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 3 : The Gospel of the Water and the Spirit
[3-3] Jesus Christ Came by Water, Blood, and the Spirit (1 John 5:1-12)
(1 John 5:1-12)
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one. —ASV) If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one. —ASV) If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
| By what did Jesus come? |
| Water, blood, and the Spirit |
Did Jesus come by water? Yes, He did. He came by His baptism. The water is the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist at the Jordan River. It was the baptism of redemption with which He took away all the sins of the world.
Did Jesus come by blood? Yes, He did. He came in the flesh of man and was baptized to take away all the sins of the world, then paid off the wages of sin by bleeding on the Cross. Jesus came by blood.
Did Jesus come by the Spirit? Yes, He did. Jesus was God, but He came as the Spirit in the flesh to be the Savior of sinners.
Many people do not believe that Jesus came by water, blood, and the Spirit. Only a few believe that Jesus is truly the King of kings, the God of gods. The majority of people still doubt, ‘Is Jesus truly the Son of God or the Son of Man?’ And many, including theologians and ministers, believe in Jesus as a man rather than as God, the Savior, and the absolute Being.
But God said that anyone who believes that Jesus is the King of all kings, the true God, and the true Savior would be begotten of Him. Those who love God love Jesus, and those who truly believe in God love Jesus in the same way.
Man cannot overcome the world. The Apostle John told us that only true Christians could overcome the world. The reason why the faithful overcome the world is that they have faith in the water, the blood, and the Spirit of Jesus. The power to overcome the world cannot spring from man’s will, endeavor, or fervor.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). ‘The love’ referred to here means Jesus, who came by water, blood, and the Spirit.
Only He Who Believes in the Water and the Blood Can Overcome the World
| Who can overcome the world? |
| He who believe in the redemption of the baptism of Jesus, of His blood and of the Spirit |
In 1 John 5:5-6, “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ.”
Fellow Christians, the One who overcame the world, who overcame Satan was Jesus Christ. He who believes in the word of the water, the blood, and the Spirit of Jesus will also overcome the world. How did Jesus overcome the world? Through the redemption of the water, the blood, and the Spirit.
In the Bible, ‘water’ refers to ‘the baptism of Jesus’ (1 Peter 3:21). Jesus came to this world in the flesh. He came to save the sinners of the world; He was baptized to take away the sins of all the sinners of the world and He died on the Cross to atone for those sins.
The blood on the Cross refers to the fact that He came to this world in the flesh as a man. He came in the form of the flesh of a man to save sinners and was baptized with water. Therefore, Jesus came to us by both water and blood. In other words, He took away all the sins of the world with the water of His baptism and the blood of His death.
How did Satan rule over the world? Satan caused humankind to doubt the word of God and planted the seeds of disobedience in their hearts. In other words, Satan turned humankind into his servants by deceiving them into disobeying the word of God.
However, Jesus came into this world and blotted out all the sins of people with the water of His baptism and His blood on the Cross: He overcame Satan and blotted out all the sins of the world.
This occurred because Jesus Christ was the Savior of sinners. He became our Savior because He came by water and blood.
Jesus Took Away All the Sins of the World with His Baptism of Redemption
| What does it mean by Jesus’ overcoming the world? |
| It means that He took away all the sins of the world. |
Since Jesus was baptized to take away all the world’s sins and died to expiate them, He was able to deliver us from all sins. Because Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, the representative of all human beings, all the sins of the world were passed on to Him. And He gave His life at the Cross for the wages of sin. Because He died and was resurrected from the dead, He overcame the power of Satan. He paid the wages of sin with His death.
Jesus Came to Sinners by the Water of Baptism and the Blood on The Cross
The Apostle John said that redemption is not just of water, but of water and of blood. Therefore, as Jesus had to pass on all sins and remove our sins forever, all sinners would be saved from sin by believing in Him, and being faithful to His Words.
| How did He overcome the power of Satan? |
| Through His baptism, the blood and the Spirit |
When Jesus came down to the world, He took away all the sins of the world. He took away all our sins with His baptism in the Jordan and paid the wages of those sins at the Cross; He paid for our sins with His death. And the prophecy of the just law of God which said that the ‘wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23) was fulfilled.
What did Jesus mean by overcoming the world? The faith that overcomes the world is the faith in the gospel of redemption, for which Jesus brought us by water and blood. He came in the form of the flesh and He testified to salvation with His baptism of water and His death at the Cross.
Jesus overcame the world, namely Satan. The disciples of the early church stood fast even in the face of martyrdom without submitting to the Roman Empire or to any of the temptations of this world.
This was all a result of their belief that Jesus came by water (He was baptized to take away all our sins), and by His blood at the Cross (He paid the wages of all our sins with His death).
Jesus came in the Spirit (He came in the flesh of man), and He took away the sins of sinners with His baptism and His blood on the Cross so that all of us who are to be redeemed could overcome the world.
There is also an antitype which now saves us—Baptism, through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:21)
| What is the antitype of salvation? |
| The Baptism of Jesus |
It is said in 1 Peter 3:21, “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” The Apostle Peter testified that Jesus was the Savior and that He came by the water of baptism and the blood.
As a result, we should believe in Jesus who came by water and blood. And we should know that the water of the baptism of Jesus is the antitype which saves us. The Apostle Peter told us that the ‘water’ of baptism, the ‘blood,’ and ‘the Spirit’ are ‘the absolute factors’ in redemption.
None of the disciples ever believed in the blood on the Cross without the baptism of Jesus. To believe only in the blood is to possess only half of the true faith. Half or incompletely held faith fades with time. But the faith of those who believe in the gospel of the water, the blood, and the Spirit will grow stronger with time.
However, the voice of the gospel of the blood is only getting stronger and stronger in the world these days. Why is this so? People do not know the word of truth, the redemption of the water and the Spirit, so they cannot be born again.
At one time, the churches of the West had fallen victim to superstition. They seemed to be prospering for a while, but the servants of Satan helped to turn faith into superstition.
Superstition is believing that the devil will flee if one draws a cross on a piece of paper or wood, and that Satan will be driven off if one believes in the blood of Jesus. Through these and other superstitious beliefs, Satan deceived people into believing that they only had to believe in the blood of Jesus. Satan pretends to be afraid of the blood, saying that Jesus bled for sinners.
However, Peter and all the other disciples testified to the true gospel of the baptism of Jesus and the blood on the Cross. However, what do Christians these days testify to? They testify only to the blood of Jesus.
But, we should believe in the words written in the Bible and have faith in the salvation of the Spirit, of the baptism of Jesus, and of the blood. If we disregard the Baptism of Jesus and only testify to the fact that Jesus died on the Cross for us, salvation cannot be complete.
The ‘Word of Testimony’ for God’s Salvation
| What is the proof that God saved us? |
| The water, the blood, and the Spirit |
In 1 John 5:8, the Lord says, “For there are three who bear witness”. The first is the Spirit, the second is the water of Jesus’ baptism, and the third is the blood on the Cross. All three of these things are as one. Jesus came to this world to save all of us from those sins. He alone did this with all three, the Baptism, the Blood, and the Spirit.
“For there are three who bear witness”. There are three things proving that God saved us. These three elements of proof are the water of Jesus’ baptism, the blood, and the Spirit. These three things are what Jesus did for us in this world.
If one of these three things were to be omitted, salvation would not be complete. There are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
Jesus Christ who came to us in the flesh is God, the Spirit, and the Son. He came down to this world as the Spirit in the flesh of man and was baptized in the water to take away all the sins of the world. And He took all sins on to His flesh and saved us sinners by bleeding to death on the Cross. He paid off all the sins in full. It is the gospel of complete redemption by the water, the blood, and the Spirit.
Even if just one of these were omitted, it would be to refuse the salvation of God which has saved us from all sin. However, today, the majority of believers testify and believe only in the Gospel of the blood and the Spirit.
But the Apostle John said that there were three things that bore witness: the water of Jesus’ baptism, the blood at the Cross, and the Spirit. The Apostle John was very explicit in his testimony.
The faith that redeems a sinner is the faith in the Spirit, the water, and the blood. Where is the faith that enables man to overcome the world? It is right here. It is to believe in Jesus who came by water, blood, and the Spirit. Believe in this and receive salvation and eternal life.
| Is God’s salvation perfect without the Baptism of Jesus? |
| No |
A long time ago, before I was born again, I too, was a Christian who believed only in the blood on the Cross and in the Spirit. I believed that He came down as the Spirit and died for me on the Cross and saved me from all sins. I only believed in these two things and was presumptuous enough to want to preach them to all people.
I had planned to study theology to become a missionary in order to work and die for people as Jesus had done. I had planned all sorts of grand things.
But, as long as I believed in only two things, there was always sin remaining in my heart. As a result, I could not overcome the world. I could not be free of sin. When I only believed in the blood and the Spirit, I still had sin in my heart.
The reason that I still had sin in my heart even though I believed in Jesus was that I didn’t know about the water, the Baptism of Jesus. My deliverance was not complete until I was redeemed by belief in the water of baptism, the blood, and the Spirit.
The reason why I was not able to overcome the sins of the flesh was that I didn’t know the meaning of the baptism of Jesus. Even now many people believe in Jesus but still commit sins of the flesh. They still have sin in their hearts and try everything to revive the first love they had for Jesus.
They cannot revive the fervor of their first enthusiasm because they have never been washed completely of their sins with the water. Because they do not realize that all their sins were passed on to Jesus when He was baptized, they cannot recover their faith again after a fall.
I would like to make this clear to all of you. We can live in faith and overcome the world when we believe in Jesus. However insufficient we are, however much we sin in this world, as long as we believe in Jesus as our Savior who made us completely free of sin with His baptism, we can stand victorious.
However, if we believe in Jesus without the water of baptism, we cannot be delivered completely. The Apostle John told us that the faith that overcomes the world is the faith in Jesus Christ who came by the water of baptism, the blood and the Spirit.
God sent His only begotten Son to us to redeem those who believe in the Baptism and His blood. Jesus took away all our sins with His baptism. Jesus, the only Son of God, came to us in the Spirit (in the flesh of a man). And He bled on the Cross to pay off the wages of sin. Thus Jesus delivered all men from sin.
The faith that leads us to overcome the world comes from believing in the truth that Jesus came to us by water, blood, and the Spirit and freed us completely from all sins.
If there had not been the water of baptism and the blood on the Cross, there would be no true salvation. Without the one or the other, we could not have true salvation. True salvation can’t be achieved without the water and the blood and the Spirit. Therefore, we have to believe in the water, the blood, and the Spirit. Know this and you will have true faith.
I Tell You That It Is Not True Salvation without the Witness of the Water, the Blood, and the Spirit
| What are the three essential elements that bear witness to salvation? |
| The water, the blood, and the Spirit |
One may think of the above question like this: “Jesus is my Savior. I believe in the blood on the Cross and I want to die as a martyr. I believe in Jesus even though I have sin in my heart. I have repented diligently and worked hard to act in a good, just and charitable manner every day. I have given my life and all my worldly possessions for You. I have not even married. How can God not know me? Jesus died for me on the Cross. Our Holy God came down as a man and died for us on the Cross. I believed in You, sacrificed for You, and did my work faithfully for you. Although I may be unworthy and still have some sin in my heart, will Jesus send me to hell for that? No, He won’t.”
There are so many people like this. They are the ones who do not believe that Jesus was baptized to take away all the sins of the world. When these people who believe in Jesus still have sin, where do they go? They go to hell. They are sinners!
They, who think as they please and presume that God must think the same, will go to hell. Moreover, some say that because Jesus took away all sin when He died on the Cross, there’s no sin in the world. However, this is only talking about the blood and the Spirit. This is not the faith that leads people to complete redemption.
We should believe that Jesus took away our sins with His baptism, was judged, and died on the Cross for us, and that He was resurrected three days after His death.
Without such faith, complete redemption would not be possible. Jesus Christ was baptized, died on the Cross, and was resurrected. Jesus Christ came to us by water, blood, and the Spirit. He took away all the sins of the world.
There are three vital elements that bear witness: the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
Firstly, the Holy Spirit testifies that Jesus is God and that He descended in the flesh of a man.
The second element is the witness of the ‘water’. The water is the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan by John the Baptist, through which our sins were passed on to Jesus. All our sins were passed on to Jesus when He was baptized (Matthew 3:15).
The third witness is the ‘blood’ which stands for new life and Jesus’ accepting responsibility of the judgment for our sins instead of us. Jesus died for us and accepted His Father’s judgment for us and was resurrected after 3 days.
God the Father sends the Spirit into the hearts of those who believe in the baptism and the blood of His Son to testify to our redemption.
The ones who are born again have the Word with which they overcome the world. The redeemed will overcome Satan, the lies of false prophets, and the obstacles, or pressures that attack them ceaselessly. The reason we have this power is that we have three things in our hearts: the water of Jesus, His blood, and the Spirit.
| How do we overcome the world and Satan? |
| By believing in the three testimonies |
We overcome Satan and the world because we believe in the Spirit, the water, and the blood. Those who believe in the baptism and the blood of Jesus are able to overcome all manner of false prophets. Our faith, with this power to overcome, lies in the water, the blood, and the Spirit. Do you believe in this?
You can neither be born again nor overcome the world if you do not have faith in redemption through the baptism of Jesus, His blood, and the belief that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior. Is this in your heart?
Do you have the Spirit and the water in your heart? Do you believe that all your sins were passed on to Jesus? Do you have the blood of the Cross in your heart?
You will overcome the world if you have baptism, the water of Jesus in your heart, and if you believe that Jesus died on the Cross for you and that He took the judgment for you.
The Apostle John overcame the world because he had all of these three essential elements in his heart. He also talked about redemption to all his brothers in faith who were enduring obstacles and threats in their work. He testified, “This is how you too can overcome the world. Jesus came by the Spirit, the water, and the blood. Just as He overcame the world, those who believe in the Spirit, water, and blood will also overcome the world. This is the only way for the faithful to overcome the world.”
In 1 John 5:8, it is said, “For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one.” Many still talk about the blood and the Spirit, but they omit the water of Jesus’ Baptism. If they take out the ‘water,’ they are still deceived by Satan. They should come out from behind their own self-deception and repent; they should believe in the ‘water’ of Jesus’ Baptism, of being born again.
No one can overcome the world without believing in the water and the blood. I say to you again, no one! We have to fight using the water and the blood of Jesus as our weapons. His Word is the sword of the Spirit, the Light.
There are still too many who do not believe in the Baptism of Jesus which washed away all their sins. There are still too many who believe only in two things. When Jesus tells them to ‘Arise, shine,’ they cannot shine. They still have sin in their heart. Although they believe in Jesus they still end up in hell.
The Gospel of the Baptism and the Blood of Jesus Should Be Definitely Testified to So That People Can Hear, Believe, and Be Saved
| Is the faith in His Baptism merely a sort of dogma? |
| No, it is not dogma. It is the truth. |
When we testify to the gospel, it has to be definite. Jesus came by the Spirit, by Baptism (which took away our sins), and by the blood (which paid for our sins). We must believe in all three of these.
If not, we do not preach the gospel but rather simple religion. Christians in this world call Christianity a religion. Christianity cannot be defined as a religion. It is the faith of redemption built on the truth, the faith of looking up to God. It is not a religion.
Religion is something created by man, while faith is looking up to the salvation that God granted us. That is the difference. If you ignore this truth, you treat Christianity as just another religion and preach by means of morals and ethics.
Jesus Christ didn’t come to establish a religion in this world. He never established a religion called Christianity. Why do you believe that it is a religion? If it is all the same, why not believe in Buddhism instead? Do you think that I am wrong to say this?
Some people believe in Jesus as a religion and end up saying, “What is the difference? Heaven, Nirvana, paradise... They are all the same thing, they just have different names. We will all end up in the same place anyway.”
Fellow Christians, we should face the truth. And we should ‘arise and shine.’ We should be able to tell the truth without hesitation.
When someone says, “That cannot be the only way,” you should say in a definite tone, “No! It is the only way: You can go to heaven only when you believe in Jesus Christ who came by water, blood, and the Spirit.” You should shine so brightly that other souls may hear the word of redemption, be born again, and go to heaven.
Have Correct Faith: Unrequited Lovers of Jesus Who Don’t know the Redemption of Jesus’ Baptism and His Blood Will Perish
| Who will perish even though he believes in Jesus? |
| Those who don’t believe in the Baptism of Jesus |
Just claiming to believe in Jesus arbitrarily is unrequited love for Jesus and amounts to treating truth as mere religion.
A ship crossing the Pacific went down and a few survivors were left adrift on a rubber raft. They sent out an SOS, but rough seas prevented other ships from coming to their aid. Then a helicopter came instead and threw down a rope.
If one of them held on to the rope with his hands instead of tying it around his body, he would be like a man falling into unrequited love with Jesus, believing in God as he pleases. He is not safe yet, but he says, “I believe. Save me. I believe, so I guess I will be saved.”
He who does not understand the truth of the baptism of Jesus and His blood believes that he will be saved just because he is holding on to the rope.
But as he is pulled up, his hands will lose their grip on the rope. He will be holding on with only his own strength. When that strength runs out, he will lose his grip and fall back into the ocean.
This is what it’s like to be in unrequited love with Jesus. Many may say that they believe in God and Jesus; that they believe in Jesus who came by the Spirit, but this is only part of the whole equation. They can neither really believe in nor dwell in the perfect gospel, so they force themselves to say over and over that they believe.
To believe and to try to believe is not the same thing. They say that they will follow Jesus to the end but they will be cast away on the last day because of the sin which remains in their hearts. They love Jesus without knowing that Jesus came by His baptism, blood, and the Spirit. If they love Jesus for His blood only, they will go to hell.
Tie your soul into the water of Baptism, and the word of the blood on the Cross. When Jesus throws down the rope of salvation, those who tie themselves with the water, the blood, and the Spirit will be saved.
The rescuer from the helicopter shouted through a loudspeaker, “Please listen carefully to me. When I throw down the rope, tie it around your chest under your arms. Then just stay as you are. Don’t hang on to the rope with your hands. Just tie it around your chest and relax. Then you will be saved.”
After he gave those instructions, the one man who followed the instructions and tied himself with the rope was saved. But the other man said, “Don’t worry. I’m very strong. I’ve been working out at a health club. Can you see my muscles? I can hang on for miles.” He then held on to the rope with his hands as the rope was pulled up.
Both men were pulled up in the beginning. But there’s a difference. The one who listened to the instructions and tied the rope around himself was pulled up without a hitch. He even lost consciousness on the way but he was pulled up nevertheless.
The one who had pride in his own strength eventually lost his grip because his strength ran out. And he died because he refused to listen and ignored the instructions.
To obtain complete redemption, one must believe in the redemption of the water of His baptism and the blood that saved all souls from sin. Salvation is available to those who believe wholeheartedly in the Word: “I saved you completely with My baptism by John the Baptist and by bleeding to death on the Cross.”
Those who believe only in the blood say, “Don’t worry, I believe. I will be thankful to the end of my life for the blood of Jesus. I will follow Jesus to the end and my belief only in the blood will be more than enough to overcome the world and all sins for the rest of my life.”
However, this is not enough. The ones whom God witnesses as His people are the ones who believe in all three things: that Jesus came by the Spirit and was baptized (Jesus took away all sins with His baptism in the Jordan), that He died on the Cross to pay the wages for all sins, and that He was resurrected from the dead.
The Spirit comes only to those who believe in all three and witnesses for them. “Yes, I am your Savior. I saved you with the water and the blood. I am your God.”
But to those who do not believe in all three, God does not give salvation. Even if only one is omitted, God says, “No, you are not saved.” All His disciples believed in all three. Jesus says that His Baptism is the witness for salvation, and that His blood is the judgment.
The Apostle Paul and Peter Also Bore Witness Both to the Baptism and the Blood of Jesus
| What did the disciples of Jesus bear witness to? |
| The Baptism of Jesus and His Blood |
Did the Apostle Paul talk about the Baptism of Jesus? Let’s see how many times he talked about the baptism of Jesus. He said in Romans 6:3, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” And in 6:5, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”
He also said in Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” The Apostles of Jesus testified to the ‘water,’ the baptism of Jesus. “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism” (1 Peter 3:21).
The Salvation of Redemption of the Lord Came by the Water and the Blood of Jesus
| Who does God call righteous? |
| Those who do not have any sin in their hearts |
The redemption that Jesus bestowed upon man is of the water of Jesus’ Baptism and His blood on the Cross. By that redemption we should arise and shine. How? By testifying to these three things.
“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). God has shone the light on us and tells us to shine too. We should obey that order.
We have to preach the gospel with full force. However, so many people do not listen. Believe in Jesus and you will be redeemed. You will be righteous. If there is still sin in your heart, you are not yet righteous. You have not yet overcome the sins of the world.
You can never get rid of the sin in your heart if you do not believe in the water of Jesus (the Baptism of Jesus). You can never avoid judgment if you do not believe in the blood of Jesus. You can never be saved if you do not believe in Jesus Christ who came by the Spirit. You can never be completely righteous unless you believe in the three testimonies.
Insufficient righteousness only leads to ‘so-called righteousness.’ If anyone says that he still has sin but considers himself a righteous man, he is not yet in Jesus. Some people these days try to hang redemption on ‘so-called righteousness.’ They have written tons of useless articles on the subject.
Does God call a man sinless when there is sin in his heart? He does not do that. He calls it as He sees it. He is almighty but He can never lie. People do not understand the true meaning of righteousness. We call something ‘clean’ only when it is clean. We do not say ‘clean’ when there is sin.
You may think that you are called righteous by Jesus even though you have sin in your heart. That is incorrect.
Jesus only declares us righteous when we believe in Jesus as the One who came by the Spirit, the One who came by the water (that He took away all our sins when He was baptized), and the One who came by blood (He came in the flesh and died for us).
Fellow Christians, ‘so-called righteousness’ has nothing to do with the gospel of the water and the blood. ‘So-called,’ or ‘to be called righteous’ is a dogma that is born of humankind. Does God call you righteous when you have sin in your heart? God does not call someone righteous when he has sin in his heart, even though he fervently believes in Jesus. Jesus can never lie.
Yet, do you still think He calls someone righteous when there is sin in their heart? That’s what people think, not God. God hates lies. Would He call you righteous when you only believe in the ‘Spirit’ and the ‘blood’? Never.
There is only one kind of person that God recognizes as righteous. It is the person who doesn’t have any sin in his heart. He only recognizes those who believe in all three things: that Jesus, who is God, came down to the world in the flesh, that He was baptized in the Jordan, and that He bled on the Cross to blot out all our sins.
Only those who believe in the good news of redemption are recognized by God. They are the ones who believe correctly. They completely believe in all things He did for us. They believe that Jesus came and was baptized to take away all their sins and that He took judgment for us by dying at the Cross, and was resurrected from the dead.
All these things were done out of the love of God. Jesus came down from heaven and said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He did this by taking away our sins.
God doesn’t recognize those who only believe in the blood of Jesus. Those who only believe in the blood of Jesus still have sin in their hearts.
Who does Jesus recognize as the redeemed? “I took away all your sins when I came down to this world and was baptized by John the Baptist. I testify that all the sins in the world were passed on to Me. I paid for the sins on the Cross. I saved you thus.” Belief in the baptism of Jesus, His blood, and the fact that He is God. All are necessary for salvation.
To those who believe in all three, Jesus says, “Yes, you are saved. You are righteous and children of God.” You are saved if you believe in the Baptism of Jesus, His blood, and the Spirit all together. Those who only believe in the blood and the Spirit still have sin in their hearts.
In the kingdom of God, there is only one truth. There is justice, honesty, love, and kindness. There’s not a speck of a lie. Lies and wiles do not exist in heaven.
| Who is the one ‘who practices lawlessness?’ |
| The one who doesn’t believe in the Baptism of Jesus |
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’” (Matthew 7:22)
God never recognizes those works of man. “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:23)
“I offered two houses for You. I gave up my life for You. Didn’t You see me? I have never denied You until my last breath. Didn’t You see me?”
“So do you have sin in your heart?”
“Yes, Lord. I do a little.”
“Then be off with you. No sinner is allowed to come in here.”
“But I died a martyr!”
“What do you mean, ‘died a martyr?’ You only died of your stubbornness. Did you acknowledge My baptism and the blood? Did I ever testify that you are My people? Did I testify in your heart that you are My people? You do not believe in my baptism and I never testified that you are My people, yet you hung on to your belief and died for it. When did I ever testify for you? You brought it on yourself. You loved and tried alone for your own redemption. Do you understand? Now, be on your way.”
Jesus told us to arise and shine. The redeemed people cower before many pseudo-Christians and many false prophets, and fail to shine brightly! But a little flame can start a big fire. If one stands bravely and testifies, the whole world will brighten up.
In Isaiah 60:1-2, it says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.”
It orders us to arise and shine because the darkness of untruth and false gospel shall cover the earth. Only those who believe in Jesus can love Him. Those who are not redeemed can never love Jesus. How can they? They are only talking of love but can never truly love Him unless they believe.
There Are Three Things That Bear Witness to the Salvation of Sinners
| What is the witness of the salvation in our heart? |
| The baptism of Jesus |
“For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one.” Jesus came to earth and He did His work with the water and the blood. He did this and saved us.
“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:9-12).
The born-again receive the witness of men. We are recognized as the righteous. When the born again who are the redeemed speak of the truth about redemption, people cannot dispute it. They accept it. They say that we believe correctly, that we are correct in our faith. If we tell them how we were born again, no one disputes the truth of it. They say we are right. We receive the witness of men.
But this passage also says, “The witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God” It says the witness of God is of His Son. Correct? What is the witness of His Son? The proof that God saved us is that Jesus came by the Spirit, He came by the water of redemption, and He came by the blood on the Cross. And God witnesses that this is the way He saved us, and that we are His people because we believe in it.
“He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.”
This passage tells us precisely who are the delivered ones. It says that he who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself. Do you have the witness in your heart? It is in you and it is in me. Jesus came to earth for us. (He came in the flesh through the body of Mary by the Holy Spirit.) When He was 30 years old, He was baptized to take all our sins upon Himself. And with all our sins, He was judged on the Cross. He was resurrected after three days to give us eternal life. Jesus saved us thus.
What would have happened if He had not been resurrected? How could He have testified for me in the grave? That is why He is my Savior. This is what we believe.
And just as He said, He saved us with His baptism and the blood. And because we believe, you and I are saved. The witness is in me and it is in you. The redeemed never disregard the ‘water’ of His baptism. We never omit the things that He did to save us.
“For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). We never deny that Jesus took away all our sins at the Jordan when He was baptized by John the Baptist. The redeemed can never deny the ‘water,’ the baptism of Jesus.
Those Who Believe but Are Not Redeemed Deny to the end the Baptism of Jesus
| Who makes God a liar? |
| He who does not believe in the baptism of Jesus |
How precise he was when the Apostle John said, “he who does not believe God has made Him a liar” If the Apostle John were living here and now, what would he tell us, Christians? He would ask whether ‘Jesus took away all our sins when He was baptized.’
Wouldn’t John the Baptist also testify to the gospel that Jesus redeemed us with His baptism? “Were not your sins passed on to Jesus’ head and did He not shoulder your sins when He was baptized by me?” He would testify that “Jesus was baptized to save you.”
Those who do not believe in God, who do not believe in everything He did to save us, make Him a liar. When we say that Jesus took away all our sins when He was baptized, they say, “Oh, dear me! He couldn’t have taken away all our sins! He only took away original sin, so all our daily sins still remain.”
They insist that they have to ‘repent every day and confess all the sins of the present in order to be redeemed.’ This is what they believe. Do you all say that too? The ones who do not believe that our sins were washed away with Jesus’ baptism are making God a liar.
Jesus Redeemed Us Once and for All When He Was Baptized and Bled on the Cross
| Who is lying? |
| The person who doesn’t believe in the baptism of Jesus |
Jesus was baptized and took away all sins once for all. God saves those who believe in the baptism and the blood of Jesus, but abandons those who do not believe. They go to hell. Therefore, whether we are saved or not depends on what we believe in. Jesus delivered us from all the sins of the world. Those who believe will be saved, and the ones who do not believe will not be saved because they have made God a liar.
People do not go to hell for their weaknesses, but because they do not believe. “he who does not believe God has made Him a liar” (1 John 5:10). Those who do not believe that all their sins were passed on to Jesus still have sin in their hearts. They cannot say that they don’t have sin.
Once I met a deacon and asked him, “Deacon, will my sins be gone if I believe in Jesus?”
“Of course they will.”
“Then, since Jesus took all the sins of the world and said that it was finished, you have been saved. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, I have been saved.”
“Then you must be without sin.”
“Yes, I am.”
“What happens if you sin again?”
“We are only human. How could we not sin again? So we have to repent and wash away our sins every day.”
This deacon still has sin in his heart because he does not know the complete truth of redemption.
The likes of him are the ones who are mocking God and making Him a liar. Did Jesus, who is God, fail to get rid of all the sins of the world? It is very upsetting. If Jesus had not gotten rid of all sins, how could He be the God of Salvation? How could He tell us to believe in Him? Are you going to make Him a liar? I suggest that you don’t do that!
The Bible tells us not to mock Him. This means do not make Him a liar and do not try to deceive Him. He is not like us.
The Apostle John tells us precisely about the gospel of redemption. Many people do not want to believe in the things that God did for us (the fact that Jesus Christ came by water, blood, and the Spirit).
If there are those who do not believe as they were told and those who believe in all the things that God has done for us (the ones who say before God, “I am righteous” and the others who say, “I am a sinner”), which ones are telling the truth?
Those who do not believe in the things that God did, the witness of the water, the blood, and the Spirit are lying. They have false faith. The ones who do not believe are making God a liar.
Do not make Him a liar. Jesus came to the Jordan River and thus (by being baptized) fulfilled all righteousness (took away the sins of the world).
The Untrue Soul Denies the Baptism of Jesus and His Holiness
| What do Satan and the devil deny? |
| The Baptism of Jesus and His Holiness |
He who believes in His Son has the witness in himself. A redeemed person believes that their sins were passed onto Jesus when He was baptized, and that they were delivered with the water and the blood of Jesus. They believe that Jesus was born into this world through the body of Mary; He was baptized in the Jordan before He died at the Cross; He died and was resurrected.
The righteous have the witness. The proof of our salvation is in our faith in Jesus, who came by water, blood, and the Spirit. The witness is in you. ‘Have the witness in yourself.’ I say to you: It is not salvation if there is no witness; the proof of salvation is within you.
The Apostle John said, “He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself” (1 John 5:10). Is it to have the witness to believe only in the blood on the Cross? To believe in the water but not the blood? You should believe in all three to be recognized by God.
Only then will Jesus testify for you that ‘you are saved’. Are you saying that you will have the witness if you believe in only two (the blood, and the Spirit)? It would be to believe in God in your own way. It would be to ‘testify for yourself.’
There are so many like this. There are so many in the world who believe only in two out of the three. They testify that they have been saved and write books about it. How fluent they are! It is so frustrating. They call themselves ‘the Evangelicals’. They feel that they are not just ‘the Evangelicals,’ but ‘the religious’. They do not believe in the ‘water’ but still boast of salvation! How logical they sound! But they do not have the witness of God. It is only a hypothesis.
How can you call it salvation? Only the ones who believe in Jesus, who came by the Spirit, water, and blood, have the witness of God and men.
The Apostle Paul said, “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Satan is delighted when people believe only in the blood of Jesus. “Oh, you fools, you are deceived by me... ha-ha!” There are many who believe that when people praise the blood of Jesus, Satan goes away. They think Satan is afraid of the Cross. Satan is only putting on a show. We should not be fooled by it.
When a demon gets into someone, he may become crazed and foam at the mouth. It is not a difficult feat for the devil. The devil has the power to make a man do almost anything. The devil only has to use his brain a little. God gave the devil all sorts of powers except the power to kill. The devil can make someone shake like a leaf, scream, and foam at the mouth.
When this happens, believers shout, “Be gone in the name of Jesus! Be gone!” And when the man regains his senses and comes back to his normal self, they say that it was the blood of Jesus that had the power. But this is not the power of His blood. It is only the devil putting on a ‘show’.
Satan and the devil are most afraid of those who believe in Jesus, who has washed us clean with His baptism, and who took the judgment for us with His blood, and on the third day was resurrected. Satan will not stay around a witness to the baptism of Jesus and the salvation of the blood.
As you know, Catholic priests sometimes exorcise Satan. We have seen it in the movies. In the movie ‘The Omen,’ a priest holds up a wooden cross and shakes it but the priest dies. Someone who was born again would not be defeated like this.
He boldly talks about the water and the blood of Jesus. When the devil tried to torment him, he would ask the devil, “Do you know that Jesus took away all my sins?” The devil would then run away. The devil hates to be around ‘the born again.’ If ‘a born again’ just sat there, the devil would try to escape. It is said that those who do not believe in God make him a liar. They do not believe in the witness of His Son, the witness of the water and the blood.
| What is the witness of the Son of God? |
| His baptism, His blood, and the Spirit |
What is the witness of the Son of God? It is that He came by the Spirit and took away our sins with water. He took all the sins of the world onto Himself and He bled on the Cross for us. Isn’t that the redemption of the water, the blood, and the Spirit?
People tell lies before God because they do not believe in the gospel of the water and the blood, the gospel of redemption. Their beliefs are false, and they propagate these falsehoods.
Let’s return to 1 John 5. The 11th verse says, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” It tells us that God has given us eternal life, and the life is in the man who receives it. Also, this life is in His Son.
Those who receive eternal life are the ones who are redeemed by believing in the baptism of Jesus and His blood. The redeemed receive eternal life and live forever. Have you received eternal life?
In the 12th verse, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” In other words, he who believes in the things the Son did on earth: His being baptized, and dying at the Cross, and His resurrection, has eternal life. But he who omits even one of these will not have life, nor will he be redeemed.
The Apostle John distinguished the people of God on the basis of their belief in the things that Jesus did: the water, the blood, and the Spirit. These things tell us whether they have the Word in them. He identifies the redeemed by their belief in the water of Jesus’ baptism, His blood, and the Spirit.
Those Who Are Not Born Again Cannot Distinguish between a Sheep and a Goat
| Who can distinguish between the redeemed and the unredeemed? |
| He who is born again |
The Apostle John clearly identified the righteous ones who were redeemed. The Apostle Paul did too. How do the servants of God distinguish between a sheep and a goat? How do they distinguish the true servants of God from the pretenders? Those who are redeemed by believing in the water and the blood of Jesus receive the power to see.
Whether a person is a pastor, an evangelist, or an elder, if he cannot identify the redeemed, if he cannot distinguish between a sheep and a goat, he has not been delivered himself, and he does not have the life in him. But those who are truly redeemed can see the difference. The ones without the life in themselves can neither see the difference nor acknowledge it.
It is like distinguishing different colors in the dark. Green is green and white is white. If you close your eyes, you can neither see nor acknowledge colors.
But those with their eyes open can recognize even the tiniest variation in color. They can tell which is green and which is white. Similarly, there is an obvious difference between the redeemed and those who are not redeemed.
We have to preach the gospel of redemption, the gospel of the water, the blood, and the Spirit. We have to arise and shine. When we gather people around us to propagate the faith, we do not speak with man’s words. In the Bible, 1 John 5 explains its meaning. We should explain it step by step so that there is no confusion.
The word that we are propagating, that is, the word of the water, the blood, and the Spirit of Jesus, is the light of redemption. To make the ‘water’ of Jesus known to people is to shine brightly. To make the ‘blood’ of Jesus known is to shine brightly. We have to make it very clear so that there is no one on earth who does not know this.
If the redeemed do not arise and shine, many people will die without redemption, and God will not be pleased. He would call us lazy servants. We do have to spread the gospel of the water and the blood of Jesus.
The reason why I am repeating myself so many times is that the baptism of Jesus is very important to our being saved. When we speak to children, we have to explain things over and over, going through every point so that we are sure they understand.
If we were trying to teach an illiterate man, we would probably first start with the alphabet. Then we could gradually teach him how to write words with this alphabet. When he was able to put together words such as ‘punishment,’ we would begin to explain the meaning of these words. This is exactly how we should talk to people about Jesus to make sure that they truly understand.
We should clearly explain the baptism of Jesus. He came into this world by water, blood, and the Spirit. I pray that you will believe in Jesus as your Savior and be redeemed.
The redemption of the water and the Spirit springs from the faith in the baptism of Jesus, the blood on the Cross, and the belief that Jesus is God, our Savior.
This sermon is also available in ebook format. Click on the book cover below.
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