From Religious Tradition to Divine Truth: A Journey to the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit

In 2022, I came across a Christian book in a bookstore. The book was titled "Are You Truly Born Again of Water and the Spirit?" It was written by Pastor Paul C. Jong of South Korea, and I bought it. On my first reading, I didn`t understand anything and I was afraid it might mislead me. So I decided to shun it. But I hesitated, wondering why I should shun a book I had already bought.
A few days passed without me rereading it, but my conscience urged me to do so. After rereading it more than five times with my Bible, I prayed to God to help me understand it better. I then gained a profound understanding of being born again of water and the Spirit. Previously, I thought the new birth was like being baptized in many waters, but the spiritual interpretation was different.
Later, I understood that being born again of water and the Spirit means believing in the water baptism Jesus received in the Jordan River, for it was there that the sins of the world were given to him by the last priest in the line of Aaron, John the Baptist (Leviticus 16; Matthew 3:13-15; Ephesians 5:25-27). It also means believing in the work of the Holy Spirit, namely, the death and resurrection of our Lord, which have justified us (Romans 4:25). I then discovered a great light within me, and the scales that had prevented me from understanding God`s Word were removed from my heart, despite my membership in a Christian community and my commitment to my denomination.
After encountering the Gospel that cleanses from sin, I came to the following conclusion: after discovering the secret of Jesus` baptism, my heart was filled with immense and uncontrollable joy. I then decided to abandon my first faith, that of the blood of Jesus Christ alone. For even though I had believed in Jesus before, I did not feel freedom in my heart; I did not worship God in peace but in fear (Luke 1:74-75).
On the day I was ordained in my denomination, I asked my representative the following questions: Why was Jesus baptized by John the Baptist when he was without sin? Why did God give us the law? What is the difference between religion and faith? Can the prayer of repentance we offer each day cleanse our daily sins? I was confident in asking these questions to our denomination representative because I had already found the answers in this book.
His first response was that he couldn`t go beyond what had been revealed. His second response was that the Israelites had received the law on two tablets of stone, but that for us Christians, God had inscribed the same law on the tablets of our hearts, even though it was the same law. I was deeply saddened by these answers and laughed inwardly (Romans 3:20, Hebrews 7:11-12). I wisely told him that I was abandoning this faith, because it cannot save anyone. On the contrary, it only leaves empty wounds.
He then replied that the authors of this book would not send me to heaven. I then thought sadly that I didn`t need to go there physically, but to enter through true faith, pure from all human thinking (Colossians 2:8; 1 Timothy 2:3-4).
Therefore, after encountering the true Gospel of water and the Holy Spirit, I abandoned that faith. Since that day, I thank the Lord Jesus for revealing this Gospel to me, and I continue to spread it so that all may be saved. Hallelujah! Praise be to God the Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ, forever and ever! Amen.
MWARABU MWENY, DR Congo