In the Bible, specific to the nation of Israel, there’s a law that states that a testimony against someone is invalid unless it’s corroborated by two or three witnesses (and there’s even laws against being a false witness, so that Justice is fair, as God desires). Every time I read the Gospels, I’m amazed. Jesus has witness after witness, not just those of flesh and blood, but from God (through the Word of God) and the Holy Spirit (by the acts and signs and miracles done through Jesus and His followers). Over and over and over again, people demand a sign, when Jesus is over and over and over again confirming prophecies of Scripture, by the Spirit, and even the voice of God!
We see the first of these confirmations in the Baptism of Jesus, when He comes out of the water, and the Holy Spirit descends on Him like a dove and like lightning (Matthew 3), and the Father speaks audibly “this is My beloved Son in whom I AM well pleased.” In John, Jesus prays that God will confirm His word, to which God says “I HAVE CONFIRMED IT” in the presence of many, many witnesses (Who couldn’t agree on what the voice was or where it came from), and we see Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration, with God saying “this is My beloved SON, do as He says.”
God always provides a witness for the work of Christ. Even today, He does so. It is by the Water and the Blood and the Spirit. Jesus was born of Water. His Blood was shed and He died for all sin. He took up His own life again by the Holy Spirit when He was raised from the dead. These three witnesses still testify to us today. We are, in our state apart from Christ born of water and the flesh. But when we are born again, we are born again of Water, covered in and made new by the Blood of Jesus Christ, and confirmed and sealed by the Holy Spirit. The witnesses are true, and stand firm. Their testimony cannot be invalidated. And so I must ask: what do they say of you? Were you merely born of water? Perhaps you came to Christ out of an emotional response, or an urging from someone to go. We need to be Born Again, of Water, covered in and by the Blood of Christ and confirmed and sealed in the Holy Spirit. This is not of man, but of God. Seek His Holiness. Seek His Righteousness. Seek Jesus with everything you are, and you’ll find Him.
1 John 5
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and Goda will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
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