Sermon Central
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Walking In Correctness (Concerning God The Son) Series
Contributed by Shawn Drake on Oct 23, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: This is the 9th study in the study "Light In The Darkness".
WALKING IN CORRECTNESS
(CONCERNING GOD THE SON)
In the last two studies we studied God the Holy Spirit and God the Father. In this study we will study how through God the Son a person can become a member of the Family of God. This study will also identify God’s testimony concerning Jesus Christ.
The Family Of God
There is only one way to be reconciled to the Father. There is only one way to have eternal life in Heaven. There is only one way to become a member of God’s family. Jesus Christ is the only way. The moment a person accepts Christ as Savior they become a child of God.
Every believer is a child of God, meaning we are all brothers and sisters in the Family of God. Therefore, God simply wants us to get along and love one another. Because we are to love each other sometimes we have to correct one another. There is a “fine line” here. Anytime we correct a brother or sister in Christ we first need to have our own life in “check” and secondly the motive must be love. You are correcting the person because you want them to be restored. It is easy to notice when someone else is being disobedient to God; but is hard for us to acknowledge our own disobedience.
As God’s children we show our love for God by being obedient to His commands. Our text says that following God’s commands is not that difficult. I tend to disagree that these commands are not difficult to follow; but that is because every time I try to follow them on my own I fail.
The key to following God’s commands is found here. It is our faith in Christ that allows us to be victorious. On your own you will fail; but with God in charge you will be victorious.
The only way to true lasting victory is through Jesus Christ. In the world we live in, it seems like evil is winning; but remember that nothing or nobody can take your eternal life in Heaven away from you. Once you are saved, you won’t lose your salvation.
The Testimony Of God
To make claims that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world is not enough. What evidence is there? In Deuteronomy 19:15 and other places in Deuteronomy you will find that there had to be two or three witnesses to prove some ones’ claims. Jesus said in Matthew 18:16, “…every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
There were many witnesses of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. The apostles and others were witnesses to His resurrection; but just in case that is not enough, God Himself gave three witnesses to the claim that Jesus is who He says He is.
Witness #1: Water
This witness of water has created many questions and debates concerning the doctrine of baptism. There are a couple of other suggestions as to what the water represents in this text besides baptism. Some have said that the reference to coming by water and blood is in reference to John 19:34, “Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.” Some have said that the water represents that Jesus was born by a woman. They would say that this is evidence of His humanity.
The third suggestion I am going to mention is that this refers to when Jesus was baptized. With great hesitation, I believe this is the correct representation of this verse. why with hesitation? I teach and believe that water baptism is not a part of one’s salvation. Water baptism is an outward testimony or witness of an inward change. So why was Jesus baptized? It wasn’t because He was a sinner. He was baptized to show us that He came to represent mankind and to pay the price for our sins. The Father’s voice made it very clear what Jesus was doing and who He was. The witness of the water showed Jesus’ sinless life.
Witness #2: Blood
The witness of blood also comes with several suggestions. The two suggestions listed earlier concerning physical birth and the piercing of Jesus’ side have been used; but I believe this witness clearly points to the shedding of blood at the crucifixion.
Jesus was baptized in water to witness to His sinless life. He was baptized in blood to atone for the sins of the world. Jesus being sinless was not enough for our salvation. He had to shed His blood in order for there to be remission for sin. Jesus was baptized in water and blood. This is the first two witnesses.