[29-13] Jesus is not one who is to receive pity from people (Luke 23:26-31)

Is Jesus someone who should receive pity from the religious people of the world?

         Jesus is not someone who should receive pity from the religious people of the world. 
Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, and He Himself is God. 
He is the Creator, the Savior of mankind, and the Judge. 
Therefore, a sentimental attitude of saying, “He is pitiful, it’s regrettable,” toward Jesus comes from an ignorance that does not know the Lord at all. 
Jesus is not someone who needs human pity, but is the absolute Lord of salvation whom humans must believe and obey.

         The reason religious people pity Jesus is that they do not know the structure of the gospel. 
They only look at the cross and do not understand why Jesus was baptized, how sins were transferred through baptism, and how those transferred sins were judged on the cross. 
That is why, when they see the suffering of Jesus, their emotions merely take precedence, and they remain in a sentimental faith of “pitiful Jesus,” unable to see the reality of the redemption the Lord accomplished. 
However, this is merely a blind faith that comes from not knowing the true gospel.

         Jesus is not someone who went to the cross to be pitied. 
By being baptized in the Jordan River, Jesus had the sins of the world transferred to Him at once, and on the cross, He bore the penalty for those sins at once. 
And through the resurrection, He completed salvation. 
Jesus is not someone who should receive human compassion, but is the Savior who received the transfer of the sins of the world and received the judgment for sin in our place. 
Therefore, we should not look at Jesus sentimentally and weep for Him, but we must accept the redemption He accomplished through faith and respond in faith.

         Therefore, as Jesus was on His way to the cross, He said, “do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28).
What these words mean is that Jesus is not the one to be pitied; rather, it is mankind, who does not know the gospel of the water and the Spirit and still remains in sin, who is truly pitiful.
If one does not know the true gospel of the water and the Spirit, even if they perform religious activities and shed tears, they will remain under sin and cannot escape the judgment of God.
Therefore, Jesus wanted people to confront their own spiritual state and be saved by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.

The Deep Meaning of the Words, “Do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”

         When Jesus was being led to the cross, the women and the crowd wept sorrowfully and pitied Him.
However, Jesus said to them, “Do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28).
These words are a warning from the Lord that pierces through the state of a sinner’s heart.

         Jesus is not the Lord who is to be comforted by receiving human emotional pity.
Jesus is the Son of God, the Lord of redemption who bore the sins of the world on His body by being baptized by John.
Jesus is not one who was dragged to the cross because He was overcome by human power, but is the One who went to the cross solely to receive the penalty for sin and to complete His ministry.
Therefore, Jesus’ words telling us not to weep for Him are a declaration to correct our erroneous faith.

         Sinners today try to be saved by believing only in the cross that appears in the Nicene Creed, but the Lord is telling us to know that He washed away the sins of the world by taking them upon His body through His baptism by John, and to receive the removal of sins.
Even if a person sheds tears and pities Jesus upon seeing His suffering, if he does not believe in the word of the gospel of salvation that was accomplished through Jesus’ baptism and the cross, those tears become of no benefit.
If a sinner does not believe in his heart in the ministry of Jesus who was baptized by John, that emotion will be tears that have nothing to do with his own salvation.

         Jesus was the One who was going to the cross, bearing the sins of the world by being baptized by John, and therefore was not someone who needed to be pitied.
What sinners needed was not pity, but faith.
This is because Jesus was on the path to the cross to receive the judgment for sin, by taking upon Himself all the sins of sinners through receiving baptism from John.
We are not those who should pity the suffering of Jesus Christ, but are those who must believe in the baptism He received from John and His bloodshed to receive the removal of sins.
If we have not yet encountered the truth of salvation and have not had our sins cleansed, we are the ones who must weep for our own souls.

         The words of Jesus, “weep for yourselves and for your children” contain a deeper meaning.
Even now in the 21st century, the generation that lives without knowing the gospel of the water and the Spirit will remain in sin, and will ultimately be placed under the judgment of God.
Therefore, it was necessary to teach sinners what word of the gospel they must believe in regarding Jesus.

         Faith in Jesus is not pity.
The tears that come from realizing the miserable reality of oneself living now without knowing the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and that seek to return before that gospel with a heart-rending repentance, are indeed the heart that God desires.
For that reason, we must believe these words as the word of God that admonishes us today in the same way.

Why do those who believe in the Nicene Creed remain as those who have not yet received the removal of sins?

         Those who believe only in the cross as it appears in the Nicene Creed remain in a state where they have not obtained salvation from their sins.
The reason is that the transfer of sin, which is the most essential element of salvation, is missing. Within the structure of biblical salvation, there must be a process where sin is passed over to Jesus.
Jesus had the sins of the world transferred to His own body by receiving baptism from John the Baptist in the Jordan River.
The baptism that Jesus Christ received from John is the substance of the sacrificial law from the Old Testament, where sin was transferred through the laying on of hands, and He became the Lamb who bears the sin of the world.
In other words, baptism is the actual event where sin was transferred to Jesus.
Therefore, only after the sin was transferred could the punishment for that sin be carried out on the cross.

         If sin had not passed over to Jesus, the death on the cross cannot be a death for our own sins.
Only when sin is transferred can the shedding of blood become the completion of judgment, and the atonement for the problem of sin be completed.
A faith that believes only in the cross cannot answer the question, “How did my sin pass over to Jesus?”
A faith that holds only to the cross, without knowing the fact that sin was transferred, merely remains an emotional faith, and the actual application of salvation does not occur.

         The Bible says that the Spirit, the water, and the blood, these three testimonies, together bear witness to salvation.
The water is the baptism of Jesus, the blood is the death on the cross, and the Spirit is the witness that the gospel is true.
However, a faith that believes only in the cross holds onto only one of these, that is, the blood, and therefore the structure of the testimony is broken, and for that reason, the structure of true salvation also cannot be established.

         A person with a faith that believes only in the cross will ultimately look to the cross while harboring sin within themselves.
Therefore, they have no basis to say that they have received the washing away of sins. This kind of faith causes a person to remain a sinner for their entire life, and makes them wander in repetitive repentance, emotional faith, and legalistic efforts.
In their hearts, there is no peace and assurance, and they ultimately remain in a faith that confesses, “I am still a sinner.”

         The reason why many people hold only to the cross is because they do not know why Jesus received baptism.
In history and tradition, the meaning of the baptism Jesus received has been lost, and people have grown up in a structure of faith that emphasizes only the cross.
Therefore, they think they receive salvation if they believe only in the cross, but the Bible clearly states that sin is transferred through baptism, judgment is completed on the cross, and salvation is confirmed by the resurrection.

         Biblical salvation is accomplished when sin passes over to Jesus through baptism, that sin is judged on the cross, salvation is completed by the resurrection, and the Holy Spirit confirms that truth in the heart.
Therefore, a faith in the cross without baptism is a faith in the cross without the transfer of sin, and it is an incomplete faith where salvation cannot occur.

The Differences Between “Faith in the Cross Without Baptism” and “Faith That Believes in Baptism and the Cross”

         A faith in the cross that does not include baptism and a faith that believes in both baptism and the cross have different structures from the very starting point.
Many religious people think that redemption began at the cross, but the Bible shows that the history of redemption began at Jesus’ baptism.
Jesus had all the sins of mankind transferred onto His body while receiving baptism in the Jordan River, and after that, He bore the penalty for those sins on the cross.
This structure—that sin is transferred through baptism and the judgment of sin is carried out on the cross—is the principle of salvation to which the Bible testifies.

         In a faith in the cross without baptism, there is no understanding of the transfer of sin.
Therefore, many people understand the cross only as an emotional and moral sacrifice and cannot explain how sin passed over to Jesus.
However, a faith that believes in the gospel of baptism and the cross clearly believes the fact that Jesus took on sin by receiving baptism, judgment was completed on the cross, and salvation was confirmed by the resurrection.
Therefore, a person who believes in this gospel of the water and the Spirit enjoys the complete removal of sins in the assurance that sin has already passed over to Jesus.

         These two faiths also show a clear difference in the fruits of faith.
A faith in the cross without baptism leads one to repeat the confession, “I am a sinner,” and causes them to remain in guilt and repeated repentance.
Because sin has not been resolved, the life of faith remains at the level of emotions, willpower, and legalistic efforts.
However, a faith that believes in the gospel of baptism and the cross enjoys the biblical identity of “I am righteous” and lives in the assurance and peace given by the Holy Spirit.
This faith is not shaken because it is built not on human effort or emotion, but on the historical fact of the gospel that God accomplished.

         A big difference also appears in the way Jesus’ ministry is understood.
A faith that holds only to the cross understands Jesus’ baptism as a simple, exemplary act of obedience.
However, a faith that follows the biblical gospel connects the laying on of hands in Old Testament sacrifices with Jesus’ baptism, and knows and believes that baptism itself is the substance of the transfer of sin.
As a result, the cross becomes not a vague sacrifice but the judgment for the transferred sin, and the resurrection becomes not a mere sign but the proof of complete righteousness.

         The Bible says that the water, the blood, and the Spirit—these three—together testify to salvation.
In 1 John 5:5-8, the water is Jesus’ baptism, the blood is the death on the cross, and the Spirit is the confirmation that the gospel is true.
A faith in the cross without baptism accepts only the Spirit and the cross, that is, the blood, out of the water, the blood, and the Spirit, but a faith that believes in the gospel of baptism and the cross believes in all three of these testimonies.
Therefore, it becomes completely consistent with the structure of salvation that the Bible speaks of.

         In the end, a faith in the cross without baptism cannot help but have its assurance of salvation shaken, have sin remain in the heart, and be stuck in repetitive repentance and religious efforts.
On the other hand, a faith that believes in the gospel of baptism and the cross enjoys complete atonement and unchanging assurance of salvation in the confidence that sin has already been transferred and judged.

The Difference Between the Emotional Faith of Religious People and Evangelical Faith

         The difference between a religious, emotional faith and an evangelical faith begins with where the foundation of faith is laid.
Emotional faith is formed around emotional elements such as the moving feelings, atmosphere, tears, and experiences of praise that a person feels.
This kind of faith is moved, saddened, and thankful when looking at the cross, but it does not lead to the experience of sin actually being resolved.
Because the standard of faith remains on one’s own feelings rather than the Word of God or the actual event of salvation, faith also wavers according to the state of one’s heart.

         Emotional faith tries to resolve the problem of sin with emotions and resolutions, but because it does not know how sin passed over to Jesus, it causes one to remain in guilt and repetitive repentance.
In the end, this kind of faith makes one repeat only the confession, “I am a sinner,” for their entire life, and they try to maintain their faith with religious zeal and willpower, but they cannot obtain freedom and assurance in their heart.

         However, the evangelical faith of the water and the Spirit is a faith built not on emotion but on truth.
Evangelical faith believes the fact that sin was transferred at Jesus’ baptism, that sin was judged on the cross, and that salvation was completed through the resurrection.
This faith is not shaken because it stands not on feelings but on the historical and spiritual event of salvation that God accomplished.
When one believes the fact that sin actually passed over to Jesus and was completely judged on the cross, they experience the conclusion of the sin problem in their heart.
And this faith is confirmed in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and that person comes to have the identity of being no longer a sinner but righteous.

         Emotional faith is a self-centered faith.
“How much did I feel?”, “How much did I cry?”, “How much did I resolve?” becomes the center.
On the other hand, evangelical faith is a Jesus-centered faith.
What Jesus accomplished through His baptism, cross, and resurrection becomes the center of faith.

         Emotional faith has severe ups and downs and is unstable.
However, evangelical faith is unshaken and bears spiritual fruit in life.
Living according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the assurance of the cleansing of sins, peace, gratitude, and boldness arise, and it eventually leads to a life of preaching the gospel.

The Meaning of Jesus’ Words, “Do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”

         When Jesus said, “Do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28), it was not simply a word of emotional comfort or an explanation of the situation, but a word that pierces through the actual structure of salvation and judgment.
While Jesus was being dragged to the cross, He was amidst the sympathy and emotional tears of the people, but He clearly stated that this was by no means the necessary response.

         Jesus is not a weak being whom we humans should pity. He is the Creator God, and the one who had the sins of the world transferred to Himself all at once when He was baptized by John.
The cross was not a place of unjust death, but the place where the transferred sin was judged.
That is why Jesus rebuked the people who were weeping and sympathizing as they looked at Him, saying, “Do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”
What the Lord required was not human emotional sympathy, but the faith that believes in His ministry.

         The ones who truly need to weep are not Jesus, but the sinners themselves who remain in sin, not knowing the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
The people shed tears while watching Jesus’ suffering, but they were still living trapped under sin, without even knowing whether their own sins were transferred to Jesus who was baptized by John, or whether those sins were judged.
That is why Jesus said, “Weep for yourselves.” This is not speaking of emotional remorse, but a strong warning to realize one’s own spiritual state of being in sin and to stand before the truth.

         Furthermore, Jesus said, “weep for yourselves and for your children” This is a deep concern for the next generation and a warning of judgment.
If the generation that does not know the gospel of the water and the Spirit continues, it is a word that their descendants, the children, will have no choice but to remain under sin and ultimately cannot escape the judgment of sin.
Knowing the spiritual ruin and the future of the unsaved generation to come, Jesus was saying that the true object of sorrow is not the suffering of Jesus, but humanity and its descendants who are placed in sin and under judgment.

         These words of Jesus clearly show that human emotional tears can play no role in salvation.
It means that the problem of sin cannot be resolved by human tears or religious zeal. The problem of sin is resolved only when one believes in the gospel of the water and the Spirit—that is, that sin was transferred through Jesus’ baptism, that sin was judged on the cross, and that righteousness was confirmed through the resurrection.
Therefore, Jesus’ command to “not weep” is a call to not remain in emotion but to return to the place of believing the truth of the gospel of the water and the Spirit.

Is the Faith of Those Who Seek the Removal of Sin by Believing Only in the Crucified Jesus Correct?

         Even now, many people live out their faith thinking they can receive the removal of sin if they only believe in the crucified Jesus.
However, this faith cannot be the correct faith because it lacks the transfer of sin, which is the most core element in the structure of salvation testified by the Bible.
The faith that clings only to the cross of Jesus is merely a religious faith that cannot reach salvation, and it cannot be called the gospel faith that the Bible speaks of.

         The biggest problem with the faith that believes only in the cross is that it cannot explain how sin was passed over to Jesus.
The event of Jesus being baptized by John in the Jordan River was not a simple act of obedience or a ritual, but the actual event where the sins of the world were transferred to Jesus.
Baptism is the transfer of sin, and the cross is the place where the transferred sin was judged.
Therefore, a faith that does not know the transfer of sin comes to understand the cross merely as a touching sacrifice, and as a result, there is no conviction that my sin was actually passed over to Jesus, and the cleansing of sin does not occur in the heart.

         People with such faith cannot help but confess that they are still sinners, even while saying they believe in Jesus.
The reason is that sin remains in their hearts, and this leads to a repetition of repentance, guilt, and emotional faith.
Ultimately, they have no basis to say that their sins have been removed, they have no confirmation from the Holy Spirit, and their life of faith continues in anxiety and under a heavy burden.
This is the fatal limitation of the faith that believes only in the cross.

         Furthermore, the Bible says that there are three elements that testify to salvation:
the baptism of Jesus, the cross, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit.
However, a faith that clings only to the cross is a faith that cannot fully accept the Bible’s structure of salvation, as it holds onto only one of these testimonies.
Therefore, this kind of faith turns salvation into a concept and an emotion rather than an actual event, and only religious zeal remains while sin is not resolved in the heart.

         Biblical salvation is accomplished when sin is transferred to Jesus at His baptism, the judgment for that sin is carried out on the cross, righteousness is completed through the resurrection, and the Holy Spirit gives confirmation in the hearts of those who believe this gospel.
Therefore, salvation is achieved not by a faith that believes only in the cross, but by a faith that believes in the baptism and the cross together.
This is the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and it is the complete structure of salvation that God has given us.

What is the gospel of the water and the Spirit that gives true salvation?

         “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:44-46).
This passage speaks of Jesus, who had the sins of the world transferred to Him and cleansed them by being baptized by John the Baptist.
Because Jesus had the sins of the world transferred to Him by being baptized by John, He is the one who went to the cross and shed His blood for the judgment of our sins in our place.

         The Word of the Bible speaks of Jesus as the pearl—the one who was judged on the cross because He had the sins of the world transferred to His own body by being baptized by John.
Even in this world, a merchant who finds the most precious pearl becomes one who sells all that he has to buy that pearl.
Now, what would be the most precious pearl for you?
That pearl is meeting and believing in Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself and cleansed the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist.
And you will feel newly thankful for the fact that it is Jesus who, because He received the transfer of your sins, went to the cross, shed His blood, and rose from the dead.

         In the New Testament passage of Matthew 3:15-16, Jesus says that He cleansed the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist.
“for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).
In this verse, what does ‘all righteousness’ refer to?
It is speaking of the fact that Jesus had the sins of the world transferred to His own body by being baptized by John.
The Lord did the work of cleansing the sins of the world at once by being baptized by John the Baptist.
Therefore, Jesus became the one who performed the ministry of saving me and you from the sins of this world.
Jesus cleansed the sins of the world by receiving baptism from John, went to the cross, was nailed and shed His blood, and by rising from the dead, became the eternal Savior for those who believe.

What is the ministry of Jesus for giving us the true removal of sins?

         Jesus received baptism from John the Baptist to take upon Himself and wash away the sin of the world, and by being nailed to the cross, He became the Savior of all of us who now believe.
Therefore, we must know and remember the fact that without the ministry of His baptism by John, Jesus could not have been hung on the cross.
This is because God recorded the law of sacrifice in the Old Testament.
That is, God established the law of sacrifice that a sacrificial offering could only become a true sacrificial offering when it received the laying on of hands to have sin transferred to it (Leviticus 1:1-12, 4:1-25).

         Therefore, in order to save sinners from sin by coming to this world as the Savior, Jesus, at the age of thirty, went to John the Baptist and desired to be baptized.
There was only one reason Jesus received baptism from John the Baptist.
It was to have the sin of the world transferred to His own body and wash it away.
Jesus volunteered to be baptized by John to fulfill all the righteousness of God, and His receiving of the baptism given by John was to take upon His own body all the sins of mankind living on this earth, become a sacrificial offering, and wash away our sins.

         The baptism Jesus received from John was a righteous ministry to take upon Himself and eternally wash away the sin of the world.
Therefore, we must believe in that righteous act of Jesus, who took upon Himself and washed away the sin of the world by receiving baptism from John.

         To have the same faith today that the apostles had in the early church, we must have all our sins washed away by believing in Jesus, who took upon Himself and washed away the sin of the world at once by receiving baptism from John the Baptist, and became the atoning sacrifice for our sins by being nailed to the cross.
We must receive the washing away of our sins through faith that believes in the ministry of Jesus receiving baptism from John.
We must receive the removal of sins by believing the fact that the Lord received baptism from John and washed away the sin of the world.
We can know and believe in Jesus as the Savior who washed away all our sins by receiving baptism from John the Baptist.
We must become those who can testify that we have become ones whose sins have been washed away by believing in the fact that Jesus washed away the sin of the world at once by receiving baptism from John the Baptist.

The First Council of Nicaea was held in AD 325, in Nicaea under the leadership of the Roman Emperor Constantine

         This council was held not in Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire, but in Nicaea, a politically and militarily strategic location that the emperor at the time judged to be appropriate for reconciling the division of the church.

         Constantine, through the ‘Edict of Milan’ in AD 313, legalized Christianity and permitted freedom of religion.
Afterward, as a serious theological conflict within the church surrounding the nature of Jesus Christ, namely the Arian controversy, began to spread, he convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 to resolve it.
The accomplishment from the Council of Nicaea was the restoration of the divinity of Jesus.

         Arius asserted that “the Son is a created being and is not of the same substance as the Father,” and in response, the orthodox party, centered around Bishop Alexander of Alexandria and his successor Athanasius, maintained that “the Son is of the same substance as the Father.”
This debate was not a simple theological issue but a critical problem that could cause division in the church and instability in the empire.

         It is reported that about 250 to 318 bishops attended the Council of Nicaea, and including priests and deacons, it was a large-scale council numbering in the hundreds.
As a result of the council, the assertion of Arius was defined as heresy, and the confession that “the Son is of the same substance as the Father and is true God” was officially adopted as the Nicene Creed (325 version).
Due to this, some Arian leaders were excluded from the church.

         However, the controversy was not completely concluded by this council.
For about half a century afterward, the conflict between the Arians and the orthodox party continued, and the direction of the church fluctuated greatly according to the political stances of the emperors.
This controversy ultimately led to the result of the doctrine of the Trinity being systematically established at the Second Council of Constantinople in 381.

         In this process, the church was gradually absorbed into the system of the Roman state, and afterward, with its establishment as the state religion, the institutionalization of the church proceeded rapidly.
As a result, a doctrinal system began to be formed in which the truth of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, which the early apostles had preached, was gradually mixed with the doctrines of worldly religions.

         The Nicene Creed was originally a confession to confirm the divinity of Jesus Christ, but in actual church history, this creed became the basis for Catholic ecclesiastical authority and institutionalization, and it subsequently became the foundation that laid the cornerstone for the development of the Catholic doctrinal system and the ideology of the Seven Sacraments.
This theological structure was largely inherited by Protestantism after the Reformation, leading to a trend where only the cross-centered faith was emphasized, while the word of truth of the gospel—that Jesus took on and washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John—was excluded.

         As a result, many believers today have come to recognize only the cross of Jesus as the truth of salvation, and the ministry of Jesus taking on and washing away the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River became the occasion for its disappearance from this earth, and that system has continued for 1700 years until now, 2025.
Because of this, the ‘gospel of the water and the Spirit’ has been obscured, and only religious people who believe solely in the cross have been left on this earth.

         To summarize, the Council of Nicaea was a historical event born from the convergence of the Roman Empire’s political objectives and the doctrinal disputes within the church, and it became an important turning point where the institutionalization and dogmatization of Christianity began in earnest.
However, at the same time, it brought about the result of the essence of the early gospel of the water and the Spirit—that is, the truth of being born again, where Jesus gives true salvation to believers by washing away the sins of the world through His baptism by John, going to the cross, shedding His blood, and resurrecting from the dead—disappearing from this world.
Correctly understanding these historical facts becomes an important standard for reflecting on what the cross-centered gospel that people believe in today is, and through what current it was formed.

         Among those who attend church today, there are few who properly know about salvation.
This is because many often take a complacent attitude, thinking they can go to heaven just by believing.
Of course, there are people who consider that to be sufficient, but that is merely a personal choice, not the correct answer.
This is because the qualifications for being a citizen of the kingdom of God are by no means simple.
Therefore, to become a truly born-again Christian, one must firmly know and believe several words of truth that are essential to know.

To move beyond the Nicene Creed and attain complete faith

         The Nicene Creed that we know has been pointed out as having many logical and theological errors.
Despite this, many churches still use the Nicene Creed.
Of course, it could be a matter of personal preference, but there is a more fundamental reason.
That is precisely because the Nicene Creed is the official confession of faith of the Catholic Church.
Therefore, in the past, it was an era where if someone rejected it because it did not align with their beliefs, they could easily be accused of impiety, so it was a situation where they had no choice but to accept it.
However, entering the 21st century, those who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit given by the Lord can be completely freed from the erroneous creedal doctrine, and can also reject the doctrine.

         At the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325, which was the first and largest religious council in Christian history, a fierce debate erupted over the divinity of Jesus Christ.
In particular, the Arian faction argued, “The Son is not of the same substance as the Father,” and the opposing Nicene faction strongly refuted this, stating, “The Son is of the same substance as the Father.”
In the end, after discussion and a vote, the Arian faction’s argument was defined as heresy, and the confession of faith that the Son is of the same substance as the Father was adopted.
This is precisely the original Nicene Creed (325 version). 

         However, despite this decision, the controversy did not end immediately.
Some among the church leaders still supported the Arian position, and as political situations and regional interests became entangled, the division of the church actually worsened.
Furthermore, because Emperor Constantine also lent his power sometimes to the Arian faction and sometimes to the Nicene faction for his own political goals, the confusion continued for some time.

         These controversies were finally settled at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381 (the Second Ecumenical Council).
At this council, the divinity of the Holy Spirit was also officially recognized, and the complete doctrine of the Trinity, which confesses that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are equally God, was established.

         The creed written and confirmed at this time is called the ‘Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed’ today, and it has become the traditional confession of faith used in most Christian churches.
Nevertheless, the doctrine of the Trinity did not achieve complete consensus even afterward, and various theological views and opposing opinions continued to be raised.
Historically speaking, although the council reached an official conclusion, that conclusion was not immediately accepted by all believers nor did it end the debate.

         On the night before He was crucified and died, Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples.
At this time, He distributed the bread and wine, saying they were His body and blood. And He said that by eating and drinking this, one could obtain eternal life.
This word means that by believing in the fact that Jesus washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John, one obtains the washing of sins and eternal life.
And since the cross of Jesus is the word of His receiving the judgment for our sins in our place, we can know that through faith, we have been delivered from the judgment of all sins.

         However, Judas Iscariot, who was in charge of the money box, sold his Teacher for 30 pieces of silver.
Afterward, Judas, tormented by guilt, took his own life.
Meanwhile, Jesus, captured by Roman soldiers, was crucified on the hill of Golgotha.
And He resurrected three days after His death, appeared before His disciples for about 40 days to testify, and said that He would come again as the Lord of the Second Coming in this very form.

Why is Christianity collapsing?

         Recently, the controversy over hereditary succession in the church has become heated.
This is because it is happening frequently that the son of a large church’s pastor inherits the senior pastor position from his father.
Public criticism is boiling over, asking why there is a father-to-son succession when God is the owner of the church.
Of course, this is just the wrong behavior of some pastors, and not all churches are like that.
However, the majority of church members still cannot hide their discomfort. This is because this is precisely the current state of Protestantism today.
Today, various seminars and forums are being held around the world to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, but it is being pointed out that they are focusing their efforts on the wrong things while ignoring the parts that truly need reform.

         Today is an era when Christianity truly needs faith in the gospel message of the water and the Spirit.
Before the Lord returns to this earth, those who believe in Jesus must become those who have received the washing of sins in their hearts and obtained eternal life by believing in the gospel message of the water and the Spirit, and I only hope that they become people who can welcome the Lord whenever He comes.

         What I am saying is the fact that the reason the worldwide church has lost its spiritual power like this is that it entered the path of corruption from the moment the Nicene Creed was made in AD 325, because the word of truth—that Jesus had washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John—was deleted from that Nicene Creed.
If, at that time, the gospel message of truth that Jesus had washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John had been included in that creed along with the word of the cross, and not deleted, the church would have lived well as the light of the world even until today.

         However, by creating the Nicene Creed in AD 325 and believing only in the cross while excluding the message of Jesus’s ministry of baptism, the Catholic Church became corrupt, and the Protestant Reformers also, by believing in that creedal doctrine as it was, ultimately became those who were ruined together.

         We must know the history of the world church.
That is, that the earthly church was ruined because of the Nicene Creed.

         Entering the 21st century, the worldwide church came to face a crisis. The number of church members was decreasing every year, and the financial situation was also on a worsening trend.
Amidst this, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, making this problem even more severe.
Some churches tried new things like online worship services and various small group meetings, but with the exception of some large churches, the rest of the churches reached a situation where they had to close their doors.
The crisis of the church has struck the entire world. 

         In America and Europe, many churches have already been closing their doors for the past 30 years.
It seems that this trend will continue in the future.
Now, how must we overcome this difficult crisis and have a faith that is worthy before the Lord?
The answer must be found only in the gospel of God.

         The way to solve this problem is to return to the word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, which the apostles of the early church believed.
The word of the gospel that the apostles of the early church believed was the faith that believes Jesus was baptized by John to take upon Himself and wash away the sins of the world, received the penalty for all sins on the cross, rose from the dead, and has now become our Savior. (Acts 2:37–40, 1 Peter 3:21).

         The gospel that the Apostle John believed is also the same.
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one—ASV)” (1 John 5:4–8).
This is to say that the Apostle John is also stating that he was a person who received salvation by believing in Jesus as his Savior—the Jesus who had the sins of the world washed away by being baptized by John and then went to the cross.

         And the Apostle Paul also testifies that he believed in Jesus as his Savior—the one who had the sins of the world washed away by being baptized by John, was crucified, and rose from the dead (Galatians 3:27, Romans 6:4–9).
This means that Paul and all the saints of the early church believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior—the one who had the sins of the world transferred to Him and washed them away by being baptized by John, was hung on the cross, crucified, and rose from the dead.

         In this way, the apostles and saints of the early church testify that they could receive salvation through faith in the Lord—the Lord who took upon Himself the sins of the world by being baptized by John, was crucified, and rose from the dead.
Therefore, all the churches in this world must turn away from the faith that believes only in the cross, as spoken of in the Nicene Creed, and return to the Lord by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, have all their sins washed away, and begin their life of faith anew.

         From now on, we must not rely on the doctrines of theology or the traditions of the church, but be born again and live by the faith that believes in the core message of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments: Jesus who took upon Himself the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist and went to the cross.
We must return to the Lord through the faith that believes in the baptism Jesus received from John and the cross.
We all must acknowledge our fault of having lived apart from the gospel of truth—that Jesus washed away the sins of the world through His baptism by John—because of the erroneous Nicene Creed until now. We must return into the word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and by that believing faith, live in accordance with the Lord’s will.

         From now on, we must cleanse our hearts through the faith that believes in the word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, which the Lord has given us.
To do so, we must follow after the Lord with the faith that believes in the gospel of salvation—that Jesus Christ took upon Himself the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist and went to the cross.

         From now on, we must believe the fact that Jesus washed away the sins of the world through the baptism He received from John, and follow the Lord in faith.
Of course, you must also believe in the blood of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. This is because, otherwise, you cannot have the faith to be saved from the judgment of your sins.
This is because of the word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit—that is to say, because the Lord washed away the sins of the world for us by being baptized by John.
We all must reform the 21st-century church with the faith that believes that the Lord washed away the sins of the world for us by being baptized by John.
Because otherwise, you cannot wash away the sins that are in your hearts.

What is the assurance of salvation for today’s Christians?

         As someone who has become a Christian today, moments of confusion often arise in the life of faith.
One might doubt if they are believing correctly, and at times, even feel a sense of skepticism.
At such times, one invariably prays to God. But far from receiving an answer to prayer, there are times when only the frustration in one’s heart grows.
What on earth could be wrong with my faith? I try to live according to the words of the Bible, but I cannot figure out where it went wrong.
Then, a sudden question arises: ‘Could it be that I am merely deceiving myself into thinking I have been saved by the Lord?’
Despite this lack of assurance, not a few believers act as if all their sins have been removed.
Furthermore, there are also some believers who blame themselves, thinking it is due to their lack of faith or insufficient effort.
All of this is truly a regrettable matter.

         In that sense, we would like to pose a few questions in order to be saved from sin.

         Have you truly been born again of water and the Spirit?
If not, it is not too late even now; I urge you to be born again by receiving the removal of sins in your heart through the faith that believes in the baptism Jesus received from John and the blood of the cross.

         Lastly, are you walking with the Lord daily?
If you are not able to do so, you must quickly return to the faith that believes in the word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
This is because only then will you not have regrets when you stand before the judgment seat in the future.

         For Christians today, there is no topic more important than being born again.
This is because whether one’s path leads to heaven or to hell is determined by whether one can be saved by the faith alone that Jesus atoned for all the sins of mankind when He died on the cross, or whether one must be born again by believing the word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit.

         However, in the reality of churches today, the teaching that one is ‘saved simply by believing’ is still rampant.
As a result, there are countless church members in whose lives no change occurs, even if they live their life of faith diligently.
There are even not a few church members who delude themselves into thinking that they are believing correctly.
In the end, it is nothing but self-satisfaction, yet they are in a state where they cannot even properly understand that fact.
What on earth could be the problem? The answer is simple.
It is because they are missing the essence of the gospel of the water and the Spirit that the Lord gave to mankind.
God the Father has given us the truth that Jesus Christ had the sins of the world transferred to Him and washed them away by being baptized by John the Baptist, and the word of truth that He resolved the judgment of sin on the cross.

         Therefore, anyone must obtain the washing of sin by believing in the gospel word of salvation that Jesus washed away the sins of the world at once by being baptized by John.
And then, by having the faith that we were also delivered at once from the judgment for our sins through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we come to obtain salvation and eternal life.
This is the core of the faith that one must believe in order to live a proper life of faith.

         Nevertheless, until now, pastors have only said, “Lord! Lord!” with their lips, but in their hearts, they have not accepted the word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Therefore, they have become false pastors who are mocked and pointed at by this world.
Even now, they must come to their senses and believe in the word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit so that they can live both spiritually and physically.

         These people are those who are always living as sinners because they have not had their sins resolved, as they do not yet believe in the word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, that Jesus washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John.
That is why, right now, you and I must become those who have received the washing of our sins by believing in the word of truth—that Jesus washed away our sins by being baptized by John the Baptist—and have received the Holy Spirit as a gift (Acts 2:37-41).
And the blood of Jesus’ cross is what we must believe in as the penalty for our sins.
Jesus is the one who could become our Savior today because He took upon Himself and washed away the sins of this world at once by being baptized by John the Baptist, and then shed His blood on the cross and rose from the dead.

         Today, people must know the fact that they tried to have the sins they commit resolved by believing only in the precious blood that Jesus shed on the cross, but in the end, they have fallen into spiritual stagnation as those who have failed.
Now, you must return to the Lord by believing in the word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit—that Jesus took upon Himself and washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John.
We must know and believe that the sacrifice of Jesus, who shed His blood on the cross, is the penalty for our sins.

         You must know through what the love of God, who loved you and me, was manifested.
The love of God was manifested as the love by which Jesus took upon Himself and washed away the sins of the world at once by being baptized by John the Baptist, the representative of mankind.
And we must know that He is the Savior who has now paid the price for our sins by being crucified, dying, and resurrecting from the dead.

         When Jesus said, “in this way,” at His baptism by John, He was saying that He took upon Himself and washed away your sins and mine with the baptism He received from John.
Therefore, He said, “for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).
He is speaking of the reason why He was baptized by John.
Jesus is the one who is now manifesting the love of God, who paid the price for mankind’s sins by first taking upon Himself and washing away the sins of the world onto His own body by being baptized by John, and then shedding His precious blood on the cross.

         So then, are your sins in your heart right now? Or have they been transferred to the body of Jesus?
We must know the truth that Jesus took upon Himself and washed away the sins of the world at once by being baptized by John the Baptist, and believe it in our hearts.
Are you, right now, believing in the fact that Jesus had the sins of the world transferred to Him and washed them all away at once by being baptized by John? Or, not knowing this fact, are you still living your life of faith believing in your heart only in the Jesus who was hung on the cross?
Is there still sin remaining in your heart right now?

         If you had properly known and believed in the love of Jesus, who took upon Himself and washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist, it is impossible for sin to remain in your heart right now.
For one who believes in the fact that Jesus took upon Himself and washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John, sin cannot remain in their heart. Would that not be so? —Yes, it is.—
Then, are you and I sinners with sin in our hearts? Or have we become righteous, having received the removal of sin by believing in the baptism, by which Jesus washed away the sins of the world, and in His blood? —We have become righteous.—

         Because you have lived your life of faith believing only in the cross of Jesus, you are those who have fallen into great ruin.
It means that you have never believed in Jesus, who washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John, as your Savior.
Because you tried to have your sins washed away through prayers of repentance, without the knowledge that your sins were transferred to Jesus when He was baptized by John, the washing of sin was not possible.
It is only right that you cannot have your sins washed away by the prayers of repentance that we offer to the Lord.

         You must know that if you try to wash away your sins with prayers of repentance each time you sin, the more you offer such prayers, the deeper the disappointment you will fall into.
If that happens, you will fall into worldly religions, and it will become impossible for you to come out of them.
You must know the fact that the sin in every person’s heart is inevitably followed by the judgment of God.
You must know that every person’s sin is engraved on the tablets of their hearts, and that they must stand before the judgment seat of God.

         We must praise the love of the Lord by believing in our hearts in the removal of sin, which Jesus accomplished by having the sins of the world transferred to Him and washing them away through His baptism by John.
And we must believe in the word of truth that He went to the cross, shed His blood, resurrected from the dead, and paid the price for the sins of all who believe.
The word of the gospel of truth for being born again, which the Lord has given us, is the gospel word of the water and the Spirit—that Jesus washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John.
Our salvation can be known through the baptism and the cross that the Lord performed for us.

         As we know, those who are saved by believing in the salvation of truth—that Jesus was baptized by John, had the sins of the world transferred to Him, and washed them away—become the children of God and are now born again.
The gift of salvation in the Lord is the truth that the ministry of salvation—in which Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, took upon Himself and washed away the sins of the world, and shed His blood on the cross—becomes the gift of salvation that now enables us to receive the removal of sin. 
And you become those who receive the removal of sin and obtain eternal life by the faith of believing in Jesus—who was baptized by John, took upon Himself and washed away the sins of the world, and went to the cross—as our Savior.

         If you now believe in the removal of sin, which the Lord accomplished by washing away the sins of the world through the baptism He received from John, you will taste the removal of sin and the peace of mind that come from the Lord.
Therefore, I hope that you will become those who believe the fact that this truth of atonement—that the Lord was baptized by John the Baptist and shed His blood on the cross—has become all the righteousness of salvation for those who now believe, and that you will receive salvation.

         Now you must realize the fact that the various doctrines you followed in the past with a faith that believed only in the cross are no longer necessary.
It means that with the prayers of repentance you have been offering until now, you could not wash away your own sins.
However, now you have received salvation in your hearts and have become able to live as righteous people by believing in the gospel word of the water and the Spirit, by which Jesus washed away the sins of the world through the baptism He received from John.
So how can we not give thanks to the Lord? It means that we should live this way, giving thanks.

         As you can see, you will be able to know the fact that with the word of the cross alone that you currently believe in and the prayers of repentance you offer, you cannot wash your sins as white as snow.
Therefore, from now on, you must set out to find the gospel word of the water and the Spirit.
We must become those who are thankful for knowing this fact—that our Lord was baptized by John the Baptist, took upon Himself and washed away the sins of the world—and for having become owners of the faith that obtains salvation through belief.

         We must live holding fast by the faith that believes in the gospel word of the water and the Spirit—that Jesus washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist.
That is, we must firmly believe in our hearts the word of truth that Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist.
Furthermore, we must also clearly believe the fact that Jesus received the judgment for our sins in our place by being hung on the cross and shedding His blood.
Moreover, you must also know that there were many problems within the prayers of repentance that you have diligently repeated until now.
We must become those who know and believe that Jesus is the true Savior who took upon Himself and washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist.
Because Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world, we must stand as victors of faith, believing in Jesus as our Savior—the One who was crucified, shed His blood and died, and rose from the dead.

         Now we have become those who cannot but give thanks through the faith that believes that Jesus Christ took upon Himself the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist, and delivered us from the judgment of sin with the blood He shed on the cross.
Since we have become those who have received salvation from all sins by the faith that believes in the gospel word of truth—that our Lord washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John—we must become those who live the rest of our lives giving thanks to God for this fact.
Hallelujah!

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