ដោយសារការរាតត្បាតនៃជម្ងឺកូវីឌ១៩ និងការរំខានដល់សេវាកម្មប្រៃសណីយអន្តរជាតិ
យើងបានផ្អាកជាបណ្តោះអាសន្ននូវ "សេវាកម្មសៀវភៅបោះពុម្ពដោយឥតគិតថ្លៃ" របស់យើង។
នៅក្នុងស្ថានភាពបែបនេះ យើងមិនអាចផ្ញើសៀវភៅទៅកាន់លោកអ្នកបានឡើយ។
សូមអធិស្ឋានសម្រាប់ការរលាយបាត់យ៉ាងឆាប់រហ័សនូវជម្ងឺរាតត្បាតនេះ និងការដំណើរការឡើងវិញនូវសេវាកម្មប្រៃសណីយ។
សូមអធិស្ឋានសម្រាប់ការរលាយបាត់យ៉ាងឆាប់រហ័សនូវជម្ងឺរាតត្បាតនេះ និងការដំណើរការឡើងវិញនូវសេវាកម្មប្រៃសណីយ។
Subject 3 : The Gospel of the Water and the Spirit
[3-6] The True Spiritual Circumcision (Exodus 12:43-49)
(Exodus 12:43-49)
“And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger sojourns with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”
“And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger sojourns with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”
What was the indispensable condition for the Israelites to become children of God in the Old Testament?
They had to be circumcised.
They had to be circumcised.
The words of God in both the Old Testament and the New Testament are important and precious to those of us who believe in God. We cannot be remiss about even one phrase of those words because the words of God are the words of life.
Today’s passage tells us that anyone who wants to keep the Passover has to be circumcised beforehand. We should think about the reason God tells us this. Unless one is circumcised, he cannot keep the Passover.
If we are to believe in Jesus, we should understand God’s purpose for giving us this edict. Circumcision is the cutting off of a man’s foreskin. Why did God tell Abraham and his descendants to be circumcised? The reason is that He had promised that only those who “cut off” their sins would become His people.
That is why He told the people of Israel in the Old Testament to be circumcised. To become the people of God, the people of Israel had to be circumcised. It was His ordinance, the basis of consecration, and He became the God of those who severed their sins with faith through circumcision. Additionally, in the New Testament, He becomes the God of those who cut off sin with faith.
Today’s passage tells us that anyone who wants to keep the Passover has to be circumcised beforehand. We should think about the reason God tells us this. Unless one is circumcised, he cannot keep the Passover.
If we are to believe in Jesus, we should understand God’s purpose for giving us this edict. Circumcision is the cutting off of a man’s foreskin. Why did God tell Abraham and his descendants to be circumcised? The reason is that He had promised that only those who “cut off” their sins would become His people.
That is why He told the people of Israel in the Old Testament to be circumcised. To become the people of God, the people of Israel had to be circumcised. It was His ordinance, the basis of consecration, and He became the God of those who severed their sins with faith through circumcision. Additionally, in the New Testament, He becomes the God of those who cut off sin with faith.
THE PASSOVER
What was the Passover?
It was the day for the Israelites to remember and thank God for the Exodus from Egypt.
It was the day for the Israelites to remember and thank God for the Exodus from Egypt.
The most important holiday for the people of Israel was the Passover. It was the day to remember and thank God for the Exodus from Egypt, where the Israelites had lived as slaves for approximately 400 years. God had brought ten great plagues to move Pharaoh’s hardened heart. It was by this means that He led the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan.
The people of Israel had been saved from the death of the firstborn, the last plague, through the blood of the sacrificial lamb and circumcision. Therefore, God told them to keep the Passover throughout their generations as a reminder of His mercy.
The people of Israel had been saved from the death of the firstborn, the last plague, through the blood of the sacrificial lamb and circumcision. Therefore, God told them to keep the Passover throughout their generations as a reminder of His mercy.
WHAT DID THE ISRAELITES HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO KEEP THE PASSOVER?
What did the Israelites have to do in order to keep the Passover?
They had to be circumcised.
They had to be circumcised.
We have to understand that in order to keep the Passover spiritually, we have to be circumcised in our hearts. Even the people of Israel had to be circumcised to observe the Passover.
It is written in Exodus 12:43-49. “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger sojourns with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you.” Thus He told the Israelites to keep the Passover after they had been circumcised.
Who were the ones allowed to eat the meat of the lamb of the Passover and keep the Passover? Only those who were circumcised could keep the Passover.
The lamb of the Passover, as we all know, is Jesus Christ who took away the sins of the world.
Then, what is circumcision in the Old Testament and the New Testament? Circumcision means the cutting off of the foreskin. Jesus Christ was also circumcised eight days after He was born into this world. God had ordered that all who participated in the ritual of the Passover had to be circumcised, and made it clear that anyone who had not been circumcised could never participate in the Passover.
Therefore, everyone had to be circumcised just as God ordained. If you believe in Jesus, you have to understand the meaning of circumcision in the New Testament.
It is written in Exodus 12:43-49. “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger sojourns with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you.” Thus He told the Israelites to keep the Passover after they had been circumcised.
Who were the ones allowed to eat the meat of the lamb of the Passover and keep the Passover? Only those who were circumcised could keep the Passover.
The lamb of the Passover, as we all know, is Jesus Christ who took away the sins of the world.
Then, what is circumcision in the Old Testament and the New Testament? Circumcision means the cutting off of the foreskin. Jesus Christ was also circumcised eight days after He was born into this world. God had ordered that all who participated in the ritual of the Passover had to be circumcised, and made it clear that anyone who had not been circumcised could never participate in the Passover.
Therefore, everyone had to be circumcised just as God ordained. If you believe in Jesus, you have to understand the meaning of circumcision in the New Testament.
WHAT WAS THE RITUAL OF CIRCUMCISION THAT GOD ORDERED ABRAHAM TO PERFORM?
How could Abraham and his descendants become children of God?
By being circumcised
By being circumcised
In Genesis, God appeared to Abraham and made His covenant with him and his descendants. In chapter 15, God promised that Abraham’s descendants would multiply like the stars in the sky and that He would give them the land of Canaan as their inheritance.
And in chapter 17, He told Abraham that if he and his descendants entered His covenant and were circumcised, He would become their God and they would become His people. It was God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. God promised that when they believed His covenant and were circumcised, it would mean they had become His people, and He would indeed have become their God.
Genesis 17:7-8 says, “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
The circumcision was the mark of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants.
And in chapter 17, He told Abraham that if he and his descendants entered His covenant and were circumcised, He would become their God and they would become His people. It was God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. God promised that when they believed His covenant and were circumcised, it would mean they had become His people, and He would indeed have become their God.
Genesis 17:7-8 says, “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
The circumcision was the mark of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants.
WHAT IS MEANT BY THE WAY OF SPIRITUAL CIRCUMCISION?
What is the spiritual circumcision?
It is to cut off all the sins in our hearts by believing in the baptism of Jesus.
It is to cut off all the sins in our hearts by believing in the baptism of Jesus.
Because Abraham believed in the word of God, God made him righteous and made him His child. It was circumcision that was the mark of the covenant between God and Abraham.
“This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised” (Genesis 17:10).
Physical circumcision means the cutting off of the foreskin: spiritually, it also signifies passing all our sins on to Jesus through our faith in His baptism. We are spiritually circumcised when we cut away all our sins by accepting the salvation of Jesus’ baptism. Circumcision in the New Testament is to cut away all sins through the baptism of Jesus.
Therefore, circumcision in the Old Testament is the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament, and both are the covenants of God, that make us His people. Therefore, circumcision in the Old Testament and the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament are one and the same.
Just as the descendants of Abraham became the people of God when they cut off their foreskins, we become children of God when we cut off all sin from our hearts. We do this by believing that there is no sin in the world because Jesus took away all sin when He was baptized by John the Baptist.
The baptism of Jesus makes all sinners righteous by cutting off their sins. Just as a piece of skin was removed in the process of circumcision, so were the sins of humankind cut off from all people’s hearts when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the Jordan River. Those who believe this can be spiritually circumcised and become the people of God, the righteous.
“This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised” (Genesis 17:10).
Physical circumcision means the cutting off of the foreskin: spiritually, it also signifies passing all our sins on to Jesus through our faith in His baptism. We are spiritually circumcised when we cut away all our sins by accepting the salvation of Jesus’ baptism. Circumcision in the New Testament is to cut away all sins through the baptism of Jesus.
Therefore, circumcision in the Old Testament is the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament, and both are the covenants of God, that make us His people. Therefore, circumcision in the Old Testament and the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament are one and the same.
Just as the descendants of Abraham became the people of God when they cut off their foreskins, we become children of God when we cut off all sin from our hearts. We do this by believing that there is no sin in the world because Jesus took away all sin when He was baptized by John the Baptist.
The baptism of Jesus makes all sinners righteous by cutting off their sins. Just as a piece of skin was removed in the process of circumcision, so were the sins of humankind cut off from all people’s hearts when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the Jordan River. Those who believe this can be spiritually circumcised and become the people of God, the righteous.
THE FALSE FAITH THAT MAKES PEOPLE CUT THEMSELVES OFF FROM GOD
What made the Israelites cut themselves off from God?
Uncircumcision
Uncircumcision
God told Abraham that any uncircumcised man should be cut off from His people. Then, what is circumcision? And what is spiritual circumcision? If circumcision of the flesh is to cut off a bit of skin from a part of the body, then spiritual circumcision is to cut off all sin from our hearts and pass it onto Jesus through His baptism.
The baptism of Jesus is the spiritual circumcision of humankind, by which the sins of the world were cut off from us and passed on to Jesus. The reason Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist was to save all humankind through the spiritual circumcision, which took away all sin.
All the sins of humankind were passed onto Jesus. God, in becoming the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, and the God of all their descendants, had made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants and had them cut off their foreskins. Thus He became God, the Savior to all those who cut off their sins through circumcision.
What is the circumcision that cuts off sin? It is the covenant of God with Abraham and all those who are born again by believing in the baptism of Jesus and His death on the Cross as their salvation. In this way, He gave us the right to become His people. Thus He is the God of those who have been circumcised.
God spoke to Abraham. “He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any stranger who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant” (Genesis 17:12-14).
Anyone who tries to come into Jesus without spiritual circumcision shall be cut off from His people. Spiritual circumcision is the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament, through which all the sins of the world were passed onto Him.
Anyone who believes in Jesus should also believe in the circumcision of the Old Testament and the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament, so that they may receive the Spirit, be saved from all sin, and become a child of God. To us who believe in Jesus, circumcision in the Old Testament and the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament are the same.
If we fail to understand the true meaning of circumcision or cannot accept in our hearts the salvation through spiritual circumcision that allows us to be born again, our faith will be in vain. We may think we are faithful to God, but it is as if we had built our house of faith on sand.
God tells all those who believe in Him to be circumcised, to believe in redemption through the baptism of Jesus, the spiritual circumcision. Without circumcision, we cannot become His people. Without circumcision, we are to be excluded from the ranks of His people. Therefore God ordained that anyone, whether he was bought with money or was a stranger, should be circumcised before partaking of the feast of the Passover.
Even the native-born of Israel were to be cut off from His people if they hadn’t been circumcised. The covenant of God with the people of Israel should also be applied to all those who believe in Jesus.
In Exodus chapter 12, the people of Israel who ate the meat of the Passover and the bitter herbs had to have already been circumcised. The right to eat the meat of the Passover was given only to those who had been circumcised.
It is important for us to know that when the people of Israel ate the meat of the Passover and put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and the lintels of their houses, they had already been circumcised.
By the ordinance of God, if a person had not been circumcised, he would have been cut off from His people and lost the right to become one of God’s children. This means the sin of unbelief in the spiritual circumcision leads people to ruin. Only those who have been spiritually circumcised through the baptism of Jesus can be saved.
“There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism” (1 Peter 3:21). Do you truly believe that all your sins were passed onto Jesus through His baptism at the Jordan? If you really understand and believe the truth, the baptism of Jesus and His blood, you will realize that you have been spiritually circumcised and have become a righteous person. And you will also have faith in the spiritual truth that the blood of Jesus on the Cross would be meaningless without His baptism.
If you were to believe in the Cross of Jesus without being circumcised spiritually through faith in the baptism of Jesus, you would find yourself cast out from God’s mercy. You would find that you still have sin in your heart.
We have to believe in the truth that God’s redemption started with the baptism of Jesus Christ and was accomplished by His blood on the Cross. To do so, we have to take into our hearts the words of truth, the baptism of Jesus and His blood, as our salvation.
With this faith, we can be delivered from the power of darkness and become the children of light. This faith spiritually separates those who have been truly born again from the ranks of ordinary believers.
Our Lord, Jesus, tells us to abide in Him. He has already washed away the sins of the world with His baptism and His blood. Therefore, to bear the mark of being the people of God, we have to believe in the baptism of Jesus. If we fail to do so, we shall be cut off from Him.
The salvation of redemption is none other than the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament and circumcision in the Old Testament. Salvation becomes complete only when we have faith in both the baptism of Jesus (the spiritual circumcision) and His blood on the Cross (the blood of the Lamb of the Passover).
The circumcision of the flesh in the Old Testament is connected to the baptism of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Isaiah 34:16 tells us that all the words in the Bible have their mates. “Search from the book of the Lord, and read: not one of these shall fail; not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them.”
Each word in the Old Testament is connected to the New Testament. Not one word of God lacks its counterpart.
The baptism of Jesus is the spiritual circumcision of humankind, by which the sins of the world were cut off from us and passed on to Jesus. The reason Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist was to save all humankind through the spiritual circumcision, which took away all sin.
All the sins of humankind were passed onto Jesus. God, in becoming the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, and the God of all their descendants, had made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants and had them cut off their foreskins. Thus He became God, the Savior to all those who cut off their sins through circumcision.
What is the circumcision that cuts off sin? It is the covenant of God with Abraham and all those who are born again by believing in the baptism of Jesus and His death on the Cross as their salvation. In this way, He gave us the right to become His people. Thus He is the God of those who have been circumcised.
God spoke to Abraham. “He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any stranger who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant” (Genesis 17:12-14).
Anyone who tries to come into Jesus without spiritual circumcision shall be cut off from His people. Spiritual circumcision is the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament, through which all the sins of the world were passed onto Him.
Anyone who believes in Jesus should also believe in the circumcision of the Old Testament and the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament, so that they may receive the Spirit, be saved from all sin, and become a child of God. To us who believe in Jesus, circumcision in the Old Testament and the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament are the same.
If we fail to understand the true meaning of circumcision or cannot accept in our hearts the salvation through spiritual circumcision that allows us to be born again, our faith will be in vain. We may think we are faithful to God, but it is as if we had built our house of faith on sand.
God tells all those who believe in Him to be circumcised, to believe in redemption through the baptism of Jesus, the spiritual circumcision. Without circumcision, we cannot become His people. Without circumcision, we are to be excluded from the ranks of His people. Therefore God ordained that anyone, whether he was bought with money or was a stranger, should be circumcised before partaking of the feast of the Passover.
Even the native-born of Israel were to be cut off from His people if they hadn’t been circumcised. The covenant of God with the people of Israel should also be applied to all those who believe in Jesus.
In Exodus chapter 12, the people of Israel who ate the meat of the Passover and the bitter herbs had to have already been circumcised. The right to eat the meat of the Passover was given only to those who had been circumcised.
It is important for us to know that when the people of Israel ate the meat of the Passover and put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and the lintels of their houses, they had already been circumcised.
By the ordinance of God, if a person had not been circumcised, he would have been cut off from His people and lost the right to become one of God’s children. This means the sin of unbelief in the spiritual circumcision leads people to ruin. Only those who have been spiritually circumcised through the baptism of Jesus can be saved.
“There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism” (1 Peter 3:21). Do you truly believe that all your sins were passed onto Jesus through His baptism at the Jordan? If you really understand and believe the truth, the baptism of Jesus and His blood, you will realize that you have been spiritually circumcised and have become a righteous person. And you will also have faith in the spiritual truth that the blood of Jesus on the Cross would be meaningless without His baptism.
If you were to believe in the Cross of Jesus without being circumcised spiritually through faith in the baptism of Jesus, you would find yourself cast out from God’s mercy. You would find that you still have sin in your heart.
We have to believe in the truth that God’s redemption started with the baptism of Jesus Christ and was accomplished by His blood on the Cross. To do so, we have to take into our hearts the words of truth, the baptism of Jesus and His blood, as our salvation.
With this faith, we can be delivered from the power of darkness and become the children of light. This faith spiritually separates those who have been truly born again from the ranks of ordinary believers.
Our Lord, Jesus, tells us to abide in Him. He has already washed away the sins of the world with His baptism and His blood. Therefore, to bear the mark of being the people of God, we have to believe in the baptism of Jesus. If we fail to do so, we shall be cut off from Him.
The salvation of redemption is none other than the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament and circumcision in the Old Testament. Salvation becomes complete only when we have faith in both the baptism of Jesus (the spiritual circumcision) and His blood on the Cross (the blood of the Lamb of the Passover).
The circumcision of the flesh in the Old Testament is connected to the baptism of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Isaiah 34:16 tells us that all the words in the Bible have their mates. “Search from the book of the Lord, and read: not one of these shall fail; not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them.”
Each word in the Old Testament is connected to the New Testament. Not one word of God lacks its counterpart.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO FOOLISHLY BELIEVE IN AN INCORRECT MANNER?
Who will go to hell among all the believers in the world?
Those who don’t believe in the spiritual circumcision
Those who don’t believe in the spiritual circumcision
Today there are many who believe only in the blood of the Lamb of the Passover. They ask, “What do you mean, circumcision? It only applied to the Jews in the age of the Old Testament. We don’t have to cut off our foreskin in the time of the New Testament.”
Of course this is true. I am not suggesting that we should be physically circumcised. The apostle Paul explained spiritual circumcision very clearly, and it is the circumcision of the heart to which I am referring now.
I am not telling you to be physically circumcised. The circumcision of the flesh has no meaning for us, but we have to come to Jesus and be spiritually circumcised by believing in the baptism of Jesus in order to be saved from all our sins.
In order for someone to be born again, they have to be spiritually circumcised. Anyone who believes in Jesus has to be spiritually circumcised. It is the only way to cut away all our sins and the only way to become righteous. Only after our spiritual circumcision are we completely without sin. Therefore we have to accept in our hearts spiritual circumcision by believing in the baptism of Jesus.
The apostle Paul also believed in the importance of spiritual circumcision. He said, “Circumcision is that of the heart” (Romans 2:29). Every one of us has to be spiritually circumcised to be free of sin.
Have your sins really been passed onto Jesus after being cut away from you? Even in the New Testament, the ones who believe in Jesus have to be circumcised in their hearts by believing in the baptism of Jesus.
The apostle Paul made this clear in his Epistles. God saved all humankind from the sins of the world and made them His people. The people of Israel become God’s people by removing their foreskins, and we become His children when we pass all our sins onto Jesus by believing in His baptism.
God accepts us as His people when He sees our faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. This faith makes us spiritually circumcised and leads to our salvation.
Of course this is true. I am not suggesting that we should be physically circumcised. The apostle Paul explained spiritual circumcision very clearly, and it is the circumcision of the heart to which I am referring now.
I am not telling you to be physically circumcised. The circumcision of the flesh has no meaning for us, but we have to come to Jesus and be spiritually circumcised by believing in the baptism of Jesus in order to be saved from all our sins.
In order for someone to be born again, they have to be spiritually circumcised. Anyone who believes in Jesus has to be spiritually circumcised. It is the only way to cut away all our sins and the only way to become righteous. Only after our spiritual circumcision are we completely without sin. Therefore we have to accept in our hearts spiritual circumcision by believing in the baptism of Jesus.
The apostle Paul also believed in the importance of spiritual circumcision. He said, “Circumcision is that of the heart” (Romans 2:29). Every one of us has to be spiritually circumcised to be free of sin.
Have your sins really been passed onto Jesus after being cut away from you? Even in the New Testament, the ones who believe in Jesus have to be circumcised in their hearts by believing in the baptism of Jesus.
The apostle Paul made this clear in his Epistles. God saved all humankind from the sins of the world and made them His people. The people of Israel become God’s people by removing their foreskins, and we become His children when we pass all our sins onto Jesus by believing in His baptism.
God accepts us as His people when He sees our faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. This faith makes us spiritually circumcised and leads to our salvation.
SALVATION EXISTS FOR SINNERS THROUGH THE BAPTISM OF JESUS AND HIS BLOOD
How was salvation completed by Jesus?
Through His baptism and death on the Cross
The salvation Jesus Christ completed through the water of His baptism and His blood on the Cross is for sinners. The blood of the Lamb was the judgment, and the baptism of Jesus was the spiritual circumcision that transferred all our sins to Him.
Christian churches today should not make light of this notion of spiritual circumcision. Even though circumcision in the Old Testament means little to us these days, the baptism of Jesus should never be ignored.
I told you that all your sins were taken away by the baptism of Jesus, and the baptism of Jesus saved you from all your sins. Do you believe it? If you ignore the baptism of Jesus, you will never know the gospel of being born again, the gospel of complete redemption through the baptism of Jesus.
How can we ignore the baptism of Jesus, the spiritual circumcision of which God tells us? If we read the Bible, we can see that circumcision and the blood of the lamb of the Passover are closely related. This is the secret of spiritual circumcision, the baptism of Jesus.
The gospel preached by the apostle John was none other than the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. He said in 1 John 5:6, “This is He who came by water and blood―Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood.”
He said that Jesus came by water, blood and the Spirit. Not only by water, and not only by blood, but by water, blood and the Spirit altogether. These three elements, the baptism of Jesus, the blood of Jesus on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead, are one, the proof of our salvation.
Christian churches today should not make light of this notion of spiritual circumcision. Even though circumcision in the Old Testament means little to us these days, the baptism of Jesus should never be ignored.
I told you that all your sins were taken away by the baptism of Jesus, and the baptism of Jesus saved you from all your sins. Do you believe it? If you ignore the baptism of Jesus, you will never know the gospel of being born again, the gospel of complete redemption through the baptism of Jesus.
How can we ignore the baptism of Jesus, the spiritual circumcision of which God tells us? If we read the Bible, we can see that circumcision and the blood of the lamb of the Passover are closely related. This is the secret of spiritual circumcision, the baptism of Jesus.
The gospel preached by the apostle John was none other than the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. He said in 1 John 5:6, “This is He who came by water and blood―Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood.”
He said that Jesus came by water, blood and the Spirit. Not only by water, and not only by blood, but by water, blood and the Spirit altogether. These three elements, the baptism of Jesus, the blood of Jesus on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead, are one, the proof of our salvation.
WHY DOES THE BIBLE SPEAK OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS AND HIS BLOOD?
Were the people of Israel saved only through the blood of a lamb on the Passover?
No. They were already circumcised before they kept the Passover.
No. They were already circumcised before they kept the Passover.
The baptism of Jesus and His blood is what allows us to be born again of water and the Spirit. Exodus chapter 12 says, “Take for yourself a lamb, and take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of your houses. When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”
Knowing this, is it possible that we can be saved from all our sins by believing only in the blood of the lamb of the Passover? Then why is the baptism of Jesus talked about so much in the New Testament? The apostles said, “Buried with Him in baptism” (Colossians 2:12). “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). “...which now saves us, namely baptism” (1 Peter 3:21).
The apostles Peter and Paul and all the other disciples of Jesus Christ talked about the baptism of Jesus. It is the baptism of Jesus at the Jordan to which they were referring, and it is the faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross that is the truth of being born again of water and the Spirit.
To tell you the truth, I believed in Jesus, but only in His blood, for over ten years, without even acknowledging the baptism of Jesus. But this knowledge by itself did not take away the sins in my heart. I believed in Jesus with all my heart, but my heart was still full of sin.
After ten years, I discovered the meaning of spiritual circumcision (the baptism of Jesus) and was then born again. Only then did I realize the truth: circumcision in the Old Testament symbolizes the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament. I believed it, and I still do.
“In the New Testament, is it the correct faith to believe in both the blood of Jesus and His baptism? Is my belief correct according to the Bible?” After I was born again, I wondered about these things.
Although I believed in the message of the baptism of Jesus and His blood, questions remained in my mind. “Is it right to believe in the truth that all my sins were passed on to Jesus when He was baptized or is it right to believe that Jesus saved us only through His death on the Cross? Isn’t it enough just to believe that Jesus is my God and Savior?” I pondered this while reading Exodus chapter 12.
Many people today read Exodus chapter 12 and do not think twice about declaring that Jesus Christ died on the Cross as their Savior. They think it is correct to believe in the blood of Christ and they testify to the truth of their convictions. They may believe unflinchingly and say that the Lord is Christ and the Son of God but they are still sinners. They think that if they believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior, they will be saved even if they still have sin in their hearts.
This kind of faith is not true faith. This faith alone cannot help them to be born again. Only the baptism of Jesus and His blood makes us righteous.
Then, what does Exodus chapter 12 actually mean? I looked into the Bible, thinking, “Is there any problem believing only in the blood of Jesus while ignoring His baptism?” Even before I finished reading Exodus, I discovered the truth that salvation is not only of the blood of Christ but also of His baptism. Through the Bible, I was assured that we are circumcised in our hearts through the baptism of Jesus as well as His blood on the Cross.
Knowing this, is it possible that we can be saved from all our sins by believing only in the blood of the lamb of the Passover? Then why is the baptism of Jesus talked about so much in the New Testament? The apostles said, “Buried with Him in baptism” (Colossians 2:12). “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). “...which now saves us, namely baptism” (1 Peter 3:21).
The apostles Peter and Paul and all the other disciples of Jesus Christ talked about the baptism of Jesus. It is the baptism of Jesus at the Jordan to which they were referring, and it is the faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross that is the truth of being born again of water and the Spirit.
To tell you the truth, I believed in Jesus, but only in His blood, for over ten years, without even acknowledging the baptism of Jesus. But this knowledge by itself did not take away the sins in my heart. I believed in Jesus with all my heart, but my heart was still full of sin.
After ten years, I discovered the meaning of spiritual circumcision (the baptism of Jesus) and was then born again. Only then did I realize the truth: circumcision in the Old Testament symbolizes the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament. I believed it, and I still do.
“In the New Testament, is it the correct faith to believe in both the blood of Jesus and His baptism? Is my belief correct according to the Bible?” After I was born again, I wondered about these things.
Although I believed in the message of the baptism of Jesus and His blood, questions remained in my mind. “Is it right to believe in the truth that all my sins were passed on to Jesus when He was baptized or is it right to believe that Jesus saved us only through His death on the Cross? Isn’t it enough just to believe that Jesus is my God and Savior?” I pondered this while reading Exodus chapter 12.
Many people today read Exodus chapter 12 and do not think twice about declaring that Jesus Christ died on the Cross as their Savior. They think it is correct to believe in the blood of Christ and they testify to the truth of their convictions. They may believe unflinchingly and say that the Lord is Christ and the Son of God but they are still sinners. They think that if they believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior, they will be saved even if they still have sin in their hearts.
This kind of faith is not true faith. This faith alone cannot help them to be born again. Only the baptism of Jesus and His blood makes us righteous.
Then, what does Exodus chapter 12 actually mean? I looked into the Bible, thinking, “Is there any problem believing only in the blood of Jesus while ignoring His baptism?” Even before I finished reading Exodus, I discovered the truth that salvation is not only of the blood of Christ but also of His baptism. Through the Bible, I was assured that we are circumcised in our hearts through the baptism of Jesus as well as His blood on the Cross.
Why are most Christians still sinners?
Because they don’t believe in the baptism of Jesus.
Because they don’t believe in the baptism of Jesus.
I realized in Exodus 12:47-49 that before one was allowed to eat the meat of the Passover, he had to be circumcised. It is for this reason that God says in verse 49, “One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”
Therefore, anyone who was not circumcised could not eat the meat of the Passover. That is the truth I found. Similarly, when we believe in Jesus as our Savior, we first have to accept the fact that all our sins were passed onto Jesus through His baptism at the Jordan River and then accept the fact that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for these sins.
When I realized that Jesus had died on the Cross to be judged for the sins He took away through His baptism, I also realized the meaning of the spiritual circumcision which saved us from all the sins and transgressions of the world.
At that moment, I realized that all my sins were gone. My heart became white as snow, and I finally took into my heart the gospel of the water, the blood and the Spirit.
I realized that there are two things which save us, circumcision and the blood of the lamb in the Old Testament and the passing on of all sins to Him through the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross in the New Testament. Circumcision in the Old Testament and the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament are really one and the same.
Jesus Christ was judged not because He committed any sins Himself, but because He took on all the sins of the world through His baptism. Those who believe that John the Baptist, as the representative of humankind, baptized Jesus and passed all the sins of the world onto Jesus also believe in both the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross.
Why do so many people deny His baptism, even though it is repeatedly described in the Bible? By doing so, they are still sinners, even if they believe in Jesus. They may believe in Jesus, but they are still cut off from God. They are pitiful sinners who will go to hell even though they may believe in Jesus.
How can they still be sinners if they believe in Jesus? Why do they live as sinners? Why are they going down the pathway to destruction? It is so pitiful. They will continue to remain sinners because they do not believe the fact that all the sins of the world were passed onto Jesus Christ, who brought eternal salvation to all people through His spiritual baptism.
People think they are redeemed by believing in the blood of Jesus, but that kind of faith never makes them complete. Why? Because they failed to pass their sins onto Jesus!
We can only be saved by believing in the water (Christ’s baptism) and His blood in the way that God ordained: the salvation of spiritual circumcision. Then, and only then, can we become true children of God.
We have to ask ourselves. “If we believe only in the blood of Jesus as the spiritual circumcision, can our sins be completely washed away?” We have to look deep in our hearts to find the answer.
In the Old Testament, people were saved through circumcision and the blood of the Passover lamb just as we won salvation through the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. In this way we were saved from God’s judgment and from this sinful world. Those who believe become children of God and God becomes their Father.
A person is saved and becomes one of God’s own by believing in these two things: circumcision and the blood of the lamb of the Passover, i.e., the baptism of Jesus and His blood. This is the truth according to Jesus. This is the true meaning of being born again of water, blood and the Spirit.
Therefore, anyone who was not circumcised could not eat the meat of the Passover. That is the truth I found. Similarly, when we believe in Jesus as our Savior, we first have to accept the fact that all our sins were passed onto Jesus through His baptism at the Jordan River and then accept the fact that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for these sins.
When I realized that Jesus had died on the Cross to be judged for the sins He took away through His baptism, I also realized the meaning of the spiritual circumcision which saved us from all the sins and transgressions of the world.
At that moment, I realized that all my sins were gone. My heart became white as snow, and I finally took into my heart the gospel of the water, the blood and the Spirit.
I realized that there are two things which save us, circumcision and the blood of the lamb in the Old Testament and the passing on of all sins to Him through the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross in the New Testament. Circumcision in the Old Testament and the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament are really one and the same.
Jesus Christ was judged not because He committed any sins Himself, but because He took on all the sins of the world through His baptism. Those who believe that John the Baptist, as the representative of humankind, baptized Jesus and passed all the sins of the world onto Jesus also believe in both the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross.
Why do so many people deny His baptism, even though it is repeatedly described in the Bible? By doing so, they are still sinners, even if they believe in Jesus. They may believe in Jesus, but they are still cut off from God. They are pitiful sinners who will go to hell even though they may believe in Jesus.
How can they still be sinners if they believe in Jesus? Why do they live as sinners? Why are they going down the pathway to destruction? It is so pitiful. They will continue to remain sinners because they do not believe the fact that all the sins of the world were passed onto Jesus Christ, who brought eternal salvation to all people through His spiritual baptism.
People think they are redeemed by believing in the blood of Jesus, but that kind of faith never makes them complete. Why? Because they failed to pass their sins onto Jesus!
We can only be saved by believing in the water (Christ’s baptism) and His blood in the way that God ordained: the salvation of spiritual circumcision. Then, and only then, can we become true children of God.
We have to ask ourselves. “If we believe only in the blood of Jesus as the spiritual circumcision, can our sins be completely washed away?” We have to look deep in our hearts to find the answer.
In the Old Testament, people were saved through circumcision and the blood of the Passover lamb just as we won salvation through the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. In this way we were saved from God’s judgment and from this sinful world. Those who believe become children of God and God becomes their Father.
A person is saved and becomes one of God’s own by believing in these two things: circumcision and the blood of the lamb of the Passover, i.e., the baptism of Jesus and His blood. This is the truth according to Jesus. This is the true meaning of being born again of water, blood and the Spirit.
WHAT IS THE REDEMPTION OF THE WATER AND THE SPIRIT MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE?
Can sinners become righteous by believing only in the blood of Jesus?
Never
Never
Jesus abandoned His throne in Heaven and descended to this world. He was baptized by John the Baptist at the age of 30 to take away all the sins of the world.
The blood of Jesus on the Cross was His condemnation for the sins of all sinners in the world. Jesus Christ came as the Savior to this world and saved all sinners from their sins through the water and the blood.
Are we born again of the blood alone? No. We are saved from sin by the baptism of Jesus and His blood. I would like to ask a question to those who believe only in the blood of Jesus. “Can sinners become righteous by believing only in the blood of Christ, or is it through both the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross? Is it by the belief that we pass all our sins onto Jesus through His baptism and blood or only through His blood? Which is the truth, I ask you?”
To be truly born again of water and the Spirit, we have to fulfill the following: We must believe that Jesus came to this world in the flesh, that He took unto Himself all the sins of the world at the Jordan River with His baptism, and that was judged for all our sins on the Cross. By believing in Jesus Christ, our true Savior, in this way, we can truly be born again.
I ask you again. What is faith as defined in the Bible? Is it faith in the blood of Jesus, or in both the baptism of Jesus and His blood?
Faith in the blood of Jesus is as follows. Jesus was judged and condemned for all the sins of the world. Because He was crushed and wounded for our sins, we were saved from a terrible judgment. But that is not the complete truth. Before we accept this doctrine, we have to clear up one point. Why did Jesus have to be crucified on the Cross?
The Bible clearly says that the wages of sin is death. Jesus never committed any sin in this world. He came in the flesh of a man through the body of Mary, but He had come in the express image of His people as the Son of Holy God and the Savior of sinners. That was why He had to be baptized by John the Baptist before He died on the Cross. When He was baptized, He took all our sins upon Himself. Thus, without baptism, He could not have been sentenced to shed blood on the Cross.
The blood of Jesus on the Cross was His condemnation for the sins of all sinners in the world. Jesus Christ came as the Savior to this world and saved all sinners from their sins through the water and the blood.
Are we born again of the blood alone? No. We are saved from sin by the baptism of Jesus and His blood. I would like to ask a question to those who believe only in the blood of Jesus. “Can sinners become righteous by believing only in the blood of Christ, or is it through both the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross? Is it by the belief that we pass all our sins onto Jesus through His baptism and blood or only through His blood? Which is the truth, I ask you?”
To be truly born again of water and the Spirit, we have to fulfill the following: We must believe that Jesus came to this world in the flesh, that He took unto Himself all the sins of the world at the Jordan River with His baptism, and that was judged for all our sins on the Cross. By believing in Jesus Christ, our true Savior, in this way, we can truly be born again.
I ask you again. What is faith as defined in the Bible? Is it faith in the blood of Jesus, or in both the baptism of Jesus and His blood?
Faith in the blood of Jesus is as follows. Jesus was judged and condemned for all the sins of the world. Because He was crushed and wounded for our sins, we were saved from a terrible judgment. But that is not the complete truth. Before we accept this doctrine, we have to clear up one point. Why did Jesus have to be crucified on the Cross?
The Bible clearly says that the wages of sin is death. Jesus never committed any sin in this world. He came in the flesh of a man through the body of Mary, but He had come in the express image of His people as the Son of Holy God and the Savior of sinners. That was why He had to be baptized by John the Baptist before He died on the Cross. When He was baptized, He took all our sins upon Himself. Thus, without baptism, He could not have been sentenced to shed blood on the Cross.
THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
What were the indispensable conditions to offer the sacrifice?
① A live animal without blemish
② The laying on of hands
③ Its blood
① A live animal without blemish
② The laying on of hands
③ Its blood
Let us look at this truth through the sacrificial system of the Holy Tabernacle. In the Old Testament, either a sinner or the high priest laid his hands on the sacrificial lamb or goat to pass his own sin or the sins of Israel on to its head. The offerings were then killed and offered before the altar. The Old Testament was the precursor to the New Testament, and Jesus Christ was the sacrificial Lamb God had promised to send.
When did all of you pass all your sins onto Jesus? I want you to think about and answer this question. In the Old Testament, the Israelites couldn’t kill sacrificial animals without the laying on of hands (the laying on of hands means to pass sin on to the sin offering). Before the sin offerings were brought in front of the altar, the laying on of hands had to take place in order to pass sins onto the sacrificial animals.
“Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering” (Leviticus 1:4). It is written in Leviticus that all offerings required the laying on of hands. By laying their hands on the head of the offering, the people of Israel were able to pass their sins onto it, and by offering its blood and flesh in faith before God, they could be saved from their sins. The Israelites were also saved by faith in the time of the Old Testament.
When a burnt offering was given before God, a sinner had to lay his hands on its head so as to pass on the sins of the sinner. The offering was then killed on behalf of the sinner. Its blood was sprinkled on the four horns of the altar and the remainder was poured on the ground at the base of the altar. This was how sinners were redeemed.
In the New Testament sinners can be redeemed of all their sins through their faith in the water and the blood of Jesus. 1 John 5:1-10 says that a sinner has been redeemed when he believes in the baptism of Jesus and the blood of the lamb (the Cross).
Therefore any sinner can be redeemed as long as he believes in both the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. The baptism of Jesus and His blood, together with the Holy Spirit, are indispensable to being born again of water and the Spirit.
Dearly beloved, can you be redeemed only by believing in the blood of Jesus Christ? Those who think they can be born again by believing only in the blood of the Cross still have sin in their hearts. But we can be saved from all our sins by believing in the baptism of Jesus as the spiritual circumcision of the New Testament, which is the latter-day equivalent to the circumcision described in the Old Testament.
All denominations have their own doctrines. We know that they are all doomed to go to hell unless they abandon their false beliefs. The Presbyterian Church places emphasis on the doctrine of predestination; the Methodist Church stresses Arminianism, i.e., humanism; the Baptist Church, baptism; and the Holiness Church, holy life; all these have diverged from the word of truth.
But what does the word of truth in the Bible say about being born again? The Bible says the truth is found in the baptism of Jesus and His blood. Anyone who believes and follows the word of God and has faith in being born again of water and the Spirit will find redemption.
When did all of you pass all your sins onto Jesus? I want you to think about and answer this question. In the Old Testament, the Israelites couldn’t kill sacrificial animals without the laying on of hands (the laying on of hands means to pass sin on to the sin offering). Before the sin offerings were brought in front of the altar, the laying on of hands had to take place in order to pass sins onto the sacrificial animals.
“Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering” (Leviticus 1:4). It is written in Leviticus that all offerings required the laying on of hands. By laying their hands on the head of the offering, the people of Israel were able to pass their sins onto it, and by offering its blood and flesh in faith before God, they could be saved from their sins. The Israelites were also saved by faith in the time of the Old Testament.
When a burnt offering was given before God, a sinner had to lay his hands on its head so as to pass on the sins of the sinner. The offering was then killed on behalf of the sinner. Its blood was sprinkled on the four horns of the altar and the remainder was poured on the ground at the base of the altar. This was how sinners were redeemed.
In the New Testament sinners can be redeemed of all their sins through their faith in the water and the blood of Jesus. 1 John 5:1-10 says that a sinner has been redeemed when he believes in the baptism of Jesus and the blood of the lamb (the Cross).
Therefore any sinner can be redeemed as long as he believes in both the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. The baptism of Jesus and His blood, together with the Holy Spirit, are indispensable to being born again of water and the Spirit.
Dearly beloved, can you be redeemed only by believing in the blood of Jesus Christ? Those who think they can be born again by believing only in the blood of the Cross still have sin in their hearts. But we can be saved from all our sins by believing in the baptism of Jesus as the spiritual circumcision of the New Testament, which is the latter-day equivalent to the circumcision described in the Old Testament.
All denominations have their own doctrines. We know that they are all doomed to go to hell unless they abandon their false beliefs. The Presbyterian Church places emphasis on the doctrine of predestination; the Methodist Church stresses Arminianism, i.e., humanism; the Baptist Church, baptism; and the Holiness Church, holy life; all these have diverged from the word of truth.
But what does the word of truth in the Bible say about being born again? The Bible says the truth is found in the baptism of Jesus and His blood. Anyone who believes and follows the word of God and has faith in being born again of water and the Spirit will find redemption.
WHAT IS THE SECRET OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS?
What is the spiritual circumcision in the New Testament?
The baptism of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus was the spiritual circumcision. In the Old Testament, God said that anyone who was not circumcised should be cut off from His people.
We have to know and believe that the spiritual circumcision in the New Testament is indeed the baptism of Jesus. Because Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the beginning of His public ministry, we can be spiritually circumcised by believing in His baptism. We should carefully ponder the reasons why Jesus had to be baptized by John the Baptist.
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him” (Matthew 3:13-15).
Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the Jordan, “the river of death.” John the Baptist laid his hands on the head of Jesus and He was fully immersed. This is the correct way to be baptized (baptism: to be immersed in water). In order for Jesus to take away all the sins of the world, He had to be baptized in the same way, with the laying on of hands referred to in the Old Testament.
The baptism of Jesus is the spiritual circumcision for those who believe in Jesus. “For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). It was fitting that Jesus took away all the sins of the world and became our God and Savior. Thus, it was fitting, as it was written, that He died on the Cross with all our sins on His head.
The baptism of Jesus has the power to make all sinners born again. It is the secret of the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
The first thing that Jesus did in His public ministry to save sinners from all their sins was to be baptized by John the Baptist. Baptism means “to be washed, to be buried, to pass to.”
By being baptized in the manner demanded by God, Jesus took all the sins of the world onto Himself. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The baptism of Jesus means that all the people of the world who believe in Him are spiritually circumcised.
Later, He went to the Cross as the Lamb of God who took away all the sins of the world and accepted judgment for all sinners. Thus, He saved all humankind from sin.
Therefore, all those who believe in the baptism of Jesus Christ, the circumcision of the Old Testament, and His blood on the Cross as their salvation are saved from all their sins. Jesus Christ saved all sinners with His baptism and His blood. This is the truth of the spiritual circumcision.
We have to know and believe that the spiritual circumcision in the New Testament is indeed the baptism of Jesus. Because Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the beginning of His public ministry, we can be spiritually circumcised by believing in His baptism. We should carefully ponder the reasons why Jesus had to be baptized by John the Baptist.
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him” (Matthew 3:13-15).
Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the Jordan, “the river of death.” John the Baptist laid his hands on the head of Jesus and He was fully immersed. This is the correct way to be baptized (baptism: to be immersed in water). In order for Jesus to take away all the sins of the world, He had to be baptized in the same way, with the laying on of hands referred to in the Old Testament.
The baptism of Jesus is the spiritual circumcision for those who believe in Jesus. “For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). It was fitting that Jesus took away all the sins of the world and became our God and Savior. Thus, it was fitting, as it was written, that He died on the Cross with all our sins on His head.
The baptism of Jesus has the power to make all sinners born again. It is the secret of the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
The first thing that Jesus did in His public ministry to save sinners from all their sins was to be baptized by John the Baptist. Baptism means “to be washed, to be buried, to pass to.”
By being baptized in the manner demanded by God, Jesus took all the sins of the world onto Himself. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The baptism of Jesus means that all the people of the world who believe in Him are spiritually circumcised.
Later, He went to the Cross as the Lamb of God who took away all the sins of the world and accepted judgment for all sinners. Thus, He saved all humankind from sin.
Therefore, all those who believe in the baptism of Jesus Christ, the circumcision of the Old Testament, and His blood on the Cross as their salvation are saved from all their sins. Jesus Christ saved all sinners with His baptism and His blood. This is the truth of the spiritual circumcision.
IS SALVATION BY BLOOD ONLY? NO, IT IS NOT
By what did Jesus come to the world?
By water and blood
By water and blood
1 John 5:4-8 says, “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 who came by water and blood―Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”
Dear Christians, what is your testimony of Him as your Savior? It is none other than the faith in the Son of God who came by water and blood.
What is the victory that overcomes the world? It is none other than the power of faith in the water and the blood. It is Jesus Christ who came by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, for the Spirit is the truth.
There are three things that bear witness on earth: the water, the blood, and the Spirit. And these three agree as one. Jesus came to this world in the flesh, He was baptized and died on the Cross to save us from eternal damnation. The proof that God, our Creator, became the Savior of all sinners is in the gospel of the water and the Spirit which saves us all.
It is our proof that Jesus, who came to this world as the Spirit in the flesh, was baptized at the Jordan River to take unto Himself all our sins, and bled on the Cross in accepting the judgment for our sins. Thus, He saved all who believe in Him. This is the original gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Dear Christians, what is your testimony of Him as your Savior? It is none other than the faith in the Son of God who came by water and blood.
What is the victory that overcomes the world? It is none other than the power of faith in the water and the blood. It is Jesus Christ who came by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, for the Spirit is the truth.
There are three things that bear witness on earth: the water, the blood, and the Spirit. And these three agree as one. Jesus came to this world in the flesh, He was baptized and died on the Cross to save us from eternal damnation. The proof that God, our Creator, became the Savior of all sinners is in the gospel of the water and the Spirit which saves us all.
It is our proof that Jesus, who came to this world as the Spirit in the flesh, was baptized at the Jordan River to take unto Himself all our sins, and bled on the Cross in accepting the judgment for our sins. Thus, He saved all who believe in Him. This is the original gospel of the water and the Spirit.
WHAT IS THE WATER AND THE BLOOD WHICH BEARS WITNESS TO GOD’S SALVATION?
What is the counterpart of the circumcision described in the Old Testament?
The baptism of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus
The water refers to the baptism of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, the baptism of Jesus meant circumcision. The counterpart of circumcision in the Old Testament is the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament. The proof that all the sins of the world were passed onto Jesus is in the baptism of Jesus.
Anyone who believes in this truth is able to stand before God and say with a good conscience, “You are my Savior, My Lord because I believe in Your baptism and Your blood, the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Therefore, I have no sin. I am a child of God and You are my Savior.” We are able to profess this with true faith. The reason we are able to say this is because of our faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
What is the word that allows us to be born again? It is the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross, which is the testimony of salvation in our hearts. This is the gospel of being born again of water and the Spirit.
Dear Christians, I ask you again, “Can a sinner be saved solely through belief in the blood of Christ?” No. Salvation requires not just belief in His death on the Cross. It is only through belief in both the water and the blood ― the gospel of the water and the Spirit ― that sinners can be born again. Let me now refer you to the Bible, which talks about the water, or, in other words, the baptism of Jesus.
1 Peter 3:21-22 says, “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.”
The apostle Peter testified that the baptism of Jesus is the antitype which saves us, and it was also the proof of salvation from sin. The baptism of Jesus is the equivalent of circumcision in the Old Testament. Just as the people of Israel believed in the word of God and cut off their foreskin to become children of God in Old Testament times, the baptism of Jesus saves us from all our sins in the time of the New Testament.
Therefore circumcision in the Old Testament and the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament are one and the same. Do you all now believe that the baptism of Jesus is indeed the same as circumcision? As it is written in 1 Peter 3:21, there is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism. Can you argue with the written word of God?
How is it that we, who live in this world, can be free of sin? It is only because Jesus Christ was baptized to fulfill all righteousness that salvation from sin is available to us. Matthew 3:15 says, “For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
Because all the sins of the world were passed onto Jesus, all who believe in Him are now without sin. We can all become righteous by accepting the truth that all our sins were passed onto Jesus through His baptism. Jesus Christ took all our sins onto Himself and died on the Cross to save us from all judgment.
Dear friends, the two things that save all sinners from their sins are the water and the blood. His taking on our sins and His dying for us on the Cross are the two main things that Jesus Christ did for us during the 3 years of His public ministry in this world.
John 1:29 says, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus Christ was baptized to take away the sin of the world and died on the Cross to atone for our transgressions. Jesus is the Son of God, and as the Creator, He fulfilled the covenant of circumcision that God made in the Old Testament by taking away the sins of the world.
Anyone who believes in his heart the gospel of the baptism of Jesus, the water and the blood shall be born again of water and the Spirit. And the Lord shall become the Savior to all those who believe. Thank the Lord, Hallelujah! Jesus fulfilled our salvation as God had promised, and He saved us from all the sins of the world.
Anyone who believes in this truth is able to stand before God and say with a good conscience, “You are my Savior, My Lord because I believe in Your baptism and Your blood, the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Therefore, I have no sin. I am a child of God and You are my Savior.” We are able to profess this with true faith. The reason we are able to say this is because of our faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
What is the word that allows us to be born again? It is the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross, which is the testimony of salvation in our hearts. This is the gospel of being born again of water and the Spirit.
Dear Christians, I ask you again, “Can a sinner be saved solely through belief in the blood of Christ?” No. Salvation requires not just belief in His death on the Cross. It is only through belief in both the water and the blood ― the gospel of the water and the Spirit ― that sinners can be born again. Let me now refer you to the Bible, which talks about the water, or, in other words, the baptism of Jesus.
1 Peter 3:21-22 says, “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.”
The apostle Peter testified that the baptism of Jesus is the antitype which saves us, and it was also the proof of salvation from sin. The baptism of Jesus is the equivalent of circumcision in the Old Testament. Just as the people of Israel believed in the word of God and cut off their foreskin to become children of God in Old Testament times, the baptism of Jesus saves us from all our sins in the time of the New Testament.
Therefore circumcision in the Old Testament and the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament are one and the same. Do you all now believe that the baptism of Jesus is indeed the same as circumcision? As it is written in 1 Peter 3:21, there is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism. Can you argue with the written word of God?
How is it that we, who live in this world, can be free of sin? It is only because Jesus Christ was baptized to fulfill all righteousness that salvation from sin is available to us. Matthew 3:15 says, “For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
Because all the sins of the world were passed onto Jesus, all who believe in Him are now without sin. We can all become righteous by accepting the truth that all our sins were passed onto Jesus through His baptism. Jesus Christ took all our sins onto Himself and died on the Cross to save us from all judgment.
Dear friends, the two things that save all sinners from their sins are the water and the blood. His taking on our sins and His dying for us on the Cross are the two main things that Jesus Christ did for us during the 3 years of His public ministry in this world.
John 1:29 says, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus Christ was baptized to take away the sin of the world and died on the Cross to atone for our transgressions. Jesus is the Son of God, and as the Creator, He fulfilled the covenant of circumcision that God made in the Old Testament by taking away the sins of the world.
Anyone who believes in his heart the gospel of the baptism of Jesus, the water and the blood shall be born again of water and the Spirit. And the Lord shall become the Savior to all those who believe. Thank the Lord, Hallelujah! Jesus fulfilled our salvation as God had promised, and He saved us from all the sins of the world.
NOT THE REMOVAL OF THE FILTH OF THE FLESH
Does the flesh become sanctified with time?
No. The flesh continues to accumulate sin until the day we die.
No. The flesh continues to accumulate sin until the day we die.
1 Peter 3:21 says, “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
When someone comes to believe in Jesus Christ as his Savior, it doesn’t mean he stops committing sins of the flesh. We may continue to sin, but by believing in the baptism of Jesus, we can pass all our worldly sins onto Jesus, who paid for them with His blood on the Cross. By believing in these two things as indispensable elements of our salvation, we are saved from our sins.
Being born again means welcoming Jesus into our hearts as the Savior of all humankind. The forgiveness of sin is also achieved in our hearts. When we believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross, our hearts are born again, but we continue to commit sins and transgressions with our flesh. But, all our sins of the flesh have already been forgiven.
The baptism of Jesus is testimony to all those who have been saved. We are without sin when we believe in the forgiveness of sin through Christ’s baptism. We are born again when we take into our hearts the truth of salvation through the baptism of Jesus and become righteous through the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
This is the faith of Abraham in the Old Testament, the faith of becoming righteous about which the apostle Paul spoke, and the antitype of salvation to which the apostle Peter testified.
Just as Abraham heard and believed in the word of God and became righteous, we are saved when we believe in the baptism of Jesus and His death on the Cross.
John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” Do you accept Jesus Christ, the One who saved us from all our sins through His baptism and blood, as your Savior? We must receive the salvation given to us through the water and the blood of the Son of God.
Is salvation just by the blood of Jesus Christ? No. It is by the water and the blood of Jesus. In the Bible, it is clearly stated that salvation is not by the blood of Jesus alone. It is by the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
The baptism of Jesus is the spiritual circumcision of the New Testament. It is the truth of salvation that cut off all our sins from us. The fact that He was judged for the sins of the world means that He was judged for us, you and me.
By receiving the gospel of the forgiveness of sins, the baptism of Jesus and His blood, we are freed from judgment for all our sins. With our faith, we are saved from all the sins we commit in this world. When we take the baptism of Jesus and His blood as our salvation, all the sins in our hearts are washed away. Do you believe and understand this to be true? I sincerely hope that you will all believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Believe and earn everlasting life.
The apostle Paul said, “Circumcision is that of the heart” (Romans 2:29). How are we circumcised in our hearts? We can be spiritually circumcised when we believe in the coming of Christ Jesus to this world in the flesh, in His baptism to take away all the sins of the world, in His death on the Cross for our sins, and in His resurrection from the dead.
The apostle Paul said that circumcision is that of the heart. Circumcision of the heart means believing in the baptism of Jesus and His blood. If you want to be circumcised in your heart, you have to take into your heart the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood. Then, only then, can you truly become children of God.
When someone comes to believe in Jesus Christ as his Savior, it doesn’t mean he stops committing sins of the flesh. We may continue to sin, but by believing in the baptism of Jesus, we can pass all our worldly sins onto Jesus, who paid for them with His blood on the Cross. By believing in these two things as indispensable elements of our salvation, we are saved from our sins.
Being born again means welcoming Jesus into our hearts as the Savior of all humankind. The forgiveness of sin is also achieved in our hearts. When we believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross, our hearts are born again, but we continue to commit sins and transgressions with our flesh. But, all our sins of the flesh have already been forgiven.
The baptism of Jesus is testimony to all those who have been saved. We are without sin when we believe in the forgiveness of sin through Christ’s baptism. We are born again when we take into our hearts the truth of salvation through the baptism of Jesus and become righteous through the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
This is the faith of Abraham in the Old Testament, the faith of becoming righteous about which the apostle Paul spoke, and the antitype of salvation to which the apostle Peter testified.
Just as Abraham heard and believed in the word of God and became righteous, we are saved when we believe in the baptism of Jesus and His death on the Cross.
John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” Do you accept Jesus Christ, the One who saved us from all our sins through His baptism and blood, as your Savior? We must receive the salvation given to us through the water and the blood of the Son of God.
Is salvation just by the blood of Jesus Christ? No. It is by the water and the blood of Jesus. In the Bible, it is clearly stated that salvation is not by the blood of Jesus alone. It is by the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
The baptism of Jesus is the spiritual circumcision of the New Testament. It is the truth of salvation that cut off all our sins from us. The fact that He was judged for the sins of the world means that He was judged for us, you and me.
By receiving the gospel of the forgiveness of sins, the baptism of Jesus and His blood, we are freed from judgment for all our sins. With our faith, we are saved from all the sins we commit in this world. When we take the baptism of Jesus and His blood as our salvation, all the sins in our hearts are washed away. Do you believe and understand this to be true? I sincerely hope that you will all believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Believe and earn everlasting life.
The apostle Paul said, “Circumcision is that of the heart” (Romans 2:29). How are we circumcised in our hearts? We can be spiritually circumcised when we believe in the coming of Christ Jesus to this world in the flesh, in His baptism to take away all the sins of the world, in His death on the Cross for our sins, and in His resurrection from the dead.
The apostle Paul said that circumcision is that of the heart. Circumcision of the heart means believing in the baptism of Jesus and His blood. If you want to be circumcised in your heart, you have to take into your heart the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood. Then, only then, can you truly become children of God.
WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST SENT BY GOD?
Who was John the Baptist?
He was the representative of mankind and the last high priest according to the lineage of Aaron.
He was the representative of mankind and the last high priest according to the lineage of Aaron.
Here, we need to ask who was John the Baptist who baptized Jesus Christ. John the Baptist was the representative of all humankind. Matthew 11:11-14 says, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Bapitst until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.”
Dear Christians, Jesus says that there is no one greater than John the Baptist among those born of women. With the birth of John the Baptist, the Age of the First Covenant of God, the age of the Old Testament was over. It was over because Jesus Christ who was to fulfill the covenant of God had come at last.
Who was it then, who was to fulfill the covenant of God? Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. John the Baptist passed all the sins of the world onto Jesus. Who was the last high priest of the Old Testament? Who was the descendant of Aaron? Jesus Christ Himself testified that it was none other than John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the representative of humankind, the greatest among those born of women.
Let us ponder over the facts we have. Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all born of women. But among the people in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, who is the greatest among all born of women? It is John the Baptist.
John the Baptist, as the last prophet of the Old Testament and a descendant of Aaron, baptized the Lamb of God in the New Testament in the same way that Aaron laid his hands on the sacrificial offerings on the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament. He baptized Jesus Christ and passed all the sins of the world onto Jesus. He was a servant of God. He fulfilled the spiritual circumcision in the hearts of all humankind by baptizing Jesus Christ.
Together with the baptism of Jesus, we must believe in His blood as testimony to our salvation. Jesus Christ took away all the sins of the world through His baptism and was judged for them. And the only thing for us to do is simply to believe it. It is God’s will that we believe in what Jesus did.
Once you take into your heart the gospel of being born again of water and the Spirit, you can become a descendant of Abraham and a child of God. There are only a few who are in Christ while there are many who have not yet accepted Him in their hearts.
The day is almost over and darkness is falling. Believe in the baptism of Jesus and allow Him to enter your heart. Your faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood will make you blessed with spiritual salvation.
Keep in mind always that spiritual anointment comes when you believe in the gospel of salvation, the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood. I want you to know that you can prepare the spiritual lamp (Church) and oil (the Spirit) like the wise virgins (Matthew 25:4) by believing the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood. Those who believe in Jesus go to church with the Spirit in their hearts.
Dear Christians, Jesus says that there is no one greater than John the Baptist among those born of women. With the birth of John the Baptist, the Age of the First Covenant of God, the age of the Old Testament was over. It was over because Jesus Christ who was to fulfill the covenant of God had come at last.
Who was it then, who was to fulfill the covenant of God? Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. John the Baptist passed all the sins of the world onto Jesus. Who was the last high priest of the Old Testament? Who was the descendant of Aaron? Jesus Christ Himself testified that it was none other than John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the representative of humankind, the greatest among those born of women.
Let us ponder over the facts we have. Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all born of women. But among the people in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, who is the greatest among all born of women? It is John the Baptist.
John the Baptist, as the last prophet of the Old Testament and a descendant of Aaron, baptized the Lamb of God in the New Testament in the same way that Aaron laid his hands on the sacrificial offerings on the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament. He baptized Jesus Christ and passed all the sins of the world onto Jesus. He was a servant of God. He fulfilled the spiritual circumcision in the hearts of all humankind by baptizing Jesus Christ.
Together with the baptism of Jesus, we must believe in His blood as testimony to our salvation. Jesus Christ took away all the sins of the world through His baptism and was judged for them. And the only thing for us to do is simply to believe it. It is God’s will that we believe in what Jesus did.
Once you take into your heart the gospel of being born again of water and the Spirit, you can become a descendant of Abraham and a child of God. There are only a few who are in Christ while there are many who have not yet accepted Him in their hearts.
The day is almost over and darkness is falling. Believe in the baptism of Jesus and allow Him to enter your heart. Your faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood will make you blessed with spiritual salvation.
Keep in mind always that spiritual anointment comes when you believe in the gospel of salvation, the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood. I want you to know that you can prepare the spiritual lamp (Church) and oil (the Spirit) like the wise virgins (Matthew 25:4) by believing the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood. Those who believe in Jesus go to church with the Spirit in their hearts.
FOR WHOM WAS JESUS BAPTIZED?
For what purpose was Jesus baptized?
To wash away all the sins of mankind
To wash away all the sins of mankind
“‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness’” (Matthew 3:14-15).
Jesus was baptized to wash away all the sins of humankind. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior. He is the Creator who made us. Jesus Christ came by the will of God, the Father, to make us His people.
About whom did all the prophets speak in the Old Testament? They spoke of Jesus Christ. All the prophets of the Old Testament talked about Jesus’ coming to this world to take away all our sins and free us from sin forever.
Jesus came down to this world as was prophesied in the Old Testament and took away all the sins of humankind from Adam and Eve to the last person on earth.
Now, take into your heart the salvation through the baptism of Jesus and His blood. Are you still unsure that this is the truth? Do you still have sin in your heart? “For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist to fulfill all righteousness.
The word “baptism” itself means “to be washed.” Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the way of the laying on of hands described in the Old Testament.
After He had taken on all the sins of humankind, He immersed Himself in the Jordan. The river signifies death and judgment for sinners. Christ’s immersion in the water symbolizes His death on the Cross. His emergence from the water stands for resurrection. Jesus was resurrected on the third day after dying on the Cross.
Jesus is our God and Savior. The fact that Jesus came to this world to be baptized, bled to death on the Cross, was resurrected on the third day, and now sits at the right hand of God is clear proof that He saved all humankind from death. Do you believe sincerely in this truth?
The baptism of Jesus is the spiritual circumcision of the New Testament. “Circumcision is that of the heart.” Circumcision of the heart is completed when we believe in the baptism of Jesus, the truth of the passing on of all our sins to Jesus. Circumcision of the heart is the acknowledgment of the baptism of Jesus through which we passed all our sins onto Jesus.
Have you been circumcised in your heart? If you believe in circumcision of the heart, your sins will be washed away once and for all. For this purpose, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness and assured the salvation of all sinners.
Dear Christians, take this proof of salvation into your hearts and minds. This is the truth. Once you take into your heart the salvation of Jesus, you will be freed from all your sins. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
Can you see now why Jesus had to come to this world to be baptized? Do you believe it now? Jesus was baptized to take away the sins of all mankind. It was the baptism of circumcision. The baptism of Jesus gives us the spiritual circumcision. That is why the apostle Paul tells us to be circumcised in our hearts. Jesus so clearly saved us with His baptism and blood that we have no choice but to believe it in our hearts. We should say “Yes. Amen” to the word of God in our hearts. Is it not the truth? Do you believe in it?
Jesus was baptized to wash away all the sins of humankind. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior. He is the Creator who made us. Jesus Christ came by the will of God, the Father, to make us His people.
About whom did all the prophets speak in the Old Testament? They spoke of Jesus Christ. All the prophets of the Old Testament talked about Jesus’ coming to this world to take away all our sins and free us from sin forever.
Jesus came down to this world as was prophesied in the Old Testament and took away all the sins of humankind from Adam and Eve to the last person on earth.
Now, take into your heart the salvation through the baptism of Jesus and His blood. Are you still unsure that this is the truth? Do you still have sin in your heart? “For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist to fulfill all righteousness.
The word “baptism” itself means “to be washed.” Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the way of the laying on of hands described in the Old Testament.
After He had taken on all the sins of humankind, He immersed Himself in the Jordan. The river signifies death and judgment for sinners. Christ’s immersion in the water symbolizes His death on the Cross. His emergence from the water stands for resurrection. Jesus was resurrected on the third day after dying on the Cross.
Jesus is our God and Savior. The fact that Jesus came to this world to be baptized, bled to death on the Cross, was resurrected on the third day, and now sits at the right hand of God is clear proof that He saved all humankind from death. Do you believe sincerely in this truth?
The baptism of Jesus is the spiritual circumcision of the New Testament. “Circumcision is that of the heart.” Circumcision of the heart is completed when we believe in the baptism of Jesus, the truth of the passing on of all our sins to Jesus. Circumcision of the heart is the acknowledgment of the baptism of Jesus through which we passed all our sins onto Jesus.
Have you been circumcised in your heart? If you believe in circumcision of the heart, your sins will be washed away once and for all. For this purpose, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness and assured the salvation of all sinners.
Dear Christians, take this proof of salvation into your hearts and minds. This is the truth. Once you take into your heart the salvation of Jesus, you will be freed from all your sins. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
Can you see now why Jesus had to come to this world to be baptized? Do you believe it now? Jesus was baptized to take away the sins of all mankind. It was the baptism of circumcision. The baptism of Jesus gives us the spiritual circumcision. That is why the apostle Paul tells us to be circumcised in our hearts. Jesus so clearly saved us with His baptism and blood that we have no choice but to believe it in our hearts. We should say “Yes. Amen” to the word of God in our hearts. Is it not the truth? Do you believe in it?
DO YOU ACCEPT THIS TRUTH IN YOUR HEART?
What do we have to do before we worship Jesus?
We have to take into our hearts the truth of the water and the blood.
We have to take into our hearts the truth of the water and the blood.
Almost 2000 years have passed since Jesus came to this world. In this day and age of God’s grace, we must take into our hearts the truth, the water and the blood of Jesus. There is nothing else for us to do.
“Circumcision is that of the heart.” We have to be circumcised through the faith in our hearts. We can only be saved through faith. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were saved through circumcision and the blood of the Passover which was put on the doorposts and the lintels of their houses.
Those who believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood as their salvation are not afraid of the judgment of God because it will pass over them. But the judgmentof God will fall on all who do not take the truth into their hearts. There are many who believe in Jesus in vain and are thus still slaves to their sins.
How have they arrived at this state? Why do they still suffer from sin? It is only because they do not know the truth of the baptism of Jesus and His blood. They believe only in the blood of Jesus, omitting or overlooking His baptism.
Is salvation obtainable through simple belief in the blood of Jesus only? Does the Bible tell us that this is so? What do the Old Testament and the New Testament say about this? According to the Bible, it is not only by the blood of the Lamb of God, but also by the baptism of Jesus that salvation is achieved (1 John 5:3-6).
Do you believe in the blood of Jesus alone? Those who do must still have sin in their hearts. They must overcome their incorrect faith and return to the true gospel.
Those who do not believe must acknowledge now that they have been misled, not knowing that Jesus took away all sin at the Jordan River through His baptism. They must admit that they have been wrong in neglecting to accept the baptism of Jesus. They must take it into their hearts that Jesus took away all the sins of the world through His baptism. Salvation is available only when we believe in both the baptism of Jesus and His Cross. In other words, only through the gospel of the water and the Spirit are we able to earn everlasting life.
Dear Christians, have you lived until now depending only on belief in the blood of Jesus? If this is the case, surely you have sin in your heart. If you sin, then you have sin in your heart. If you think you are free of sin when you live up to the law of God, it is only a feeling that comes out of your emotions. This conviction is not in accordance with the word of God.
“Circumcision is that of the heart.” We have to be circumcised through the faith in our hearts. We can only be saved through faith. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were saved through circumcision and the blood of the Passover which was put on the doorposts and the lintels of their houses.
Those who believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood as their salvation are not afraid of the judgment of God because it will pass over them. But the judgmentof God will fall on all who do not take the truth into their hearts. There are many who believe in Jesus in vain and are thus still slaves to their sins.
How have they arrived at this state? Why do they still suffer from sin? It is only because they do not know the truth of the baptism of Jesus and His blood. They believe only in the blood of Jesus, omitting or overlooking His baptism.
Is salvation obtainable through simple belief in the blood of Jesus only? Does the Bible tell us that this is so? What do the Old Testament and the New Testament say about this? According to the Bible, it is not only by the blood of the Lamb of God, but also by the baptism of Jesus that salvation is achieved (1 John 5:3-6).
Do you believe in the blood of Jesus alone? Those who do must still have sin in their hearts. They must overcome their incorrect faith and return to the true gospel.
Those who do not believe must acknowledge now that they have been misled, not knowing that Jesus took away all sin at the Jordan River through His baptism. They must admit that they have been wrong in neglecting to accept the baptism of Jesus. They must take it into their hearts that Jesus took away all the sins of the world through His baptism. Salvation is available only when we believe in both the baptism of Jesus and His Cross. In other words, only through the gospel of the water and the Spirit are we able to earn everlasting life.
Dear Christians, have you lived until now depending only on belief in the blood of Jesus? If this is the case, surely you have sin in your heart. If you sin, then you have sin in your heart. If you think you are free of sin when you live up to the law of God, it is only a feeling that comes out of your emotions. This conviction is not in accordance with the word of God.
IT IS NOT YET TOO LATE
From what does the truth make us free?
From the law of sin and death
From the law of sin and death
It is not yet too late. All you must do is to believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood, and you will be circumcised in your heart and become free of all sin. Becoming free of all sin means that you are saved by believing in the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
Are you willing to believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood for salvation from your sins? Once you believe in this, you will learn what salvation is like. You will receive peace of mind. Then, and only then, will you become righteous. Not through your works, but through your faith in the word of God. If any one of you still believes in and depends only on the blood of Jesus for salvation, I would like to urge you to believe in both the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
Dear Christians, the complete salvation of humankind from sin was fulfilled through the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood. The Spirit is God. God came down to this world in the flesh of a human being.
God said through the prophets that we should call His name Jesus, for He was to save His people from their sins. God said, “‘The virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).
God came to this world to save sinners. He was baptized to take away all the sins of the world and thus saved all sinners. This is the truth and the salvation of the water and the blood. I am here to tell you this. Have we been saved only by the blood of Jesus? Of course not. We have been saved by the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross.
There are so many false prophets and heretics today who do not believe in the baptism of Jesus. Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
We must know the truth. We must know why Jesus talked about His baptism, and why we should believe in it. We should know why God told the people of Israel to be circumcised in the Old Testament and why He talked about the blood of the lamb of the Passover.
When we know only part of the story, we can never recognize the truth. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
Are you willing to believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood for salvation from your sins? Once you believe in this, you will learn what salvation is like. You will receive peace of mind. Then, and only then, will you become righteous. Not through your works, but through your faith in the word of God. If any one of you still believes in and depends only on the blood of Jesus for salvation, I would like to urge you to believe in both the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
Dear Christians, the complete salvation of humankind from sin was fulfilled through the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood. The Spirit is God. God came down to this world in the flesh of a human being.
God said through the prophets that we should call His name Jesus, for He was to save His people from their sins. God said, “‘The virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).
God came to this world to save sinners. He was baptized to take away all the sins of the world and thus saved all sinners. This is the truth and the salvation of the water and the blood. I am here to tell you this. Have we been saved only by the blood of Jesus? Of course not. We have been saved by the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross.
There are so many false prophets and heretics today who do not believe in the baptism of Jesus. Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
We must know the truth. We must know why Jesus talked about His baptism, and why we should believe in it. We should know why God told the people of Israel to be circumcised in the Old Testament and why He talked about the blood of the lamb of the Passover.
When we know only part of the story, we can never recognize the truth. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
TO BE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
How can we unite with the death of Christ?
By passing all our sins onto Jesus through His baptism
By passing all our sins onto Jesus through His baptism
The Bible testifies to the secret of salvation. Is it by the blood of Jesus only? No. It is by His blood and His baptism together. The apostle Paul talked about this often in Romans chapter 6 and again in many other Epistles.
Let us read Romans 6:3-8. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”
Let us look at verse 5. It reads, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”
His death was our death because all our sins were passed onto Him through His baptism. So the baptism of Jesus links His blood on the Cross with us.
Our faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood allows us to unite with Jesus. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Therefore the death of Jesus on the Cross was our death. He was baptized to take all our sins onto Himself. To believe in this truth is to unite ourselves with Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Let us read Romans 6:3-8. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”
Let us look at verse 5. It reads, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”
His death was our death because all our sins were passed onto Him through His baptism. So the baptism of Jesus links His blood on the Cross with us.
Our faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood allows us to unite with Jesus. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Therefore the death of Jesus on the Cross was our death. He was baptized to take all our sins onto Himself. To believe in this truth is to unite ourselves with Jesus Christ, our Savior.
WE SHOULD NOT BELIEVE IN JESUS SIMPLY AS A PART OF A RELIGIOUS WAY OF LIFE
What is meant by “He is faithful and just?”
It means that Jesus washed away our sins once for all and saves anyone who believes in the truth.
It means that Jesus washed away our sins once for all and saves anyone who believes in the truth.
Many people believe in Jesus as a religious way of life, so they go to church and cry their eyes out praying and repenting. They confess their sins and ask for forgiveness every day. They pray, “Jesus, I know and believe that You died on the Cross for me. Yes, I believe.”
Clearly, they misunderstand the following passage. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). They claim that they should be forgiven for their sins every day through the confession of sin. But the sin in the above passage does not mean trivial everyday transgressions. What the passage means is that we are forgiven for our sins once and for all when we confess that we have not yet been saved.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
Dear Christians, the truth is clear. If you believe that Jesus died on the Cross without taking away all our sins through His baptism at the Jordan, your faith is in vain. If any Christian wants to be saved from all his sins, he must believe that his sins were passed onto Jesus through His baptism at the Jordan once and for all and that He took the judgment for all our sins on the Cross. In other words, we should believe in both the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
“For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ took on all our sins through His baptism and became our Savior. Jesus came by water and blood to save us from eternal damnation. “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). Are you a sinner or a righteous person?
Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” This verse tells us the truth that Jesus was crucified after taking on all the sins of the world through His baptism. He was resurrected from the dead on the third day and now sits at the right hand of God. He became the Lord of salvation for all those who believe in Him.
If Jesus had not been baptized, if He had not bled on the Cross for us, He would not have become our Savior. We can be saved only when we believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Clearly, they misunderstand the following passage. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). They claim that they should be forgiven for their sins every day through the confession of sin. But the sin in the above passage does not mean trivial everyday transgressions. What the passage means is that we are forgiven for our sins once and for all when we confess that we have not yet been saved.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
Dear Christians, the truth is clear. If you believe that Jesus died on the Cross without taking away all our sins through His baptism at the Jordan, your faith is in vain. If any Christian wants to be saved from all his sins, he must believe that his sins were passed onto Jesus through His baptism at the Jordan once and for all and that He took the judgment for all our sins on the Cross. In other words, we should believe in both the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
“For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ took on all our sins through His baptism and became our Savior. Jesus came by water and blood to save us from eternal damnation. “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). Are you a sinner or a righteous person?
Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” This verse tells us the truth that Jesus was crucified after taking on all the sins of the world through His baptism. He was resurrected from the dead on the third day and now sits at the right hand of God. He became the Lord of salvation for all those who believe in Him.
If Jesus had not been baptized, if He had not bled on the Cross for us, He would not have become our Savior. We can be saved only when we believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
EVEN THE SON OF MOSES
Why did God try to kill Moses on his way to Egypt?
Because he hadn’t circumcised his sons.
Because he hadn’t circumcised his sons.
Dearly beloved, you are listening to the secret of the redemption of all your sins through the water and the blood of Jesus. It is a wonderful blessing to be able to listen to these words of God.
Is it just the blood of Jesus Christ? In the time of the Old Testament, people became the descendants of Abraham through circumcision and the blood of the lamb of the Passover. Now we become people of God by believing in the baptism of Jesus and His blood. God has shown us the proof of this in the Old Testament through Moses.
To save the people of Israel, God spoke to Moses and told him to bring His people out of Egypt. So Moses, with the permission of his father-in-law Jethro, left the land of Midian and headed for Egypt with his wife and sons. When he set his family on a donkey, the Lord met him at his encampment and sought to kill him.
But his wise wife, Zipporah, knew the reason for this. She picked up a sharp stone, cut off the foreskin of her son, cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” So God let him go.
This was His way of saying that He would surely kill anyone, even the son of Moses, if he was not circumcised. To the people of Israel, circumcision was the sign of the covenant of God. They knew that God would surely cut off anyone from His people, even the son of the leader, if he remained uncircumcised. Therefore, so as to avoid cutting off his son, God had alerted Moses in this way.
The Bible says that the reason Zipporah removed her son’s foreskin and cast it at Moses’ feet, saying, “You are a husband of blood!” was to accede to God’s demand for circumcision (Exodus 4:26).
Anyone who was not circumcised among the Israelites had to be cut off from his people. Only those who were circumcised were allowed to eat the meat of the lamb of the Passover and join in the service as the people of God.
The apostle Paul was a Hebrew. He was circumcised eight days after his birth, studied under the great rabbi, Gamaliel, and understood exactly why Jesus Christ was baptized at the Jordan River and why He had to be crucified. So the apostle Paul wrote about the baptism of Jesus in all his Epistles.
The apostle Paul also talked often about the blood of Jesus as the completion of our salvation. The blood was only the final stage of His redemption while the true spiritual circumcision was the baptism of Jesus. It is no use stressing the blood of Jesus without His baptism.
The apostle Paul talked often about the Cross of Jesus directly. Why was this so? Because it is the final proof of our salvation. If Jesus had taken all the sins of the world onto Himself but failed to bleed on the Cross to receive the judgment for us, we would not have been completely saved. That is why the apostle Paul talked about the Cross so often. The Cross is the final step in our salvation.
If the truth of salvation had been handed down to this generation without distortion, there would by now have been many more people without sin. But unfortunately, the truth has been lost over time and many people only know about the Cross without realizing the true meaning of His baptism.
Because they have faith only in the empty shell of the gospel, they will remain sinners no matter how many years they fervently believe in Jesus. They will still be sinners after ten years, even after 50 years of religious life.
Is it just the blood of Jesus Christ? In the time of the Old Testament, people became the descendants of Abraham through circumcision and the blood of the lamb of the Passover. Now we become people of God by believing in the baptism of Jesus and His blood. God has shown us the proof of this in the Old Testament through Moses.
To save the people of Israel, God spoke to Moses and told him to bring His people out of Egypt. So Moses, with the permission of his father-in-law Jethro, left the land of Midian and headed for Egypt with his wife and sons. When he set his family on a donkey, the Lord met him at his encampment and sought to kill him.
But his wise wife, Zipporah, knew the reason for this. She picked up a sharp stone, cut off the foreskin of her son, cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” So God let him go.
This was His way of saying that He would surely kill anyone, even the son of Moses, if he was not circumcised. To the people of Israel, circumcision was the sign of the covenant of God. They knew that God would surely cut off anyone from His people, even the son of the leader, if he remained uncircumcised. Therefore, so as to avoid cutting off his son, God had alerted Moses in this way.
The Bible says that the reason Zipporah removed her son’s foreskin and cast it at Moses’ feet, saying, “You are a husband of blood!” was to accede to God’s demand for circumcision (Exodus 4:26).
Anyone who was not circumcised among the Israelites had to be cut off from his people. Only those who were circumcised were allowed to eat the meat of the lamb of the Passover and join in the service as the people of God.
The apostle Paul was a Hebrew. He was circumcised eight days after his birth, studied under the great rabbi, Gamaliel, and understood exactly why Jesus Christ was baptized at the Jordan River and why He had to be crucified. So the apostle Paul wrote about the baptism of Jesus in all his Epistles.
The apostle Paul also talked often about the blood of Jesus as the completion of our salvation. The blood was only the final stage of His redemption while the true spiritual circumcision was the baptism of Jesus. It is no use stressing the blood of Jesus without His baptism.
The apostle Paul talked often about the Cross of Jesus directly. Why was this so? Because it is the final proof of our salvation. If Jesus had taken all the sins of the world onto Himself but failed to bleed on the Cross to receive the judgment for us, we would not have been completely saved. That is why the apostle Paul talked about the Cross so often. The Cross is the final step in our salvation.
If the truth of salvation had been handed down to this generation without distortion, there would by now have been many more people without sin. But unfortunately, the truth has been lost over time and many people only know about the Cross without realizing the true meaning of His baptism.
Because they have faith only in the empty shell of the gospel, they will remain sinners no matter how many years they fervently believe in Jesus. They will still be sinners after ten years, even after 50 years of religious life.
MY TESTIMONY
Does God consider sinners righteous?
No. He is just. The righteous are those who are free of sin, having passed all their sins onto Jesus through His baptism.
No. He is just. The righteous are those who are free of sin, having passed all their sins onto Jesus through His baptism.
I began to believe in Jesus when I was 20 years old. Before that time, I had no idea how much sin I had committed in my life because I didn’t know the law of God. I had lived in my own way without ever knowing God until that time.
Then I became sick. I was so sick that I thought I was going to die. So, I decided that I should at least be redeemed of all my sins before my death. Because I had heard that Jesus died for sinners like me, I decided to believe in Him. In the beginning, I was so full of joy and gratitude.
But the feeling began to fade after a while. After a few years, I could not help but commit new sins every day. I became a sinner over and over again. After ten years, I was still a sinner―actually a worse sinner than before. I believed in Jesus for ten years, and the fact that I was a sinner never changed. I was both a believer and a sinner.
Even though I sang, “♪Weeping will not save me! Tho’ my face were bathed in tears, that could not allay my fears, could not wash the sin of years! Weeping will not save me! ♪” I cried every time I sinned.
“Dear God, please forgive me for this one sin. Forgive me this once, and I will never sin again.” After I sinned, I used to pray for three days. I locked myself in a corner room and would pray while fasting for three days. Because my conscience was so heavy, I cried and asked for God’s forgiveness. On the third day, I would feel better and think I could be readmitted to His presence.
“Again, I have washed away my sins. Hallelujah!” So I came out and lived diligently for a while. But I soon sinned again and my desperation grew. I used to repeat this gloomy process again and again. It felt so great to believe in Jesus in the beginning, but the longer I believed, the higher my sins piled up like the dust in an unused room.
After ten years, I had become a worse sinner than when I started out to be. “Why did I believe in Jesus so early in my life? It would have been much easier to believe in Jesus if I had waited until I was 80, just before I died. Then, I wouldn’t be conscious of sin and would have no need to repent every day.” I thought that I should live in accordance with God’s will, but it was impossible. I felt like I was going out of my mind!
I began to search and search anew for God. I spent a lot of time studying theology. But after a few years, my heart became even more barren. Before I started reading books on religious theories, I used to say I would live like Saint Damien, never sleeping comfortably in a warm bed. I had vowed that I would never indulge myself, instead devoting myself completely to the needy.
As I read about the life of this saint, I vowed to live just like him. I tried to make an ascetic life for myself. I used to kneel on hard cement floors and pray for hours at a time. Then, I would feel as if my prayers had more meaning and I felt better about myself afterwards.
But after ten years, I couldn’t stand it anymore. So I prayed to God. “Dear God in Heaven, please save me. I believe in You with all my heart. I know that I wouldn’t change my devotion to You even if someone put a knife to my throat. But even though I believe in You with all my heart, why do I still feel empty inside? Why am I so frustrated? Why am I becoming a worse sinner than ever? I never thought about sin much before. I came to believe in You and now I wonder why I have become so much worse after having faith in You for years. What is the matter with me?”
It was at this point that I came to know the reason. I had believed in God without being saved from my sins. I didn’t know the truth at that time, and it was enough to drive me crazy.
With sin in my heart, how could I tell others about the redemption of God’s grace? How could I tell others to believe in Jesus? I prayed again and again. “Dear God, I will soon graduate from the seminary and be ordained as a minister. But if I become a minister laden with sin, how will I be able to tell other sinners about redemption? I am a sinner myself and when I read the Epistles of the apostle Paul I found out that if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not a child of God. But no matter how eagerly I search, the Spirit is not in me. I felt that it was there in the beginning, but it has disappeared. What happened? Please tell me why, Lord.”
In fact, the reason was that I had deceived myself into thinking I had been redeemed through simple belief in Jesus. I agonized over this for a long time.
God promised to show Himself to those who eagerly seek Him. He met me in His truth at last. I was still a sinner for ten years after I began to believe in Jesus. But when I learned the secret of the baptism of Jesus and His blood, when I discovered the meaning of the circumcision in the Old Testament and the spiritual circumcision in the New Testament, when I realized and believed in the secret of salvation through the baptism of Christ, all my sufferings were over. My soul became as white as snow.
It will be the same for you. If you believe in the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood, you will also become sinless. You may still be incomplete, but you will be righteous. When you take this truth into your hearts and make it known to others, they will also be saved and praise God, shouting out “Hallelujah!”
I want to congratulate all the brothers and sisters who have been redeemed. I praise Jesus for saving us from all our sins. Hallelujah! We have been happily redeemed of all our sins.
It is such a great blessing that we are unable to express all our happiness with mere words. Let us sing a song together. “♪His name has become a secret, for we have not yet proclaimed the secrets to every creature. He was thrown out like the stones the builders rejected, but His name became most precious jewels in my heart.♪”
Then I became sick. I was so sick that I thought I was going to die. So, I decided that I should at least be redeemed of all my sins before my death. Because I had heard that Jesus died for sinners like me, I decided to believe in Him. In the beginning, I was so full of joy and gratitude.
But the feeling began to fade after a while. After a few years, I could not help but commit new sins every day. I became a sinner over and over again. After ten years, I was still a sinner―actually a worse sinner than before. I believed in Jesus for ten years, and the fact that I was a sinner never changed. I was both a believer and a sinner.
Even though I sang, “♪Weeping will not save me! Tho’ my face were bathed in tears, that could not allay my fears, could not wash the sin of years! Weeping will not save me! ♪” I cried every time I sinned.
“Dear God, please forgive me for this one sin. Forgive me this once, and I will never sin again.” After I sinned, I used to pray for three days. I locked myself in a corner room and would pray while fasting for three days. Because my conscience was so heavy, I cried and asked for God’s forgiveness. On the third day, I would feel better and think I could be readmitted to His presence.
“Again, I have washed away my sins. Hallelujah!” So I came out and lived diligently for a while. But I soon sinned again and my desperation grew. I used to repeat this gloomy process again and again. It felt so great to believe in Jesus in the beginning, but the longer I believed, the higher my sins piled up like the dust in an unused room.
After ten years, I had become a worse sinner than when I started out to be. “Why did I believe in Jesus so early in my life? It would have been much easier to believe in Jesus if I had waited until I was 80, just before I died. Then, I wouldn’t be conscious of sin and would have no need to repent every day.” I thought that I should live in accordance with God’s will, but it was impossible. I felt like I was going out of my mind!
I began to search and search anew for God. I spent a lot of time studying theology. But after a few years, my heart became even more barren. Before I started reading books on religious theories, I used to say I would live like Saint Damien, never sleeping comfortably in a warm bed. I had vowed that I would never indulge myself, instead devoting myself completely to the needy.
As I read about the life of this saint, I vowed to live just like him. I tried to make an ascetic life for myself. I used to kneel on hard cement floors and pray for hours at a time. Then, I would feel as if my prayers had more meaning and I felt better about myself afterwards.
But after ten years, I couldn’t stand it anymore. So I prayed to God. “Dear God in Heaven, please save me. I believe in You with all my heart. I know that I wouldn’t change my devotion to You even if someone put a knife to my throat. But even though I believe in You with all my heart, why do I still feel empty inside? Why am I so frustrated? Why am I becoming a worse sinner than ever? I never thought about sin much before. I came to believe in You and now I wonder why I have become so much worse after having faith in You for years. What is the matter with me?”
It was at this point that I came to know the reason. I had believed in God without being saved from my sins. I didn’t know the truth at that time, and it was enough to drive me crazy.
With sin in my heart, how could I tell others about the redemption of God’s grace? How could I tell others to believe in Jesus? I prayed again and again. “Dear God, I will soon graduate from the seminary and be ordained as a minister. But if I become a minister laden with sin, how will I be able to tell other sinners about redemption? I am a sinner myself and when I read the Epistles of the apostle Paul I found out that if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not a child of God. But no matter how eagerly I search, the Spirit is not in me. I felt that it was there in the beginning, but it has disappeared. What happened? Please tell me why, Lord.”
In fact, the reason was that I had deceived myself into thinking I had been redeemed through simple belief in Jesus. I agonized over this for a long time.
God promised to show Himself to those who eagerly seek Him. He met me in His truth at last. I was still a sinner for ten years after I began to believe in Jesus. But when I learned the secret of the baptism of Jesus and His blood, when I discovered the meaning of the circumcision in the Old Testament and the spiritual circumcision in the New Testament, when I realized and believed in the secret of salvation through the baptism of Christ, all my sufferings were over. My soul became as white as snow.
It will be the same for you. If you believe in the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood, you will also become sinless. You may still be incomplete, but you will be righteous. When you take this truth into your hearts and make it known to others, they will also be saved and praise God, shouting out “Hallelujah!”
I want to congratulate all the brothers and sisters who have been redeemed. I praise Jesus for saving us from all our sins. Hallelujah! We have been happily redeemed of all our sins.
It is such a great blessing that we are unable to express all our happiness with mere words. Let us sing a song together. “♪His name has become a secret, for we have not yet proclaimed the secrets to every creature. He was thrown out like the stones the builders rejected, but His name became most precious jewels in my heart.♪”
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS AND HIS BLOOD IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO SAVE ALL SINNERS FROM THEIR SINS
What removes all sin from our hearts?
The baptism of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus
Jesus Christ washed away all the sins of the world through His baptism and blood. He spiritually circumcised us and made us His people. He is the God of the born again.
There is always judgment for sin. But Jesus was baptized and judged on the Cross to save us. With His blood, He saved us all and He was resurrected on the third day. It was the Father God who raised Jesus from the dead.
The Life of Jesus is our life and the mark of our existence as the children of God. His baptism took away all our sins and the precious blood of Jesus on the Cross is proof that He bore the judgment on our behalf.
Dear friends, do you have this proof of the baptism of Jesus and His blood in your hearts? I ask you again. Does our salvation come only through the blood of Jesus? No. It comes through the baptism of Jesus and His blood together.
There is always judgment for sin. But Jesus was baptized and judged on the Cross to save us. With His blood, He saved us all and He was resurrected on the third day. It was the Father God who raised Jesus from the dead.
The Life of Jesus is our life and the mark of our existence as the children of God. His baptism took away all our sins and the precious blood of Jesus on the Cross is proof that He bore the judgment on our behalf.
Dear friends, do you have this proof of the baptism of Jesus and His blood in your hearts? I ask you again. Does our salvation come only through the blood of Jesus? No. It comes through the baptism of Jesus and His blood together.
WHO IS A HERETIC?
Who is a heretic?
The one who condemns himself by failing to believe in the baptism of Jesus
The one who condemns himself by failing to believe in the baptism of Jesus
Dear friends, are you still a sinner despite confessing your faith in Jesus every day of your life? If you are a sinner even though you believe in Jesus, then you are a heretic. Heresy is disbelieving in God’s truth. Titus 3:10-11 talks about heresy, “Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.”
A self-condemning person says, “Dear God! I am a sinner. I believe in You, but I am still a sinner. No matter what anybody says, I am a sinner and I know it to be the truth.”
God says to him, “Are you still a sinner and not yet a child of Mine? Then, you are a heretic, and you shall be thrown into the fires of hell.”
If you believe in Jesus without believing in the gospel of the baptism of Jesus in your heart, if you condemn yourself as a sinner and confess to God that your spirit is with sin, then you are a heretic before God.
A self-condemning person says, “Dear God! I am a sinner. I believe in You, but I am still a sinner. No matter what anybody says, I am a sinner and I know it to be the truth.”
God says to him, “Are you still a sinner and not yet a child of Mine? Then, you are a heretic, and you shall be thrown into the fires of hell.”
If you believe in Jesus without believing in the gospel of the baptism of Jesus in your heart, if you condemn yourself as a sinner and confess to God that your spirit is with sin, then you are a heretic before God.
WHO ARE THE TRUE BELIEVERS?
What is the witness of God about salvation?
The water, the blood, and the Spirit
The water, the blood, and the Spirit
All those who believe in the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood, all those who have become the people of God, and all those who have had their sins washed away are the righteous. How can you still be a sinner while you believe in Jesus? A sinner cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Those who became righteous by believing in Jesus have the witness of God in their hearts. The testimony is the baptism of Jesus and His blood. This work of salvation is what Jesus Christ did in this world.
Therefore, anyone who refuses to believe in the gospel of the baptism through which Jesus took away all our sins will be cut off from God.
Dear brothers and sisters in faith, do you accept in your hearts the gospel that the salvation of sinners is not just of the blood of Jesus alone, but also of the water which is the baptism of Jesus?
Whoever believes in the work that Jesus did in this world, and whoever accepts the water, the blood, and the Spirit, will be saved from all sin. This is the truth and the wisdom of the gospel of the water, the blood, and the Spirit.
Jesus completely cleansed us of all sin through His baptism so that all humankind could be saved through Him. Now, if you truly believe in Jesus, there is no way for you to be a sinner.
Jesus resurrected us from the dead. He saved all the souls that had drifted away and become far from God owing to the deceptions of the devil. Jesus wants to find all the lost souls. God works through Jesus with the gospel of the water, the blood, and the Spirit. He has called us and we can now be redeemed and saved by Him.
Do you believe in this most profound truth? I am telling you that salvation is not just by the blood, but by both the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. Those who say that they have been saved only by the blood must recognize that they have sin in their hearts.
We all used to think that it was enough for our salvation to believe in the blood of Jesus. We thought so before, but now we should realize that it is not enough. We have been saved and born again by believing in Jesus Christ, who came by water, blood, and the Spirit.
Every sinner can be born again through faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood (1 John 5:5-10). Let us praise God. Hallelujah!
Those who became righteous by believing in Jesus have the witness of God in their hearts. The testimony is the baptism of Jesus and His blood. This work of salvation is what Jesus Christ did in this world.
Therefore, anyone who refuses to believe in the gospel of the baptism through which Jesus took away all our sins will be cut off from God.
Dear brothers and sisters in faith, do you accept in your hearts the gospel that the salvation of sinners is not just of the blood of Jesus alone, but also of the water which is the baptism of Jesus?
Whoever believes in the work that Jesus did in this world, and whoever accepts the water, the blood, and the Spirit, will be saved from all sin. This is the truth and the wisdom of the gospel of the water, the blood, and the Spirit.
Jesus completely cleansed us of all sin through His baptism so that all humankind could be saved through Him. Now, if you truly believe in Jesus, there is no way for you to be a sinner.
Jesus resurrected us from the dead. He saved all the souls that had drifted away and become far from God owing to the deceptions of the devil. Jesus wants to find all the lost souls. God works through Jesus with the gospel of the water, the blood, and the Spirit. He has called us and we can now be redeemed and saved by Him.
Do you believe in this most profound truth? I am telling you that salvation is not just by the blood, but by both the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. Those who say that they have been saved only by the blood must recognize that they have sin in their hearts.
We all used to think that it was enough for our salvation to believe in the blood of Jesus. We thought so before, but now we should realize that it is not enough. We have been saved and born again by believing in Jesus Christ, who came by water, blood, and the Spirit.
Every sinner can be born again through faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood (1 John 5:5-10). Let us praise God. Hallelujah!
This sermon is also available in ebook format. Click on the book cover below.
Copyright © 2021 by The New Life Mission