Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

WHEN GOD TESTIFIES
1 JOHN 5:6-12

INTRODUCTION:
I like to hear a good testimony; don't you? Have you noticed Billy Graham almost always has a prominent person give a testimony relating their conversion experience? Robert Schuller also has a prominent person regularly share their testimony during the worship services.

I like to hear salvation testimonies or statements about the work of our Lord in a persons life. I am sure most of you enjoy hearing such testimonies.

Would you like to hear a testimony from God? That is exactly what the text shares with us. Please follow as we investigate these verses as they share a testimony from God. Please note these points as God testifies:
 

I. IT IS A TRIUNE TESTIMONY

II. IT IS A TREMENDOUS TESTIMONY

III. IT IS A TRUTHFUL TESTIMONY
 
 

John 5:6-12 (NASB)
(6) This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood.    {7} And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth.
{8} For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.    {9} If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for the witness of God is this, that He has borne witness concerning His Son.    10} The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning His Son.  {11} And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.    {12} He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. NASB
 

1 JOHN 5:6-12 KJV
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.   7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.   8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.   9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.    10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.    12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (KJV)
 

Verse 7 in NASB is actually the last part of KJV verse 6. This verse is not in any GREEK Bible before 1950s. It is first found in the margin of a Latin Bible. Today we know of only a total of 4 GREEK Bibles that have this verse.

INTRODUCTION FOR VERSES 6-8

A. Questions concerning verse 6.
    1. Too what does the water refer?
            a. Water at His baptism. (This is my beloved Son)
    2. Too what does the blood refer.
            a. Christ death on the cross
    3. Other theories.
            a. Water of the word.
            b. Water of a believers baptism. Blood of cup in Lord's Supper
            c. Water and blood from His side while on the cross.

B. Questions concerning verse 7.
    1. This verse is not in the best manuscripts.
            a. It is not in any GREEK Manuscript before 1500.

I believe God is triune.   He is Father Son and Holy Spirit.

PLEASE NOTE THESE CONTRADICTIONS IF GOD IS NOT TRIUNE

1. He Caused His own birth as His only Son.
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 eternal life.

2. He prayed to Himself and thanked Himself for the answer.
JOHN 11:41 And so they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me.

3. He had to go away in order to send Himself back.
JOHN 16:7 "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

4. That Jesus said He was greater than Himself.
JOHN 10:29 "My Father, who has given {them} to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch {them} out of the Father's hand.

5. That Jesus is the way to Himself.
JOHN 14:6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

6. HE anointed Himself with Himself and accompanied Himself on earth.
ACT 10:38 "{You know of} Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and {how} He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.

7. That in the same breath Jesus said blasphemy against Him would be forgiven and that it would not be forgiven.
LUKE 12:10 "And everyone who will speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him.

8. His disagreed with HIMSELF in the Garden of Gethsemane until He submitted His will on earth to His will in heaven.
LUKE 22:42 saying, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done."

9. That Christ prayed to Himself to forgive those who crucified Him.
LUKE 23:34 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

10. That He forsook Himself on Calvary's cross.
MAT 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "\Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani\?" that is, "\My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me\?"

11.That when He died on the cross He committed His spirit unto His own hands.
LUKE 23:46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, \into Thy hands I commit My spirit.\" And having said this, He breathed His last.

12. That Jesus then sat down on His own right hand.
EPH 1:20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly {places},
 

APPLICATION: WHEN GOD TESTIFIES;

IT IS A TRIUNE TESTIMONY. THE WATER, BLOOD, and THE SPIRIT.
 
 

EXPLANATION:

A.    TREMENDOUS TESTIMONY AS COMPARED TO A MAN'S WITNESS. v 9 a

        1. DO YOU RECEIVE THE WITNESS OF MAN?
                a. THE WITNESS OF GOD IS GREATER!
 

B. TREMENDOUS TESTIMONY AS COMPARED TO A MAN'S WITNESSES. v 9 b
        1. DO WE RECEIVE THE WITNESSES OF MEN?
                a. THE WITNESSES OF GOD ARE GREATER!
                        1) IN CHARACTER
                        2) IN POWER.
                                i) THE BIBLE CALLS FOR TWO OR THREE WITNESSES.
                                    DEUT. 17: 6-7, 19:15

ILLUSTRATION:
How do you choose a doctor? On one occasion I needed an internist. I went to one but was not really satisfied with him. One day I was called to the hospital to be with a family as one of our deacons had a heart attack.

The doctor came out and explained the conditions. He wasted no words in making it very plain to the family death was knocking on the door. I was so impressed with this doctor's straight forward and kind manner I said to myself "I would like to have him for my doctor.

He was my doctor for about 10 years. As I would go to him Dr. John Carry related His belief in God. his belief in and support of the local church. On one occasion he told me the story of trying to witness to a widow women whose husband had been a doctor friend of his. He tried to witness to her but she had a hesitancy to believe the scriptures.

Dr. John Carry left town for a few days and told this Lady he would be back to see her in a week. He then asked her if she believed him? She said "yes". He repeated himself "do you really believe I come to see you when I get back." Again she said "yes." When he returned he stopped in to see her and stood at her bed she said "you came back just like you said you would." He said "yes and why do you believe me and you wont believe the written words of Jesus"? He said He would come back and I believe He will.

APPLICATION: WHEN GOD TESTIFIES:

IT IS A TREMENDOUS TESTIMONY.
 
 

A. TRUTHFUL BECAUSE GOD INTERNALIZES TRUTH. v 10 a.
        {10} The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself;

            1. GOD' SPIRIT COMES TO LIVE IN THE BELIEVER.
 
 

B.    TRUTHFUL BECAUSE GOD IS NOT AN IMPOSTOR OF TRUTH. v 10 b
        ". . . the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the
        witness that God has borne concerning His Son.

            1. NO HONEST PERSON LIKE BEING CALLED A LIAR.
                    a. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE SINFUL HEART CALLING GOD A LIAR?
                        UNBELIEF IS NOT A MISFORTUNE TO BE PITIED, IT IS A SIN TO BE
                        DEPLORED

C.    TRUTHFUL BECAUSE GOD GIVES IMMEDIATE ETERNAL LIFE. v 11-12
11And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

        1. IMMEDIATE CONTRIBUTION TO THE BELIEVER v 11.
                a. YOU ASK ME HOW I KNOW HE LIVES? HE LIVES WITHIN MY HEART.

        2. IMMEDIATE CONTRAST FOR THE BELIEVER v 12

ILLUSTRATION: SALVATION -- A STUPID MAN DOES NOT PREPARE.
An old legend tells about a man who had a very stupid servant. The master often became exasperated with the servant. One day in a fit of frustration, the man said to the servant, "You have to be the stupidest man I have ever met. Look, I want you to take this staff and carry it with you. And if you ever meet a man stupider than you are, give him the staff."

Years passed as the servant carried the staff. One day he came back to the castle and was ushered into his master's bedroom where his master lay sick. The master said to the servant, "I'm going on a long journey." The servant asked, "When do you plan to be back?" The master said, "This is a journey from which I'll not return." The servant asked, "Sir, have you made all the necessary preparations?" The master said, "No, I have not."

The servant asked, "Could you have made preparations?" The master said, "Yes, I've had my life to make them, but I've been busy about other things." The servant asked, "Master, you're going on a long journey from which you'll never return and you could have prepared for it but just didn't?" The master said, "Yes, I guess that's right." The servant took the staff he had carried so long and said, "Master, take this with you. At last I've met a man more stupid than I."

Do not be so foolish as to make necessary preparations for everything else and fail to make preparation for your journey into eternity.

APPLICATION: WHEN GOD TESTIFIES:

IT IS A TRIUNE, and TREMENDOUS, and TRUTHFUL TESTIMONY.