The Meaning of the Original Gospel of Being Born Again (John 3:1-6)
(John 3:1-6)
“There
was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This
man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are
a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do
unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most
assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he
is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’
Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of
water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is
born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit.’”
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF BEING BORN AGAIN ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE?
In
this world, there are many who want to be born again by simply
believing in Jesus. However, I would like to tell you firstly that being
born again is not up to us, in other words, it is something which
cannot come about as a result through our deeds alone.
Is being born again related to physical emotion and change?
No. Being born again is related to spiritual change. It is for a sinner to be born again as a sinless man.
No. Being born again is related to spiritual change. It is for a sinner to be born again as a sinless man.
Most Christians have this misconception. They believe that they are sure to be reborn. They believe so for the following reasons, amongst others. Some try for salvation by building many new churches, some devote themselves to preaching Christ as missionaries among peoples not yet reached by His Word in remote places, and still, others refuse to get married and spend all their energy doing what they believe is the work of God.
This
is not all. There are also people who donate a large amount of money to
their church, or maybe they sweep the floor of their church every day.
All in all, they devote their time and property to the church. And they
believe all these efforts will earn them the crown of life. They hope
that God will recognize their efforts and allow them to be born again.
The
point is that there are many devoted people who want to be born again.
They are to be found everywhere. They work hard, hoping that someday God
will bless them and allow them to be born again. They are found in many
different kinds of religious institutions, seminaries, and sanatoriums.
It is very unfortunate that they do not know the truth about being born
again.
They
all think in terms of their deeds, “If I do this perfectly, I will be
born again.” Therefore they put all their efforts into these works,
believing that they are building the foundation necessary to be born
again, and thinking, “I, too, shall be born again someday, like Rev.
Wesley!” Reading John 3:8, they interpret the verse to mean that no one
can tell where the blessing of being born again comes from or where it
is going.
Therefore
they can only work hard in hopes that Jesus will allow them to be born
again some day. There are many who think, “If I keep trying like this,
Jesus will allow me to be born again some day. I will become born again
without even being aware of it. Some morning I will simply wake up born
again and know that I am destined for Heaven.” How fruitless such hopes
and faith are!
We
can never be born again that way! We can never be born again by staying
away from alcohol and cigarettes, or by attending church diligently. As
Jesus said, we have to “be born again of water and the Spirit” to enter
the kingdom of God. And the water and the Spirit are God’s only
conditions for being born again.
Unless
one is born again of water and the Spirit, all one’s efforts to be
righteous before Jesus are in vain. One can never be born again with
offerings, donations, or devotion. One may think that because only God
knows who are the born again, he cannot know whether he is born again or
not.
It
might be a comfort to think this way, but being born again cannot be
hidden under the table. One would definitely know it oneself, and others
would feel it also.
We
would probably not feel it physically, but we would definitely feel it
very well spiritually. The truly born again are those believers reborn
through the word of God, the words of water, blood and the Spirit.
However, those who are not born again will not understand it just as
Nicodemus could not.
Therefore
we have to listen to the words of the truth, the redemption through the
baptism and blood of Jesus. As we listen and learn the word of God, we
can find the truth therein. Therefore it is very important to open our
minds and listen carefully.
“The
wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot
tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born
of the Spirit” (John 3:8).
When
a person who is not born again reads this passage, he thinks, “Ah!
Jesus said that I cannot know when I am born again! Nobody knows!” And
the thought gives comfort. But this is not true. We may not know where
the wind comes from or where it goes, but God knows all.
Even
among the born again, there are some who do not realize it in the
beginning. This is understandable. But within such a person’s heart,
there is the gospel: the words of redemption through the baptism and
blood of Jesus.
This
is the testimony to being born again. Those who hear the gospel will
realize it saying, “Oh, then I am without sin. Then, I have been saved
and born again.” When they believe and keep the gospel of the water and
the Spirit in their heart, they become righteous, the children of God.
Someone
might be asked, “Are you born again?” and he would answer, “Not yet.”
“Then, are you saved?” “Yes, I believe I am saved.” But he makes a
contradictory statement, doesn’t he? He does so because he thinks that
when a person is born again, he should also be changed in his flesh.
Such
people regard being born again as something like a radical change in
lifestyle. But the truth is that they do not understand the gospel of
being born again of water and the Spirit.
There
are so many who do not understand the meaning of being born again. It
is such a pity. It is not only laymen, but most of the church leaders
who are operating under this delusion. The hearts of those of us who are
born again mourn for these people.
When
we feel this way, how much more pain does it cause Jesus our God in
Heaven? Let us all be born again by believing in the gospel of being
born again of the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross.
To
be born again and to be saved means the same thing. However, there are
many who do not know this truth. To be born again means that the sin in
one’s heart has been washed away through belief in the gospel of the
water and the Spirit. It means to become righteous through faith in the
baptism of Jesus and His sacrifice on the Cross.
Before
being born again, people are sinners, but after, they are completely
without sin literally, born again as a new person. They have become a
child of God by believing in the gospel of salvation.
Being
born again means wearing the clothes of the baptism of Jesus, dying on
the Cross with Jesus, and being resurrected with Him. It means that one
has become righteous through the words of the baptism and the Cross of
Jesus.
When
one is born from the womb of one’s mother, he is a sinner. But when he
has heard the true gospel of being born again of water and the Spirit,
he is then born again and becomes righteous.
Outwardly
such a person seems no different, but is born again inside, in spirit.
This is what it means to be born again. But there are so few who know
this truth; not even one out of ten thousand. Can you agree with me that
there are so few who understand the true meaning of being born again?
Those
who believe the gospel of the water and the Spirit and are born again
can distinguish the truly born again from common Christians.
IT IS JESUS WHO CONTROLS THE WIND
Who can know who is saved?
Only the born again
Only the born again
“The
wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot
tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born
of the Spirit.” Jesus was talking about those who have not been born
again. The born again know about being born again, but Nicodemus did
not. God knows who is born again, and the born again also know it.
However,
those who are not born again do not know how a person can be born again
just as they do not know where the wind comes from and where it goes.
Are
you able to understand this? Who moves the wind? God does. Who created
the wind? God in Heaven did. Who controls the climate on earth, channels
the wind and water? And who puts breath of life into all living things?
In other words, who created all life in this world and made it thrive?
It was none other than Jesus Christ. And Jesus is God.
When
we don’t know the words of the gospel of the water, the blood and the
Spirit, we cannot be born again and we cannot teach others spiritually,
either. Jesus told us that unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
one cannot be born again.
We
must believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, the powerful
gospel that makes us born again. The Spirit enters and dwells in the
minds of all those who believe in the gospel of the water and the
Spirit.
Jesus
Christ was baptized to take away all the sins of humankind, and He bled
on the Cross to pay for these sins. He has instilled the salvation of
being born again in the hearts of all humankind. When we believe in this
gospel, the Spirit enters our soul. This is the salvation of being born
again. When we believe in the washing away of all sins through the
baptism of Jesus and His blood, we are truly born again.
In
Genesis 1:2, it is written, “The earth was without form, and void; and
darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering
over the face of the waters.” It is written that the Spirit of God was
hovering over the face of the waters. The Spirit of God was moving
outside the earth’s surface.
It
means that the Spirit cannot enter the hearts of sinners. The heart of
the one who is not born again is in chaos, it is filled with the
darkness of sin. Therefore the Spirit of God is not able to dwell in the
heart of such a person.
God
sent down the light of His gospel to illuminate the hearts of sinners.
God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), and there was light. Then,
and only then, could the Spirit of God dwell in the hearts of all
people.
Therefore,
in the hearts of the born again, those who believe in the gospel of the
water and the Spirit, dwells the Spirit of God. That is the meaning of
their being “born again.” They are born again in their hearts because
they listened to the words of the salvation of the water and the Spirit
and they believed it!
How
can someone be born again? Jesus explained it to Nicodemus, the
Pharisee, saying, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot
enter the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said, “How can we be born again of
water and the Spirit? Can we enter our mother’s womb again and then be
born again?” Obviously, he took it literally and couldn’t figure out how
a man could be born again.
Jesus
said to him, “You are a teacher, and you don’t even know what it
means?” Jesus told him that unless one is born again of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven nor even see it. Jesus
told Nicodemus the truth of being born again.
It
is true that there are many people who believe in Jesus without being
born again. Most Christians like Nicodemus are not really born again.
Nicodemus
was a spiritual leader of Israel at that time, similar to the leaders
of the church today. In modern terms, he was comparable to a state
congressman. By religious standards he was a teacher, a rabbi of the
Hebrews, He was a religious leader of the Jews. He was also an
accomplished scholar.
In
Israel in those days, there was no institution comparable to the
schools of today, so all the people went to the temple or the synagogues
to study under “the learned men.” They were the teachers of the people.
Just as today, there were many false teachers then too. And they were
teaching people without having been born again themselves.
Nowadays
there are so many religious leaders, church officials, teachers,
preachers, elders and deacons, who have not been born again. Like
Nicodemus, they do not know the truth of being born again. Many even
think that we have to enter our mother’s womb a second time to be born
again. They know that they have to be born again, but they do not know
how.
And
because of their ignorance, like a blind man touching an elephant to
try vainly to perceive with their hands alone, their instruction is
based on their own personal feelings and experiences. They preach of
worldly values in church. Owing to this, many faithful people are
prevented from being born again.
Being
born again has nothing to do with our good deeds. We are born again
through belief in the words of the water, the blood and the Spirit that
God gave us. It is God’s gospel that changes us from being a sinner to
being righteous.
Jesus
spoke these words, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not
believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John
3:12) Indeed, people did not believe when Jesus told them the truth that
atonement for all our sins was completed through His baptism. What
didn’t they believe? They didn’t believe that their redemption was made
possible through the baptism of Jesus and His death on the Cross. This
is what He meant when He said people wouldn’t believe Him if He told
them about “heavenly things.”
To
cleanse us of all our sins, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and
died on the Cross, and then was resurrected from the dead to pave the
way for sinners to be born again.
Therefore
Jesus explained it to Nicodemus by quoting the Old Testament. “No one
has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the
Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:13-15).
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son
of Man be lifted up to allow whoever believes in Him to have eternal
life.
What
did Jesus mean when He said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up?” (John 3:14) He
quoted this passage from the Old Testament to illustrate how His baptism
and blood would bring atonement for all the sins of humankind.
For
Jesus to die on the Cross, for Him to be lifted up, He first had to
take away the sin of the world by being baptized by John the Baptist.
Because Jesus was without sin, He could not be crucified on the Cross.
In order for Him to be crucified on the Cross, He had to be baptized by
John the Baptist and thus take all the sins of the world upon Himself.
Only
by taking on our sins and paying for them with His blood, could He save
all sinners from damnation. Jesus gave us the salvation of being born
again of water and the Spirit.
Therefore
those who believe in Jesus as their Savior wear the clothes of His
baptism, die with Him, and are born again with Him. Later, Nicodemus
came to understand this.
AS THE SERPENT WAS LIFTED UP
Why was Jesus crucified?
Because He took away all sin through His baptism.
Because He took away all sin through His baptism.
Do
you know the story of how Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the
wilderness? The story is written in Numbers chapter 21. It says that the
souls of the Israelites became very discouraged after the Exodus from
Egypt, causing them to speak out against God and against Moses.
As
a result, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, which entered
their tents and bit and killed them. After they were bitten, their
bodies began to swell up and many died.
When
the people began to die, Moses, their leader, prayed to God. “Lord,
please save us.” God told him to make a fiery serpent with brass and set
it on a pole. He told him that whoever looked at it would live. Moses
did as he was told and proclaimed God’s words to the people.
Anyone
who believed in his words and looked up at the bronze serpent was
healed. In the same way, we have to be healed of the poisoned bites of
the devil. The people of Israel listened to Moses and looked up at the
bronze serpent on the pole, and thus they were healed.
The
revelation of the serpent on the pole was that damnation for all
humankind’s sins was brought upon Jesus Christ through His baptism and
death on the Cross. He took it upon Himself to pay the penalty for the
sins of all the sinners in the world. Thus, He ended all punishment for
our sins.
Jesus
Christ came into this world to save all people, who were destined to
die from “the venom of the serpent,” the temptations of Satan. To pay
for all of our sins, He had to be baptized and die on the Cross before
being resurrected to save those who believed in Him.
Just
as the Israelites in the Old Testament were spared when they looked up
at the serpent on the pole, today all who believe in Jesus and have
faith that He paid for our sins through His baptism and blood can be
saved and born again.
Jesus
paid in full for all the sins of the world through His baptism by John
the Baptist at the Jordan, His death on the Cross, and His resurrection
from the dead. Now, all those who believe in Him can be blessed with
salvation through His mercy.
“No
one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is,
the Son of Man who is in heaven” (John 3:13). As compensation for our
sins, Jesus was baptized and bled on the Cross and opened the gates of
Heaven for us. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through Me,” said Jesus in John 14:6.
Because
Jesus was baptized and crucified on the Cross to open the gates of the
Heaven for us, all who believe in salvation through Him are saved. Jesus
has already paid for our sins, so whoever believes in the truth of the
water, the blood and the Spirit can enter the kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus
saved us with the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Being born again
comes from having faith in the baptism and blood of Jesus and in the
fact He is God.
“And
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son
of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14). What does this verse mean? Why did
Jesus have to be crucified? Did He commit sins like us? Was He as weak
as we are? Was He as incomplete as we are? No, He wasn’t.
Then,
why did He have to be crucified? It was to save us and compensate for
all our sins. He was baptized and crucified to save all of us from all
our sins.
This
is the truth of salvation, of being born again of water and the Spirit.
Jesus gave new life to all those who believed in His baptism and His
death on the Cross, which was the compensation for our sins.
THE MEANING OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT
What is meant by water and the Spirit?
Water means the baptism of Jesus and the Spirit His being God.
Water means the baptism of Jesus and the Spirit His being God.
The Bible tells us that when we believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross, we have been born again. Becoming children of God, being born again, is achieved through the written words of God, the gospel of the water, the blood and the Spirit which is the compensation for our sins.
According
to the Bible, “the water” means the baptism of Jesus (1 Peter 3:21),
and “the Spirit” means that Jesus is God. And this is the truth of being
born again, that Jesus came to this world in the flesh of humankind to
pay for our sins through His baptism and blood.
He
took away all our sins through His baptism and paid the wages of sin by
dying on the Cross. By being baptized and bleeding on the Cross, He
saved all those who believe in Him.
We
have to realize that the baptism and the blood of Jesus represent our
salvation in that they saved us from our sins. Only those who have been
born again of water and the Spirit can see and enter the kingdom of
Heaven. Jesus saved us with the water of His baptism, His blood and the
Spirit. Do you believe in this?
Jesus
is the heavenly High Priest who came down to this world to pay for the
sins of the world. He was baptized, bled on the Cross and was
resurrected, thus becoming the Savior to all those who believe in Him.
Jesus
said in John 10:7, “I am the door of the sheep.” Jesus stands at the
door of heaven. Who opens the door for us? It is Jesus Christ.
He
turns His face away from those who believe in Him without knowing the
truth of His salvation. He doesn’t allow those who do not believe in His
baptism, blood and the Spirit to be born again. He turns His face away
from anyone who does not believe in His written word, who refuses to
accept His holiness, and who will not recognize Him as God.
The
written truth is that He came to this world in the flesh, was baptized,
and died on the Cross to compensate for all the sins of the world, that
He died at the Cross to receive judgment on our behalf, that He was
resurrected on the third day after the crucifixion. Anyone refusing to
believe in this truth is cast out by Him and will perish. As it is
written, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Those
however, who believe in the blessing of redemption through His baptism
and blood, those who have become holy in their hearts, are allowed to
enter the kingdom of Heaven. This is the true gospel of being born
again, the gospel which came to us by water, blood and the Spirit. To be
born again of water and the Spirit is the heavenly gospel. Only those
who believe in the baptism and the blood of Jesus can be born again.
Those who believe in the gospel of the water, the blood and the Spirit
are without sin; they are the ones who are truly born again.
Today,
just as Nicodemus wasn’t aware of the truth, most people believe in
Jesus without knowing the true gospel. What an upstanding member of
society Nicodemus was! However, he heard the true gospel from Jesus, and
later, when Jesus was crucified, he was the one who came to bury His
body. By that time Nicodemus had fully come to believe.
Nowadays,
there are too many of us who do not know the truth about the water and
the Spirit of Jesus. Moreover, there are so many people who do not
accept the truth when they have a chance to hear the true gospel. It is
such a pity.
Jesus
made it possible for all of us to be born again. What made us born
again? It was the water, the blood and the Spirit. Jesus took away our
sins when He was baptized. He died on the Cross and then was resurrected
from the dead.
And
He gives all to those who believe in Him the blessing of being born
again. Jesus is the Savior who allows all those who believe in Him to be
born again. Pray that you will always be with Jesus, the One who
created Heaven and earth and all things in between.
John
3:16 says, “That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.” We have earned everlasting life by believing in
Jesus. We have been born again by believing in the water and the Spirit.
It is the truth that if we believe in the gospel of salvation, the
baptism and the blood of Jesus, and that Jesus is the Savior and God, we
can be saved.
But
if we don’t believe in this truth, we will be thrown into hell for
eternity. That is why Jesus told Nicodemus, “If I have told you earthly
things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you
heavenly things?”
What
did God do for us? The salvation through Jesus allowed us to be born
again. Jesus saved us from the world, the devil and the sins of the
world. To save the sinners of this world from the judgment of sin, He
took away all our sins through His baptism, was crucified on the Cross
and was then resurrected from the dead.
It
is our choice whether we believe in this salvation or not. The
salvation of being born again comes from faith in salvation through the
baptism and the blood of Jesus.
It
is said that there are two blessings that God bestowed on us. One is
the general blessing, which includes all things of nature, including the
sun and the air. This is known as the general blessing because it is
given to all people whether they are sinners or the righteous.
Then,
what is this special blessing? The special blessing is being born again
of water and the Spirit, which saves all sinners from death for their
sins.
THE SPECIAL BLESSING
What is the special blessing?
Being born again through the baptism of Jesus, His crucifixion and His resurrection.
Being born again through the baptism of Jesus, His crucifixion and His resurrection.
It
is written in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but
have everlasting life.” This describes the special blessing of God:
Jesus came down to this world in the flesh of a man and washed away all
our sins by being baptized and crucified for us. This is the special
blessing of God, the truth, that we have been saved from all sins.
It
is a fact that Jesus has saved us and changed us from sinners into the
righteous. You can have the special blessing of God simply by believing
in this truth. Do you all believe?
All
your faith would be in vain if you refused this special blessing of God
no matter how faithfully you lived throughout your life.
I
preach all the time and I have never forgotten to preach that belief in
the baptism of Jesus and His Cross are the only way to be born again.
Any book of the Bible reveals that the blessing of being born again
through Jesus is “the special blessing of God” that we are talking
about. There is nothing that illustrates the blessing of God better than
the salvation of sinners through the baptism of Jesus and His
crucifixion.
The
baptism of Jesus and His crucifixion are the special blessing of God.
The false preachers in this world have nothing to say about this. These
false preachers appear in the clothes of the angels of light, armed with
the morals of Christianity and humanity. Yes, this is true. The
miracles they perform, the healing of the sick are all evil things if
they have nothing to do with the special blessing of God.
It
is this special blessing of God which gave us sinners the gospel of
atonement. With His special blessing, God allowed us to be born again.
He made us new through His baptism, blood, death and resurrection. He
made us His children, free from sin.
Do
you believe in this? ― Yes. ― Have you been truly blessed? ― Yes. ― The
baptism of Jesus and His blood, death and resurrection are the special
blessing that God gave us through the water and the Spirit. This is the
gospel of the special blessing. Praise the Lord for saving us through
His special blessing.
It
is such a pity that so many faithful Christians today are not aware of
the special blessing of God, the gospel of baptism and blood, of being
born again of water and the Spirit. They try blindly to find ways in
their own theology and religious morals. How ignorant they are!
Christianity
has been with us for so long. It has been nearly five hundred years
since the Reformation. But still, there are so many in Korea and in the
rest of the world who are ignorant about the truth of being born again
and the special blessing of God.
I
hope, however, and believe that He will let them know the truth now
because we are in the era which is close to the end of this world.
Sinners
have to be born again and accept the truth of the water and the Spirit
in order to become righteous and enter the kingdom of Heaven. Many
Christians are trying hard to be born again.
However,
if they try without knowing the true meaning of being born again, their
faith is in vain. They say that they have to be born again to enter the
kingdom of Heaven, but they do not have a clue about the truth of being
born again.
They
just assume that since they believe so faithfully and feel the fire in
their hearts, they can be born again. But trying to be born again based
on personal feelings or fervent religious deeds can only lead to
incorrect faith.
THE WORD OF GOD WHICH LEADS US TO BE TRULY BORN AGAIN
What is the difference between faith and religion?
Faith is to believe what Jesus did to save us, while religion is to rely on one’s own thoughts and works.
Faith is to believe what Jesus did to save us, while religion is to rely on one’s own thoughts and works.
It
is written clearly in 1 John 5:4-8 that we can be born again only by
believing in the water, the blood and the Spirit. If we are to be born
again, we should keep in mind that we can be born again only through the
written word of God, the word of truth. We should know that visions,
speaking in tongues or sensational experiences can never lead us to be
born again.
Jesus
said in John chapter 3 that one cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven
unless one is born again of water and the Spirit. If one is to be born
again, one generally has to believe in Jesus twice. First, one tends to
believe in Jesus in the religious way, recognizing his sins through the
law of God. The first time someone believes in Jesus, it is through the
law of God and the realization of what a terrible sinner he really is.
We
should not believe in Jesus in accordance with one of the many
religions of this world. Christianity is not just another religion. It
is the only way to gain eternal life through faith.
Anyone
who believes in Jesus as a religion will end up empty-handed. He will
be left with a heart full of sin, chaos and emptiness. Isn’t this the
truth? You would not want to end up a hypocrite like the Pharisees in
the Bible.
Everyone
wants to become a born-again-Christian. However, when one believes in
Christianity as a religion, he ends up being a hypocrite with a heart
full of sin. We must come to know the truth of being born again.
Anyone
who believes in Christianity as a religion without being born again is
sure to end up with confusion and emptiness in his heart. If one
believes in Jesus but is not born again, his belief is incorrect.
Therefore he ends up as a phony, trying hard to appear holy before
everyone but failing miserably.
As
long as you believe in Christianity as a religion, you will always be a
sinner, a hypocrite, and live out your days lamenting your sins. If you
want to be freed from your sins, you have to believe in the written
truth, the gospel of the water, the blood and the Spirit.
FINDING OUT THE SECRET OF REDEMPTION THROUGH THE BAPTISM OF JESUS
What makes us born again?
The baptism of Jesus, His death on the Cross, and His resurrection
The baptism of Jesus, His death on the Cross, and His resurrection
The
Bible tells us that anyone can be born again through the word of God,
which never changes. Now, let us look at the words of the apostle Peter
in 1 Peter 3:21. “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely
baptism.”
In
the Bible, it is recorded that the baptism of Jesus is the antitype
which saves us. All who believe in Jesus should know, not about our own
baptism, but the baptism of Jesus. The baptism of Jesus gives us sinners
new life. Believe it, and you will be born again and gain the blessing
of salvation.
By
understanding that salvation is gained through belief in the baptism of
Jesus, we can be saved, become righteous and earn everlasting life. In
other words, when we believe in the truth of salvation through the words
of God, our sins will be cleansed for all time.
To
be born again is to be born a second time. Most of us usually begin by
believing in Jesus as a religion, and then we become born again through
faith when we realize the truth. The name Jesus means “For He will save
His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
When
we believe in Jesus and know exactly what He has done for all
humankind, we are freed of our sins and are born again as brand new
people. At first we believe in Jesus as a religion, then, when we hear
and believe in the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood, we are
born again.
What
is the truth which makes us born again? First, it is the baptism of
Jesus, then the blood He shed on the Cross, and finally His resurrection
from the dead. Being born again means believing in Jesus as our God,
our Savior. Let us see how the people of the Old Testament were born
again.
THE COMPENSATION FOR SIN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: THE LAYING ON OF HANDS AND THE OFFERING OF BLOOD
What
is the gospel of being born again in the Old Testament? First, let us
read Leviticus chapter 1 and what it says about being born again.
In
Leviticus 1:1-5, “Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from
the tabernacle of meeting, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and
say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you
shall bring your offering of the livestock―of the herd and of the flock.
If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male
without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of
the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then he shall put his hand on
the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf
to make atonement for him. He shall kill the bull before the Lord; and
the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood
all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of
meeting.’”
God
tells us in Leviticus how the Israelites could be united with God
through the sacrificial system. It is the truth that we should all know
and understand. Therefore let us review these words.
God
called Moses and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting. It was
about atoning for the sins of the Israelites. When the people of Israel
committed sins of disobedience of the law of God, they were able to
atone for their sins by offering livestock without blemish to God.
These
sacrificial animals had to be those specified by God and they had to be
without blemish. Also, they had to be offered according to the ritual
set down by God. The form of the sacrifice was as follows.
If
anyone sinned in time of the Old Testament, he had to offer a sacrifice
before God for the remission of sin. First, the sacrifice had to be
without blemish, and then the sinner had to lay his hands on it in order
to pass his sins on to its head.
After
it was killed, its blood had to be put on the horns of the altar, and
the rest of it was poured on to the ground. This was the ritual of the
holy tabernacle which God had given His people as the blessing of
redemption.
The
law and commandments of God consist of 613 articles prescribing what
they “should do,” or “should not do.” God gave the law and His
commandments to the people of Israel. Although the people knew that the
law and the commandments of God were right, they could not live up to
them because everyone was born with twelve kinds of sins inherited from
Adam.
Therefore,
they lost the ability to do right before God. The Israelites lost the
ability to become righteous. Rather, they could not help but keep
committing sins, even while trying very hard to stay free from sin. It
is the destiny of all humankind to be born and die as sinners.
But
God, in His infinite mercy, gave His people the sacrificial system
through which they could atone for their sins. He provided the ritual of
the holy tabernacle so that the people of Israel and all the people of
the world could be redeemed of their sins. He revealed through the
sacrificial system His righteous love for all humankind. He showed the
world the way to salvation.
God
gave the people the sacrificial system and ordained the house of Levi
to minister the sacrifice. Among the 12 tribes of Israel, only the house
of Levi was ordained to minister the sacrifice for the people of
Israel.
Moses
and Aaron were of the house of Levi. And the Bible records the laws and
regulations governing the sacrifice of the holy tabernacle, the gospel
of atonement by the laying on of hands.
Therefore,
when we really understand the sacrificial ritual of the Levites, we can
be born again ourselves. That is why we have to study the word of God
regarding the sacrifice of the holy tabernacle. This is the most
important part of the Old Testament. Finally, when we come to the New
Testament, we have the blessings of being born again through the water
and the Spirit.
ATONEMENT FOR SIN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
What are God’s attributes?
Justice and Love
Justice and Love
God called Moses, of the house of Levi, to the holy tabernacle of meeting and ordained his brother Aaron as the high priest. Aaron was to pass the sins of the people on to the sin offerings.
This
is what God said to Moses as recorded in Leviticus 1:2. “Speak to the
children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an
offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock ―
of the herd and of the flock.’” God specifies here the sacrificial
offerings. If any one of the people sought atonement for his sins, he
had to offer a bull or a sheep from his livestock.
God
also told them, “If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let
him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will
at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord” (Leviticus
1:3).
The
sacrifice was accepted by God in place of the life of the person who
was supposed to die for his sins. The Israelites could pass on their
sins by laying their hands on the heads of the animals. The sacrificial
animals had to be offered of the person’s own free will. Now, let us see
what verse 4 says.
“Then
he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be
accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” The offering would
thus be accepted by God. When a sinner put his hands on the head of the
burnt offering, his sins were passed on to the head of the animal.
Therefore a sinner had to lay his hands on the head of the offering
before God, so then He would accept it and grant atonement for his sins.
The
person making the offering then killed the animal and put the blood on
the horns of the altar and poured the rest on the ground before the
altar. In order to pay for his sins and become free of them, one had to
offer the sacrifice according to the laws set down by God.
It
is written in Leviticus 1:5, “He shall kill the bull before the Lord;
and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the
blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of
meeting.” Inside the tabernacle, by the door, was the altar of burnt
offerings with horns on the four corners.
After
laying his hands on the head of the burnt offering to pass on his sins,
the sinner had to kill the sacrificial animal, and the priest sprinkled
its blood on the horns. The horns of the altar refer to the judgment
for sins. Thus, putting blood on these horns meant that the animal had
shed blood to pay for sins on behalf of the sinner. When God looked at
the blood on the horns of the altar, He expiated the sins of the sinner.
Why
did the sin offering have to bleed? Because “the wages of sin is death”
(Romans 6:23) and because the life of the flesh is in the blood.
Therefore it is written in Hebrews, “Without shedding of blood there is
no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Thus, the shedding of blood of the sin
offering fulfilled the law of God, which says that the wages of sin is
death.
By
all rights, the offered blood should have come from the sinner, but the
sin offering bled in his place for the atonement. The priest then put
the blood on the horns of the altar to signify that the wages of the sin
was paid.
If
we read Revelations 20:11-15 in the New Testament, we can see that the
horns signify the Book of Judgment. Therefore to put blood on the horns
is to put blood on the Book of Judgment. It is to testify that judgment
for the sins was fulfilled by laying on hands and the blood of the sin
offering.
SINS ARE RECORDED IN TWO PLACES
All
the sins of humankind before God are recorded in two places. One is the
tablets of their hearts, and the other is the Book of Judgment opened
before God.
It
is written in Jeremiah 17:1, “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of
iron; with the point of a diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their
heart, and on the horns of your altars.”
In
Leviticus 17:11, it says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.”
The blood is the life of the flesh, and our sins can be paid for only
with this blood. Therefore, blood was put on the horns of the altar.
According to the law, almost all things are purged with blood, and
without shedding of blood there is no remission (Hebrews 9:22).
“And
he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. The sons
of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in
order on the fire. Then the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts,
the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the
altar; but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the
priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering
made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:6-9).
Then
the priests cut the burnt offering into pieces and placed them onto the
fire on the altar. This ritual was meant to present that when people
sinned before God, they had to die in that way and bleed and be thrown
into the fires of hell. However, judgment was carried out through the
sin offering, so that the people could atone for their sins.
The
sacrifice of burnt offerings was the ritual of the judgment of the
righteous law of God. God incorporated both His laws, the law of
righteousness and the law of love, into the ritual of atonement for all
humankind.
Because
God is righteous, He had to judge and sentence them to death. But,
because He also loved His people, He allowed them to pass their sins on
to the sin offering. In the New Testament, because our Lord loved us so,
He was baptized and crucified to become the sin offering for us
sinners. The baptism of Jesus and His death on the Cross blotted out all
the sins of the world.
ATONEMENT FOR A DAY’S SIN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Whom does the unblemished sin offering of the Old Testament symbolize?
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ
Let us read from Leviticus 4:27. “If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty, or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar. He shall remove all its fat, as fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma to the Lord. So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him” (Leviticus 4:27-31).
The
descendants of Adam, the people of Israel, and all the people of the
world were born into this world full of sin. Therefore our hearts are
filled with sin. There are all kinds of sins inside the heart of a
person: evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts,
covetousness, and foolishness.
When
a sinner wanted to atone for a day’s sins, he had to bring an animal
without blemish to the holy tabernacle. He then had to lay his hands on
the head of the animal to pass on his sins, kill the sacrifice and give
its blood to the priest to be offered before God. The priest would then
carry out the rest of the sacrifice so that the sinner could be forgiven
for his sins.
Without
the law and commandments of God, people wouldn’t know if they had
sinned or not. When we look at ourselves through the law and the
commandments of God, we recognize our sins. Our sins are not judged by
our standards, but by the law and commandments of God.
The
common people of Israel sinned, not because they wanted to, but because
they were born with all kinds of sin in their hearts. The sins man
commits because of his weaknesses are called transgressions. Sin
includes all the transgressions and iniquities of humankind.
All
men are incomplete beings. As the people of Israel were also
incomplete, they were sinners and committed sins. All of our
transgressions and iniquities can be categorized in the following way.
When we have evil thoughts in our minds, they are called sins, and when
we act them out, they are called trespasses. The sins of the world
include both kinds.
In
the Old Testament, sins were passed on to the head of the sin offering
by the laying on of hands. Afterwards, the sinner was without sin and
therefore had no need to die for his sins. The sacrificial system is
thus the shadow of the just judgment and love of God.
Because
God created us from the earth, we were mere dust in the beginning.
Putting blood on the horns of the altar and pouring the rest at the base
of the altar meant that the Israelites had compensated for their sins
and erased all sins from the tablets of their hearts.
The
priest shall burn the fat on the altar for a sweet aroma to the Lord.
The fat in the Bible means the Holy Spirit. Therefore, in order to atone
for our sins, we have to do it in the way God ordained. We also have to
take into our hearts the atonement of our sins in the way God deemed
proper.
God
told the people of Israel that the sin offerings should be a lamb,
goat, or calf. The sin offerings of the Old Testament were the chosen
ones. The calf is a clean animal. The reason the sin offerings had to be
without blemish was that they were revealing Jesus Christ who was
conceived by the Holy Spirit to become the sin offering for all
humankind.
The
people of the Old Testament passed on their sins by laying their hands
on the head of the unblemished sin offering. The priests offered the
sacrifice to compensate for their sins. This was how the people of
Israel atoned for their sins.
THE RITUAL OF THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
Why did the people of Israel need to offer the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement?
Because they continued to sin until death. Daily sin offerings couldn’t sanctify them before God.
Because they continued to sin until death. Daily sin offerings couldn’t sanctify them before God.
However, as they had to make a sacrifice every time they committed a sin, it was impossible to supply all the sacrifices they needed to atone for their sins. So, gradually, they became negligent. It seemed like an endless task to atone for their sins every day and they came to feel that they could do away with this ritual altogether.
No
matter how hard we try, we can never offer sacrifice enough for all our
sins. Therefore the true compensation for our sins has to be given
through our heartfelt belief in the law of salvation that God prepared
for us.
Because
of our weakness, no matter how hard we try to live by the law of God,
we only become more aware of how incomplete and weak we are. Therefore
God gave the people of Israel a way to atone for the whole year’s sins
all at once (Leviticus 16:17-22).
It
is written in Leviticus, “In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the
month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a
native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on
that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that
you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is a sabbath of
solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute
forever” (Leviticus 16:29-31).
Thus,
the people of Israel had peace of mind once a year when the high priest
ministered the sacrifice of atonement on the tenth day of the seventh
month for all sins the people had committed during the year. With their
sins washed away, their minds were at peace on that day.
On
the tenth day of the seventh month, the high priest Aaron, as the
representative of all Israel, had to minister the sacrifice of
atonement. At this time, the other priests could not enter the holy
tabernacle. First of all, Aaron had to minister the sacrifice of
atonement for himself and his house before he could do it for the rest
of the people of Israel because he and his house had also sinned.
He
ministered the sacrifice for the people like this. “He shall take the
two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle
of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for
the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the
goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But
the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented
alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as
the scapegoat into the wilderness” (Leviticus 16:7-10).
After
he had performed the ritual of atonement for his house and himself,
Aaron “cast lots for the two goats.” One lot was for the Lord and the
other was for the scapegoat, “Azazel.”
First,
one of the two goats was offered to the Lord. Here, the high priest
laid his hands on the goat on behalf of the people to pass on the sins
they had committed during the year.
The
blood was taken to the mercy seat inside the Most Holy Place and
sprinkled seven times. The people of Israel were forgiven for all their
sins over the past year. Instead of the people of Israel dying for their
sins, the high priest Aaron passed the sins on to the head of the sin
offering and let it take the judgment for them. Then he sacrificed the
other live goat before God. That was the sacrifice which was carried out
for the people.
FOR THE PEOPLE
In
front of all the people, Aaron laid his hands on the second goat and
confessed before God. “Lord, the people of Israel have committed murder,
adultery, theft, covetousness, deceit…and they have bowed before idols.
They have not kept the Sabbath holy, they have called Your name in
vain, and they have broken all the articles of Your Laws and
commandments.” Then he took away his hands. With this, all the sins of
the people for the whole year were passed on to the sin offering.
Let’s
read Leviticus 16:21. “And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head
of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of
Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting
them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the
wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.” The scapegoat would then
wander around in the wilderness and die with the sins of the people of
Israel on its head. The scapegoat, “Azazel” in Hebrew, means “to put
out.” It means that the sin offering was cast out before the Lord, in
place of all the people of Israel.
Therefore,
the sins of Israel were passed on to the scapegoat through the laying
on of Aaron’s hands. In this way the Israelites were forgiven for their
sins. When they saw the high priest laying his hands on the goat and saw
it led into the wilderness, all the people of Israel who believed in
the ritual of atonement were sure of the atonement for their sins. All
the rituals of the Old Testament were the shadow of ‘the gospel of the
being born again’ of the New Testament.
In
the Old Testament, the laying on of hands and the blood of the
sacrifice was the gospel of salvation from sin. It remained basically
the same in the New Testament.
THE GOSPEL OF REDEMPTION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
In the New Testament, how were all the sins of the people expiated?
It
is written in Matthew 1:21-25, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you
shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
Lord through the prophet, saying; ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with
child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is
translated, ‘God with us.’ Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as
the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did
not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called
His name Jesus.”
Our
Lord Jesus came down to this world in the name of Immanuel to save all
humankind from sin. Therefore He was named Jesus. Jesus came to take
away all the sins of the world. He came in the flesh of a human being to
become humankind’s Savior. He fulfilled our salvation and freed us
forever from sin.
THE GOSPEL OF BEING BORN AGAIN
And how did Jesus free us from all our sins? He did it through His baptism. Let us look at Matthew 3:13-17.
“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. When he had been baptized, Jesus
came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened
to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This
is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:13-17).
In
the New Testament, when Jesus turned 30 years old, He came to John the
Baptist at the Jordan. He was baptized by him and took away the sins of
all sinners. By doing so, He fulfilled the righteousness of God.
WHY WAS JESUS BAPTIZED AT THE JORDAN?
What is revealed in the gospel?
The righteousness of God
The righteousness of God
Let us now take a look at the scene when the heavenly High Priest met the last high priest of mankind. Here, we can see the righteousness of God through the baptism which secured atonement for all the sins of the world.
John
the Baptist, the one who baptized Jesus, was the greatest among those
born of women. Jesus had testified in Matthew 11:11, “Among those born
of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” Just as
the sins of the people were expiated when the high priest Aaron laid
his hands on the head of the sin offering on the Day of Atonement, in
the New Testament, all the sins of the world were expiated when Jesus
was baptized by John the Baptist.
The
gospel of being born again is the gospel of complete atonement for all
our sins, past, present and future. Therefore the gospel of redemption
through the baptism of Jesus was the gospel God set down for the
fulfillment of His righteousness, which saved all the people of the
world. Jesus was baptized in the most proper way to atone for the sins
of the world.
What
does fulfilling “all righteousness” mean? It means God washed away all
the sins of the world in the most proper way. Jesus was baptized to wash
away all the sins of humankind. “For in it the righteousness of God is
revealed from faith to faith” (Romans 1:17).
The
righteousness of God was shown in His decision to send His own Son
Jesus to this world to wash away all the sins of the world through His
baptism by John the Baptist and His death on the Cross.
In
the New Testament, the righteousness of God was expressed through the
baptism of Jesus and His blood. We became righteous because Jesus took
away all the sins of humankind almost two millennia ago at the Jordan.
When we accept the salvation of God in our hearts, the righteousness of
God is truly fulfilled.
“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. When
He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and
behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came
from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased’” (Matthew 3:15-17).
This
passage reveals that God Himself testified to the fact that the baptism
of His Son fulfilled all the righteousness of salvation. He was telling
us, “Jesus, who was baptized by John the Baptist, now is truly My Son.”
God testified that His Son was baptized for the atonement of all
humankind. He did so, so that the holy work of His Son, Jesus, would not
be in vain.
Jesus
is the Son of God and also the Savior of the sinners of the world. “In
whom I am well pleased,” said God. It is the truth that Jesus obeyed the
will of the Father and took away all the sins of humankind through His
baptism.
The
word baptism means “to be washed, to pass to, to be buried.” Because
all our sins were passed on to Jesus when He was baptized, all we have
to do is believe in the gospel to be saved from all the sins of the
world.
The
fulfillment of all the prophecies of salvation in the Old Testament was
accomplished through the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament.
Therefore the prophecies in the Old Testament have finally found
counterparts in the New Testament. Just as the people of Israel atoned
for their sins once a year in the Old Testament, the sins of the people
were passed on to Jesus and expiated forever in the New Testament.
Leviticus
16:29 is the antitype of Matthew 3:15. Jesus was baptized to take on
all the sins of the world. Thanks to His baptism, all who believe in His
eternal forgiveness of sin are saved; all their sins were erased from
the tablets of their hearts.
If
you do not recognize and believe in your heart the truth of the baptism
of Jesus and His death on the Cross, you can never be cleansed of your
sins no matter how pious a life you live. Only through the baptism of
Jesus is the word of God fulfilled and our sins erased. True salvation
is achieved through the redemption of all our sins, in other words,
through the baptism of Jesus.
With
this in mind, what will you do? Will you accept this salvation into
your heart? Or will you not? This is not the word of man, but that of
God Himself. Jesus died on the Cross because He had taken away all your
sins through His baptism. Don’t you agree that the crucifixion of Jesus
was the result of His baptism?
It
is written in Romans 8:3-4, “For what the law could not do in that it
was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin; He condemned sin in the
flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in
us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Because
we as weak beings cannot keep the law and commandments of God owing to
the weakness of the flesh, Jesus took away all the sins of the flesh by
taking them on to Himself. This is the truth of the baptism of Jesus.
The baptism of Jesus foreordained His death on the Cross. This is the
wisdom of the original gospel of God.
If
you have been believing only in the death of Jesus on the Cross, turn
back now and accept in your heart the gospel of salvation through the
baptism of Jesus. Then, and only then, can you truly become a child of
God.
THE ORIGINAL GOSPEL
What’s the original gospel?
The gospel of the water and the Spirit
The gospel of the water and the Spirit
The
original gospel is the gospel of the atonement of sins. This is the
gospel of the baptism of Jesus, His death and resurrection that God
revealed to us. Jesus Christ washed away sin all at one time by being
baptized at the Jordan and through this gave salvation to all those who
believe in this truth. Owing to our faith, all our sins of the future
also have been washed away.
Now,
whoever believes in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross is
saved from all the sins of the world forever. Do you believe? If your
answer is “Yes, I do,” then you will truly become righteous.
Let
us briefly summarize the events that happened after Jesus was baptized.
In John 1:29, it is written, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world!”
John
the Baptist testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God who took away the
sin of the world. John the Baptist had passed on to Jesus all the sins
of the world when he baptized Him at the Jordan. Additionally, because
John the Baptist himself baptized Jesus, he could testify, “Behold! The
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus was baptized and
took away the sins of the world, and this is the gospel of being born
again.
“Behold!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
Jesus took away all the sins of the world through His baptism.
The
sins you committed from birth until your tenth birthday are included in
the sins of the world. Do you believe that those sins were passed on to
Jesus? ― Yes, I do. ― What about your transgressions from the age of 11
to 20? Do you believe that those sins were also passed on to Jesus? ―
Yes, I do. ―
Are
the sins you will commit in the future among the sins of the world? ―
Yes, they are also included. ― Then, were they passed on to Jesus? ―
Yes, they were. ― Do you really believe that all your sins have been
passed on to Jesus? ― Yes, I do. ― Do you believe that all the sins of
the world were passed on to Jesus through His baptism? ―Yes, I do.―
Do
you truly want to be saved from the sins of the world? If you do,
believe in the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the
Cross. Once you believe, you have been saved. Do you believe this? This
is the true salvation of being born again. The baptism of Jesus and His
blood is the original gospel of being born again. It is the blessing
from God for all the sinners of the world.
To
believe in the salvation of being born again through the baptism of
Jesus and His blood on the Cross, to look up to His love is to have true
faith and to be truly born again. The signs of being born again are the
water and blood of Jesus. You have only to accept the words of truth
written in the Bible.
RELIGION AND FAITH
What witness do we have in the hearts of the born again?
That Jesus blotted out all our sins with His baptism and blood
That Jesus blotted out all our sins with His baptism and blood
The meaning of religion is to believe in Jesus according to one’s own thoughts, rejecting the pure word of God. However, salvation from sin is apart from one’s own thoughts. Faith is to believe all the words of the Old and New Testament, denying one’s own thoughts. It is to take it as it was written in the Bible and accept salvation through the water and the blood: the baptism of Jesus and His death on the Cross. One can be saved by taking into his heart the wisdom of the original gospel.
Without
the baptism of Jesus there is no passing on of our sins, and without
the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. All our sins were
passed on to Jesus before He took them to the Cross and shed blood for
us. When we believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross,
in being born again through the gospel, we become free of all the sins
of the world.
True
faith is to believe that Jesus Christ completely cleansed us of all our
sins when He was baptized; it is to believe that He took the judgment
for all our sins on the Cross. We have to believe in the righteous
salvation of God. God loved all of us so much that He saved us through
the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross. When we believe in this
gospel, we are saved from all our sins, freed from judgment and become
righteous before God.
“Lord,
I believe. I am undeserving of salvation but I believe in the gospel of
the baptism of Jesus, His crucifixion and resurrection.” We have only
to thank the Lord for the blessing of the gospel of being born again. To
believe in the original gospel of being born again is the true faith.
The
truth of being born again is this; “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). We have to know
the truth exactly, and we have to believe in the water, the blood, and
the Spirit that bears witness to it (1 John 5:5-8).
“The
truth shall make you free.” These are the words of Jesus about the
water and the blood. Have you been set free? Are we the religious or the
faithful? Jesus wants only those who have faith in the gospel of being
born again of water and the Spirit.
If
you believe in the gospel of the baptism of Jesus and His blood, you
are without sin in your heart. However, if you believe in Jesus merely
as a part of a religion, you are still living in sin because you do not
have complete faith in the salvation of Jesus. Religious people try to
obtain redemption for their sins every-time they pray in repentance.
Thus,
such people can never be saved from their sins completely. Even if they
repented throughout their life, it could never replace the complete
remission of sins through the baptism of Jesus and His death on the
Cross. Let us be saved by believing in the gospel of Jesus, which washed
away all the sins of the world, even those of the future.
I
will tell you again repenting every day can never substitute for the
gospel of being born again. All Christians should now believe in the
remission of sins through the gospel of being born again.
We
can never repent for our sins completely. False repentance cannot lead
one to God, but only consoles his soul. False repentance is a one-sided
confession which never takes into account the will of God. This is not
something that God expects from us.
What
is true repentance? It is to return to God. To come back to the word of
the salvation of Jesus and believe in the word the way it was written.
The gospel that saves us is the gospel of the baptism of Jesus, His
crucifixion and resurrection. When we believe in this gospel completely,
we are then saved and earn everlasting life.
This
is the wisdom of the gospel of being born again; it is to believe in
the baptism of Jesus and His blood and the gospel of the kingdom of God
that allows us to be born again.
When
Jesus told us that we should be born again of water and the Spirit, He
meant that we should be born again by believing in His baptism and blood
on the Cross. Then we are able to enter and dwell in the kingdom of
God. We have to believe in His word. The two things that bear witness to
the remission of our sins, the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the
Cross, are the words that allow us to be born again.
Do
you now believe in the gospel of being born again, and of the remission
of sins? The faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross
saves us from all the sins of the world. We can be born again with this
faith. Since the Bible tells us that Jesus washed away the sins of all
the sinners in the world, why shouldn’t we believe and be born again?
Those
who believe in the two things that bear witness to our being born
again, the baptism of Jesus and His crucifixion, are the truly born
again. And he who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself
(1 John 5:3-10). When you believe in Jesus, you should not leave out the
gospel of the water, the blood and the Spirit.
Just
as Commander Naaman washed at the Jordan seven times to be healed
completely from leprosy (2 Kings chapter 5), we should believe that
Jesus washed away all the sins of the world once and for all at the
Jordan and as a result gave us everlasting salvation.
Because
Jesus loved us, we can be saved from all the sins of the world and have
everlasting life by believing in the gospel of the remission of sin.
Let us all believe in the gospel of being born again and obtain God’s
salvation.
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