For There Are Three That Testify
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
Charles Bradlaugh was a famous atheist in seventeenth century England.
Down in one of the slums of London was a minister in the same area by the name of Hugh Price Hughes.
All London was aware of miracles of grace accomplished at his mission.
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Charles Bradlaugh challenged Mr. Hughes to debate with him the validity of the claims of Christianity.
London was greatly interested.
What would Mr. Hughes do?
He immediately accepted the challenge and in doing so added one of his own.
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Hughes said, “I propose to you that we each bring some concrete evidences of the validity of our beliefs in the form of men and women who have been redeemed from the lives of sin and shame by the influence of our teaching.
I will bring 100 such men and women, and I challenge you to do the same.
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“If you cannot bring 100, Mr. Bradlaugh, to match my 100, I will be satisfied if you will bring 50 men and women who will stand and testify that they have been lifted up from lives of shame by the influence of your teachings.
If you cannot bring 50, then bring 20 people who will say, as my 100 will, that they have a great joy in a life of self-respect as a result of your atheistic teachings.
If you cannot bring 20, I will be satisfied if you bring 10.
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“Nay, Mr. Bradlaugh, I challenge you to bring one, just one man or woman who will make such a testimony regarding the uplifting of your atheistic teachings.”
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Again London was stirred.
What would Mr. Bradlaugh do?
In answer, Charles Bradlaugh, with great discomfiture and chagrin, publicly withdrew his challenge for the debate.
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So, please turn your Bibles to 1 John.
We will be conducting our study in Chapter 5 and focusing on verses 6 through 12.
Our message this morning is called, “For There Are Three That Testify”
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As you are finding your place in God’s Word, I want to share that we will be talking about the testimony or witness of a great claim...
As you saw...
With Atheism they make a great claim for their truth...
But few will testify to it...
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What about the claim...
The claim that Jesus is the promised Messiah...
The claim that Jesus is the Son of God...
That Jesus is fully man and fully God...
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If this claim is not true then all Christianity falls apart...
And we are left with the same level of hope as the typical Atheist...
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However...
There are three who testify about Christ...
So, we must turn to the Word of God to explore this amazing and wonderful truth.
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Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
6 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.
7 For there are three that testify:
8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
9 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.
10 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.
11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) The Three That Testify
1) The Three That Testify
Verses 6-8: 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.
The NLT translation of verse 6 is really helpful as it is a more thought for thought translation.
It says:
“And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood.
And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony.”
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Additionally, I would like to point your attention to a helpful note...
The MacArthur Study Bible says this about the “water and blood”:
“Water and the blood constitute external, objective witnesses to who Jesus Christ is.
They refer to Jesus’ baptism (water) and death (blood).
John combats the dualism of false teachers who asserted that “Christ-spirit” departed from the man Jesus just prior to His death on the cross.
John writes to show that God has given testimony to the deity of Jesus through both His baptism and death.”
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In John’s time...
Just like in our time...
People have false ideas and doctrines about Jesus...
The heretics John is addressing in this letter believed Jesus was a man and only recieved divine power after His baptism...
But that is not all...
Their heretical thoughts are worse still...
They believe the Spirit left Jesus before he died on the cross...
Meaning Jesus just died on the cross as a man not a God-Man.
Meaning we have no Salvation for our sins...
Meaning we truly have no hope...
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But John clarifies that these false teachers are blind to the fact that the water and blood...
The baptism and death of Jesus is a testimony to His deity...
They are are a testimony that Jesus was incarnated as fully man and fully God before His baptism...
For Jesus was always God and took on flesh when He came to our world...
And He died on the cross as fully man and fully God...
Therefore giving His followers a real atonement.
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So, the testimony of Jesus...
The water and the blood...
Represent the Jesus’ earthly ministry...
The start of His 3 year ministry was at the baptism...
That is the water...
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We too as believers after we are born again...
Start our Christian walk in baptism too...
This is the first of the two ordinances preformed by the church as commanded by Christ...
This is a continual witness to our Lord and Savior.
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And the end of His ministry was at the Cross...
That is the blood.
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We believers who are Scriptural baptised...
Regularly gather together as a church and share in communion together remembering the blood that Jesus shed for us...
This is the second of the two ordinances preformed by the church as commanded by Christ...
This too is a continual witness to our Lord and Savior.
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The testimony of Jesus of the water and blood is a true witness to our faith...
It is not a coincidence our two main ordinances preformed by the church point back to these two events.
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The New American Commentary on the epistles of John say it this way:
“John writes this letter to counter the Gnostic tendencies of the false teachers.
These false teachers, who at one time were part of the fellowship, were denying the humanity of Jesus, and so John emphasizes the reality of the Incarnation.
John’s further qualification that Jesus came “not by water only, but by water and blood” is likely a direct renunciation of the false teaching that claimed that Jesus was born an ordinary human being but became God’s special agent when the heavenly Christ descended upon him at his baptism.
The heavenly Christ abandoned him before his death and, consequently, it was only the earthly Jesus who died on the cross.
In seeking to refute this teaching, John emphasizes that it was Jesus Christ who experienced both baptism and crucifixion.”
So, the same Jesus who was 100% man and 100% God experienced baptism and crucifixion without ever losing or removing one of His natures.
That is John’s point.
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Let’s also pause for a moment and look at the verb “testifies” and the noun “testimony.”
These words that are used in our passage come from the same Greek word.
The meaning in the original language is of “someone who has personal and immediate knowledge of something.”
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The reason that verse 7 mentions three that testify of Christ is to acknowledge the standard of the number of witnesses as found in the Old Testament
The evidence of two or three witnesses was the requirement to establish a major truth claim.
For example no one was to be put to death without the requirement of two or three witnesses.
We find this truth in Deuteronomy 17 and again in Deuteronomy 19.
In fact, John 8:17 says:
17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.
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Another side note that needs to be addressed...
Please keep this in mind about the KJV translation of verses 7 and 8.
The KJV additional text in verses 7 and 8 are not in the original Greek and not a good source to use as reference to the Trinity.
There are other verses and passages that are God breathed that can be used when discussing the Trinity.
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So, consider this note from the Faithlife Study Bible:
“Some Bible translations, such as the King James Version, insert an additional clause between verses 7 and 5:8 (indicated by italics):
“For there are three who bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
And there are three who bear witness in earth, the spirit and the water and the blood;
And these three are one.”
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This clause emphasizes the oneness of God, as Father, Word (Jesus), and Spirit.
This Trinitarian formula, called the Johannine Comma, is evident elsewhere in the New Testament, but it is stated explicitly in this addition.
It is included in only four Greek manuscripts dating between the 14th and 18th centuries;
It also is noted in the margin of five additional manuscripts, added in each case by a much later editorial hand.
This means that it does not appear until the second millennium in any Greek manuscripts.”
Additionally, theologian Daniel Akin says:
“It should be noted that not only does the manuscript evidence strongly favor the omission of this passage, but the same is true concerning the testimony of the early church.
Not one Greek or Latin Church Father ever quotes this passage in the first four and a half centuries.
This is especially revealing in light of the many controversies revolving around the Trinity (especially Sabellianism and Arianism).
If the Johannine Comma was a part of the original text, then what would be a better passage to quote in order to prove the Trinity?
Nicea (A.D. 325) and Chalcedon (A.D. 451) almost certainly would have taken advantage of it.
The absence of such usage causes one to doubt seriously the authenticity of this passage...
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Is the Johannine Comma Scripture?
The evidence seems to say no.
Is the Johannine Comma truthful?
Is it sound theology?
Yes.
It is not necessary, however, to place the Johannine Comma in the text of Scripture.
The Trinity can be adduced from many other texts of Scripture.
We are warned in the Bible neither to take away nor add to its words.
On this basis it is best to leave out the disputed words.”
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This is why I can’t stress enough the value of a solid Bible translation.
The KJV was great for it’s time and many grew up on it and there is no doubt it is beautifully written...
But in order to use it properly you need to be aware of the text in it that is not God breathed...
And you should be an expert on 16th center Elizabethan English.
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A modern translation is preferred for it is in our current English...
And uses the oldest and must reliable original language manuscripts.
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Additionally, since we are on the topic...
Never use a translation created by a single person...
All solid and reputable translations are done by a large group of scholars who are fluent in ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek...
They usually have a wide range of denominations involved to prevent bias opinions and doctrines to infiltrate the text...
Even Roman Catholics, whom by the authority of Scripture is an apostate church...
Recognizes the ESV and NASB as faithful translations of Scripture and in which many including myself see as the most reliable translations of God’s Word.
So, avoid so called translations like: The Message, The Passion Translation, The Living Bible, The Good News Translation, and the New World Translation.
The are problematic for various reasons...
I would instead point you towards a more literal and word for word translation like: The English Standard Version (ESV), The New American Standard Bible (NASB), and The Christian Standard Bible (CSB).
The New International Version (NIV) and New Living Translation (NLT) are more thought for thought rather than word for word so I recommend pairing them with a word for word and using together.
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So, after that brief commercial break...
Let’s get back to our study on our passage...
And look at the first witness...
The water.
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In Matthew 3:16-17 the Word of God says:
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
At Jesus’ baptism the Father declared that Jesus is who He claims to be...
The Son of God...
Who before Abraham was He already existed...
For the Son of God has no beginning.
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The next witness is...
The blood.
In John 19:34–35 the Scriptures record:
34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.
And in Matthew 27:54 it says:
54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Jesus’ claim to be the messiah as only further proven on the cross.
The darkness in the middle of the day...
The earthquake that tore the vail in the temple...
The dead walking in the streets...
All these supernatural signs pointed to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
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It was so obvious and the proof so overwhelming that the centurion who was an eye witness to all this could not help but say...
“Truly this was the Son of God.”
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The fact that blood and water came out of His side was also significant.
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The “water” here is not to be confused with the water from our main passage.
As John said Jesus did not come by “the water only but by the water and the blood.”
That meant the false teachers he was rebuking accepted the fact that Jesus as the Christ was baptized.
But they failed to see that Jesus as the Christ was also crucified as Jesus never started or stopped being the Messiah...
He always was and will always be!
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The blood and water that occurred at the cross had to do with the following fact.
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When one dies by crucifixion...
they die by suffocation...
This leads to water entering the heart...
So when Jesus was pierced in the side...
The Roman soldiers stabbed Him in the heart to make sure He really was dead.
The blood and water that cam our was proof Jesus did die on the cross.
The reason that this is so significant is that when Jesus was see three days later...
It was proof that the Father accepted Jesus sacrifice and that He was truly resurrected from the dead.
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The third witness is...
The Holy Spirit.
As John 15:26 says:
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
And what it says in John 14:26:
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
The Holy Spirit will bear witness to Christ and confirm His claims of being the Messiah...
He will bring to your remembrance all the things Jesus taught His followers...
And the Holy Spirit is a reliable witness for He is the Spirit of truth.
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The Holy Spirit does not speak of His own...
He does not contradict The Father or the Son...
For just like Jesus said about Himself that He speaks what the Father tells Him so too we see the same unity in truth by the Holy Spirit.
John 16:12-15 says:
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
So, when the Holy Spirit speak...
As the third person of the Trinity...
When He speaks...
God speaks.
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You see Church, God’s testimony is so much greater than the testimony of men...
And this takes us to our next point.
2) God’s Testimony Is Greater
2) God’s Testimony Is Greater
Verses 9-10: 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.
Many men testify many things...
Some testify lies...
Some testify the truth...
But God can’y lie...
And His testimony is greater.
Just look at what Jesus has to say in the Gospel of John...
Just take a look at what He says in John 5:32-37:
32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.
33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.
34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.
35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.
37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,
John the Baptist...
The Forerunner...
A burning and shining lamp...
The one who proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ...
He spoke truth...
A man Jesus Himself spoke highly of...
The man who was a type of Elijah...
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Yet the testimony of God is greater still!
The works that the Father gave to Jesus to accomplish...
These works bore witness that Jesus was no just a prophet...
He was not just a good moral teacher...
He was not just a man...
He was and is and will forever be the Messiah...
The Son of God...
The second person of the Trinity...
God himself!
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Now whoever believes in the testimony of God proves they are regenerated and born again...
For the sheep hear the voice of the Great Shepherd...
As John 17:8 says:
8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.
That means the ones who believe...
The ones who know on the inside that Jesus is who the Bible records Him as being...
They are the true children of God...
A truth that the Holy Spirit confirms in the life of the believer as it says in Romans 8:14–16:
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
So, why is it that we don’t have to fear anymore...
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The answer to the million dollar question...
Is that we are now adopted by God...
Meaning that those who are in Christ...
Have eternal life...
And this takes us to out third and final point.
3) God Gave Us Eternal Life
3) God Gave Us Eternal Life
Verses 11-12: 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.
The Bible could not be any more clear...
The message of Christ is of hope...
The message of Christ is of life...
The message of Christ is of truth...
The message of Christ is of Good News...
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Yet we can’t forget that the message of Christ...
At it’s very core...
Is a singular message!
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Jesus did not pull back punches when He said in John 14:6:
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
There is mo where else to turn...
There is no other name that saves...
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Again we must turn to the Gospel of John when Jesus said in John 5:24:
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
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This is not any easy thing to do...
The formula may be simple...
But the cost is high...
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You don’t have to raise your hands...
But just think about this for a moment...
How many relationships have you lost because you are a follower of Christ?
How many people ignore you and look down on you because you hold to the truth of Scripture?
How many people mock you?
How many people misrepresent you?
Who has the battle scares to prove it?
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Jesus knew that everyone who follows Him will have to pay a price...
You can’t follow Jesus and expect the world to continue to love you...
That is why we have a High Priest who knows our pain...
His own brothers and sisters mocked Him too...
They thought we was an embarrassment to the family and even wanted to stop Him from preaching and teaching...
His home town wrote Him off and the Scriptures attest to the fact that they had no faith in Him.
Yet He lived a perfect life.
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That is why Jesus said in Matthew 19:29:
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
And the word of God continues to remind us keep seeking the things that will not perish.
Romans 2:7 says:
7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
There is only two options...
There are only two roads...
Galatians 6:8 says:
8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Are you seeking the things of the flesh?
Are you seeking to satisfy the flesh?
That is a road that will lead to disaster.
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Instead seek the things of the Spirit!
For this lead to eternal life.
As John 3:36 says:
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
God will give you either wrath...
Which leads to eternal hellfire...
Or He will give you eternal life for those who surrender to Him.
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Make your decisions wisely...
For eternity is a long time.
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
As this message comes to a close, I want to share about:
The Googol...
Not “Google” like when you search on the internet...
But Googol spelled “G-o-o-g-o-l”...
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You see church...
No matter how large a number is, it is finite:
It is always possible to mention a number that is larger.
Scientists speak of the “googol.”
It is a one, followed by 100 zeros.
The googol is inconceivably large.
But then think of the “googolplexes” which we believe is the googol raised to the googol-th power.
It is said, that if this number were written out, there would not be space on earth to contain the pages required.
In fact, they would more than fill our galaxy!
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Yet despite that fact...
Eternity is still longer...
For there is no end in eternity.
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How you respond to truth of Christ...
Will determine your eternity.
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As John 3:16 says:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
And in John 17:3:
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Do the words of Scripture reign true in your life?
Understanding the facts is one thing...
But do you really believe?
Does Jesus being Lord matter to you?
Does it impact the decisions you make in life?
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Let me leave you with the words of our Lord and Savior found in John 11:25–26 for anyone who has an ear to listen...
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Do you believe this?
How you answer that question today reveals what path you are on...
And once our last breathe is drawn...
Eternity starts...
Choose life!
Eternal life!
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To God be all the glory.
Amen.
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Please join us for one more song from the Praise Band.