almighty Jesus who accomplished this work.
Everyone, Jesus Christ has restored the life we had lost. We who believe in the beautiful gospel can now live with God.
Even those who became enemies of God because of their sins, even sinners who had no choice but to hide in the forest of darkness—our Lord received baptism from John, was nailed to the Cross, shed His blood, and rose again to wash away our sins completely.
Those who believe this beautiful gospel in their hearts are saved from the sins of the world.
Now we, having believed in the perfect gospel of Jesus, have become holy people of God without sin.
Jesus clearly offered His body as the trespass offering in place of our sins.
The wages of sin is death, and He fully paid the price for our sins. He, the Almighty Son of God who never once committed any sin in this world, bore all our sins and saved those who believe in Him from sin.
As it is written in Isaiah 53:5, “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.”
Jesus took upon Himself all personal sins, original sin, and every sin of the world without leaving a single one behind through His baptism and fully paid the price on the cross, thereby saving us from all sin.
Through this beautiful gospel, Jesus has completely washed away the sins of the world that we commit.
Jesus restored to us the new life we had lost. Those who believe in this beautiful gospel are no longer spiritually dead.
Because our Lord took upon Himself all sins through His baptism and paid the wages of those sins on the cross, we are now born again and have received eternal life.
By believing in this beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ, we have become true people of God.
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
Do you believe He is your Savior?
I believe as well. Jesus Christ has become life for us. “♫Merciful God has saved me; now I have found my lost life.♫” Just as this hymn says, Jesus restored the life we had lost.
Jesus redeemed our souls, which were mortgaged to death because of sin and transgressions, by paying the price through His baptism and death on the cross.
He then rose from death and fully delivered us from being slaves to sin, under the power of death, and servants to Satan.
The Lord, as the God who saved us from sin, has become the Savior of all who believe in Him.
In Hebrews 10:10-12, 14, and 18, Scripture tells us that the Lord has made it so that we no longer need to be cleansed from our sins again.
By believing in Jesus, we enter the kingdom of God.
We were once lacking and destined to die because of our many faults and sins, but by believing in Jesus’ baptism and blood, we can now enter Heaven and live an eternal life.
“The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
Our Lord came to this earth to save us from the sins of the world. He was baptized by John, shed His blood on the cross to die in our place, rose from death, and gave us the beautiful gospel.
Furthermore, He allowed those who believe in this truth and have been cleansed from their sins to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Thank You. Only this beautiful gospel can give believers the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Hallelujah! Praise be to our Lord!
This sermon is also available in ebook format. Click on the book cover below.
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