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Messages from Coworkers

Have you truly been born again of water and the Spirit?

  • ERIC WAMBUA
  • Kenya
  • 12/24/2023 1562

Greetings, I appreciate God so much because of His servant Paul C. Jong for blessing us with the knowledge of the gospel of water and the Spirit. I had previously read John chapter 3:3-5 many times, but I did not understand the precise meaning. The explanation of the servant of God seemed to disclose a profound truth in my heart. I had this thought in my heart that Jesus was baptized to leave us an example to follow. But when I learnt that John was baptizing sinners who came to Him repenting their sins and knowing that Jesus had no sin to confess, I knew for sure there was a good reason for Jesus` baptism. This introduction drew my attention to read the book “Have you truly been born again of water and the Spirit?” thoughtfully.
Before we meet the redemption prepared by God through His Son Jesus, we must first admit that we are the worst sinners before God. God has guided us to arrive at this conclusion by giving the Law. In Romans 3:20, God did not give the Law so that we may be justified before Him but to receive the knowledge of sin through the Law. The knowledge we gain from the Law is that we are so weak to completely obey it in its entirety. We must know we are born already as sinners. People live their lives in self-deception not knowing their true natures. God doesn’t redeem those with ‘little bit of sin’. God does not even glance at those who say “God I have a little bit of sin. The ones who He shows pity for are those who say, "God I am a mass of sin, am going to hell. Please save me."
Because the Law exposes the sin which lies in the hearts of people, many Christians, when their sins are revealed in their consciences, they seek God for forgiveness. Those who do not know themselves to be masses of sin ask His forgiveness for their every little sin, they go before Him without knowing the terrible weight of their sins and just pray please God, forgive this tiny bit of sin, I will never do it again’, they also try to deceive God with such prayers. We do not commit such sin just once, but do so continually until we die. We would have to keep asking for forgiveness until the very last day of our lives because we cannot stop committing sin and our flesh serves the law of sin until we die. Being forgiven for one sin cannot solve the problem of sin because we commit countless sins every day. So the only way one can be free from sin is by passing all our sins onto Jesus.
Jesus gave us eternal redemption by blotting out all the sins of the world. If there is any sinner who agonizes over his/her sins it is because of the person’s misconception of how Jesus has delivered him/her from all sins with His baptism and crucifixion. It is the unworthy one who admits oneself to be so sinful receives the grace. Those who cannot help themselves, the weak and helpless receive redemption. Our sins which are recorded on the tablets of our hearts and at the horns of the altar (books of works) are erased when we accept into our hearts the redemption of the water and the blood of Jesus.
The baptism of Jesus (water) which He received from John the Baptist who was the representative of all humankind transferred all the sins of all people on to Jesus just as the high priest Aron represented all the congregation of Israel on the great day of atonement by transferring all the sins for one year to the head of the scapegoat through the laying on of hands (Leviticus 16:21). Jesus went to the Cross bearing the sins of the world upon His body and shedding His blood He was judged on our behalf. He was buried and was resurrected on the third day.
Many years I believed only the Cross (blood). I lived diligently my salvation life but sin was live in my heart. I lived under condemnation although I testified about my faith in Jesus. I begged for God’s forgiveness everyday, sanctified myself in the blood of Jesus whole heartedly, but I was neither clean nor righteous before God. But the moment when I heard about the gospel message explaining in detail the ministry of John the Baptist and understood how he was sent from God to accomplish the task of laying all the sins of the world onto Jesus, who is the lamb of God who takes the sin of the world, having believed, I was freed from all my sins that were tormenting me in my heart and the righteousness of Jesus was imputed on me. 
Apostle John, in his first epistle chapter 5, talks of the overcoming faith. This overcoming faith is based on three witnesses: water, blood and the Spirit. Water symbolizes the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist which took away all the sins of humankind, by blood, Jesus paid the wages of sin by bleeding on the Cross, and by the Spirit meaning He was God who came as the Spirit in human flesh. These three things are proving that God saved us. These three things are what Jesus did for us in this world. The word of water, blood and the Spirit of Jesus is the light of redemption. If the born again do not rise and shine, many people will die without redemption and God will not be pleased. 
Jesus washed our sins once and for all. 1 Peter 3:18 for Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.  He came down to this world in the flesh and completely washed all our sins all at once with His baptism, His death on the Cross and His resurrection. We can have a good conscience before God by having faith in His baptism and the blood of Jesus. To be born again does not mean we will not commit sins again. We the born again also commits sins but our hearts stay clean of sin because of our faith in His baptism. The water of Jesus baptism cleans away all the dirt of sin. 1 Peter 3:21 says not the removal of filthy of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God. Jesus washed away our sins and God accepted judgment for us. We were saved before God and now our consciences are clean. If our consciences are bothered a little, we cannot be completely free from sin unless we remind ourselves of the power of Jesus baptism. It is the only way we can have good conscience. This is the faith of the born again. 
Jesus washed His disciples feet to teach them and us that all the sins of the world including all the sins we have committed throughout our lives were completely washed away when He was baptized and bled on the Cross. It also teaches that as Jesus lowered Himself to save sinners and make them righteous, we, the born again should serve others by preaching the gospel of remission. It is right for us who came first to serve those who come later. Now I am fully convinced and believe that the gospel of water and Spirit is the true gospel.
I believe that all my sins were passed onto Jesus when He was baptized by John the Baptist and that all of them were paid off when He suffered and died on the Cross. He brought down the wall that separated God and mankind. Praise be to God, I have been redeemed.
ERIC WAMBUA, KENYA