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Subject 16 : The Gospel According to JOHN
[Chapter 8-2] The Grace of Salvation Bestowed on The Woman Who Was Caught in Adultery (John 8:1-12)
(John 8:1-12)
“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do you say?’ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’ Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”
Who can receive the grace of the remission of sins before Jesus like this woman? They are those who know full well that they are a mass of sin and commit adultery during their whole life. Everyone tries in his or her own way to receive cleansing of sins. But people who insist that they have never committed adultery cannot receive the grace of the remission of the sin. Those who cannot help but commit adultery can receive the grace of the remission of sins by meeting the Lord.
Actually people cannot help themselves but continuously commit adultery. People who are ignorant of the fact that they are prone to commit adultery before God are really unable to clothe themselves with the grace of the remission of sins, through the gospel of the water and the Spirit even if it were given to them on a plate.
The Accused Woman
In today’s Scripture passage, the scribes and Pharisees accused a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. They pushed her in front of Jesus and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery.” These scribes and Pharisees were the religious leaders at that time. They wanted to accuse this woman caught in the act of adultery, and to stone her to death.
Jesus was someone who performed great miracles, fed people, brought back to life the son of a widow, raising Lazarus from the dead and healing lepers. There was no spiritual or physical problem that could not be resolved if they just brought it to Him.
Jesus however, was a thorn in the sides of the Pharisees and the scribes. They brought this woman before Jesus and accused her, saying “Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do you say?” The scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus would not be able to do anything in response to their question. Actually according to the Law of Moses this woman would have to be sentenced for this act of adultery and put to death. The honest truth is that before God’s Law who would not become a sinner? If we were to apply the Law of God to everyone, all people in this world would be stoned for their sins and receive the punishment of hell. It is because the Law of God brings about wrath, and this Law teaches us that “the wages of sin is death.” The Bible clearly says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and “The law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15).
God is holy and His Law is just. He gave us the 613 statutes of the Law including the Ten Commandments. Do you know why He gave us the Law? The Law was given to us so that we would awaken to the fact that we are sinners and not perfect before Him, so that we could receive the cleansing of our sins. If a person interprets the words of the Law to the letter and judges according to it, all mankind would be doomed and would be stoned to death.
The Pharisees brought this woman caught in adultery before Jesus and thought, “This woman will definitely be stoned to death.” And they were convinced that this woman would therefore be stoned to death for her sins according to the Law of God. The Law of God tells us, “You shall have no other gods before me; you shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor; honor your father and mother; you shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, and so on.” If everyone were put to death according to the letter of these words, would there be anyone left alive? That’s what would happen if we were judged according to the letter of the Law.
The scribes and Pharisees were plotting against Jesus’ life and asked, “Now Moses, in the law commanded us that sinners like this should be stoned to death. But what do you say?” What were there real intentions? Their intentions were not to stone this woman, but to stone Jesus Christ to death. If Jesus had told them to have pity on this woman, they would have cornered Him as a transgressor of the Law, and made a tomb of stones over Him. What a terrible evil plot this was!
The Bible says, “But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though he did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first’” (John 8:6-7). And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. We read further, “Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.”
This was because Jesus had already taken this woman’s sins away along with the sins of the world through the baptism He received from John in the Jordan River some time before He met her. That is why Jesus could not consent to the stoning of this woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. Because this woman’s sin was transferred onto Jesus through the laying on of hands by John the Baptist, Jesus could therefore pay for her punishment and her very sin on the Cross. After receiving baptism from John, He had to receive the judgment on the Cross for this woman. He knew this woman’s sins and had to receive the judgment and punishment for them instead of her.
Jesus Was Writing the Word of Salvation on People’s Hearts
The Bible says, “But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.” What on earth did Jesus write on the ground, and why did He write it twice? And why did He say, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first”? Would the scribes and Pharisees be sinless? They had sin and evil hearts. According to the Law of God this woman had to be stoned to death; but the real truth is her accusers had to be stoned to death first. When Jesus said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first,” they were then convicted by their conscience, and dropped the stones they were holding, and started leaving that place one by one, starting with the oldest down to the youngest until they all left.
Everyone should seriously think about these words before God. Everyone who has sin in his or her heart must receive the punishment of sin. And if a person believes with his heart in the salvation of Jesus and receives the remission of their sins, God will then erase that person’s name and his sins from the Books of Works in the Kingdom of Heaven, and then record his name in the Book of Life. People who go to Heaven are those whose names are recorded in the Book of Life by their faith in the God given gospel of the water and the Spirit. In other words, people whose names are recorded in the Book of Life are the righteous who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and are truly born again. They will enter the eternal Kingdom of God and live there in the future.
Therefore, people who do not believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are in anguish and suffer pain because of the sin in their consciences. Because they are sinners and are unable to have a clean conscience before God, they will always be afraid of Him. Therefore, they also have to believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, receive the remission of their sins, and cleanse their consciences. Sinners must receive the cleansing of all their sins by hearing and believing in the Word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, receive salvation for their souls, and become sinless people. Only then will their names be recorded in the Book of Life the very moment when they are born again. This only happens to those who received the remission of sins through faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
The scribes and Pharisees in today’s passage of scripture were guilty of committing the very same sins as this woman. Who is there who does not commit any sin? Since everybody commits sins, they cannot become sinless unless they believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Since people commit sin without exception, Jesus the Son of God had to once and for all eliminate all the sins of the world through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. People’s sins are now recorded on the tablets of their hearts and in God’s Judgment Book, and in order for them to be cleansed from their sins they have no other alternative but to believe in Jesus’ baptism that He received from John the Baptist including His blood of the Cross.
Who Receives the Grace of Salvation That Jesus Gives?
Whether a person is allowed to be clothed in the grace of salvation or not is determined whether they believe in the God given gospel of the water and the Spirit. What was the emotional state of this woman who was caught in the act of adultery? She probably thought that she was going to die at the hands of these people, and was unable to even open up her eyes, and shed tears of regret in fear for her life. She knew full well that she was a sinner and deserved to die because of her sins, and she probably prayed earnestly like this: “Dear God, you are right. I am a sinner deserving to die for my sins. But please show me mercy. Please have pity upon me.” She asked Jesus for the grace of salvation before she died as she waited for the ultimate verdict.
But Jesus asked her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” The woman looked around in amazement and saw no one around. She said, “No one, Lord.” To this Jesus told her, “Neither do I condemn you.” This means that this woman was able to be clothed in the grace of salvation. Our Lord said clearly that He could not judge this woman.
The reason why Jesus could say this was because He had already taken all her sins away when He received baptism from John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Because Jesus had already taken charge of all the sins of the world through His baptism, He had to personally receive the judgment and punishment of this woman’s sins in place of her. From the Lord’s perspective, it wasn’t the woman who was to receive the judgment of sin; but the Lord Himself. That is why He said, “Neither do I condemn you” (John 8:11). This woman received the remission of her sins by the spoken Word.
Our Lord is fully aware of every sin of mankind. When Jesus looked at this woman who had been caught in the act of adultery, He did not say to her that she had sin. Instead He said, “Because I have received baptism in order to take away your sins, I have to receive the judgment for them. And since I already bore all your sins and eliminated them all from you through my baptism, you have thus received salvation.” Jesus gave this woman the gift of the remission of sins instead of condemnation or judgment. Sinners of this world, not just this woman, can receive the remission of their sins by meeting the Lord by having faith in Him. Whoever accepts the Word of salvation that Jesus has cleansed away all the sins of the world through His baptism, can by faith receive the grace of the remission of sins. Only those who truly believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit which proclaims that the Lord has cleansed all our sins by receiving baptism from John and shedding His blood, are able to receive salvation from sin.
Therefore everyone must make a confession like this before God. “Lord God, I have no merits of my own. There is nothing I can offer you besides my sins. Therefore, you Lord who came by the gospel of the water and the Spirit have become my Savior. He eliminated all my sins at once by receiving baptism. He completely once and for all cleansed and eliminated all my sins by receiving baptism from John the Baptist. I believe in the Lord and the gospel of the water and the Spirit.” If you have this knowledge of faith, you are people who have already received salvation from all your sins.
Our Lord said to this woman, “Neither do I condemn you” (John 8:11). This Word is spoken to every one of us who cannot but continue to commit adultery. He had already taken all the sins of the world through the baptism He received from John the Baptist, received the punishment of those sins by shedding His blood on the Cross, and was resurrected from the dead. If a person believes in the gospel of the water and the Spirit which is the Truth of the remission of sins, he becomes a child of God.
I said earlier that there is no one among us who does not commit adultery while living in this world. The Lord said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). How easy it is for men and woman to commit sin of adultery by just walking down the road and looking at the opposite sex. If this be so, how can people of this world receive the grace of salvation? You and I also commit sins in this world. But we can receive salvation because of the love of God that took all our sins away through the baptism of Jesus. Because we have evil natures, we receive salvation from sin by believing in the righteousness of the Lord. If we were to receive salvation from all our sins by living virtuously, it would be impossible to receive salvation from our sin. Not only that, but we would be people excluded from God grace and His salvation.
How can people receive salvation from their sins, just like this woman who heard the very life giving words of Jesus, “Neither do I condemn you”? (John 8:11) By believing in this Word of salvation where Jesus removed all our sins through His baptism. Only people who have received the remission of all their sins through faith in the baptism Jesus and the blood of the Cross can truly receive freedom from all their sins.
Religious People Should Believe in the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit and Receive Salvation from All Their Sins
Religious people are the ethical and virtuous or moral people of this world. The words “Neither do I condemn you” cannot be applied to them. Why is it that are unable to receive the God given gift of the remission of sins? It is because they fail to realize their utter sinfulness. And because of this stubbornness they don’t feel the need to believe in God’s atoning salvation. They don’t believe in the grace of the cleansing of sins that the Lord already fulfilled for them, therefore tragically it cannot be applied to them. People whose sins are exposed like the woman who was caught in the act of adultery, receive salvation from their sin, by having faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We also must receive the cleansing of all our sins by honestly acknowledging before God that we are sinners who were guilty and should receive the punishment of our sin, and believing in the baptism that Jesus received and His blood of the Cross. Every sinner must confess this: “God, I am a person who commits adultery until my dying day. I cannot even continue saying prayers of repentance for all my many sins which I commit everyday. I believe in the Lord and the gospel of the water and the Spirit which has saved me from all my sins.” The Lord then clothes ‘these people’ in His grace of salvation.
Our Lord is the King of love, and the Shepherd of love. God is just, but we need to know that He is firstly the Lord of love and the Lord of salvation. Because the love of God is larger than His justice, we are freed from all our sins and receive salvation through faith in the Word of the baptism and Cross that was given to us out of His love.
So then, what is the justice of God? God’s justice and law says’ clearly that people with sin must definitely be sent to hell and be judged for those sins. But since God’s love is bigger than the law of justice, God’s sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to this earth, where He bore all the sins of the world through His baptism, received judgment on the Cross, and gave the grace of salvation that saves all believers from all their sins. God the Father saved us who believe in Jesus’ baptism and blood of the Cross from all the sins of the world.
God does not accept mankind’s false religious faith and ceremonies. He really does not want any recompense from us; all He wants us to do is to believe in the love and compassion that He gives, and the true gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Jesus is the Son of God who cleansed the sins of all sinners through the baptism He received from John the Baptist. God the Father had His only begotten Son, Jesus to receive baptism and carry all the sins of the world, and suffer the punishment for them on the Cross. Our Lord loved us sinners so very much. God hates sin. That is why He came to this earth to save all mankind from their sins.
God the Father planned to give us the gospel of the water and the Spirit in Jesus Christ before the creation of the world in order to make us His own children. And He actually saved us who believe in the baptism Jesus received and His blood of the Cross. If God dealt with us only by His justice, then we would have to die because of our sins. But our Lord came to this earth, gave us the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and completely saved us who believe, and have obtained new life through faith. Let’s now find the shadow of the gospel of the water and the Spirit in the Word of the Old Testament.
How Did the People of the Old Testament Receive the Remission of Their Sins?
If we look at Leviticus 4:27-31, “If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty, or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar. He shall remove all its fat, as fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma to the LORD. So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.”
This statute was for the remission of a day’s worth of sin for the Sacrificial System of the Old Testament. People of the Old Testament era brought a goat or sheep without blemish as an offering for their daily sins and laid their hands on its head. When they confessed what sins they had committed and laid their hands on the head of the sacrificial offering, those sins were transferred onto it. They then drew its blood by slitting its throat. The priest in charge took that blood and put it on the horns of the altar. The horns located on the four corners of the altar represents the Book of Judgment, so when the blood of sacrifice was put on the horns of the altar, that person’s name was erased from the Book of Judgment. And the left over blood was poured on the ground around the base of the altar. People were made from the dust of the earth, therefore dust or earth refers to people’s hearts. The sins recorded in our hearts were also erased in this way. Like this, these Old Testament people received the remission of their sins which they committed everyday in this way.
Let’s read further in Leviticus 16:21-22, “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.”
God knew how difficult it was for people to receive the remission of their sins everyday. Therefore, He established another law of salvation where they could transfer their sins. This was the Great Day of Atonement. It was decided to have this day on the tenth day of the seventh month of ‘every year’ to perform the offering of atonement for one year’s worth of sins. The High Priest, who was Israel’s representative first offered sacrifice for all the utensils in the Tabernacle, then he took two unblemished goats. Aaron then laid both his hands on the head of the live goat, where he placed all the iniquities and transgressions of the children of Israel by confessing over it, thereby transferring all of their sins onto the head of the goat.
The laying on of hands was instituted by God and simply means “to transfer” something. God told them to “lay their hands on the sacrificial animal” and by doing this they would be transferring their sins onto it, they had to then draw its blood, then hand it to God in the Tabernacle, all in accordance with the Sacrificial System. And when they did this they were blessed with the remission of their sins.” This was the Law of Sacrifice that God set up. God had decided that the sins of sinners would be transferred to the sacrificial offering in this way. So when the High Priest lifted his hands off the head of the goat, all the sins of all the Israelites were transferred onto it. Then the High Priest slit the animal’s throat, drew its blood and sprinkled the blood seven times on the Ark of the Covenant, located in the Most Holy Place where God dwelt. The yearly sins that were piled up in the hearts of the Israelites were completely eliminated in this way, which was held on the tenth day of the seventh month every year.
The people of Israel standing pensive around the Tabernacle were very relieved when they heard the sounds of the golden bells attached to the hem of the High Priest’s garment, when he sprinkled the blood seven times before the Ark. When the people of Israel heard the sound of the golden bells they knew that all their sins had been remitted. ‘It’s all gone now. All the sins that were piled up over a year have now been completely eliminated. It is such a relief!” That is why the tenth day of the seventh month was an extremely important and joyous occasion for these people.
The second goat was then offered before the people of Israel. “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man” (Leviticus 16:21). Aaron, the High Priest laid his hands on the head of the goat in full view of all the children of Israel. He thus prayed, “Dear God, the children of Israel have committed sins. They have committed this and that sin. Dear God, I hereby transfer all these sins onto this scapegoat.” After that, he removed his hands from the goat’s head. Where do you think did the sins of the people of Israel go? They were all transferred onto the scapegoat’s head.
And this scapegoat carrying all the yearly sins of the people of Israel was led out into the desert. Someone who was selected in advance led the scapegoat out and abandoned it in the burning hot sun of the desert, and then returned back. That scapegoat bleated, wandered about in that dry and arid place and died of thirst. This was because the sins of the people of Israel were transferred onto the scapegoat. The scapegoat that carried the sins of the people of Israel had to go far away and die instead of the children of Israel, in order for the remission of the past year’s sins could to be completely fulfilled and atoned for.
How Do People Living in the New Testament Age Receive Salvation from Sin?
We are now living in the age of New Testament. Over 2000 years have passed since Jesus came to this earth as the Redeemer. God, according to His promise in the Old Testament told us that Jesus would receive baptism to take the sins of the world and shed His blood in order to atone for them.
We read in Matthew 1:20-21, “But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’” The name ‘Jesus’ means ‘the Savior’ who will save His people from their sins.
Jesus was 30 years old when He received baptism from John the Baptist. He climbed down into the Jordan River, because He wanted to receive baptism from John the Baptist. As He lowered His head before John the Baptist He said, “John, baptize me now! It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. I must eliminate all the sins of the world by receiving my baptism and shedding my blood. It is fitting for me to receive baptism from you to take all the worlds sins away. So, baptize me now” (Matthew 3:13-17). John the Baptist could not reject Jesus’ command. He complied with the Lord’s command, “Permit it to be so now.”
Jesus is called “Wonderful, Counselor and Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6). Our God has limitless wisdom. Through His wisdom, God the Father sent John the Baptist ahead, the representative of all mankind, just like the Old Testament’s High Priests, and then He sent Jesus Christ as a sacrificial offering without blemish to have Him take the world’s sins onto Himself. Just as He established and fulfilled the Sacrificial System that was used to eliminate all the sins of the children of Israel at once in the Old Testament by laying hands on a sheep’s head and transferring the people’s sins onto it. So likewise in the New Testament, God sent Jesus as an eternal propitiation by having John the Baptist lay his hands on His head, having him the last earthly high priest, transfer the sins of the world onto Jesus’ head and having Jesus shed His precious blood. Through this He fulfilled our salvation all at once.
God sent John the Baptist and permitted him to transfer the sins of the world onto Jesus in order to eliminate all mankind’s sins. John the Baptist is the representative of all mankind who was sent by God. It is clearly written about him, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). Therefore God permitted John the Baptist to transfer all the sins of the world onto His Son. God planned to eliminate the sins of the Israelites by means of the laying on of hands in the Old Testament, and He planned to blot out all the sins of mankind by the method of baptism in the New Testament. Jesus actually took all mankind’s sins by receiving baptism from John, eliminated the sins of all people who would believe, and fulfilled all the righteousness of God.
That the Violent Take the Kingdom of Heaven by Force Means That We Can Enter Heaven by Faith
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). These words have the meaning that because Jesus took all mankind’s sins by receiving baptism from John the Baptist; anyone who believes in this Truth can receive the cleansing of their sins and enter Heaven by faith. From that time on, the door to Heaven was opened and anyone who received the Truth that Jesus eliminated the sins of the world by receiving baptism from John the Baptist are able to obtain the privilege of going to Heaven.
That is why Jesus could say in John 8, “Neither do I condemn you.” Jesus came to this earth and received His baptism from John the Baptist in the Jordan River; this was done only once. Because He received all this woman’s sins through His baptism, He was able save her completely. This was because Jesus had to receive the judgment of people’s sins at this time instead of us. Jesus took all the sins of the world away. He really feared dying on the Cross. He had to nevertheless receive the judgment according to the just Law which says the “wages of sin is death.” The Bible says that He earnestly prayed three times to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was fearful because He still had a body just like us. Because Jesus took the sins of the world away by the baptism He received from John the Baptist, all that was left for Him to do was go to the Cross, shed His precious blood and die. This was the only way He could be resurrected. Because Jesus received the laying on of hands through His baptism like the High Priest performed on the head of the scapegoat in the Old Testament, He by this method took all mankind’s sins upon Himself. After that He received the curse of the Cross at Golgotha and saved us completely by bearing all the sins of this world. Jesus therefore became the propitiation for all sinners. He is now telling us all that whosoever knows and believes in the gospel of the water and the Spirit will be completely saved from sin.
Jesus Could Never Execute Judgment on This Woman
Because this woman had sinned and was caught in the act of adultery, everyone came to know that she was a sinner. But the fact was Jesus Christ had previously remitted all the sins of this woman. Because she expressed the inherited sin of her heart into action and thus was caught in the very act, she could therefore not deny that she was in fact a grave sinner. She then was able to receive the remission of her sins by believing in the fact that Jesus Christ had already taken all the sins of this world and carried them away when He received baptism from John the Baptist in the Jordan River.
Because God the Father transferred all the sins of this world once and for all onto Jesus Christ by having Him baptized, God the Father was able to, in this way remit all the sins of the world by having Him shed His blood and die on the Cross. The Father then brought Him back to life on the third day after He had died. He now sits in heaven at the right hand side of God’s majesty. Sinners are now able to obtain salvation from all their sins by believing in the merits of salvation, which is the baptism and blood of God’s Son. We are truly weak beings who cannot help ourselves but commit sin before God and people, but the happiest person in this world is someone who has received the remission of their sins by believing that our Lord had saved sinners through His baptism and blood.
The Apostle Paul said, “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5). And in the Book of Psalms, David also said regarding this matter, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalms 32:1). We commit sins starting from our births until our deaths; we are thus ungodly people who cannot help but sin ceaselessly. Our bodies are always insufficient and lacking. We are weak people who commit sin even though we know the will of God. But our God took all our sins at once through the baptism of His Son and told us who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit that we have no sin. Do you truly believe?
“Behold! The Lamb of God Who Takes Away the Sin of the World!”
John the Baptist gave testimony, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Like John the Baptist witness, Jesus carried the sins of the world, the punishment of all the sins of mankind, instead of us.
The sins of mankind are the sins that have been committed from the beginning of the world to the end of the world. From the time our God, who is the Beginning and the End, made the universe to the time of its termination, all the sins people commit are the sins of the world. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) All the sins of the world were transferred onto Jesus’ back by the baptism He received. All your sins were also transferred onto Jesus. Jesus received the baptism that John the Baptist gave and became the Lamb of God who took away ‘once and for all’ the sins of the world. On the Cross He cried out “It is finished,” just before He breathed His last breath. And on the third day He was resurrected, and then ascended to Heaven. Now, whosoever believes that Jesus’ baptism, blood, death and resurrection constitute his salvation can receive salvation without fail.
Our Lord personally came to this earth and personally took charge of all people’s sins through His baptism. People repeatedly commit sins of murder, adultery, sin in weakness, sin knowingly and unknowingly. But Jesus swept up all those sins of the world thoroughly by taking them onto His body through His baptism and saved mankind from sin by paying for it with the life of His flesh when He was crucified.
Many people today are full blown hypocrites; they commit heaps of sin and hide them away skillfully. To tell you the truth this world is a hotbed of sin where they are born and bred. Are people happy if they have heaps of money? And are they happy if they are healthy? These are useless words really. How can people with sin become happy?
Our Lord received all the sins of this world through His baptism in the Jordan River. Therefore, all our sins are included in the witness of John the Baptist when he said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) And by carrying all our sins and dying on the Cross, Jesus accomplished our salvation and all those who would believe. All our sins are included in the sins of the world that Jesus received through His baptism when He was baptized by John the Baptist. It isn’t that we don’t have sin because we did not commit any sins; we have no sin because we believe in the baptism Jesus received from John the Baptist and in His blood of the Cross.
The Gospel of the Water and the Spirit Is Accomplished in Accordance with the Will of God
God did not save us by the deeds of the Law, nor did He agree to save us by our good deeds. Let’s look at some more Bible passages.
Hebrews 10:10 says, “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” The words “that will” here means the plan of salvation with which God was willing to save all mankind from the sins of the world. It tells us that we have already been sanctified and don’t need to offer prayers of repentance anymore, because we believe in the God given gospel of the water and the Spirit. Have you been sanctified from all your sins by faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit? You have been sanctified by faith. The remission of our sins was completed in the ‘past perfect tense’ and it is finished.
“And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time, waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Hebrew 10:11-14).
People who believe in the baptism Jesus received and in His blood obtain salvation from sin. So, if we should commit sins again tomorrow because we are insufficient, do we have sin then? Because our Lord, through His baptism took even those sins away, we still have no sin. Our Lord took all our sins away, whether we commit them tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we need to understand this. We have received the remission of sins completely by faith, and we therefore cannot have sins in our hearts anymore if we just believe in the God given gospel of the water and the Spirit.
The sins we may accidentally commit out of our wrongdoings are also the sins of the world. A person has no sins if he knows and believes fully in the Truth of salvation that the sins of the world went over to Jesus through the baptism He received. Just like the Word that says our Lord “perfected us forever,” the person who is born again by faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit has become a perfect person without sin.
“Now Where There Is Remission of These, There Is No Longer an Offering for Sin”
“But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,’ then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:15-18).
Jesus remitted all the sins of all sinners through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. The baptism He received and His blood of the Cross were the pivotal elements of the remission of sin and the bridge that leads us to the Kingdom of Heaven. And it is the Truth that gives us eternal life.
Let’s turn back to John 8. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life’” (John 8:12). There is no true Light in this world besides Jesus. Therefore Jesus is the only true Host of salvation who completely saved us from the sins of the world. A person always needs the Word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit even after he receives the remission of his sins.
In 3 John God said, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2). What does it mean by “Just as your soul prospers”? Does it not mean “to receive salvation,” that is, “to receive the remission of sins”? Yes it does. We arrive at our righteous state by believing with our hearts in the gospel that comes by the water and the Spirit, and we arrive at our salvation by confessing this Truth with our mouths (Romans 10:10). And when, after we become the righteous, we continue steadfastly listening to the Word and grow rapidly, God makes all our spiritual things and even physical things prosper too. But if our souls do not grow much even after hearing the Word, we cannot receive any of the blessings from God. When our souls prosper as first priority, then our bodies automatically will prosper, and not the other way round. This is the will of God and the principle of the Bible.
When summer arrives, cicadas cling to trees and make high-pitched noises. People who don’t realize that summer has eventually arrived feel the season by the sound of the cicadas that fills the air with sounds. That sound is truly beautiful. Cicadas are the symbol of being born again. A larva of a cicada becomes a pupa, and then casts off its shell to become a cicada. Then they praise our Lord loudly when they become adult and can then freely fly around. People hear the Word of God and receive salvation and escape the terrible judgment by believing in the baptism Jesus received and His blood of the Cross. People were born on this earth with the purpose to be truly born again.
No one could be found who would stone this woman to death due to her sin of adultery. This woman met Jesus, the Master of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and received salvation from all her sins by faith in Him. You too can receive the cleansing of your sins right now like this woman, by simply knowing and believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Hallelujah! I am so thankful to God.
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