[3-8] Let Us Give Thanks to the Lord in Faith, Overcoming Misunderstandings About the Ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew 11:1-11)

 

Satan has spread a poison that makes people have a wrong prejudice that John the Baptist was a failure in faith.

As a result, it has made people’s souls unable to encounter the true truth.

 

Today’s scripture reading is one we have heard many times before, but I have chosen it for us to reflect upon once again. Today, I would like to talk about the spiritual poison that Satan has sown in people through religious councils in the past. Just as the human body needs an antidote when poisoned, let us examine what kinds of teachings are spiritually poisonous to our hearts.

Satan has spread two spiritual poisons among Christians living on this earth. One of these poisons is the false claim that John the Baptist was a failure in faith. If believers in Jesus dismiss the faith of John the Baptist, they also disregard his ministry of baptizing Jesus, through which the sins of the world were passed on to Him. Even today, the liars are spreading lies to believers in Jesus and making them not believe in the work of John the Baptist.

They labeled John the Baptist as a failure, saying, “John had doubts about believing in and following the Lord, and therefore failed in his life of faith.” To summarize their argument, they claim that John the Baptist, who initially faithfully believed and followed Jesus, later came to doubt the Lord and lost his faith, ultimately failing in his life of faith. This has become a poison they have spread among Christians today.

However, John the Baptist was used especially in the work of Jesus as the one who preached repentance in the wilderness and baptized Jesus. All of this can be found in the fact that Jesus acknowledged his ministry and faith. Yet, many people today wrongly believe that John the Baptist lost his faith in Jesus and lost his faithfulness.

The problem is that people today believe only in the words of deceivers without reading Matthew 11:1-10. If people hear the wrong prejudices about John the Baptist and ignore him, the outcome will be very disappointing. If you believe in the wrong prejudices about John the Baptist, your soul will miss out on believing in the true truth.

Those who disregard John the Baptist fail to understand that his ministry was meant to assist Jesus’ ministry. They become spiritually blind, unable to recognize that Jesus took away the sins of mankind through the baptism He received from John. Ultimately, they cannot encounter the true gospel Word that Jesus has blotted out the sins of the world through His baptism. They end up believing that Jesus saved them only by being crucified.

Today, those who try to receive the remission of their sins only through faith in the cross, without knowing that Jesus washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John, ultimately become foolish. While they claim that believing only in the cross of Jesus brings the remission of their sins, in reality, to be washed from their sins, they must have the knowledge that Jesus took away all the sins of the world once and for all when He received baptism from John.

Nowadays, church members believe in the Cross of Jesus as preached by their pastor, yet they find that the sin in their hearts has not been blotted out. Then they should ask, “What should I do now? Pastor, please teach me once again how my sins can be washed away.”

You should ask your pastor to teach you the gospel of the water and the Spirit that can wash away your sins. You should ask him to teach you what the gospel of the water and the Spirit is. However, if that pastor cannot teach you this gospel, it is clear that you are being deceived by a religious leader who has not been born again. And one more thing you should know is that the pastor himself has been deceived by religious leaders who came before him. In this way, people have the right to ask their pastor to deliver the gospel Word of water and the Spirit that can wash away their sins.

All congregants have the right to ask their pastor about this. However, most pastors only know that Jesus took away all the sins of sinners by being crucified on the Cross. Therefore, they will answer that sin remains in your heart because you lack faith in the gospel of the Cross. Most pastors who have not been born again tell their church members that it is because they do not have faith in Jesus who was crucified. This is to hide the fact that they themselves do not have the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit.

The purpose of going to church for you and me is to receive salvation from all sins. It is not solely to serve the holy God that we go to church. What is the reason we believe in Jesus as our Savior? Aren’t we going to church to be saved from all our sins? Religious leaders say that Jesus who was crucified on the Cross saved us from the sins of the world. However, no matter how much we hear and believe such words, our sins are not blotted out. If sins still remain in your hearts even though you believe in Jesus who was crucified on the Cross, then you should go to the pastor and ask them to preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit.

Why don’t you make such a request to your pastor? If your sins are not blotted out even though you believe in your heart the gospel of the Cross that your pastor preaches, then there is a problem with that gospel. It is like solving a test question that has no answer. It’s similar to test makers creating questions without correct answers. In such cases, the fault lies with those who made the test.

Likewise, if those who believe in Jesus as their Savior still have sins remaining in their hearts even though they believe the Cross of Jesus is the truth of salvation, the problem lies not with them but with the gospel they believe in.

Moreover, if you are a pastor of a church, you must clearly preach the Truth about how the sins of your congregation have been washed away through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. If you have the gospel of the water and the Spirit that God has spoken to us through the Old and New Testaments, you must accurately testify to it through biblical words during worship services. If your congregation has not properly heard God’s Word and their sins remain in their hearts, all responsibility lies with the minister who delivers God’s Word. How wrong is this?

If sin still remains in your heart now, you are presently a sinner. The Bible tells us about the gospel of the water and the Spirit. It says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We can receive eternal remission of sins and enjoy eternal life by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit we heard through the church of God.

We probably did not, from the beginning, encounter the Word about Jesus being baptized by John. In the past, when we only heard the gospel of the cross, our sins were not blotted out. If we have stubbornly insisted until now that we were saved by believing only in the gospel of the cross, we would still be immersed in sorrow, not having received the remission of sins. Then, how much will we be rebuked by the Lord for being foolish?

 

 

 

Why did John the Baptist send his disciples to ask Jesus when he was imprisoned by King Herod?

John knew he was going to die, and he wanted to send his disciples to Jesus.

 

Let us read Matthew 11:2-6 in the New Testament: ‘When John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”’

It was the time when John the Baptist was imprisoned in the prison of Herod’s palace. John the Baptist was imprisoned because he publicly rebuked Herod’s sins in front of many people. Will Herod the king really spare the life of such a John the Baptist? The prophet John the Baptist had rebuked Herod’s sins and called him to repent.

At that time, Jesus was traveling throughout Judea, meeting and healing many sick people. He also met and healed those with leprosy. While in prison at Herod’s palace, John the Baptist was hearing news about Jesus.

John the Baptist, who knew all these things, sent his disciples to Jesus to ask, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” John intended in his heart to send his disciples to Jesus. To John’s disciples, Jesus replied, “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”

What we need to know here is that John the Baptist wanted to send his disciples to Jesus. This was because he knew he would soon be put to death. Knowing he would face martyrdom in prison, he guided his disciples to Jesus. He was trying to entrust his disciples to Jesus, the Lamb of God.

When John was in prison, he already knew that the sins of the world had passed onto the body of Jesus when he baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. This was why he knew all these things. Therefore, John wanted to guide his disciples to Jesus. He knew that Jesus was the Savior of mankind. He was the one who testified that Jesus had become the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world through baptism (John 1:29).

 

 

 

What did Jesus testify about John the Baptist?

He testified that John was the greatest representative of humanity, greater than all the prophets of the Old Testament, and the Elijah who was to come as promised.

 

Let’s read Matthew 11:7-9, ‘As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.”’

Jesus said that John the Baptist was greater than all the prophets of the Old Testament. He was explaining that John the Baptist was appointed by God as a representative of mankind.

John the Baptist was the Elijah who was promised to be sent in the Old Testament. John the Baptist did the same work as Elijah, fulfilling God’s prophecy that He would send Elijah to this earth. John the Baptist was a servant of God. He cried out in the wilderness for people to repent and wash away their sins. The reason John the Baptist emphasized repentance and gave baptism to people was to wash away their sins. And when John the Baptist baptized Jesus at the Jordan River, it was to pass the sins of this world onto the body of Jesus.

Jesus testified about John the Baptist, saying “What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.” Jesus declared that John the Baptist was greater than all the prophets of the Old Testament (Matthew 11:9-10). This is because John the Baptist was appointed as the representative of mankind to baptize Jesus. In the Old Testament, only descendants of Aaron could serve as High Priests for the people, so John the Baptist, as a descendant of Aaron, could fulfill his duty as the final High priest by baptizing Jesus. John the Baptist held a special office through which he could pass the sins of the world on to Jesus through baptism.

In Matthew 11:11, Jesus said to all of us, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” Jesus said this because John the Baptist was the one who could pass the sins of mankind onto Jesus. That is why Jesus told us, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.”

Jesus personally testified that John the Baptist was greater than the great Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. He also said that John was the greatest among those born of women. This means that among all descendants of Adam, including you and me, John was the greatest, and thus he baptized Jesus as the representative of mankind. John the Baptist passed the sins of this world on to Jesus by baptizing Him. In other words, John the Baptist was the representative of mankind.

In this way, it is recorded that Jesus washed away all the sins of humanity once and for all by being baptized by John the Baptist. The scriptures state that the moment He received baptism from John the Baptist marked the beginning of His public ministry as the Savior of mankind. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Thus, Jesus came to us as the Savior of sinners.

 

 

 

Why did God say that all the prophecies of the Old Testament were until the time of John the Baptist?

It was because John the Baptist baptized Jesus, thereby transferring all the sins of the world to Him.

 

“From the days of John the Baptist 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” (Matthew 11:12-13). God said that all the prophetic Words of the Old Testament were until John.

God said that all prophetic Words of the Old Testament were until John the Baptist was born on this earth, and Jesus was born in the Virgin Mary six months after John the Baptist, marking the beginning of the New Testament era. In other words, He said that the era in which the sins of mankind had been passed on to Jesus began with John the Baptist’s work of baptizing Jesus.

By Jesus’ command, John the Baptist baptized Jesus on His head. Because John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the sins of this world were passed on to the body of Jesus. The New Testament era began with Jesus’ birth, and through the work of the baptism He received from John the Baptist, He bore the sins of mankind.

Therefore, Jesus Himself testified about John the Baptist, saying “he is Elijah who is to come.” It is written in Matthew 11:14, “If you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.” This Word shows that God’s prophecy in the Old Testament of Malachi was fulfilled. John the Baptist was prophesied about in Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6 of the Old Testament.

Jesus testified that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come. John the Baptist was appointed to baptize Jesus and pass the sins of the world, and through this baptism, Jesus took upon Himself the sins of mankind. And by being crucified and shedding His blood, He has become the sacrificial offering for our sins in our place. Jesus is our Savior. There is no doubt that Jesus, who received baptism from John and shed His blood on the Cross, has become the true Savior for those who believe in Him.

However, Satan did not remain idle. Satan has been calling John the Baptist an apostate of faith. By doing so, he fed spiritual poison to people. Just as people need an antidote when they consume poison, those who believe in Jesus need an antidote if they wrongly believe John the Baptist was an apostate of faith. That antidote is none other than the faith in knowing and believing the fact that the Lord took upon the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist and washed them away.

 

 

 

What is another spiritual poison?

It is the omission of the ministry of Jesus’ baptism, which He received through the baptism of John the Baptist, transferring all the sins of the world to Him, and making people believe that only the blood of the cross is salvation.

 

Another poison is found in the Nicene Creed, which was created by religious leaders and philosophers under the command of Emperor Constantine. In AD 325, Roman Emperor Constantine created the Nicene Creed in the region of Nicaea, making people believe only in the Cross without the baptism of Jesus. The Nicene Creed created in AD 325 emphasized only Jesus’ Cross while omitting His true work where He took away the sins of the world through the baptism He received from John. The Nicene Creed, after several religious councils, came to be used as if it were the creed of faith believed by the apostles of the Early Church.

The absurd Nicene Creed, which omits the work of the baptism Jesus received from John, has been passed down to today’s Christians, causing people to only believe in the Cross of Jesus. The Nicene Creed, created in AD 325, was revised and revamped through several religious councils, and only the Cross without the baptism of Jesus was spread throughout the world, making people forget the baptism of Jesus. And this Apostles’ Creed exists as a spiritual poison even to today’s theologians. As a result, they came to believe and teach people that only the Cross, which omits the work of Jesus being baptized by John, is the truth of salvation.

The Nicene Creed that we see today states that Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate and died on the Cross. Because we have believed in this Nicene Creed, we have lost sight of the baptism of Jesus. That is why we do not know why Jesus was baptized by John.

However, in Matthew 3:13-17 of the New Testament, it is recorded that Jesus had to be baptized by John to take upon Himself the sins of the world. Jesus was qualified to be the Savior by bearing the sins of the world once and for all through the baptism He received from John at the age of thirty and washing them away. After bearing the sins of the world by being baptized by John, He was crucified, rose from the dead, and has become our Savior for those who believe in this Truth.

Because people today try to be saved by believing only in the Cross while omitting the Truth of the baptism Jesus received from John due to the Nicene Creed, they have fallen into despair, struggling and unable to wash away their sins through faith. In this way, people believe in Jesus while omitting the Truth that Jesus washed away the sins of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist, and thus have become believers who lament over their sins every day.

If we believe in Jesus as the Savior while ignoring the fact that John the Baptist passed the sins of the world to Jesus by baptizing Him, we become definite sinners whose sins are not washed from our hearts. The result of incorrect knowledge leads us to oppose the Truth that Jesus took away the sins of the world by being baptized by John and washed them away. We must turn away from all of those sins.

Satan’s strategy is to prevent people from knowing that John the Baptist passed the sins of the world on to Jesus through baptism. Those who want to believe in Jesus as their Savior today must believe in the Truth that Jesus was baptized by John to bear their sins and wash them away. If you tried to believe in the Cross of Jesus alone, which omitted the work the baptism Jesus received from John, as your salvation, you would end up becoming worldly religious practitioners. You are now living as sinners because you have not known Jesus, who bore the sins of the world once and for all by being baptized by John and washed away.

All sinners are bound by their sins because they do not know why Jesus was baptized by John. You have sin in your heart and repeatedly commit sins and regret them. You claim to be Christians who believe in Jesus, but in reality, you live as sinners, indistinguishable from worldly people, committing sins daily. I hope you will not remain mere Christians in name, but become true Christians who are freed from sin by believing in Jesus’ work of washing away the sins of the world through the baptism He received from John. 

If you believe in Jesus’ baptism by John, you will be saved from sin, but if not, the opposite will happen. We must all receive salvation by believing in the truth that Jesus removed the sins of the world by being baptized by John.

The Lord has spoken the Truth of salvation to all of us. “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence” (Matthew 11:12). Because John the Baptist baptized Jesus’ head in the Jordan River, the sins of this world were passed on to Jesus’ body. Jesus has granted salvation to those who want to be saved from their sins through the baptism He received from John and His blood on the Cross.

How many people are dying in wars breaking out everywhere around the world? Yet even the sins of those who commit such crimes were passed onto Jesus when He was baptized by John, bringing them salvation. All the sins of mankind were passed on to Jesus through the baptism He received from John, but many people are still trapped in their sins because they don’t know this Truth. Anyone can be born again by believing in the baptism of Jesus and the shedding of His blood on the cross. However, many Christians around the world do not understand that they are able to be born again by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.

Jesus said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.” What does this mean? This means that if one wants to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, they must be washed from all their sins, and to do so, they must believe in the fact that Jesus was baptized by John. This is what Jesus meant when He said that from the days of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of Heaven has suffered violence. In other words, people can receive the remission of their sins and enter Heaven by believing in the righteous work of salvation that Jesus fulfilled through the baptism He received from John.

 

 

 

Why did He say, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence”?

This means that through the baptism administered by John the Baptist to Jesus, all the sins of the world were transferred to Jesus, and those who believe are rendered sinless and can enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

Jesus went to John the Baptist at the Jordan River and said, “Baptize me, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed Him. As John baptized Jesus, the sins of the world were washed away. At that moment, the heavens were opened to Him, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and a voice said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus took upon Himself the sins of mankind by being baptized by John. Matthew 3:13-15 records that when He received this baptism, Jesus bore the sins of the world. If Jesus had not taken away all the sins of the world through His baptism, our sins would still remain in our hearts. And sinners would have been judged for their sins. God the Father established John the Baptist as the representative of mankind to pass all of the sins of mankind on to Jesus.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” We must understand the meaning of this scripture through the Word about the baptism that Jesus received from John. True evangelists must accurately know and believe the written word of God, and explain and testify it to the audience with faith. Otherwise, believers will live in foolishness only believing in the Cross of Jesus. We must live by receiving the remission of sins through believing in the righteousness of Jesus.

True witnesses of the gospel must preach the Word written in both the Old and New Testaments as evidence of salvation. Only then can people realize the Truth of the remission of sins. Why do Christians go to church today? Most of them go to be saved from their sins. We serve God because we have received the remission of sins.

The true church preaches the gospel of the water and the Spirit to their congregation, leading them to receive the remission of sins through faith. The pulpit is not a place for preachers to boast of their own righteousness. When standing at the pulpit, the preacher must testify to the Truth of God’s Word — the gospel of water and the Spirit.

And we must sit before God’s servants who testify to the Word of God and receive salvation from our sins by listening to the Word they preach. True preachers proclaim God’s will through the Word of God that is read during worship services.

“For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.” Before the birth of Jesus, the prophets who lived in the Old Testament era foretold the coming of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament is divided into the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Old Testament prophesied that Jesus would come to this world and save sinners from their sins.

In Matthew 1 in the New Testament, God said, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” This referred to Jesus Christ being born on this earth as the Savior through the body of Mary. Many prophets in the Old Testament prophesied that Jesus would be born on this earth as the Savior through the body of the virgin Mary. It is written in Matthew 1:23, ‘“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”’

Six months before Jesus was conceived in the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist was conceived in the womb of Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah. And when Jesus turned 30, He went to John the Baptist to receive baptism from him. Through the baptism He received from John, Jesus bore all the sins of mankind once and for all on His body. In other words, Jesus was baptized by John to accept all the sins of every sinner in this world once and for all.

By believing in the work of Jesus’ baptism and the work of John the Baptist as recorded in the Bible, we can be washed from our sins and receive salvation. Additionally, in Matthew 11, when John sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” we must understand that John did this to lead his disciples to Jesus.

When John’s disciples came and asked Jesus, He told them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” Jesus then went on to say that John the Baptist was greater than all the prophets of the Old Testament who lived on earth, and that “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” The Bible records that when John the Baptist baptized Jesus, he passed the sins of the world onto Jesus.

It is written, ‘As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 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 Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force”’ (Matthew 11:7-12).

 

 

 

What is the connection between John the Baptist’s ministry and Jesus’ ministry?

John the Baptist baptized Jesus, passing on all the sins of the world to Him, and Jesus took on all the sins of the world by receiving baptism.

 

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6). In the Old Testament, the Lord God said He would send His servant Elijah and punish those who would not listen to him. And, in the New Testament, Jesus said that John the Baptist was the one who came in the spirit of Elijah. The Lord testified that John the Baptist was “he is Elijah who is to come.” Moreover, the Bible records that John the Baptist passed the sins of the world onto the body of Jesus by baptizing Him (Matthew 3:15-17). The Lord says we must believe that John the Baptist’s ministry was deeply connected to Jesus’ ministry.

However, many people are not willing to believe in their hearts the Truth of salvation through the work of John the Baptist and Jesus, even when they hear it, because they believe the evil teachings spread by false teachers. False teachers today regard John the Baptist as someone who gave up following Jesus and treat him as a traitor to the faith. As a result, many Christians now ignore the work of John the Baptist. We must now believe in the Truth that Jesus bore all the sins of mankind through the baptism he received through the work of John the Baptist.

We must understand that when we believe in our hearts the baptism Jesus received from John, exactly as recorded in the Scriptures, we will receive salvation. Jesus testified that John the Baptist was greater than all the prophets of the Old Testament and that He could bear the sins of the world by being baptized by John. Jesus also testified about John the Baptist, saying “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.”

Jesus became the Savior of humanity by eliminating all the sins of the world once and for all. This was because He received baptism from John the Baptist, the greatest among those born of women, and thus bore all those sins upon Himself. Therefore, we must now receive salvation by believing that Jesus, who was baptized by John the Baptist and bore the sins of the world, was judged in our place on the cross and shed His blood to eliminate all our sins. John the Baptist was the representative of humanity who passed the sins of the world on to Jesus. We must receive salvation by believing in the ministries of both John the Baptist and Jesus. We must not ignore John the Baptist.

We must reach salvation by accepting in our hearts the work of John the Baptist and the work of Jesus’ baptism that saved mankind from the sins of the world. Otherwise, we must know that our souls may stumble. We must glorify God by believing in Jesus, who was baptized by John, as our Savior. We have had sin in our hearts until now because we did not know the work of Jesus and John the Baptist. We could not become children of God because we had sin in our hearts. We must live by having our sins washed away by knowing and believing in our hearts the work of the baptism that Jesus received from John.

We must not let the baptism of Jesus and His sacrificial bloodshed on the Cross be in vain. If you want to believe in Jesus as your Savior in your heart, you must believe, as it is written in the Old and New Testaments, that Jesus saved us by being baptized by John and by being judged for our sins with His crucifixion. We must believe in the Truth of the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We must believe in the Truth of the gospel of the water and the Spirit because the Word of God is the Truth of salvation itself.

In my mission school class, I always tell students to ask questions. If there is anything unclear about today’s sermon, I urge you to ask. Then you can receive answers to your questions, and that’s when your faith grows. You need to understand why Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). You and I must know and believe that the Words of Jesus recorded in the Bible are true. That is why He said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The real Truth is that Jesus bore all the sins of the world once and for all by being baptized by John. Jesus is the Savior who accepted the sins of the world through the baptism He received from John, and was judged for all our sins once and for all by being crucified in our place. This is the true Word of the gospel. Our sins are washed away when we believe that the baptism Jesus Christ received from John is the true act of bearing our sins. We can enter Heaven by receiving the remission of sins in our hearts through faith in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit.

The Kingdom of Heaven prepared by God is entered through faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We all must take Heaven by force through faith in the work of Jesus. Though we are full of shortcomings, we can enter Heaven, which is only granted to those who have received the remission of sins, through faith in Jesus’ righteous work. Because Jesus accepted our sins through the baptism He received from John, was judged for them in our place, and rose from the dead, we are saved through faith. This means we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven through faith that Jesus Christ has become our Savior.

I pray to God that you all may receive this blessing of salvation through faith. The Lord has made it possible for us, though we are full of shortcomings and weaknesses, to enter Heaven by faith. The Lord has given us the blessing of faith that enables us to enter Heaven. Therefore, we must believe that God has become our Savior. Hallelujah!