Tonight, for our text, we turn again to 1 John, chapter 5. 1 John, chapter 5. The text being verses 6 through 12. In connection with that, I would ask you to turn with me to Luke, chapter 24. I had indicated in the bulletin that we would read verses 44 through 47, but I would like us to back up to verse 36 of Luke 24. This, of course, is at the very end of Luke's Gospel, after the resurrection event, and just prior to the section we're going to read, there's the episode about Jesus appearing to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus, reminding Him of all that the Scriptures had said that the Messiah must suffer and die and be raised again on the third day. We pick it up at verse 36 through 47 as we hear now the Word of God. While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. And this, of course, is the disciples gathered together. They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at My hands and My feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet, and while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, Do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms. Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, This is what is written. The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I'm going to send you what my Father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. And turning to the text, 1 John 5, verses 6-12. The last part of verse 5, John says, Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify. The Spirit, the water, and the blood. And the three are in agreement. We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God which He has given about His Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony. God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son of God does not have life. Now, beloved, this text is really a continuation of the first five verses. The twelve verses go together in this section. But with those verses, the first five verses, we talked about a couple of weeks ago in those verses the victory of faith. Again, the last half of verse 4 and verse 5, this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Now, throughout this epistle, I trust you remember, it's been a long time that we've been working on this epistle, but I trust that you remember that John has been teaching many, many things. But along with the many different things that John has been teaching, he has driven home the point again and again about who Jesus is. He is the Son of God. He is the Christ. He has come in the flesh. And not only did John teach these things because they are true, but also because of the false teachings of that day. You may remember that Gnosticism, with its false teaching of salvation by higher knowledge, was one of the major opponents of Christianity in that day. Gnosticism included false views about Jesus. And one Gnostic in particular named Serenthus taught that Christ only seemed to be human. That the divine Christ descended on the man Jesus at his baptism, but he left the man Jesus again before his suffering, before his crucifixion and death. Gnosticism clearly attacked the truth of both the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it's for that reason that John clearly teaches the truth of the person of Christ throughout this letter, and he touches on his work, and now in just a few words, in a specific way, he considers the work of Jesus Christ. Not just Jesus, not just Christ, but Jesus Christ. This text is talking about testimony. About witnessing to the truth of Jesus Christ. Here John teaches about the true testimony leading to victorious faith. We want to notice, as your outline says, the object of this testimony, the certainty of this testimony, and the application of this testimony. The text begins, this is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ. Very simply, the object of this testimony is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Again, the one who overcomes the world is he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. He who believes in the person of Jesus Christ. But also notice the testimony then about the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, because you cannot separate who He is, who Christ is, from what He has done. John says He came by water and blood, pointing to His work. Now, congregation, what does that mean? Well, as you can imagine, there are different interpretations. And for the most part, each interpretation does have good-sounding support, at least of the top three or four interpretations. Some say that water and blood is talking about the water and blood that flowed from our Lord's side after the soldier pierced Him with that spear when He was on the cross. And of course, then that is indeed proof that Jesus was human, but also proof that He was dead as He hung on the cross. Others say that the water and blood stand for the sacraments, for baptism and the Lord's Supper, which signify and seal into believers, again, the truth of Christ's work. And so others say that the water and blood point back to the Old Testament ceremonial laws with the water signifying the washing way of filth and cleansing while the blood signifies the removal of the curse of sin and being reconciled to God. Again, pointing to Christ's work. Now all of these may sound good and we can spiritualize them and tie them to the truth that indeed our Lord's work included paying the debt for sin and making us right with God. But I agree with those who believe that water and blood are pointing back to historical events. especially given the case of those whom John was combating, Gnosticism. The text says that Jesus Christ is the one who came. That's talking about an actual historical event. He came at a point in time and He came with a task to perform. He came to do what was necessary for mankind and its salvation. He came to deliver God's chosen from the curse of sin and the bondage of sin and its consequences by taking our sins upon Himself. And we might say then that the work that He came to do is enveloped between the bookends of water and blood. You see, I believe water here is talking about Christ's baptism, which was the formal beginning of His ministry of which John the Baptist said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Blood then refers to His crucifixion, which was the close of His earthly ministry and the accomplishment of His wonderful work. Again, these are historical events which are included in His coming and the work that He came to do. John emphasizes in the middle of verse 6, He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. Emphasizing the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, John's point against the teaching of Saranthus is that it wasn't just the man Jesus, but it was the God-man Jesus Christ who died on the cross. Beloved, this, of course, is foundational to the Christian faith. Without Christ's death and that which He came to accomplish by His death, there is no Christianity. There is no hope of salvation. He did what only God could do. That which needed to be done. But again, John is teaching here in a specific way why everything else he has said throughout his letter so far is true. Why are believers able to walk in the light? Because of Christ's death and resurrection. Why are believers able to have fellowship with God? Because of Christ's death and resurrection. Why do we have new birth and why can we walk as Jesus walked and why are we able to love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Because of Christ's death and resurrection. You see, by His baptism, by John the Baptist, Jesus identified Himself with our sin. He didn't need to be baptized in and of Himself. He didn't need to repent of His sins. He had no sin. But His baptism was His first demonstration that He was taking upon Himself the sins of His people. That He placed Himself under the curse of the law, that law, the curse which He came to break on behalf of His people. And then by Christ's death and shedding of blood, He dealt with, He was punished for, He paid for our sin and delivered us from the wrath of God, from the power of sin and the world and the flesh and the devil. The credentials of Christ's work are water and blood. And these, along with the Spirit, as John says, testify to and are proof of the truth of Jesus Christ. The last part of verse 6 says, And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are in agreement. At His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove, pointing to His anointing as the Messiah. And a voice from heaven, as we know, said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, pointing to His divinity, that He is indeed God. And by His crucifixion and death, Jesus Christ satisfied the debt for our sins and He brought us peace with God. And of course, all of this is confirmed then by His resurrection from the dead. He was declared to be the Son of God. God Himself, by His baptism, He was proven to be the Son of God at the cross. But congregation, ultimately, the ultimate testimony is Christ's blood. His blood, His suffering and death testifies to the truth of who He is and what He has done. He came to suffer and die. He came to do what was necessary for our sins to be forgiven. He came to pay the ultimate price. In Acts 17, verses 2 and 3, we read about Paul in Thessalonica. And there we read that Paul went into the synagogue and on three Sabbath days, he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. And again, Luke chapter 24. Before this, again, on the road to Emmaus, our Lord says the same things to the two disciples, but then that which we read concerning the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, this is what is written, that Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. We know, of course, that this prophecy is all throughout the Old Testament. It is clearly spoken there about the suffering of the Messiah. And especially, as you know, in Isaiah 53. He was despised and rejected. He was pierced and crushed. He was punished and wounded. He did not come to be a royal earthly leader to deliver His people from the oppression of the Romans. He came to suffer and die. Congregation John says the Spirit, the water, and the blood are in agreement. They say the same thing. Their testimony agrees. All three testify to the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the One anointed of God, And they testify that He must suffer, resulting in abundant life for His people. And we are to see this in His baptism and crucifixion with the eye of faith. And the Holy Spirit of God testifies of this truth to our hearts. The Holy Spirit is the one who clothed the disciples so many years ago with power. The Holy Spirit is the same one who empowers us today to see and believe this testimony, this truth. The Holy Spirit is indeed the fulfillment of the words of Jesus in John 15, verse 26. When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me. It is the Holy Spirit of God who gives to us that gift of faith to believe the truth of all that God has testified. All that God has said in His Word. And to understand and believe that Christ suffered for me too. We are to be confident that this testimony is true. As John also teaches about the certainty of this testimony. First of all, John says the Spirit is truth. We just read that also in John 15, verse 26. The Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, pointing to the fact that the Spirit is God. And then he supports this in verses 9 and 10 when he says, We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God which He has given about His Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. You may recall from Deuteronomy 19, verse 15, that there we read, one witness is not enough to convict a man accused of a crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If two or three witnesses agreed to a crime, they were to be believed. It's hard to get the exact same story, the exact same details from two or three witnesses. So when they gave proof of being credible witnesses, then the truth could be established. Now, unfortunately, in our day, we often believe the story of only one. And then we quickly go to pass it on as gospel truth to someone else, often without confirming or verifying whether it is true or false. And then someone usually gets hurt in the process. And the truth is, congregation, it is possible for two or three human witnesses to be wrong. But not God. God's testimony is true. God's testimony is certain. And in keeping with His own law, He has given three witnesses. Himself, through the Holy Spirit, and the work of His only begotten Son with the historical events of His baptism and death, the water and blood. Beloved, God's testimony is so great and it is so true that it obligates us to receive it. And to believe it. We are obligated to receive it and believe it. The testimony of the cross. He says, look to the cross. His death for my life. What a wondrous exchange. We are obligated to receive it and believe it. As Paul says in Acts 17, verse 30, God commands all men everywhere to repent. You see, the call is to go out to all people as it was witnessed by the apostles and it is to be our witness still today. The call is to go out to all people to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not optional. It's not take it or leave it. It's not just a good suggestion. But it is for our eternal good. Yet not all obey. Many reject God's true testimony. And John makes it clear what that means. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar. Because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his son. To call God a liar. Think about that. That's a terrifying thought. To call God a liar. At least I hope it's for each one of us, both young and old, a terrifying thought. Those who call God a liar, and when we do that, or some do that, by not believing His testimony, the alternative is that they must then boldly say that Christ has not come. That there is no salvation. That there is no hope. The Gnostics of John's day claimed to believe in God, but they rejected the truth of Christ, and therefore, whether they understood it or not, they were without hope. They were without a way to the Heavenly Father. And the same is true with so many today, those who outright reject. Or even many of the false religions that surround us. So many. We can think of Mormonism or Jehovah's Witnesses. They reject the truth of Jesus Christ. And therefore, their claim to believe in God is false. In congregation, there is no greater authority or word testimony than God Himself. His is royal authority that must be accepted. To reject this testimony is to declare one's own eternal death sentence. But those who believe, as John says, have God's testimony firm in their hearts by the power and the illumination of the Holy Spirit of God. That's what faith is all about. Through the gift of faith, the believer receives and believes the truth of Jesus Christ and His saving sacrifice and enjoys the victory of faith. He understands who Christ is and what Christ has done and what He needed to do for Him. He understands His sin and misery and that He can do nothing to remove it. He understands that there is a Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord, and He believes that only Jesus' blood and righteousness are sufficient for Him. He has the assurance that He belongs to this faithful Savior, body and soul, in life and in death, and He desires to live in such a way that demonstrates thanksgiving and praise to God for the vast benefits that He possesses in Christ Jesus. We could talk about that for hours, even weeks, about what it means to live in such a way that demonstrates thanksgiving and praise to God for all that we have in Christ Jesus. I want to just point out one. And that is singing. Especially singing here in the congregation of God's people. We have a congregation that at times just lifts the roof off the building. It's absolutely gorgeous. But not all of you are like that. It's disheartening at times to look out as when so many of you are singing, you can see it on your face, the joy of the Lord and your mouths open wide and some of you, and I'll be honest, I'm thinking of some of you teenagers, young men in particular, even some who profess your faith, you look like you couldn't care less. Like it doesn't matter to you. In the congregation of God's people, if you can't sing and praise God in the congregation of God's people, for the like-minded people, how can you even begin to think about witnessing and testifying for the Lord outside. You know, the excuse that, well, I can't sing. I don't sound very good. Or I don't like to sing. It doesn't hold water. You see, a joyful noise comes from the heart, not the throat. We sang in our song service, rejoice, give thanks, and sing. You know, although our ears might hurt sometimes when someone's voice isn't the best or isn't on key. I have a feeling that it is beautiful when someone who maybe can't hold a tune, as we would say, sings their heart out. It's beautiful, and it's glorious to God. One way, beloved, that we can demonstrate thanksgiving and praise for the vast benefits that we possess in Christ, especially as we sing of those benefits. But also the one, the believer, who receives and believes the truth of Jesus Christ is conscious then, too, of the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. The believer surrenders and abandons his life in its entirety to Christ and he continually believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. John says, verse 10, anyone who believes in the Son of God, he's talking about not only a temporary belief, but a continual, a lasting belief. But again, the believer surrenders his life to Christ and continually believes. And this is with great reason. That's because of the application of this testimony. Verses 11 and 12, And this is the testimony God has given us eternal life. And this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son of God does not have life. Now the Lord willing, we'll talk about this application in more detail next week. I had planned on including verse 13 here, but decided there's quite a bit there, I hope, for another sermon. And we'll consider this application in more detail next week, the Lord willing, as we consider verse 13, which also talks about this, but which talks, in addition to this, about having, owning, possessing the assurance of salvation. But some have said that verse 11 contains the sum of the Gospel. And this is the testimony. God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. That's the sum of the Gospel. It's all right here. Even as Paul says in Romans 6, verse 23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. There's no greater news than this. And beloved, it all comes from God. From the announcement to the accomplishment to the application of salvation. It all comes from God. Recorded from page 1 of our Scriptures all the way to the very end, God designed eternal life. He prepared the means necessary to bring us to eternal life and He prepares us for eternal life. Now again, there's no doubt that John was writing against the false testimony of the day, especially the Antichrist that he speaks of in chapter 2, verses 25 and 26. He says, and this is what He promised us, even eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. Very simply, very simply, those who reject Jesus Christ don't belong to Him. And therefore, they don't have eternal life. It's as simple as that. Even the young boys and girls can understand that. If you don't believe in Jesus Christ, you don't have eternal life. The only other reality that is left is the reality of eternal death, the wages of sin. That's what's in store for any and all who do not trust in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness from God, reconciliation with God, and salvation for the sake of Jesus Christ. But the beauty, the beauty is that still today, is that those who repent of their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. That's the beauty for maybe one here tonight who has not yet given their life to the Lord Jesus Christ. But also as a motivation for us as believers to get out there and witness today is still the day of salvation. And as John makes clear, eternal life is not just in the future. Oh, the full reality of it is we know. But believers have been given that eternal life already now, never to be taken away from us. And we never to be taken away from it. And that life is life beyond the limits of death. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Eternal life is not just a prize to be earned or won by our own merits, but it is an undeserved gift from God found only in Jesus Christ. John echoes here, even more in verse 13, but he echoes here what he had written toward the end of his gospel when he says in John 20, verse 31, But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. See, the purpose of God's testimony is believing. And the result of believing, the result of faith, is having life in Christ. Without God's testimony, there is no victory of faith. Only God's testimony about His Son, Jesus Christ, is true. We've got it. We've got it recorded on the pages of Holy Scripture by God's providential grace. It's the testimony of our God, including the water and the blood. applied to our hearts and lives by the Holy Spirit. Do you believe it? Do you believe it? If you don't, then in Jesus' name I earnestly and urgently call you to repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because He is the only way to the Father. And again, His promise is that whoever comes to Him in true faith, He will not turn away. What a promise. if you do believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and I know that many, if not all of you, do, then may you stop and humbly thank and praise God for not only giving you the true testimony of His Son, but also giving you His Holy Spirit to make that testimony real and true in your life. And may your prayer be nearer, still nearer, while life shall last, till safe in glory my anchor is cast. through endless ages, ever to be nearer my Savior, still nearer to Thee. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, indeed, may that be our prayer. We thank You for Your testimony, the truth that You have given to us, and not only presented to our eyes and to our minds, but that You have driven deep within our hearts that we might believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That we might believe that the God-man, Jesus Christ, came to live here among men, to do that which we needed to be done, to be made right with You. And He left nothing undone, but accomplished His work perfectly and completely. And we look forward to the same Jesus Christ coming again on the clouds of heaven one day to judge the living and the dead, to bring His people home with Him forever and ever, to cast all those who reject Him away from Him forever and ever. Oh, Father, we thank You indeed for the victory of faith that You've given to Your people. May we not take it for granted. May we too desire that others who have not heard, that they too might enjoy that victory of faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord. In His name alone we pray. Amen.