The Three Witnesses

“For there are three who bear witness: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood . . . and these three agree as one.” 1 John 5:7-8. These scripture verses contain a particularly deep meaning for the purpose of revival, understanding, and sanctification. The fact that the three witnesses agree as one means that they cannot be separated—they must be the three witnesses in the believer’s life.

“This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears wit­ness, because the Spirit is truth.” 1 John 5:6.

John emphasizes the point that Jesus came not only by water, but also by blood. It is easiest to stop with the cleansing by water, and have your sins forgiven. However, the narrow way, which only a few find (Matthew 7:14), is the way of being surrendered into the death of Christ until blood flows. Hebrews 12:4.

We receive the forgiveness of sins by the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot and blemish. Though our sins are as red as scarlet, they can be as white as snow. This is the cleansing from the manifest works of the flesh. We have our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22. This is the external cleansing, a cleansing of the flesh. Hebrews 9:13. It is a great salvation and gives those who accept it eternal life and an eternal glory on the new earth. Revelation 21:24. However, when compared to having the witness of the Spirit because one has resisted sin to bloodshed, the witness of the water is an “only.”

If we walk in the light as He is in the light, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7. This is where the cleansing of the “inner man” begins. The Spirit is the one who witnesses when we re­sist sin to bloodshed, because the Spirit is the truth.

We sing in a song, “Walking in light, sin resisting—this is my cov’nant with Thee. Thou didst by this give Thy promise, that I triumphant shall be.”

This is the covenant which is fulfilled when we walk in the light—and which John saw so great and explained more fully. This is God’s hidden wisdom which He has ordained for our glory! 1 Corinthians 2:7. It will succeed for us if we are apprehended of the fact that it is a covenant which has to be kept until blood flows.

The virgins whom the Bridegroom did not know when He came to fetch His bride (Matthew 25:12), had not walked in the light “to bloodshed.” The Spirit, who is the truth, could not give them this tes­timony. God’s Spirit requires a sacrifice. The prophet Jeremiah says, “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord slothfully, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.” Jeremiah 48:10. It is not enough to be fervent in spirit, as Apollos was, teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus. Acts 18:25. He had to be taken aside and the way of God concerning Him who suffered “death in the flesh, but was made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18) had to be explained more accurately to him.

The Spirit does not witness before the blood flows, nor before the sacrifices which the High Priest has pointed out, have been brought. Hebrews 10:19-25.

If we live according to the flesh we shall die! We can have victory over the works of the flesh which are evident (Galatians 5:19), but we only receive the witness of the blood if we put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit. Romans 8:13. “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:10-11. If we are dead to sin, we are set free from it. Romans 6:22. Subsequently, we can be put into the ministry to serve God. In this service (being alive to God), we find our life and lose it again, and the Spirit witnesses to the death of our self-life. By sharing in the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ, we receive “the witness of the Spirit, of the water, and of the blood.” Romans 8:16-17.

When our sins are forgiven we have the testimony of Christ by water and by the Spirit. By water and by the blood we have the testi­mony of the Spirit that we are one flesh with Jesus; we are members of His body. Galatians 2:20. “This is a great mystery, but I speak con­cerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:32.

Jesus’ coming is near. At midnight a cry will be heard, “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him!” Therefore examine yourselves whether you are in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5. Concerning this faith Jesus says, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8. In this faith we re­sist sin to bloodshed. Jesus Himself is the author and finisher of this faith, and the Spirit bears witness to it.