Due to COVID-19 and disruption to international mail service
we have temporally suspended our ‘Free Print Book service’.
we have temporally suspended our ‘Free Print Book service’.
In the light of this situation we are not able to mail you the books at this time.
Pray that this pandemic will end soon and the resumption of the postal service.
Pray that this pandemic will end soon and the resumption of the postal service.
Subject 16 : The Gospel According to JOHN
[Chapter 8-7] “If You Abide in My Word, You Are My Disciples Indeed” (John 8:31-36)
(John 8:31-36)
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’”
Tonight I will be sharing the Scripture passage from the Book of John chapter 8, verses 31 through 36 with you. In this passage the Lord said, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” A disciple of the Lord is someone who by faith abides in the spoken Word of the Lord. If we by faith abide in the Word of the Lord, we can indeed become disciples of the Lord. So, in order to become a follower of the Lord, one should lend our ears to what the Lord says and become someone who follows and obeys it by faith.
Becoming a Disciple of the Lord Means Becoming a Possessor of Such Faith
Are you by faith abiding in the Word of the Lord? For us to become disciples of the Lord, we should believe in the Lord-given gospel of the water and the Spirit. And we must by faith preach the righteousness of the Lord. We cannot become a true disciple of the Lord if we believe in Him without concrete knowledge of the Word of the water and the Spirit spoken by the Lord, even though we claim we believe in Jesus as our Savior. If you have this faith then you will be able to become a disciple of the Lord? Otherwise you cannot.
In order to become a true disciple of the Lord, we should first of all have faith of believing in the God given gospel of the water and the Spirit. Without this faith we will not be able to become a true disciple of the Lord nor become a saint. Only those who have been saved from all their sins are able to become true disciples of the Lord. Therefore your most urgent task right now is to get rid of all your sins by the Lord-given gospel of the water and the Spirit. Because we have received our salvation by being saved from all our sins by listening and believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, we can now live as disciples of the Lord. There is therefore no other way to become a disciple of God.
The fact that we have received salvation from our sins and that we believe in the righteousness of the Lord, means that we believe that the Lord is God who created the universe, and saved us by the gospel of the water and the Spirit. The basic qualification to become a disciple of the Lord is to have faith in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit what the Lord had accomplished for us. For us to become disciples of the Lord means that we believe in the Word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and that we grasp it by faith and go on living by faith. If we are unable to hold onto the Lord-given gospel of the water and the Spirit by faith, we will not be able to become disciples of the Lord.
To those who say, “I do believe in Jesus as my Savior, but I believe only in the blood of the Cross, and reject the gospel of the water and the Spirit,” will not be able to do the work as a disciple of Christ. People like this lead lives of faith in their own strength trying by making Jesus their Savior all on their own. These are those who are followers of worldly religion that exists inside Christian denominations. The word religion has its origin in the Latin word “religio” meaning “to tie fast.” It is a type of faith where people create and establish something that they can feel comfortable with and rely and hold onto it with their own strength. That is why Christianity today has been degraded down into a worldly religion. Christianity is fundamentally different to any other religion in this world. Christianity is faith of believing in the fact that Jesus Christ, who is God, came to us and saved us from our sins by the gospel of the water and the Spirit. This is why true Christianity and worldly religions are poles apart.
Christianity Is Having Faith in the Lord Who Has Saved Us Completely
The Lord having foreknowledge that you and I would fall into sin came down to this earth with the gospel of the water and the Spirit and saved us perfectly. In accordance to the sacrificial system as prophesied in the Old Testament era, the Lord came to us in the New Testament era and saved those of us who would believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, where He removed all the sins of the world once and for all. He has thus saved us by taking onto Himself the sins of this world once and for all by receiving baptism from John the Baptist, vicariously shedding His blood on the Cross, receiving the judgment for our sins, and being resurrecting from dead. Our Lord had through this thoroughly fulfilled our salvation in accordance to the promise made by God in the Old Testament era. To believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit is to believe in the righteousness of God with all of our hearts. Believing in the righteousness of God is what true Christian faith is all about. True faith is to look up to that love of God and the salvation fulfilled by Jesus according to the Lord-given gospel of the water and the Spirit.
The English word for ‘faith’ in Greek is ‘pistis’, meaning ‘conviction of the Truth.’ What this tells us is that we must do the work the Lord had accomplished out of His love for us. True faith is to look up to and believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, fulfilled by the Creator of the entire universe. Put differently, true faith is to look up to Jesus Christ as the One who had created the universe and had saved us once and for all from worldly sins by receiving the baptism from John the Baptist, shedding blood on the Cross and being resurrected from the dead. Furthermore, it is to believe in God the Father having sent down His Son Jesus Christ to this earth and having Him take on the sins of humankind, that is, the sins of the world, by receiving baptism and getting nailed to that Cross to make atonement for all of us. In other words, it is to believe in God the Father having made His Son carry all our sins, die through crucifixion, and be resurrected from the dead all on our behalf. For us to become disciples of the Lord means, with eyes of faith, we look towards and believe in the work carried out for us by the Lord through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. This is true faith with which we become disciples of Jesus.
Christians Today Must Believe in Jesus Christ Who Had Come by the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit
Christians throughout the world today must know and acknowledge wholeheartedly that the Lord has taken the sins of this world onto Himself once and for all through His baptism He had received from John the Baptist after having come down to this earth. This truth is written in the New Testament in the Gospel of Matthew: “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’” (Matthew 3:15-17).
It means wholeheartedly to believe, cherish and follow the work the Lord had done by coming down to this earth, while we look up to it; this is the true way of believing and having true faith. When we believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior, we must first know and believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. True faith is holding onto that Word and believing on the basis of that Word as we confess, “All my sins were passed onto the Lord when He received t baptism from John the Baptist. Not only my sins but also my parents’ sins, as well as all the sins of humankind were also passed onto Him! When Jesus Christ received baptism from John the Baptist in the Jordan River, He said, ‘For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness!’ He therefore did the righteous work of blotting out all of our sins!” When we do this, we also become true disciples of Jesus Christ. After this the Lord will continue to minister the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit to us.
If we desire to become true Christians, we must completely deny our unbelieving hearts, and come to know and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior who had come by the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We as human beings will always have fleshly thoughts and fleshly lusts. If we have to do a comparison, the human mind will end up having 99.9% of fleshly desires. And o the remaining 0.1% will be spiritual, seeking after God. People who do not know the gospel of the water and the Spirit will not be able to be spiritually minded even if they try. But when they are facing an abyss of despair, that 0.1% starts earnestly seeking help from God. Human beings as a rule start to realize that they possess a heart that seeks after the righteousness of God only when they go through terrible sufferings.
But even though people like this may have this heart in them, if they do not know God who had come by the gospel of the water and the Spirit, they will not be able to be cleansed from their sins. So, in order for them to meet the living Lord, they have to receive the cleansing of their sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit first. And for us to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we should have knowledge of our sins a including the righteous judgment of God before anything else. Also when we acknowledge our sins and the love of God, and submit our heart before the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit, that is, when we by faith rely on the Word of God and hold on to the gospel of the water and the Spirit, then only will we receive true salvation.
We have to rely on and follow the Word even after we have been saved by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. To do this we have to get rid of the dregs of our fleshly desires. This will not be easy if we do not follow the Lord with faith. We will not be able to follow the Word of God if we do not deny our desires of the flesh. And so, amongst those who have already received salvation from their sins by truly believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, these souls have received and continue to receive Gods blessings, and are been used mightily as workers of God. They continue to work hard as they lead their life by faith, having set their hearts on Christ.
But sadly amongst many Christians today, there are those who have not yet been born again by the gospel of the water and the Spirit. This is exactly what Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Even though many people say that they attend church religiously and believe in Jesus as their Savior, sins still remain in their hearts and the desires of the flesh continue to reign over them. Therefore if we really desire to become disciples of the Lord, we must by faith abide in the spoken Word of the Lord in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. In other words, we must believe in Jesus Christ who had come by the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We all must by faith accept this Word of the Lord into our hearts by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We must all follow after the Lord by holding onto the gospel of the water and the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The gospel of the water and the Spirit is a must for those who profess to be Christians.
Christians Must Know Jesus Christ Who Had Come by the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit
In the Gospel of John chapter 8 verse 32, the Lord told His disciples, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” All of God’s Words are very precious, but these particular Words are the golden nuggets amongst those spoken by Him. The Lord told us clearly that we have to know the Truth. Therefore everyone has to know the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit without fail. “And the truth shall make you free.” Even though we may believe in Jesus as our Savior, if we believe in Him without knowing the gospel of the water and the Spirit, there will be neither true salvation nor freedom from sins. If people do not know or refuse to believe in the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit, they will not have freedom of conscience, freedom of being liberated from sins, freedom of becoming the children God and no blessing of going to Heaven, none whatsoever. Therefore it is of paramount importance that everyone gets to know this gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit in order for them to be able to believe in the Lord as their Savior. This gospel of the Truth allows us to escape from all our sins, curses, pain, and destruction and furthermore, it allows us to receive all the blessings from God. The fact that we have come to know this gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit means that we have come to know something of great importance.
Even though there are many Christians in this world, only a small proportion of them believe in Jesus with the knowledge of the gospel of the water and the Spirit. The reality is a ratio of about 1 in 1,000,000. So, amongst them all who think they believe in Jesus well, if they were challenged right now by God about the gospel of the water and the Spirit, they would not have any idea.
When we look at those who accused Jesus, including Pilate who was trying Jesus, asking Him, “Are you then a king?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice” (John 18:37). Pilate then interrupted Him by asking, “What is truth?”
What do you think is ‘the Truth’ that does not change for all eternity? Truth is something that does not change. It seems nothing in this world stays the same forever; it is always changing. As time passes by, everything changes. But the God given gospel of the water and the Spirit does not change. But tragically many people do not know or simply refuse to believe in this genuine gospel Truth that cleansed away all the sins of the world. Many Christians today do not know of the gospel of the water and the Spirit? They say they attend church, and think that sins get cleansed away as they continue to believe in Jesus and by offering prayers of repentance, offering voluntary services and making donations. What difference would there be between these believers who still have are sins in their hearts and those of the other religions who are also repenting of their sins and trying to live an ascetic life? When we do a comparison like this, there is really no difference.
There is not anyone who does not commit sin. However, even though this be the case, there can be no sins in the hearts of those who know and believe in the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit, but for those who do not believe and do not know the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit, have sins in their hearts and therefore are at enmity with God. That is why the Lord said, “The truth shall make you free.” What frees us from sins? The Truth frees us from sins. What then is this Truth, and who would that truth be? This Truth is the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and it is the Lord who had come down to this earth to save sinners.
The Lord said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This means; what the Lord had done for us through the Word is the Truth. Our Lord took on Himself all our sins through John the Baptist, and He vicariously bore the judgment for those sins through the punishment on the Cross. The Lord has given new life to you and me who believe in this Truth of the remission of sins. He was baptized on behalf of you and me, we who were destined to die because of our sins; He then vicariously died on the Cross and was resurrected from the dead. The Lord-given gospel of the water and the Spirit is the only way to receive the remission of sins and to go to Heaven. The Lord is the One who has given us true life, and He is the Lord of the Truth.
Man-made gods abound in this world. Although there is countless number of gods created by human beings, there can only be one true God. The Triune God – God, who is the Father of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit – is the only true God. This God is the Truth. God does not lie. Concerning Jesus Christ there can only be true good, love, justice, salvation, mercy and truth. The Triune God has the power to do all things except for speaking lies and doing evil. God of the Truth is righteous and holy, and He is the absolute Savior who grants the forgiveness of sins for everyone who seeks after Him. No one is able to challenge His righteous acts.
“The truth shall make you free.” The Lord says this to us, and He is God who has given us true freedom and salvation. The Truth is our Lord. The Lord and Savior did justly when He has said, “I will be taking on all your sins through my baptism just like this, and will blot them out by shedding my blood on the Cross and receive judgment for these sins like this.” Because Jesus Christ had taken on all our sins once and for all through His baptism, He had to bear the judgment on the Cross to atone for all these sins. You must therefore know the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit.
During the Korean War (1950~1953), many people suffered terrible deaths. During this time many intellectuals were killed. When North Korean soldiers took control over a town in South Korea, they started to incite small farm laborers and farmhands to condemn neighborhood landowners as reactionaries and kill them by stabbing them with bamboo spears. So when the United Nations forces eventually took over those towns again, these people who had been on the side of the communists were killed. Sadly many adult men died in this way leaving few alive. Thus many intellectuals had died, and later on when the war was over, there were not that many people left over who knew how to read and write. As a result of, a proverb was born that went like this, “You have to know the Korean alphabet to become the chief of a town.” What that meant was that now that the war was over and having recovered our peace, there was no one left to appoint as intellectual public officers. So for this reason, people who had been friendly to Japan during the Japanese colonial rule were inevitably appointed as public officials, and these people came to enjoy power and wealth. That is why the Korean Government is making such a fuss now of clearing up the past and setting our history straight. But we must try and understand why this saying, “You have to know the Korean alphabet to become the chief of a town”. Back then one had to be able to read and write to be qualified as a public officer. Therefore this phrase was on everybody’s lips and reflected our past history.
This example can also be applied to today’s Christianity: namely, everyone must know Jesus properly, who had become the Master of the gospel of the water and the Spirit in order for them to believe in Him. Many people say glibly, “I believe in Jesus as my Savior.” They have this understanding that they received salvation when they offered ‘the prayer of accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior’ when they first started believing in Jesus. People who offer such prayers are truly ignorant.
At revival meetings, people are coerced to come out when the preacher says, “Those of you who want to accept Jesus as their personal Savior, must raise both their hands up high. I will pray for you on your behalf, so please repeat after me.” Then he says, “Dear Father. I have sinned so much in this world and destined for hell. I have just realized that the Lord had blotted out my sins on the Cross. Now, I accept Jesus as my personal Savior.” And the audience would repeat these words. Like this, the preacher makes those to offer these prayers of acceptance, and then he proclaims that those who just repeated this prayer to have received the remission of their sins before God. I ask you, do they then truly become the children of God? That is not the case. The Biblical truth is—the Lord said, “And you shall know the truth.” It is therefore obvious that everyone needs to know the gospel of the water and the Spirit in order to believe in Jesus properly. Believing in Jesus recklessly like this is ‘religious ignorance.’ It is likened to people creating an idol all on their own, and then believing in it with all of their strength.
We must not believe in God like this. Thus, even though you and I are destined for hell for having sinned throughout our entire lifetime, we must clearly know and believe in Jesus by having correct answers to some of these questions below:
“How did the Lord take on all our sins once and for all after having come down to this earth?”
“How did the Lord take on all our sins once and for all by wiping them out at ‘once’ with His baptism?”
“How did the Lord vicariously die once by receiving the judgment ‘once and for all’ on the Cross?”
“How did the Lord accomplish our salvation by being resurrected ‘only once’?”
“And, how did the Lord become our Savior ‘once and for all’?”
It is therefore quite clear that we must know the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit. So like this, we have to know at least the Korean alphabet in order to become the chief of a town. Likewise, we have to know this Truth to believe in Jesus as our Savior. It is the Truth that frees us and saves us from sins. It is therefore not something that can be achieved by our efforts.
Many people right now inside Christianity are prone to believe by mixing up their works, beliefs and salvation in Jesus. Knowing and believing in the Lord like this is a complete waste of time and a useless faith. When we hosted the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, we sang the Seoul Olympic’s official anthem that was titled, “Hand in Hand.” The lyrics of this anthem conveyed a message that it was good for people to be sharing hand in hand, overcoming ideological differences, crossing all kinds of barriers, solidifying a single brotherhood, and uniting together by abolishing wars and conflicts through the Olympic Games.
Like this, God cannot join hands with us without the gospel of the water and the Spirit. God cannot coexist in such an unfamiliar relationship. By all means, we have to share our hands with God through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We are not on the same level as God; and we are therefore not equal to Him. We in other words, simply yearn to receive His mercy and grace. We should know how our God has saved us from sins by accepting the gospel of the water and the Spirit. And then we must believe in the Truth.
We as mankind cannot help ourselves but fall into curses, sins and then die. Having fallen into a sea of sins, we can just barely hold onto our breath and cry out, “Please help me!” But thanks be to Jesus Christ, who with His power of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, has taken hold of our hands and pulled us up out from sins in a flash. Like this we have come to receive salvation from all our sins. This is the power of the gospel of the water and the Spirit. This Truth has more power than dynamite.
“And the truth shall make you free.” People who know and believe in the Truth of the water and the Spirit get to obtain freedom. This freedom is true freedom that we can enjoy within the Word of God. This freedom is different from a prodigal type of freedom. It is true freedom. It is freedom to be without sin and practice God’s righteousness. And it is freedom to live within the righteousness of God.
Before I was born again I only knew of this passage in an intellectual manner, but now, I have truly come to realize this Word in its fullness, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” You also experienced this, did you not? People who know the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit are those who have received salvation from sins. Why? It is because this Truth is real. The truth is; the gospel of the water and the Spirit—tells us that the Lord had taken all our sins once and for all onto Himself when He was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. After three days in the grave the Lord was resurrected after having died on the Cross by shedding all His blood. The gospel of the water and the Spirit is Biblical Truth that can never change for all eternity.
Right now amongst many Christians, those who do not know or refuse to believe in the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit are not the true born-again believers. They are merely people who serve a religion of this world. Many Christian leaders minister just to make a living to profit their own flesh. Because this type of ministry performed by them has a goal of making a good living, they are therefore known to us as, “devouring-pastors.” They pretend to be gentle about them earning more money. I was told that senior pastors of medium or large size Korean churches receive at least US$ 10,000 per month as an honorarium while much of their congregation suffer from the grim realities of life. Even though their church members go through much pain every day due to their sins, they just tell them, “Offer more prayers of repentance. Strive for sanctification.” They are those who perform ministries in order to make a good living, and receive thousands of dollars per month. Pastors who work in order to feed their flesh and make a living are really occupational workers. I therefore advise all pastors everywhere to believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Before anything else, pastors in the ministry have to know, believe in and preach the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit. By having faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, we will be saved from the sins of our conscience as well as all the sins that we commit in this world. After that we must hold onto and follow after the Word of God, and only then will we be able to become disciples of the Lord. If we are not born again by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit we can never become disciples of the Lord. Going to Heaven without even having faith in the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit is a human logic that makes no sense at all.
Everyone must ‘first’ know the gospel of the water and the Spirit in order to believe in Jesus properly, and then throw away their thoughts of only caring for one’s own flesh. We have preached the gospel of the water and the Spirit to many who only care for their flesh, but tragically they will not throw away their carnal thoughts; resulting in them rejecting this precious God given gospel of the water and the Spirit by holding on to frivolous things that they have in the past heard, and some live out their lives with the understanding that Christianity is just another worldly religion. The gist of the Bible is the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit, and the main character of this Truth is, Jesus Christ. Because they have not heard or have taken the time to learn about this genuine gospel, they therefore refrain from holding onto this written Word of the Truth. Faith like this becomes a useless faith. In the end they will suffer destruction due to their sins. For this cause our Lord had specially given us the gospel of the water and the Spirit in order to have us be freed from sins. By knowing and believing in this Truth, we have been able to gain salvation and freedom from all our sins and everlasting life. And by believing in and following after the Word of Jesus Christ, we have become His disciples.
Have You Truly Come into Jesus Christ?
We read from verse 33 in the Gospel John chapter 8, where the unbelieving Jews spoke to Jesus: “They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.’”
The Lord says clearly, “Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin, and such a person is not a free.” There are two types of sin. There are sins that get atoned for and then there are sins that cannot be remitted. The Lord came down to this earth and saved us by the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit. Not believing in this Biblical Truth is a sin that will not get atoned for; this kind of sin leads one straight to hell. The Lord said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). This means that a slave of sin must receive salvation to become a truly free person.
But people who refuse to believe in Jesus as their Savior refute this by saying, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?” This is the heart of the spiritually blind. Know this, people who have sins in their hearts, are living as slaves to sin. Those who have sins in their hearts are slaves of sin. People are free to go anywhere, but their hearts have already become slaves of the Devil. Therefore these people cannot but commit sins and continue committing sins to the Devils demands. Because of this there is will be no peace in their hearts, no feeling of security and no freedom of conscience. Furthermore, their conscience will continue to be oppressed by sins, the Law and the curse.
Have you ever lived a life as a slave? Being a slave means that you have no freedom whatsoever. A slave may not do as they wish. Are you ‘right now’ a free person or a slave? If you still have sins in your heart, then you are not a free person. If you have sins in your heart, then the Holy Spirit cannot reside inside your heart. Slaves of sin always commit sin. They have sins in their hearts because they do not know the Lord-given gospel of the water and the Spirit, and even if they do know about it they are unable to believe in it. They therefore go on living as slaves to sin, for they are under the dominion of the Devil. People like this hate, envy, are rude and ignore other people. They always try to kill, torment and trip others up. They indeed live like this, like predators hiding away waiting to catch their prey. This is the characteristic of a slave to sin.
True born again people who have received the Holy Spirit in their hearts, do not do these kinds of evil things. Instead they bear much fruit of the Holy Spirit. But people who have sins in their hearts will try and trip up others and will for sure even commit murder. They know that this kind of life is not right, but they cannot help themselves but just continue doing it. This is because they have become slaves to the Devil. How did it come about that they became the Devils slaves? The Bible says, “For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together” (Matthew 24:28). This verse means, the Devil controls a heart like this and makes them do evil deeds. That is why they are slaves to sin. People have a tendency to view the Bible as a novel or a history book when they cannot understand what is written therein.
Everyone Who Does not Believe in the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit Becomes a Slave to Sin
The Bible says that whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. People like this can neither do righteous deeds nor carry out any righteous work; all they can do is complain, murder, envy, strife, have selfish ambitions, be deceitful and when the opportunity presents itself carry them out without fail. When they are treated well, they even try to deceive the givers of good. Why is this? Because of these sins the Devil controls their hearts. Slaves cannot but act according to the wishes of the Devil who commands their hearts. Therefore it is of paramount importance that people escape from their sins by knowing and believing in the Truth and gain true freedom right now! By escaping from sins, we must make sure the Devil and sin cannot again reside in our hearts, by believing in the righteous Lord who has saved us, and the Word the Savior had given us. For this to be accomplished we must accept the Word of the Truth. We must believe in Jesus Christ, the Lord who had become our Savior by coming down to this earth, taking on our sins, dying on the Cross, and being resurrected from the dead. By faith like this we must gain our freedom.
In the Gospel of John chapter 8:35 the Lord said, “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.” A slave of sin will never be allowed to enter the Kingdom of God. Someone who has sins can never enter the Kingdom of God. In order for people to go to Heaven they must first receive the cleansing of their sins. So how are we able to receive the cleansing of our sins? We should know that doing good or had lived a regretful life is not the important issue. But rather we must receive the remission of our sins before we will be allowed to enter Heaven. To receive the remission of sins, we should firstly know the Truth how the Lord saved mankind from their sins. We should believe the whole Word and know how Jesus had taken our sins away by coming down to this earth, and how He has received the judgment on our behalf, and how He has saved us by being resurrected from the dead.
God has nothing to lose or to gain if we don’t commit sins. If we commit sins and become a slave to sin, we will pay the ultimate price. It has nothing to do with God. Because of His great love for us, the Lord came down to this earth and saved us. How did the Lord save us? He saved us by the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit.
Therefore we must become sons of God by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. It is written clearly in the Lord’s Prayer,
“Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.”
If we really desire to become God’s children, we must first become holy, that is, to receive the remission of our sins. God said, “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). Nowhere in this passage of scripture does it say that we should not commit sins in order for us to ‘be holy.’ We can never become someone who does not commit sin. This Scripture passage is telling us clearly to receive the cleansing of sins inside our hearts by knowing and believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. It is telling us to learn, know and believe in Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind, who saved you and me by coming down to this earth, received His baptism, died on the Cross and was resurrected. Only then are we able to become the children of God. A slave of sin can never reside in the House of God. But His children can reside there forever. Only those who have become His children can reside in the House of God.
The Gospel of John chapter 8:36 says, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” I trust you know “If the Son makes you free,” really means? He did not say, we would be made free “if we offer prayers of repentance.” It does not mean that we would be made free “if we live virtuously or try to become sanctified.” “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” If the Lord has blotted out all the sins of the world by the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit, we do not have sin. That is what is meant by this Word. It says clearly, “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Did the Lord make us free? Did the Lord make us truly free by the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit? He has for sure made us free. We are lacking and cannot be perfect. But the Lord has made you and me free. By His righteous acts we have become free.
This Word is extremely simple. It means that if the Lord had blotted out all our sins, then we do not have any sin. This is why we call Jesus, ‘the Savior.’ When the Lord became our Savior vicariously it was not realized through just mere words. He has saved us from sin and destruction by sacrificing Himself, because we are all so pitiful in His sight. The Lord saved the entire human race that cannot help but die because of their sins and are destined for this for having led a wretched life tormenting each other. He has saved us not just by words but by the Truth of Righteousness and including His love. He has indeed saved us by personally coming down to this earth Himself; taking the sins of all humankind onto His body once and for all by receiving His baptism from John the Baptist who was the representative all humankind; going to the Cross carrying all those sins on His back; shedding His blood by getting nailed to that Cross; dying with in agony and crying out, “It is finished”; and being resurrecting from the dead. The Lord has done all this for us. We did not gain our salvation through own efforts. Instead, the Lord saved us.
We must wholeheartedly commit our souls to the Lord. We must go before the Lord saying, “Dear Lord, I am trying to live well, but it is not easy. Even though I strive to live well, when I think about it, I am just a mere human being who cannot live virtuously no matter how hard I try. If I do not believe in the Lord-given gospel of the water and the Spirit, it would be impossible for me to become righteous. Because you have saved the entire human race by the gospel of the water and the Spirit, the baptism you had received and your precious blood of the Cross, I really want to believe in it and thus go to Heaven. Please accept me just as I am. I believe in you with all of my heart.” We must believe in the Lord with a heart like this and rely on Him. As for all of you, please do not put your own will into motion, for it will say for sure, “If I try a bit harder, I will reach sanctification.” And do not try to gain your salvation by trying to live virtuously. And do not try to gain your salvation by offering huge donations or by trying not to commit any sins. Instead, commit yourself to the Lord saying, “I cannot do anything. Please God just save me. If you will you save me, then I will be saved, but if you reject me, I will for sure be going to hell.”
Dear fellow believers, did King David not also fall into sin? After having slept with Uriah’s wife, David gave himself up to the Lord completely by saying, “Dear Lord, if you say that I am holy, then I will be holy, but if you say that I have sins, then I have sins. I will be judged according to your judgment. It is all up to you. You are the Creator of the universe, my Savior, and the One who has taken away my sins. You have become everything to me. I cannot but obey your judgment for your judgment is just. If you say I have taken away all your sins, then I do not have any sins, but if you say you did not take taken away my sins, then I will have sins for all eternity, no matter how much I weep and cry out and offer 40 days of fasting and prayer. David committed himself to Jesus like this.
Likewise, we must also commit ourselves to the Lord. We must possess long-sighted eyes that can see far into the future. You must think about whether or not you will be committing sins as you go on leading your life, and then commit yourself fully to the Lord. As you think deeply about yourselves, and come across a thought that, “I will be committing many more sins in the future,” you then must quickly commit yourself to the Lord-given gospel of the water and the Spirit. We must hold onto and believe in the Word through the Word of blessing and the Word of the gospel Truth in the way the Lord had taken onto Himself our sins through His baptism, how He vicariously received the judgment for our sins, how He had given us everlasting life, and how He has made us His precious children. Only then will the remission of sins, Heaven, becoming children of God, pleasures of an everlasting life and all the blessings be ours. Dear fellow believers, are you sure of this?
“If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Indeed, who can do such a thing? Only Jesus can do this. Could Sakyamuni do it? Could Confucius do it? Could Socrates do it? Socrates said the following: “Know thy self.” This means, “What do you know? You know absolutely nothing. Therefore, just try to know your pathetic self.” Confucius said that it is right for one to lead a virtuous life. Hsun-tzu said the same thing, and all the philosophers said that it is right for one to lead a virtuous life instead of a wicked life.
However, all these people cannot say, “Believe in me. I will save you. I have blotted out all your sins. I have freed you from sins.” Only Jesus can say these words. Only Jesus can save us by Him coming down to this earth, taking on all our sins, that is, all the sins of this world once and for all by receiving His baptism, getting nailed to that Cross, shedding His blood and being resurrecting from the dead. The Lord saved us like that. Only Jesus was able to do this incredible work.
Thus, under God’s sun, the only name that can save us is Jesus Christ. That is why the Bible says, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The name, Jesus Christ, is the most beautiful name, and only Jesus Christ is the name of our Savior. Only Jesus Christ is the King of all kings. The word ‘Jesus’ means `the Savior” and the word ‘Christ’ means “the anointed King.” Also the phrase, “to be anointed” means the King of all kings. Truly, it means that only Jesus Christ is the true God and the true Savior. Only Jesus is the One who can save you and me from sins, make us happy, liberate us from sin, have us lead a righteous life and allow us to go to Heaven. And He is the only One who has made us true disciples as we live here on this earth. Jesus has through the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit blotted out all the sins of mankind.
I hope that you will believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and thereby by faith gain entry into the Kingdom of God to live there forever. By abiding in the spoken Word of the Lord, we become disciples of the Lord, and after having lived a righteous life we will enter the Kingdom of the Lord.
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