1 John 5:6-10
 
1 John 5:6 (KJB)
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.
 
Here John is giving testimony in the next few verses of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this verse we read that Christ came by water and blood. John continues to build on the truth that Jesus came in the flesh and here he is pointing to the ministry of Christ in the last 3 ˝ years. The Lord Jesus Christ began His ministry at the Jordan when John baptized Him, which is the water and then he jumps to the crucifixion of Christ, which is the blood. Note that John emphasizes the fact that Jesus did not just come by water. Water is the symbol for purification. (Heb 10:22 KJV) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. So this would only have been part of His ministry but not the fulfillment of it. The second part was the blood and that is the symbol of atonement. It was that symbol which permeated the Mosaic system that looked forward to the actual sacrifice of Christ on Calvary when He shed His blood for the Elect. This verse goes on to state that the testimony of this is being borne not by man but by the Holy Spirit who is the third person of the Godhead. It is the witness of God Himself to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Mat 3:17 KJV) And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Since the Holy Spirit is a direct witness to these things, when He indwells the believer, He implants the same witness in the Christian and then that witness is manifested to the world via evangelism.
 
1 John 5:7 (KJB)
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
 
That bear record - Bearing witness (present tense)
 
Here is the heavenly witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since the words “that bear record” are in the present tense, that means the witness still continues to this day. The first witness is the Father, the first person of the Trinity. (John 5:37 KJV) And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. The second witness is the Lord Jesus Christ himself that stated on the cross that the salvation plan of God was now finished. (John 19:30 KJV) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. The third witness is the Holy Ghost Himself who is the third person of the Godhead. (Heb 9:14 KJV) How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? This verse is also stating that these three are one, that is, they are one God in three persons and in this case their unification is in the matter of the salvation plan of God, that it was planned and executed by all three members of the Godhead. The salvation of the Elect will continue until the last one is saved on the last day.
 
1 John 5:8 (KJB)
And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
 
Agree - Are (in present tense)
 
This verse gives us the earthly witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first witness is the Holy Spirit. This could possibly be pointing toward the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ when the Holy Spirit came upon Him. (Mat 3:16 KJV) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: Most likely, since the words are in the present tense and the baptism of Jesus was a single event, it is more likely that the Spirit’s witness is being done through the believers that He indwells. This means that the witness of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit is being accomplished on a daily basis in the world through those who are redeemed. The water is possibly pointing to His baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist. This too was a single event and this may be pointing toward the baptism of believers which is a witness to those in attendance of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. A second witness is that of the sanctification of the believer by the washing of water by the Word of God. (Eph 5:26 KJV) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, The third witness is that of the blood. It is definitely pointing to the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ which continues to save people today. No one can become saved unless they are cleansed by the blood of Christ. (Rom 5:9 KJV) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Col 1:14 KJV) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: The believer is justified by the blood of Christ, that is, declared not guilty because of Calvary. Then the believer receives redemption and forgiveness of sins through His blood. This is the continuing witness as it is preached and as God applies it to those He planned on saving.
 
1 John 5:9 (KJB)
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.
 
He hath testified - Bore witness
 
John is asking his readers to elevate their understanding of the Christian witness. We easily receive the witness of those who have become saved and we see how great a work God has done in the lives of His children but John is telling his readers to look above the testimony of men and understand the testimony of God which he has just given to them. John is impressing upon them that the entire Trinity is involved with the on-going salvation program of God and the continuing witness of it. Since God can never change, as man does, the witness He brings is much more secure or foundational as it is established in the Godhead.
 
1 John 5:10 (KJB)
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.
 
The record - The witness
 
Those who are truly saved are the ones that believe on the Son of God because the Holy Spirit indwells us and places that witness within us as we have seen in previous verses. Those who disbelieve the witness of God are going so far as to accuse Him of being a liar, that is, they are saying that He is bringing falsehood about the Lord Jesus Christ. The tremendous witness that God has given concerning the Lord Jesus Christ is based upon the entire Trinity being involved in it, so to disbelieve it is the same as to say that God has lied about Jesus. Those major religions like Islam or Judaism that reject the Lord Jesus Christ are in essence calling God a liar about Jesus and this is why Christianity is the only true faith upon this earth, because it embraces the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ.

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