I've entitled this message, Blood
and Water. Look at 1 John 5, 6, once again. This is he that came by water
and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water
and blood. And it's the spirit that beareth
witness. This is what he bears witness
to because the spirit is truth. When he bears witness to you,
you know it's the truth. Verse eight, and there are three
that bear witness in earth where we're at right now, the spirit
and the water and the blood. And these three agree in one. Now, I read as many commentaries
as I could on this passage of scripture, and I was surprised
that most of them, actually all of them, said this is a reference
to the baptism of the Lord and the Lord's table. Now, would
you have ever thought that? I wouldn't have. It seems evident
to me that he was speaking of that passage of scripture I just
read from John chapter 19. Would you turn back there? When Jesus therefore, verse 30,
had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. I think that's so powerful. He
gave death permission to come and take him. It couldn't happen
until he let it happen. But he gave death the permission
to come and take him. Don't you love the way the Lord's
in control of everything? Nothing happens without him. But he really
died. Now you wanna talk about something
that is way beyond us being able to grasp. The God-man died. He who is life died. And we know why he died. The
sins of God's elect became his sins, and he became guilty before
God. And he was punished for sin and
died. The soul that sinneth shall surely
die. He said, it is finished. And
he gave up the ghost. Verse 31. The Jews, therefore,
because it was the preparation, they were getting prepared for
the Passover. that the body should not remain
upon the cross on the Sabbath day, for that Sabbath day was
a high day. They couldn't have men hanging
on the cross on the Passover. They besought Pilate that their
legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. Now, if their legs, this is what
I've read, if your legs are broken, you're going to die quicker.
somehow you would hold yourself up and it would keep you from
suffocating. And then when you, the legs were
broken, you could no longer hold yourself up and you would suffocate. And that's why they wanted that
done because they didn't want these men hanging on the cross
on such a high Sabbath day. That's kind of ironic, isn't
it? I don't know if that's the right word, but it's ridiculous. I mean, they murdered the son
of God, but let's keep the Sabbath the way it ought to be kept. Verse 32, then came the soldiers
and break the legs of the first and of the other, which was crucified
with him. These men were obeying orders,
doing what they wanted to do. But they did not know that an
unseen hand was directing their every step and every move. Because when they come to the
Lord Jesus Christ, it almost appears like they broke the legs
of one, bypassed Christ, broke the legs of the other, then came
back to the middle and saw that he was already dead. Verse 33, when they came to Jesus
and saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs. Now,
they didn't know that the scripture says a bone of him shall not
be broken. They didn't know that, but they
thought, why break them when he's already dead? But one of
the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, just like Zechariah
12 says will take place. With a spear they pierced his
side and forthwith came there out blood and water. Now, there's a physiological
reason for that. I don't know how to explain it.
I've read it. The doctors here could explain
that, but somehow if you get pierced in the heart, there's
a sack of water around. I don't know. I almost hate to
say anything about it because I don't know. but a mixture came
out. It wasn't two streams. It was
blood and water mixed together. And there's a physiological reason
behind it, but this is highly symbolic. This was done so that
you and I could plainly see that justification and sanctification
both come from the cross. That's the purpose of this. It's
to teach us that justification and sanctification both come
through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the
scripture that Toplaty had in mind when he said, rock of ages,
cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee, let the water and the
blood from thy riven side which flowed, be of sin the double
cure, save from wrath, and make me pure. That's what the blood
and water signifies. Now this is what God, the Holy
Spirit bears witness to. And you can tell if a man has
the spirit of God by what he bears witness to. If he has the
spirit of God, he's going to bear witness. Something God's
taught him that he believes to the spirit and to the blood. Now this is seen throughout the
Old Testament scriptures and preachers that don't know the
gospel, they are going to say justification comes from the
blood. One sided. But sanctification,
you and God work together. He gives you grace and by works
of obedience, you will become more and more sanctified and
less and less sinful. And that's actually the basic
teaching of most preachers. Justification comes from the
cross, but sanctification comes through your own works and your
own acts of obedience whereby you become more holy and less
sinful, more pleasing to God. Justification is complete, sanctification
is partial, and it's up to you to do something to complete it
and make it better. Now in the Old Testament tabernacle,
two things were needed before the priest could enter the tabernacle. What was it? Blood and water. The altar, with the sacrifice,
the blood sacrifice. And then before he could enter
in after that, he would have to wash in the laver of water. Blood and water. Now, blood from the altar, justification,
being washed in water with the laver, sanctification. And while justification and sanctification
are different, they cannot be separated. There are two sides
of the same sheet of paper. Now justification is me standing
before God without guilt. If you're justified, that means
you didn't do anything. You don't have any sin to be
charged with. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect God justified me. And this is what happens.
God declares me to be not guilty because through the blood, my
sin was put away, paid for, and now I stand before God's holy
law without guilt. Right now, I have no guilt. That's what justification is.
A perfect standing before the law of God. I never sinned. I
never sinned. Sanctification is the new nature, a holy nature,
a nature that was given in the new birth. Look at these scriptures
John gives. Hold your finger there in John
19. Turn back to our text in first John. Now, every believer has a holy
nature. You don't do things to become
holy. You're given a holy nature and regeneration. 1 John 2, verse
29. If you know that he is righteous,
you know that, don't you? He is righteous. The Lord Jesus
Christ is altogether righteous. Every believer knows that. If
you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone that doeth
righteousness is born of him. Now what is this thing of the
doing of righteousness? It's the doing of righteousness.
It's the actions of the new man. Now, the old man sees nothing
but sin in him. I realize that if you can look
at something and say, well, that was righteous that I did. You've
missed it altogether. You know this by faith, but every
believer has a righteous nature, a holy nature where there's the
doing of righteousness. That's the nature that loves
God. The old man doesn't love God. The new man loves God. The
old man doesn't care anything about pleasing God. The new man
does. That's the doing of righteousness.
Look in 1 John chapter three, verse nine. Whosoever is born
of God doth not commit sin. I grow weary of hearing people
say, that means he doesn't practice sin. You know, why would somebody say that?
Do you not practice sin? Of course you do. Well, sin's
not the bent and tenor of his life. Oh, are you like that?
Nobody is. That's not talking about not
practicing sin. I don't want to practice sin.
We don't want to sin. We hate sin. We want to be holy. We want to be perfect. We want
to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. But that does not say
that that one that is born of God does not practice sin. It
says he doesn't commit sin, period. That which is born of God cannot
sin. It's holy. Can God sin? Can Christ
sin? Can God the Holy Spirit sin?
Nor can that which is born of God sin. It doth not commit sin. Look what he goes on to say.
And he cannot sin. He lacks the ability to sin because
he's born of God. Now that's known by faith. It's
not known by experience, it's known by faith. God's word says
this concerning every believer and we believe it, don't we?
Don't experience it as far as, well, no sin in that action,
but we believe it because God's word tells us it's so. 1 John 4, verse 7. Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God and everyone that loveth. is born of God and
knoweth God. Everybody that loves God, everybody
that loves his brother, there's one reason. He's born of God. He's been birthed by God. And
he knows God. Look in chapter five, verse one.
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Do you believe that Jesus is
the Christ? Do you believe that he is God's
word, God's prophet, God's message? Do you believe that he's God's
priest, and if he represents you before the Father, you must
be saved? Do you believe He's God's King
in absolute sovereign control over everything? And you need
Him to be so to cause Him, for Him to cause you to be new, to
be saved, to be birthed, to believe the Gospel. You need His sovereign
reigning commands as King to do that. Whoever believes that
Jesus is the Christ, do you? Beloved, I do. I do. Doesn't say whoever sees evidences
in his own life and has works that makes him think he's saved.
No, says nothing like that. What do you believe concerning
Christ? Verse four of chapter five, whatsoever
is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh
the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God. You believe he's the Son of God?
You know, I do. I really, I believe he's God
the Son. I believe he's the creator of the universe. I believe he's
the second person of the blessed Trinity, the eternal Son of God. And this scripture tells me that
if I believe that, it's because I'm born of God. Verse 18, we know that whosoever
is born of God sinneth not. He's already said that, you don't
sin. But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that
wicked one toucheth him not. Now how is it that we keep ourselves?
Well, John 7 says that in every believer, speaking of the Holy
Spirit, there's a well, a fountain that never goes dry. And what that means is, is we
never run out of gas. We always have God the Holy Spirit
and therefore we're always kept. We do not run out of gas. We always have a full tank in
God the Holy Spirit. And so that man keeps himself. Now a man wrote me once and he
said, what in the world does sanctification have to do with
the atonement of Christ? Everything. Hebrews 10.10, by the witch will
we are sanctified once for all through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10.14, wherefore he hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified. Now this is also
seen in the cleansing of the leper. Would you turn to Leviticus
chapter 14? Verse one. And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his
cleansing. He shall be brought unto the
priest, and the priest shall go forth out of the camp. And
the priest shall look, and behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed
in the leper, then shall the priest command to take for him
that it should be cleansed two birds, alive and clean, and cedarwood
and scarlet. and hyssop, and the priests shall
command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel
over running water." That blood and that water is going to be
mixed together. As for the living bird, he shall
take it and the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop and
shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird
that was killed over the running water and he shall sprinkle upon
him that's to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times. Perfection. And shall pronounce him clean
and shall let the living bird loose into the open field. Now let's think about this leper.
Look back in chapter 13. Verse 12, if a leprosy, if a leprosy break out abroad
in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that
hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wherewith soever
the priest looketh, then the priest shall consider and behold,
if the leprosy have covered all his flesh. That means there's
not one square inch clean. Not one square inch clean. What
about that man? He shall pronounce him clean
that hath the plague. Now you go on reading the man
who had some healthy flesh, raw flesh, quick flesh. You can look
at him and see some things that were okay. Back to the leopard
colony. He's unclean. He's defiled. But someone like that leper who
came to Christ in Luke that said he's full of leprosy, full, to
where all you could see was sores, nothing but sin. He's clean. Isn't that amazing? He's clean. And look at the law
for him. It's about blood and water. Verse four, chapter 14. Then
shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed
two birds, alive and clean, and cedarwood, strength, scarlet,
blood. It would come from the crushing
of the worm and it would end up, that's what they used to
dye things, but it represents blood. And hyssop, what was used
to apply the blood in the Passover? Hyssop, the strength, the blood. and the application of the blood,
and the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed
in an earthen vessel over running water, and in that earthen vessel,
you're gonna have blood, you're gonna have water. And that bird
is to be dipped into that, then that taken and sprinkled on the
man seven times, signifying perfection, and the bird, the living bird
is set free. Now there we have the blood and
water mixed just like it came out of our Lord's side. Turn
with me to the book of Zechariah. That's the second to last book
in the Old Testament. Chapter 12. Verse nine. And it shall come
to pass in that day that I'll seek to destroy all the nations
that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house
of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace
and of supplications. And they shall look upon me whom
they have pierced. That's why the soldier pierced
his side. It was ordered by God that he
do it. And they shall look upon me whom
they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth
for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one
that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Now look down in chapter
13, verse 1. In that day, that day that he
was pierced, in that day there shall be a fountain open, to
the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for
sin and for uncleanness. Sin, the blood. Uncleanness,
the water. A fountain open for sin and uncleanness. Now back to John chapter 19. And you know, that's where we
get the Song, there is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from
Emmanuel's veins. And sinners plunge beneath that
flood, lose all their guilty stains. The dying thief rejoiced
to see that fountain in his day. And there may I, though vile
as he, wash all my sins away. Now I want us to notice John's
comment after this took place. Verse 35. And he that saw it
bear record. And his record is true. And he
knoweth that he saith is true that you might believe. And this is why I'm bearing record
to blood and water coming out of the side of the Lord Jesus
Christ that you might believe. Believe what? That all of your salvation came
out of his pure side. That there's nothing for you
to do to complete. That all your salvation comes from the cross. It's not go to Mount Calvary
for justification and go back to Mount Sinai, the law for sanctification. It's because of the blood we
are sanctified once for all. Chosen, the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world, sanctified once for all through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ. Now, the reason we're given the
Spirit, the reason we're sanctified is because of His blood. Out
of His side flowed water and blood. Christ is our sanctification. Christ is our justification.
And John says, I saw this. I'm bearing witness to it, that
you might believe. Now, believe what? That Christ
is all in justification. That Christ is all in sanctification. That your sanctification is not
a cooperative effort between you and God. It all comes from
the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now back to 1 John 5. Verse 6, this is He, the Lord
Jesus, that came by water and blood. Even Jesus Christ, not
by water only, but by water and blood, and it's the Spirit that
beareth witness. This is what He bears witness
to. And if I have the Spirit of God, this is going to be my
message. If you have the Spirit of God, this is what you're going
to believe. He bears witness to the sufficiency
of the cross of Christ in all things. When God the Holy Spirit
bears witness to you, you know it's the truth. You know it's
the truth. And you know there is a complete
salvation in Christ. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him. Your sanctification is not partial,
and there's works you need to perform to work it out and make
it better. No, you are complete. Every aspect of salvation comes
from the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1, verse
30. Of Him are you in Christ Jesus,
who of God, not of you and God, but who of God, is made unto
us. Listen to the strength of that
language. He's made unto us wisdom. righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. Now any belief contrary to that
didn't come from the Holy Spirit. He's not the spirit of error,
he's the spirit of truth. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
10. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 15, whereof the Holy Ghost
also is a witness to us. Look in verse 1 of this same
chapter. And this is what the Holy Ghost bears witness to,
for the law having a shadow of good things to come, just a shadow,
not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices
which they offered year by year continually make the comings
therein too perfect. For then would they not have
ceased to be offered if they ever did anything? If they actually
put away sin, they wouldn't have to have a repetition of these
sacrifices. Because if the worshippers once
purged, should have had no more conscience of sins, but in those
sacrifices, there's a remembrance again made of sins every year
For it's not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should
take away sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into
the world, he saith, Sacrifice an offering thou wouldst not,
but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come. In the volume of the book it's
written of me to do thy will, O God. Above, when he said sacrifices
and offering and burnt offerings and offerings for sin, thou wouldest
not, neither hadst pleasure therein, which are offered by the law.
Then said he, lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away
the first, that first covenant, that he may establish the second.
By the witch will, by God's will, we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Perfectly repeated. never to
be perfectly completed, never to be repeated. And every priest
standeth daily, ministering, offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins. Their work was never
done, that's why they were standing, but this man. After he'd offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. And this is what the Holy Ghost
bears witness to. For after that he said before, this is the covenant
that I'll make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I'll
put my laws in their hearts and in their minds will I write them.
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now
where remission of these is, there's no more offering for
sin. Don't dare try to bring one. Having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest, not by your efforts and your
sincerity, but by the blood of Jesus. That's the only place there's
boldness. By the blood of Jesus. Verse 20, by anew. That means
freshly slaughtered. You know, it's scary and amazing how I could
hear of the blood of Christ and of the gospel and not just be
smitten every time I heard it. It's amazing how hard hearted
we can be toward the gospel. I'm amazed. I'm amazed that I
can preach this message without falling apart. But you know what? This blood is always poignant
and always powerful to the Father. He's so satisfied with it, and
it's just as if it just now took place. That's how really it's
new. And it's living. Not some dead
sacrifice. This is the living Christ raised
from the dead who comes into the very presence of the Father
and presents His own blood to the Father. This is that new
and living way that we can have boldness to come into His presence. Verse 21, or consecrated by a
new and living way, which He had consecrated for us through
the veil, that is to say His flesh. His flesh was the veil,
and through the death of His flesh, the veil was taken away.
What happened when He said it is finished? The veil in the
temple was ripped in two from the top to the bottom to show
us this is the Lord's work. And now the way into His presence
is always open for the believer. And having an high priest over
the house of God, that priest after the order of Melchizedek,
let us draw near. Come close. How? Let us draw near with a true
heart. You know, to come into God's
presence any other way but the blood of Christ only is phony. It's phony. You're not being
sincere. You're playing games. You're not being real. You're
not being honest. The only way you can come into
God's presence is by that new and living way. And you would
not dare come any other way. You would not dare come pleading
anything else but the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. by a new
and living way, which is consecrated for us through the veil that
is his flesh, having a high priest over the house of God, let us
draw near with a true heart, any other drawing near for some
other way is phony, in full assurance of faith. Now the full assurance
he's talking about is not I'm fully assured I'm a believer.
You know, as soon as I say I've got full assurance, I question
it. Do you really? I know I'm saved. Soon as I say
that, I look to Christ, I know I'm saved. Soon as I start thinking,
well, do you know you're saved? Well, maybe not. He's not talking
about full assurance of personal salvation. He's talking about
the same assurance that Paul said to the Thessalonians, knowing,
brethren, beloved, your election of God, for our gospel came not
to you in word only, but also in power and the Holy Ghost and
much assurance. You know this is the truth. You
know, this is the very word of God. You know, this is the gospel. Now that's what assurance is.
You know, this is the gospel. And now he talks about blood
and water. Having our hearts, verse 22, having our hearts sprinkled. And he's talking about the blood
there, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our
bodies washed with pure water. Now, it's only the blood of Christ
that purges someone from an evil conscience. What is an evil conscience?
Well, conscience. There's a guilty conscience.
That's an evil conscience. There's a seared conscience.
That's an evil conscience. There's a conscience that doesn't
work. It feels like everything's okay.
Hey, I'm okay. That's an evil conscience. But what is the only
thing that can actually satisfy the conscience? The sprinkling of the blood.
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, because of his blood,
you don't have anything to feel guilty about. You stand perfect
before God. Here's that blood and our bodies
washed with pure water, blood and water. That's the sanctification
that comes from the blood of Christ. Now, let me remind you,
justification doesn't come from the blood and sanctification
come from you going back to the Lawbringer works. They come from
the riven side of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they're complete. Believers, we experience this
like the ark. The ark was pitched within and
without with pitch. Now pitch is the Hebrew word
for atonement. What was it that kept the water
of God's judgment out? The pitch, the atonement. What
kept him safe on the inside? the pitch, the atonement. That
was their joy. That was their strength, what
Christ Jesus did. Verse 23, let us hold fast the profession
of our faith. Now there, the word is actually
in the original hope. I'm not real sure why they translate
it to faith, but it's the word hope. Let us hold fast the profession
of our hope without wavering. Well, what's our hope? the blood
and water, the completeness of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ. There's nothing I need to do
to make it any better. That's our hope, isn't it? My
hope is that everything I need is found in Christ crucified. the blood for my justification,
the water for my sanctification, that I stand before God without
guilt, that I stand before God holy because of the blood and
the water. And he says, don't waver here.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering,
for he is faithful to promise, and let us consider one another
to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. Now, that's not talking about missing
church every now and then. That's not what that's talking
about when he's talking about not forsaking and reassembling
ourselves together as the manner of some is. Now, without doubt,
it's better to be here. If he's here. If he's here. And he's promised to be here. Where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. It's better
to be here, isn't it? I want to be where the Lord's
people are. I want to be where he promised he would be. Somebody
says, well, you can get legalistic about coming to church. Well,
I reckon you can get legalistic about anything, but still it's
best to be here. He's promised his presence, but this is not
talking about missing church every now and then. This is talking
about forsaking, pulling away from an identification with this
message. This message. blood and the water,
the complete salvation that's in Christ. Not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting
one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching.
For if we sin willfully, after that we've received the knowledge
of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sin. I used
to dread coming up on that verse. And I can remember thinking I'd
send away the day of grace by sinning willfully. I mean, being,
I know I shouldn't sin. I can't give in to that sin.
I shouldn't do it. I shouldn't do it. And if I give
in, it was completely willful. I knew better than that, but
I did it anyway. Now that's awful. There's no
doubt about it. Every one of us knows something about what
that is, but that's not what he's talking about. If we sin
willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth, blood
and water, a complete salvation in Christ, and if we leave that,
if we leave that, if we refuse to be identified with that message,
there's no more sacrifice for sin. That's the only hope you
have. But a certain fearful looking
for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries,
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy, under two or three
witnesses, of how much sore punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted
the blood of the covenant. the eternal covenant of grace,
where with he was sanctified, he set himself apart to this
an unholy thing. Now that word unholy, it doesn't
mean a sinful thing. It's the word that is generally
translated common. That which is common to all as
opposed to that which is peculiar to the few. It's going back to
universal redemption rather than your only hope being the redeeming
blood of Christ. and have done despite to the
Spirit of grace. For we know him that has said,
vengeance belongeth unto me. I will recompense the Lord. And again, the Lord's a judge
of people. It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God. Blood and water signifies a complete
salvation. Utterly complete. I heard someone say just this
week he was preaching on grace. And his first point was grace
is no license to sin. Why would that be your first
point about grace? Grace. The blood in the water. deliverance from sin. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for the
blood and the water of thy dear son. Give us grace to trust him completely. In Christ's name we pray, amen.