First John Chapter 5 First John Chapter 5 Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God Anyone who believes that Jesus
of Nazareth accomplished all that the Scriptures declare Messiah
must accomplish, that he fulfilled all that was written of Messiah
in the Old Testament Scriptures. He's born of God. And everyone
that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of
him. If you love the Redeemer, you love the redeemed. By this
we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and
keep his commandments. When you believe on the Son of
God, by this you know that you love the children of God. For
this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and that you love one another. And
this is the easiest life in this world. This is the sweetest life
in this world. This is the most unburdened life
in this world. That's the meaning of the next
word. And his commandments are not grievous. There's nothing
about this, the church, nothing about the life of faith in Christ
Jesus. That's hard to bear. Nothing
about the life of faith in Christ Jesus that is contrary to the
heaven-born soul. His commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world. And this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith. This is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith. Verse 5. 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 by water only, but by water
and blood, and it is the Spirit that beareth witness. bears witness
that Jesus Christ came by water and by blood because the spirit
is truth. For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the father, the word and the Holy ghost.
And these three are one. Triune God, God, the father,
God, the son by whom God is revealed in the Trinity of his persons
in the glory of his being. and God the Holy Spirit. These
three are one. Verse eight. And there are three
that bear witness in earth, the spirit and the water and the
blood. And these three agree in one. The witness of the spirit and
the witness of the water and the witness of the blood upon
the earth agree in one. Read on, verse nine. If we receive
the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is
the witness of God, which he 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. And this is the record. that
God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his
son. He that hath the son hath life,
and he that hath not the son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the son of God, that ye may
know that ye have eternal life. and that you may believe on the
name of the Son of God. My text is verse 8, 1 John 5,
verse 8. The title of my message is The
Spirit and the Water and the Blood. The witness of God given
to us in the spirit, in the water, and in the blood. The witness
of God is actually performed. The work of God is actually performed
by the blood, by his word and by his spirit. But as we experience
his grace, we're first born again by God, the Holy Spirit. Then
we are cleansed by the word, by the washing of the water of
the word. And then the blood is sprinkled
to our hearts in the experience of grace. In verse 7, back up
there if you will for just a moment, John declares the united testimony
of the triune God in heaven of redemption accomplished by the
blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus. There are three that
bear record in heaven, the father who received his son, the word
who by his own blood entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us. And the Holy Ghost, who
is sent forth from heaven in the power of God, giving salvation
to all the redeemed. And these three are one. But here in verse 8, the Apostle
is talking about something that goes on on the earth. Here he
gives us the unified testimony of God's witness in the gospel. There are three that bear witness
in earth, the spirit and the water and the blood, and these
three agree in one. Another clear indication that
John's intention in verse seven is to declare the persons of
the Godhead as three distinct persons in one glorious Godhead. For there, he says, these three
are one. These three, Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, these three are one. He's talking about a witness.
He could just as well have said, and if he had not intended to
make us understand, he's talking about three persons in one Godhead,
he would have said, these three agree in one. But his intention
is to make us know that God is one in the Trinity of his sacred
persons. And now he speaks of the witness
on earth, the spirit and the water and the blood. And he says,
these three agree in one. They all agree in the testimony,
in the testimony of God concerning the person and work of Christ.
The spirit of God by the word of the gospel bears witness that
Jesus is the Christ. Now, this is fundamental. It is the essential point of
gospel preaching. The spirit of God speaking by
the gospel through God's servants makes known to men upon the earth
who Christ is and what he accomplished. God, the Holy Spirit, bears witness
through the preaching of the word that Jesus is the Christ. Now this is how that witness
is born, by identifying clearly what the scriptures declare Christ
must be and do. and by showing clearly from the
scriptures what Jesus Christ is and has done. We bear witness
to Jesus Christ in the faithful proclamation of the gospel declaring
that he by himself accomplished eternal redemption in the sacrifice
of himself. That he by himself put away our
sins by the sacrifice of himself. That he by himself brought in
everlasting salvation. He did it all exactly as God
said he would do. He came into the world to save
his people from their sins and he accomplished what he came
here to do. Any other notion of a Christ... I want to say this so clearly.
I want to say this so you will hear me. I want to say this so
the world will hear me. Any other notion of a Christ,
idea that he tries to do, or wants to do, or strives to do,
what he fails to do, is to declare that Jesus of Nazareth is not
God, the Christ of God. People talk about Universal Redemption
and they Mock and laugh at us and declare the gospel doctrine
of limited atonement Let me tell you something. Let me tell you
something. If Jesus Christ died for folks who are in hell He's
not God That's just exactly right If
Jesus Christ tried to redeem folks who are not redeemed, he
is not God. If he tries to save anyone who's
not saved, he is not God. But the scriptures declare, he
who is Jehovah's righteous servant shall not fail. He accomplishes
everything he desires, everything he intends, everything he came
here to do. All of God's children bear witness
to Christ by their confession of the gospel in the waters of
believers' baptism. I want you to look at a couple
of passages with me. Turn back to Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter
6. Now you'll hear folks talk about,
is this talking about water baptism or spirit baptism? The only baptism
spoken of in this book is water baptism. People who talk about
spirit baptism have no idea what they're talking about. The spirit
of God never baptized anybody. Christ baptized his church into
the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost manifestly, as he said
he would do. It was a one-time act. Romans
chapter 6 is talking about believers' baptism. Look at what it says
here in verse 4. Therefore, we are buried with
him by baptism. The only way you can baptize
anybody is to bury them. Sloshing a little water on their
face isn't baptizing them. Sprinkling some water on their
head isn't baptizing them. Pouring water over them isn't
baptizing them. The only way you can baptize
somebody is to bury them. Therefore, we are buried with
him by baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of his death, as we most certainly have been
crucified with Christ, we shall be also in the likeness of his
resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man
is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin. We're baptized because
Christ commands it. We're baptized because we know
something. Being born of God and taught
of God, we understand that we died with Christ who put away
our sins, and we live with him now and shall live with him forever
in resurrection glory. And being commanded of him to
be baptized, we follow the Lord in his example in believers'
baptism. All right, now turn to Matthew
chapter 3. I'll catch up with you in just
a minute. The people of God also bear witness to Christ, showing
forth the Lord's death and drinking the blood of the Lord's Supper.
These two ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper are like
the cherubs over the mercy seat looking to one another. The burial
of our bodies in water in baptism portrays the fulfillment of all
righteousness in the accomplishment of redemption by our Redeemer.
By the remembrance of our Lord Jesus in the Lord's Supper, we
remember that which he accomplished. Baptism represents it and portrays
it. The Lord's Supper is the remembrance
of it. Now look here in Matthew chapter
3. Here, Matthew is describing for us our Lord's baptism. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee
to Jordan. Did you ever stop to consider
what a long walk that was? The Lord Jesus walked 60 miles. He walked 60 miles. to confess
this confession of baptism. Now watch what it says. Then
cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John for this purpose,
to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying,
I need to be baptized of thee. And comest thou to me? And Jesus
answering, said unto him, suffer it to be so now. For thus it
becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. By this ordinance, he says we
will symbolically fulfill all righteousness. Not that being
buried in the waters of baptism will make you righteous. It's sad that folks believe that
nonsense, but it's laughable that they choose to. Who on this
earth could ever imagine that being dipped in a little water,
or having a little water sprinkled on you when they call that baptism,
has anything to do with making you righteous? No, no, no, no,
no, no, no. But it portrays it. Baptism,
immersion in water, portrays the fulfillment of righteousness
by Christ our substitute, who died in our stead, was buried,
and rose again. All right? Suffer to be so now,
for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. And John said,
OK. Then he suffered him. And Jesus,
when he was baptized, when he was immersed, went up straightway
out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened
unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven saying,
this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. So that in
the portrayal of redemption accomplished by our crucified substitute,
God Almighty says, listen, heaven and earth, this is my son in
whom I'm well pleased. Now, as baptism confesses redemption
accomplished, the Lord's Supper remembers it. And he describes
the Lord's Supper this way in 1 Corinthians 10. Is it not the
communion of the blood of Christ? So clearly, the passage we're
looking at has some connection with these blessed gospel ordinances.
I stress this in this message. Because I warn us never to think
that the ordinances of the gospel are insignificant. By these things,
we give witness to one another, and give witness to our sons
and daughters, and give witness to the world, and give witness
to God that Christ is indeed the Redeemer. That redemption
is indeed accomplished. that we belong to him. I try every time I am sitting
where you sit and had the blessed privilege of seeing another baptized
and every time I baptize one of you upon your request because
God saved you by his grace. Consciously, I try. to speak to God in my soul as
I speak to you and declare, God, I believe that Jesus is the Christ. I'm redeemed by his blood. I
belong to you. And as we take the Lord's table
every Sunday evening and take the bread and wine by the communion
of the blood of Christ, I try consciously to remember what
Christ has done for us in the shedding of his blood, in the
accomplishment of our redemption. Don't ever take the ordinances
of the gospel lightly. Don't ever take them lightly.
We come to the Lord's table. If I were you, I'd make it my
business to be here. You who have been saved by God's
grace, if I were you, I'd make it my business to confess the
Redeemer in baptism. Don't take these things lightly.
By these things, we identify ourselves with Christ, his gospel,
his kingdom, and his calls in this world. Throughout this chapter,
John was inspired by God the Holy Spirit to give us reason
upon reason upon reason for assurance before God. Throughout the chapter,
he is verifying true faith in Christ Jesus. So I want us to
focus our thoughts on this eighth verse, where the great apostle,
inspired by God the Holy Ghost, tells us how God himself stamps
assurance upon the hearts of heaven-born sinners. How God
the Spirit stamps redemption accomplished upon the hearts
of all who believe on his son. In verse seven, God's witness
is for us in heaven of redemption accomplished. In verse eight,
it is God's witness in us living upon the earth. The title of
my message is the spirit and the water and the blood. And
as you have begun to grasp, I expect by now, I really like for titles
to be my outline when I can. You follow the title, you'll
follow the outline. The Spirit, and the Water, and
the Blood. And there are three that bear
witness in earth, the Spirit, and the Water, and the Blood,
and these three agree in one. Let's look at these. First, John
tells us that the Spirit, the Spirit, not the spirit of man,
the spirit of God, God, the Holy Spirit bears witness in us. He bears witness in the earth
and without question, he does this in many, many ways in this
world. He, he's given us his word. And
by this, he bears witness of Christ and redemption accomplished.
In the very inspiration of the word, as I tried to show you
last week, this is a standing miracle. In his preservation,
he has preserved this book for us from every imaginable attack
of hell. From every assault from folks
who who are sworn enemies to God and folks who pretend to
be the friends of God attacking the word It's still preserved
for us all these years later Preserved intact the revelation
of God and he bears witness to God by the preaching of this
word continually but in this verse of scripture here in first
John 5 8 and It seems obvious to me that John is talking about
God's witness in our hearts, in the hearts of his elect on
the earth. He's talking about the basis
and cause of assurance, assured faith, assured hope, assured
knowledge, assured understanding. So that by the witness of God,
the spirit, God's saints, by living in this world, are able
to live and walk in that which is described by God as the full
assurance of hope, the full assurance of understanding, the full assurance
of faith, the full assurance of hope, the
full assurance of understanding, the full assurance of faith.
Somebody asked me a long time ago, how can you Preach with
such dogmatism. Preach with such dogmatism. And
my answer is because I believe what God's written in his word.
It's been written on my heart. And he said to me, but what if
down the road you might change your mind? And that's not going
to change my mind. But what if you discover something
else? That's not going to discover
something else. He's asking you to be so sure because I'm not
looking for anything. I'm not looking for anything.
I have absolute confidence in what I declare to you. It's been
sealed to my heart by God the Holy Spirit in His Word. Now
how is it that He does this? How does God by His Word, by
the Spirit of God, bear witness in us that we're born of God? Look at chapter 5, verse 6. It
is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
In Romans chapter 8, verse 16, the Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God. Now how does
he do that? For the sake of brevity, and
I try to be brief when I can, believe it or not, let me give
you the message, and you look at the scriptures on your own.
He bears witness with our spirit by the blessed work of Holy Spirit
conviction. When the comforters come, he
convinces us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Convinces us
not Tells us that this is done not tells us that that we're
sinners and that and that Christ Performed righteousness and judgments
over no no no I've been telling some of you that for 30 years
34 years and You still don't believe it You still don't believe
it because I can't convince you I can't convince you ah But if
God the Holy Spirit speaks by his word in your soul, you will
leave here tonight convinced, convinced of your sin, and convinced
of perfect righteousness in a substitute, and convinced that judgment is
over. If God speaks to you, if God
seals it to your heart, if God doesn't do it, you'll never be
convinced. How is it that the Spirit of God bears witness with
our spirits that we're the sons of God? He bears witness by the
gift of faith in Jesus Christ, revealing the love of God for
our souls in us, the perfecting of God's love in us. This is
how God's love is made perfect in us. This is how we are made
perfect in love. This is how we perfect holiness
in the fear of God, believing on the Son of God. So that God,
the Holy Spirit, sheds abroad in our hearts the knowledge of
the love of God when he gives us faith in Christ. Learned to sing like all little
boys learn to sing most all of them do Jesus loves me this I
know for the Bible tells me so and One of the one day I found
out the song was a lie Then there was a lie to me Because
until you believe on the Son of God you've got no notion of
a reason to believe that God loves you The wrath of God's
revealed against you not the love of God But one day, I found
out that the God of glory loves me in the revelation of his son. And now I can sing with the delight
of a heaven-born child, Jesus loves me, this I know, for the
Bible tells me so. And I know it because he's revealed
his love in me. Give me faith in his son. How
is it that God, the Holy Spirit, witnesses of redemption accomplished
for us? Redemption accomplished for us.
In the new birth, he comes and causes the heaven-born soul to
confidently look to heaven and call God his father. Abba Father. Abba Father. I tried, didn't you? I tried
to address God as my Father. I tried to pray, and I would
repeat the Lord's Prayer, Our Father which art in Heaven. I
tried to call God my Father, but I couldn't have any notion
that God's my Father until I found Christ my Redeemer. And when
God the Spirit gives faith in Christ now through Jesus Christ,
this sinful man lifts his heart to heaven and says, God is my
father. And I speak to God as my father. How is it that the Holy Spirit
witnesses with our spirits that we're the children of God? Turn
to Hebrews chapter nine. Let me show you. I want you to
look at this one. Hebrews chapter nine. He sprinkles our hearts and purges
our consciences from dead works by the sprinkling of the blood
of Christ. Hebrews chapter nine, verse 11. Christ being come in
high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands. That is to say, not in this building.
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood,
by his own blood, by the merit of his own blood, by the efficacy
of his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls
and of goats and the ash of an heifer sprinkling the unclean
sanctify to the purifying of the flesh. That is, if a man
comes to worship God and he has these ceremonial purifications
sprinkled on him so that now this man in the flesh is able
to come in the flesh into the tabernacle or into the temple
and do service about the holy things. If that's the case, how
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God. How dared Aaron to go in the
Holy of Holies? How dare he go in? How dare he
go in? into that place where God said
no man can come except my high priest whom I have named with
the blood that I have ordained on the day that I've decreed
he alone. If you come any way except this
way any time except this time with any fire except my fire
I'll kill you in that place. And after Aaron saw his sons
slaughtered by God in the holy place You know what Aaron did
next Passover day? He walked right back in there.
How dare he do so? Because his conscience was perfectly
clean ceremonially. I've got the fire God ordained.
I've got the blood God ordained. I've got the mercy seat God ordained.
I've got the incense God ordained. I've got the garments God ordained.
I'm on the day God ordained. At the time God ordained, I'm
going into the holy place. Why shouldn't God accept me,
he might say? Why shouldn't God accept me?
I've got everything he gave me. And everything he requires of
me. And he walked in. All right, now watch Paul's reasoning.
Watch his reasoning. How much more? How much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered
himself without spot to God, purge your conscience? from dead
works to serve the living God. How is it you come to God? What
is it that gives you peace in access to God? What is it that
allows you to speak to God confidently and lift your heart to heaven
confidently and pour out your soul to God confidently and expect
God to be merciful confidently? I've got everything God requires,
my conscience says so. Everything he gave. Look at chapter
10, Hebrews 10 verse 19. Having therefore, brethren, boldness
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the
veil, that is to say, his flesh, and having a high priest over
the house of God, Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. How is it that
the Spirit of God bears witness in the earth with our spirits
that Jesus is the Christ and that we're born of God, that
our faith in him is real? In Ephesians 1, Paul speaks about
the seal of the Spirit. Giving us faith in Christ, God
the Holy Spirit seals to our hearts all the blessings of the
covenant. Now, they were given to us before
the world began. They were bestowed upon us in
Christ before the world began. just exactly as all the blessings
of God upon the nation of Israel throughout the Old Testament
era were given at one time to one man named Abraham. They were
given just to Abraham, just to Abraham and his seed in him. So all Abraham's sons were circumcised
the eighth day in the flesh. And by that sign of circumcision,
those boys grew up knowing they're Jews, knowing they are of Israel,
knowing we have the promises of God. How do you know? Because
I've been circumcised. I'm Abraham's son. Now, in the
new covenant, in the house of the spiritual Israel, in Abraham's
true seed. There is another circumcision
made without hands in our hearts by God, the Holy Spirit, and
by circumcision experienced in the soul. Oh, bless God. I know I'm one of God's chosen,
one of his covenant people to whom he's given every blessing
of grace. And then John speaks in our text
of the water, the water, 1 John 5 verse 8. Now there's a lot
of debate about what the word water means here and debate among
Good faithful men, they have strong differences. Some say
the word is representative of the Holy Spirit. Others say it's
representative of baptism. Others say it is representative
of the word of God. And in fact, it is used in the
scriptures in all three of those ways. The word water is used
to represent God. The Holy Spirit is a well of
living water springs up in our souls and everlasting life. It
is used with reference to the waters of baptism as our Lord
Jesus came to be baptized to John in the river Jordan. And
we are baptized with water by faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
And it is used with regard to the word of God as we have the
washing of the water by the word in the new birth. But because
our text is speaking specifically about the witness of God in us,
it seems to me the word water here must principally refer not
to something outward but to something inward. It's referring to the
word of God sealed to our souls by God the Holy Spirit in the
experience of grace. By the preaching of the gospel,
God the Holy Spirit makes the word effectual for the washing
of our souls. You remember in the Old Testament,
standing in front of the tabernacle before anyone could go in to
do business with God in the holy place, before anyone could come
and approach God to worship him or serve him. The priest must
go and bathe themselves in that laver of brass so that they would
be sanctified, clean, holy, going in to worship God. They come
in with a blood sacrifice and they come in with a sanctifying
washing. It portrayed what John's talking
about here, the cleansing of our souls experimentally. Now, please understand what I'm
saying. Our faith in Christ, Larry, does
not cleanse us from sin. Our experience of the new birth
does not cleanse us from sin. But you can't know anything about
it apart from that. You understand that? Christ put
away our sins. It's his work alone. It is not
the work of the Holy Spirit to put sin away. He simply takes
the things of Christ and shows them to us in the experience
of grace. So that he's talking here about
grace known experimentally. The child of God, when he's born
again, is washed. Washed in the blood of Christ
by the word turn back to Titus chapter 3 Titus chapter 3 Skip down to verse 4 After that
the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared
not by works of righteousness, which we have done. You could
never get peace in your soul by your good works. But according to his mercy, he
saved us, had to do that by the washing of regeneration, by the
washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Which he shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior that being justified by his grace
We should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life Now
Paul sheds a little light on what he's talking about here
when he says that Christ Jesus Sanctifies his church. You can
read it Ephesians 5 26 By the washing of water by the
word so that God the Holy Spirit, by the word applied, bathes our
souls in the precious blood of God's darling son, and we are
sanctified in the new birth. And thus, God bears witness that
Jesus is the Christ, and that our faith in him is real. And then third, the beloved apostle
tells us that the blood witnesses in our souls, in our hearts,
as God's own testimony in us that we're born of God. In Zechariah 12, he says he'll
pour out the spirit of supplications upon his people. And we'll look
on him whom we've pierced, mourn for him whom we've pierced. And
then in chapter 13, in that day, In that day when I pour out My
Spirit on you, in that day when I come to you
in the mighty operations of My grace, in that day when I give
you life and cause you to supplicate My throne, in that very day a fountain shall be opened in the
house of David. and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
for sin and for uncleanness. We plunge into the fountain,
filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners,
vile and filthy, are washed in the blood of Christ. Washed how? and our sins were put away 2,000
years ago. But oh, how dirty, how dirty,
how dirty we are by nature. How dirty our consciences were
with guilt before God until the fountain was opened and we were
called by God's marvelous grace to supplicate him for mercy and
he graciously plunged us into the fountain of the Savior's
blood. And now God speaks in my soul and says not guilty. God speaks
by his word and says there's no condemnation to them that
are in Christ Jesus. Who are they? To them who won't
not after the flesh. after the rudiments of the world,
after the works of the flesh, after fleshly religion, but to
them who walk in the Spirit, to them who believe on the Son
of God. Now look at our text one more
time, and I'll send you home with this good news. And there are three that bear
record or bear witness in earth The Spirit, God the Comforter,
and the Word, the blessed testimony of God
stamped on our hearts, and the blood, the blood splinking our
consciences. Now watch this. And these three
agree in one. These three are in perfect agreement. in perfect agreement. God, the
Spirit, speaking in our souls. God, given the testimony of his
word, speaking in our souls. God, the Son, by his blood, speaking
in our souls. The blood and the word and the
spirit all agree, Jesus is the Christ. And believe in him, you're
born of God. Believe in Him. Go home rejoicing. This is life in Jesus Christ
the Lord. Amen.