Let us turn again to God's Word.
I'm directing you this morning to words that we find in the
1st General Epistle of John, in chapter 5. I'll read from
verse 7 through to verse 10. 1 John, chapter 5, from verse
7 to verse 10. For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,
and these three are one. And there are three that bear
witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood,
and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of
men, the witness of God is greater, for this is the witness of God
which hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath
made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave
of his Son." Here then we read of the witness,
or the record, which is in fact the same word that is being translated
in two different ways. We have that witness that is
in heaven, spoken of in verse 7, and then
the witness in the earth, spoken of in verse 8, and then the inward
witness that is spoken of in verse 10.
And I want us to consider these three witnesses, and this morning
in particular to look at what is said here in verse 7 concerning
the witness in heaven, for there are three that bear record in
heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost, and these
three are one. Now the passage that we've just
read is not an easy passage, it is a difficult portion of
God's holy word, rather puzzling in some ways, and all of that
is compounded by the fact that there is a great deal of controversy
in respect to this verse that I've announced as our text, the
seventh verse. I'm sure you're aware, certainly
most of you will be, that you will look in vain for the content
of this verse in the modern versions of Holy Scripture. Even in the
New King James Version, though it appears there is a footnote
that questions the validity of the reading in verse 7. So there is much dispute with
regards to this scripture. However, having said that, There
is certainly a great deal of external evidence to support
the validity of the reading, although it's not found in the
modern versions. We know for a fact that it's
also not there in many of the manuscript versions from the
4th and the 5th centuries and of course there are those who
seize on that and say look it was not even there in the days
of the early church. But then, with regards to those
centuries, the 4th and the 5th centuries, we have to remember
that previous to that, certain heresies such as the Arians and
the Sabaelians had been very predominant, and these people
would deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, deny the truth
of the doctrine of the Trinity. And so, it's not surprising that
when they were so prevalent, they would be inclined to want
to wipe this verse out of Holy Scripture. However, although
it's not in those ancient manuscripts, when one looks into the writings
of the early church fathers, one finds a man like Tertullian,
who lived round about the year 200, he quotes this scripture,
Cyprian, some 50 years later, 250, is also referring to this
particular verse, and of course Athanasius, the great champion
of the doctrine of God and the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the year 350, he often refers to the words of our text. So
there is certain evidence when we consult those ancient church
fathers with regards to the validity of the verse. But there's not
only external evidence that this scripture is rightly found here
in the chapter, there's also internal evidence. R.L. Dabney, the great American theologian
of the 19th century, in his book discussions evangelical and theological
argues for the retention of this verse on grammatical grounds
he says the whole structure of the Greek here demands that this
verse should be included and then also John Calvin in his
commentary says, because the passage reads better with the
clause, with the seventh verse, and because it is found in the
best and most approved copies, I also readily embrace it. So there are those such as Dabney
and Calvin who would contend that it must stand because it
makes sense of the whole passage. You take the verse out and the
structure of the language is not grammatically correct. And so we readily and willingly
submit to God's Word as we find it here in our faithful authorised
version. There are three that bear record
in heaven. the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost. And these three are one. This is the verse then that I
want us to consider in some detail this morning. The witness in
heaven. God's witness. And what is this
a witness to? Well, we're told quite clearly
in the ninth verse. This is the witness of God which
he hath testified of his Son. It is the witness of heaven to
the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the witness of heaven to
the eternal sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ. The witness of
heaven to the true deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. And John,
of course, in his epistles has much to say with regards to this
doctrine, the doctrine of Christ. Previously, in this epistle there
in chapter 2, And verse 23 he says, Whosoever denieth the Son,
the same hath not the Father, but he that acknowledgeth the
Son hath the Father also. Only because there is an eternal
Son, the second person in the Trinity. can there be an eternal
Father, the first person in the Trinity. And then we speak also
of the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity. Again,
see how John, writing in his second epistle, there at verse
9, says, "...whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." or the witnessing
of heaven. And that witness is to the Lord
Jesus Christ and the truth of His deity, His divine nature,
that He is very God of very God. Well, let us come to consider
our text. And I divide what I'm going to
say into some four points. First of all, there is the witness
of the Father. Then there is the witness of
the Word. that is the incarnate Word, then
there is the witness of the Holy Ghost, and then fourthly there
is the unity of that witness. The three, it says, are one. First of all then, let us consider
the witness of the Father. The verse reads, there are three
that bear record. in heaven. But as I said, the
word that rendered record is the identical word that is also
in this passage translated as witness. The word is one and
the same, a record, a witness. They are synonymous terms. And
here we have the witness, first of all, of the Father. And now when we turn to the Gospels,
we see that the Father from heaven is constantly bearing witness
to the Son, who is manifest in the flesh, who is living here
in this world. We see it of course at the baptizing
of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know the passage there in
Matthew chapter 3, lo, says Matthew, a voice from heaven saying, this
is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. How, as the Lord
Jesus there, submits to John's baptism of repentance, how he
is identifying with sinners who need repentance, he needed no
repentance. And yet he comes, of course,
as that one who is the great surety for sinners, And there,
as he is baptized, coming up out of the waters of the river
Jordan, the heavens open, the Spirit descends upon him, and
the Father utters those words, owning him, bearing record to
him, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And then, later, that testimony
is repeated, at the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus, there in Matthew
17. Christ present with those favoured
disciples, Peter, James and John, and He is transfigured. They
see through the veil of His humility, they see beyond the human nature,
they see the glories of the divine nature shining forth. And we're
told, "...while He yet spake." the bright cloud overshadowed
them and behold a voice out of the cloud saying this is my beloved
son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him." All the Father
bears record to him then both at his baptism and again there
on the Mount of Transfiguration but how we see the Father constantly
throughout the ministry of the Lord Jesus bearing that witness.
What is the significance of the miracles? Think of the language
of Nicodemus when he comes to the Lord Jesus there in the third
chapter of John. And how he acknowledges Him.
Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for
no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be
with him. Here is the evidence, you see,
God is constantly bearing witness. by these mighty works, these
remarkable miracles that the Lord Jesus Christ is performing.
And we read of one there in our reading in John 5, that lame
man, 38 years, lying at the pool of Bethesda, and the Lord gives
the command to take up his bed and walk, and immediately, immediately
the man is healed of all his infirmity. though it is the witness
of the Father. But what does the Lord go on
to say? He Himself, there in that chapter,
acknowledges the Father is with Him in the performance of those
miracles. He's been speaking of the witness
of John the Baptist, there at verse verse 33 following, and
then he says, But I have a greater witness than that of John, for
the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same
works that I do, bear witness of me that the Father hath sent
me. And the Father himself which
hath sent me hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard
his voice at any time, nor seen his shame. All the miracles are
that evidence, then, of the Father. And this is the record that the
Father is giving, owning and acknowledging that this is His
Son. This is the witness that God
has testified of His Son. And then, ultimately, we see
the Lord Jesus as that One who must die. Oh, He's born to die. He must be obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. And remember how in John chapter
12 we see Him as He prays to the Father, as He calls upon
the name of God. Now is my soul troubled? And
what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour,
for but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy
name. And the answer comes from heaven,
I have both glorified it and shall glorify it again. So even
as he comes to die, the Father will glorify him. He is glorified
in his death ultimately. Though there it seems that Satan
and all the powers of darkness have prevailed, there is a witness
in his dying. And that witness, of course,
is completed when we see him rising again from the dead, declared
to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness,
by the resurrection from the dead. We are to recognize then
here that there is such a thing as the Father's witness. Amongst
those three that bear witness, that bear record in heaven, the
Father. But not only the Father we read
also there is a witness of the Word. Now this is one of those
names that is given to the Eternal Son of God. And this is a name
of course that is so much used by this particular apostle. We
have our text here in John's first general epistle but we
think also of the gospel of which John was a human author and we
know that. A gospel so different to the
others in its content. There is a constant witness there
to the truth of the deity of the Lord Jesus and the opening
words of John. How striking they are! In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not
anything made that was made." A plain statement then of the
deity. And it is a Word, as it were,
bearing witness to Himself. The Word was made flesh. says
John, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten, full of grace and truth. Oh, the Lord
Jesus does bear a witness to himself. And how does he do that?
Ultimately, we see the Lord Jesus bearing witness to his deity
in that he rises again from the dead. He says as much. Destroy this temple, he tells
the Jews. There in John chapter 2, destroy
this temple and in three days I will raise it up. And John
tells us he spoke of the temple of his body. They thought he
was speaking of that physical building there in Jerusalem.
That temple, of course, which was in the Old Testament a remarkable
type of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Cabanian's great book, Solomon's
Temple, spiritualized, in which he brings out the truth of the
doctrine of the person of Christ under that type of the temple.
But when the Lord speaks of the building up again of that temple
in three days. He is not speaking of the type,
he is speaking of himself, the great anti-type. He spoke of the temple of his
body. And then again later, in John
10, Therefore doth my Father love
me, because I lay down my life. He says that I might take it
again. No man taketh it from me, I lay it down of myself."
This is the commandment that I have received of the Father.
He says He has power or authority to lay it down, He has power
or authority to take it again. As He gives Himself as that great
sacrifice, it's a voluntary sacrifice, that's the point that He's making
there. No man taketh it from them. they could not lay a finger
upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Or remember again there in John
when Judas brings them into the garden of Gethsemane and they
come to arrest him. But when the Lord declares Himself
and reveals to them something of His deity, they fall backwards. or they can lay no finger upon
him. He gives himself so willingly. It's a voluntary act on the part
of the Lord Jesus. We have the language there in
the 18th of John. As Judas comes with this band
from the chief priests and the Pharisees, Jesus, therefore,
knowing all things which had come upon him, went forth and
said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said unto them, I am he. The he in italics. Introduced
in the translation, literally he said unto them, I am. Judas
also which betrayed him stood with them. As soon then as he
had said unto them, I am he or I am, they went backwards and
fell to the ground. Then I see them again who seek
ye, and they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you
that I am he who has declared he is the great I am, Jehovah. If therefore ye seek me, let
these go their way. Does he not bear witness then
to himself, to the truth of his deity? And we see it, as I said, after
his voluntary sacrifice of himself, he has the authority to take
his life up again. He raises himself from the dead. Here we have the three then that
are bearing their records, the father, the words, And then in the third
place, in the third place there is that witness of the Holy Spirit
himself. And what is the witness of the
Holy Spirit? Oh, it is a remarkable study to undertake to consider
the significance of the ministry of the Holy Spirit throughout
all of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that the Spirit is there
in his conception. He is born of a virgin. How can
a virgin be found with child? It is the work of the Spirit
of God. The angel says to Mary, the Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee the power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore
also that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God that holy thing conceived in a virgin's womb
that's the human nature how was it conceived? the Holy Ghost
came upon her it's a miracle it's a miracle of the virgin
birth It's the great mystery of the Incarnation because that
holy thing conceived in Mary's womb is there united to the Eternal
Son of God. Unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given, the Eternal Son is given. But that human
nature that is joined to the person of the Eternal Son of
God or the Son is given. And it's a ministry of the Holy
Spirit. It's a testimony of the Spirit to the Lord Jesus there
at the beginning, in His incarnation, in His birth. And then as the
Father is there acknowledging Him, at the baptizing so too
is the Spirit as we saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descends
upon him in the form of a dove there at the baptizing of the
Lord Jesus Christ we see all the persons in the Godhead Father,
Son and Holy Spirit the three are one It is the Son who is
there in human form. It is the Father who speaks from
heaven. It is the Spirit who descends.
John tells us, "...he whom God hath sent speaketh the words
of God, for God hath not given his Spirit to him by measure."
There was such a glorious effusion of the Spirit upon the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's anointed by the Spirit of
God. This is what marks him out as that one who is the true Messiah,
the Anointed One, the Christ of God. And then, as the Father
is there with him in the performance of all his miracles, this is
that one who is sent of God. No one can do those miracles
except God, that is, God the Father be with him, but so also
is the Spirit with him. He tells the Jews, if I cast
out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is among
you. How does he cast out the demons? It's by the Spirit of
God. How he knows throughout his earthly ministry that blessed
ministry of God the Holy Ghost. And then when he comes to his
death we're told how it was through the Eternal Spirit that he offered
himself without spot to God. Or even there as he comes to
make that one sacrifice for sins forever. It is by the Spirit
of God. The Spirit is with him in living,
the Spirit is with him in dying, the Spirit is with him there
in the resurrection from the dead. Yes, he is raised by the
Father, In a sense he raises himself, but also we read of
him being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
He is raised by the Holy Spirit. There is this record by the three
persons in the Godhead. God himself who dwells in the
highest heavens, constantly bearing this testimony, to the deity
of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the witness of God, which
He has testified of His Son, we're told here in verse 9. And
even after He has risen and ascended on high and entered into heaven
itself, and seated now at the right hand of the Majesty on
high, we see Him as that one who on the day of Pentecost sheds
abroad the Holy Spirit. Remember the preaching of the
Apostle Peter and what Peter says on that occasion to those
Jews and those proselytes gathered together there at Jerusalem for
the great Jewish feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks. Peter says,
Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed
abroad this which ye now see and hear. Oh, the Spirit is sent,
he sends the Spirit, and he sends the Spirit to bear record, to
bear witness to himself. Oh, there is, friends, this threefold
records in heaven, Father, Word and Holy Ghost, each of the persons
in the Godhead, each bearing their own distinct testimony
and witness to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ in his person
and in his work. And then finally here we see
the unity the unity of this witness. The end of the verse tells us
these three are one. They are one in their witness. What does the Lord of God say?
At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses
shall the matter be established. And the matter of Christ in his
person, Christ in his work, the matter of the gospel, and that
great salvation that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished here
upon the earth, is all established by this threefold witness. The threefold court, says the
preacher in Ecclesiastes, a threefold court is not easily broken. Oh, there's no breaking of this.
This is the testimony of God. The witness of God which hath
testified of His Son. Observe how the three are one.
It is the same witness that they bear. But of course, the three
are not only one in witness. We have to recognize the glorious
truth that the three persons in the Godhead are one in essence. Because God is not three, God
is one. Isn't that the great witness
that we see in the Old Testament Scripture? When God addresses
his ancient people, the children of Israel, Deuteronomy 6, 4. Here, O Israel, the Lord our
God is one Lord. We do not say that there are
three gods. There is one God, and that one
God is undivided and indivisible. And yet, here is the mystery
of the doctrine of God. The God who is one in essence,
is three in person. God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. How can we ever really grasp
that glorious truth? It is the first, it is the greatest
of all mysteries. It is the doctrine of God. To
comprehend the great three-one is more than highest angels can,
or what the Trinity has done, from death and hell to rescue
man. But all true Christians, this
may boast the truth from nature, never learnt that Father, Son
and Holy Ghost to save our souls are all concerned. It is the
Son, it is the Son who becomes man. It is not the Father, it
is not the Holy Spirit. It is God the Son who is incarnate. And yet, as we've seen the The
Father bears His witness. The Word, He bears His own witness.
The Holy Spirit bears His witness also. Oh, how the three persons
are there in all that great work of the Lord Jesus Christ. But
when we think of that salvation, in terms of the doctrine of God,
do we not see it was the Father who in the councils of eternity,
in the great covenant of Christ, that inter-Trinitarian covenant,
was the Father who made choice of the people. And he committed all the election
of Christ into the hands of his only begotten Son. And in that
covenant how the Son willingly becomes the servant of God. Behold, my servant whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him. In the fullness of the time,
God sends forth his Son, made of a woman made under the law.
Oh, it is the Son who as man comes to accomplish that great
work of redemption, to save sinners, to reconcile sinners to God.
That is the work of God the Son. executing what was purposed in
the councils of the Trinity, executing that that God the Father
had determined. And then, when the Lord Jesus
Christ on that day of Pentecost sheds abroad the Holy Spirit,
it is the Spirit who comes to make application of all that
the Son has done. That is the great work of the
Holy Spirit, how we need the Spirit today to come to open
our eyes, to open our understandings, to move our wills, to warm our
hearts. What is all preaching without
the Spirit of God? That blessed unction of the Spirit.
And John speaks here to these believers of the necessity of
that ministry. I love those verses that we have
back in the second chapter. There at verse 20 he says, you
have an unction. It's the same word as anointing.
You have an unction from the Holy One. And ye know all things. And then verse 27, the anointing. Which ye have received of Him
abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you. But as
the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth,
and is no lie. And even as He hath taught you,
ye shall abide in Him. or how we need it at ministry
of the Holy Spirit. We cannot comprehend these doctrines. There's mystery here. It's beyond
our human understanding, but all when the Spirit comes and
reveals these things, the greatness of that salvation, that salvation
that is of the Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And remember that when the sinner
is converted to God what is the path of obedience baptism? how the disciples are commanded
to go into all the worlds to preach the gospel to every creature and as that ministry is owned
and blessed of the Spirit of God and sinners are converted
they are to baptize baptizing them it says in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. And how significant
it is there in Matthew 28. It doesn't say in the names.
It's not in the plural. It's a singular. It's the name. And what is God's name? Baptizing
them in the name of the Father, of the Son. and of the Holy Ghost. Even in baptism, you see, there's
a confession of the doctrine of God. Three persons in one
Godhead. And now there is that witness
when we come to God in prayer. When Paul writes there in Ephesians,
Ephesians 2.18, he says we have access We have access to God. How do
we have access? He's speaking of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Through Him. He's speaking of
Jew and Gentile. He says through Him. We both
have access by one's spirit unto the Father. Oh, there we see
it, you see. The access is through Him. It's
through the Lord Jesus. He is the mediator. But it's
by the Spirit. Oh, we need the Spirit to come
to indict all real prayers. Our dependence upon the Spirit
when we pray to God. Through the Lord Jesus Christ
we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Oh, there is
that glorious meeting with the Father. There's that coming into
His very presence. There's the intimacy of that
address. We call upon Him as our Father, which art in heaven. And here, see how John speaks
of prayers later in the chapter. He says at verse 14, this is
the confidence that we have in Him, that is in the name of the
Son of God, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth
us, and if we know that He heareth us whatsoever thing we ask, we
know that we have the petitions that we desired, of Him. The blessing, you see, of this
witness, this testament that is born to God the Son, the One
by whom we can come into the very presence of God with our
prayers, with our requests, with our petitions, how we should
supplicate that throne of grace with such boldness and confidence
when we come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But then Paul doesn't just speak of the
blessing of the Trinity with regards to our prayers. Why in the Lord Jesus Christ
there is a blessed union, is there not? He has raised us up together,
Paul says, and made us sit together in the heavenly places. in Christ
Jesus. All believers are those who have
favoured them to come into the very courts of heaven, to be
raised above the things of time and of sense, to be shot here,
and all that we might know it as we come together, Lord's Day
by Lord's Day. What do we anticipate as we come
into the services? Just a handful of people. But
we want to know some earnest of heaven. Some anticipation
of that place where congregations near break up, where Sabbaths
have no end. That place where God is worshipped
day and night in His temple. That's heaven. And we are to
be those who desire that we might be sitting together in those
heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, even though we are here upon
the earth in the midst of many trials and troubles. Oh, how
Job, that remarkable man knew. Oh, how God sorely tested that
man. How Satan was let loose, in a
sense, upon that man. Under the sovereign hand of God,
yes. But you know the story of Job and all the great losses
that that man sustained. And all the afflictions that
came upon his own body. And yet, what does Job say in
the midst of all these things? Behold, he says, my witness is
in heaven. My record is on high. Oh, there's
a witness in heaven, you see. And that was Job's comfort in
the midst of all these tribulations. His witness in heaven, his record
on high. It's the witness of God, the
Trinity of persons. As we have it here in our text
this morning, there are three that bear record in heaven. The
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. Now, God willing, we'll go on
this evening to consider the following verse, that witness
that is in the earth. For the Lord blessed to us his
word this morning. Amen. I'll conclude in hymn. This morning
is a hymn Number 36. 34. 34, I beg your pardon, that's
my vein. Hymn number 34, the tune is Old
Hundredth. Old Hundredth. To comprehend
the great three, one is more than highest angels can, or what
the Trinity has done from death and hell to ransom man. But all
true Christians this may boast, The truth from nature never learned
that Father, Son and Holy Ghost to save our souls are all concerned
in Mother 34.