3 Witnesses—Earth, 2of3

~ A Trinity On Earth—The Water ~

There are three Witnesses on Earth (a second “Trinity” in this passage—the first being the Trinity in Heaven—see 1 John 5:6-13).

The Scripture  ~  “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?  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.  For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.  And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one” (1 John 5:5-8).

introductory comment  ~  There have been more than half a dozen reasonable interpretations of what the water is in this passage.  What is presented below in my opinion represents the best of the interpretations when the context of 1 John and the whole of Scripture is kept in the forefront. 

The Second Witness On Earth Is The Water  ~  Water has to do with the cleansing aspect of salvation, the morality aspect and the man-ward side of Christian life and our salvation.  The Psalmist understood the cleansing power of the Word of God.  “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). 

Remember Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman, “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life’” (John 4:13-14).  The Word of God washes and cleanses us.  “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27). 

It is an inward washing that occurs by the Word of God.  “Peter said to Jesus, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’  Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’  Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!’  Jesus said to him, ‘He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you [not everyone in the group He was talking to].’  For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, ‘You are not all clean.’ (John 13:8-11).

the bottom line  ~  The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to open the tap of the Water of Life to those who accept salvation through Jesus Christ. 

additional comment  ~  You may also be interested in two related topics:

The three part ALN post about the “3 Witnesses—Heaven” (October 27-28-29, 2015).

The three part ALN post “3 Tests” of 1 John (see January 20-21-22, 2015).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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