Hello, everyone. Welcome to church. Good to see you guys. I want to talk about something that really interests me. I've got 11 pages of notes. I don't know if I'm going to get through them all. I'm excited about delivering this message, but as I went to put it down, I had a hard time putting it in order. There's a lot here. I told Emily this was a really hard message for me to write. It makes me want to just preach through all of Hebrews. I can't do that. I don't have time, and I couldn't do that anyway. but it's just there's so much here it all builds on each other and it's just there's a lot here but what I want to talk about I'm going to call the message and I might change the name I haven't put a title on it but just standing here looking at the verses I'm going to call it a three-fold cord a three-fold cord and the Bible says that a three-fold cord is not quickly broken and so that may seem kind of random but I want to I want to go through just a few things and I want to talk about the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one. And this has been maybe my favorite chapter. You've heard me say my favorite book of the Bible is Proverbs. I think my favorite chapter of the Bible, right now this could change, who knows, is 1 John chapter five. I love 1 John chapter five, get so much out of it. And then that verse, there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one. It's tripped me up. And so I want to talk about that verse. I was telling Pastor Turk today, I think there's probably more to it than I'm going to be able to explain, but I'm excited about what I'm going to be able to explain. So let's get into that and Let's read, let's read 1 John 5, let's just do that, and that'll be what we reference back to as we go on. 1 John chapter 5, I'll read it and then we'll pray. It says, whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone that loveth him that beget loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. That is our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 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. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one. 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 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. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you, that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. And if we know that He heareth us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death. I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you, Lord, so much for your word. Thank you for giving it to us. Thank you for keeping it for us. Thank you for giving us an interest in it, Lord, calling us and working on each one of our hearts. Lord, we know that you work on everyone's heart. Thank you so much for working on ours. I pray that you continue to draw those that are near to us, that we care about, that we love, Lord, that you're working on, who have not responded. I pray that you continue to press upon their hearts and help us to be a witness, help us to be what you want us to be, and use us in that way. I pray that you bless this message, help it to be used in each person's life and heart, and I pray that you just use the word. In Jesus' name, amen. Okay, we read 1 John 5, and I'm going to reference back to that, but what I want to talk about is really 6, 7, maybe 8, 6, 7, 8. 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. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one, and there are three that bear witness in earth. the spirit and the water and the blood and these three agree in one. Let me give you a verse just so you can think about this. At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death be put to death but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. God requires multiple witnesses. God has provided multiple witnesses. That's what I want to teach you. Hebrews chapter 6. Let's go there. I'll turn with you and we're going to be in Hebrews mostly And we'll talk about some of Hebrews. And when we get to the end, I hope you guys understand what I want you to understand. I don't have a ton of time. I'm not going to get through everything, but I'm sorry that this is not just super well-ordered. But anyways, really interesting subjects. I hope you're as interested as I am. Hebrews chapter 6. Let's look at... Let's just look at verse 1. It says, Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection. Let's back up just a hair to chapter 5 and just talk a little bit. Pull up Pastor Turk and get some context. Amen? Back up a little bit. Yeah. So he's talking about the high priest, and as he just goes through in chapter 1, he says, listen, you know, Angels are not the same as sons and angels don't have an inheritance and Jesus Christ is not an angel. Jesus Christ is a son and you can be a son and be a part of that. He says the angels were ministers, flaming spirits sent to minister for them to whom shall be heirs of salvation." And then he says in chapter 2, listen, so you really ought to listen seriously to the Word of God, to the things which have been preached, because it says, Therefore we ought to give them more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, And every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him, God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, with diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will. It says, for unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. So if the angels' words and the angels as ministers were effective, and God held people to the things that were taught and that were preached in the old covenant, then you sure better expect he's going to hold you to the things that have been taught and preached this time around, because this is a better covenant, and we'll explain why as well. He gets into, you know, we can be partakers, and he says, You don't want to mess up and not be and really I've keep referencing back to the message I preached on James justified by works that You know, you're gonna prove it. You're just gonna prove it. You know, that's the fact of the matter. Here's another way of putting it Um I've got it here Well, maybe I don't have it here. Oh, yes. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that come oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God. But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned. So, and you're going to show it. We have a high priest and this is a better high priest of a better covenant. He's sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us. The law is written on your heart. which is why you better hold on to the things that are taught you now because before when the law wasn't written on their hearts and they had to hear from angels and they had to hear revelations and they had to hear prophets and all the stuff, God held them to it. The law is written on our hearts today. It's there and you better believe it. You better hold to it. It says that Christ offered something, and I'll just pick up here in chapter 5. It says, verse 8, "...though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by things which He suffered. And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him, called of God and High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God. And it becomes such as need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. He's saying, you know, there's a better covenant, a high priest that's perfect, who was made perfect, and he is perfect, and you guys should be really advancing and progressing and serving him, but I feel like we need to cover these basics again. You guys are dull of hearing. You're not learning this stuff. You're not getting this stuff. It seems like you should be teaching other people, but you need milk, not strong meat. Everyone that use milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness. He's a babe. Strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. So they've been made, they should have been made perfect. They should have been learning and enduring some trials and growing. And then chapter six, it says, therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection. Not laying again, this is the principles of the doctrine of Christ, the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permit. So those are the foundation, the first principles of the doctrine of Christ. That's what those are. Basic things, laying on of hands, I think that's ordination, I don't think that's miracles, resurrection of the dead, all these things are real basic things, and this we will do if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance. seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain, that cometh upon it, and bringeth forth herbs, meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God. But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. You shall know them by their fruits. But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." So he goes through this, he says, listen, we're not going to talk again about the basics. And then he says that if you're not getting this stuff, if you just continue to take in God's word and you just don't ever receive it, and you just continue to bring forth briars and thorns, and you're not bringing forth what God wants you to bring forth, You know, you may not have ever got this, you may not be born again, but beloved, verse 9, we are persuaded better things of you. I'm sure you are saved and you're just looking like an idiot, though we thus speak, he says. Then verse 10, for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. He's not going to forget what you've done, and we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. Stick with what you're doing, that you be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself, saying, surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. So I wanna just take this time to just tell you, God made a promise to Abraham and his seed, and I'm not gonna quote all the verses, but the Bible says, and to seed as of one, not seeds as of many. I'm gonna give you the promise, Genesis 22, verse 16. And he said, by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed, singular, as the stars of the heaven, as the sand which is upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. God made a promise to Abraham. He's always honored it through the trials, through the troubles, through the slavery and everything else. God has honored His covenant with the seed of Abraham. Let me tell you something. Not every child of Abraham was a child of promise. The Bible tells us in Galatians there was a child of the free woman and a child of the bond woman. So just because you're of the lineage of Abraham, you know, Jesus told the Pharisees, yeah, I know that Abraham's your father, but if Abraham were your father, you'd believe me. So he says, yeah, I know you're a descendant of Abraham, but you're not a child of Abraham biblically in my eyes. That doesn't mean anything because you don't believe. It's the seed to whom the promise is given, all right? Back to Hebrews, back to Hebrews, verse 15, yeah. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. For us, when we make a promise, when we make an oath, when we strike hands, that's good, we've settled it. Verse 17, wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made in high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." so much here, and I've just got scripture. I don't even have notes because I didn't know what to say. So, verse 17, wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, willing to show us the immutability of his counsel, the unchanging nature of what he has said, confirmed it by an oath. He made an oath that by two immutable things, unchangeable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. Now, I believe one of those immutable things is the covenant that he made with Abraham. I believe that that's one of those things. He made an oath. It's impossible for God to lie. He was willing abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, and so he confirmed it by an oath. And it says that by two immutable things, which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation. So I believe that oath is one of those immutable things by which we have a strong consolation. Those of us who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which is the heirs of promise. So I'm just trying to put all this together for you, right? Verse 19, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the veil That's obviously Jesus Christ, guys. Whether the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. So we're going to skip. Let's go all the way to Hebrews chapter 10. But God has made an oath. And Jesus Christ has entered into the veil for us. I mean, a guy, some old man with a lot of wisdom could stand up here and preach for like days out of Hebrews. And I could see where somebody could do it. I can't do it, but I could see where it could be done. So much in here, so much in here. But God confirmed, it says, by an oath, the immutability of his counsel, He can't lie. Gave us this oath. Go to Hebrews chapter 10, and we'll read Hebrews chapter 10. We may read the whole thing. I don't know. So much here. I'm not going to get through it all. We're getting close to done anyway. Let's read Hebrews chapter 10. We'll start in verse 1. For the law, having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they have not ceased to be offered, because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year, for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice an offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure then said I lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will O God above when he said sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not neither had his pleasure therein which are offered by the law then said he lo I come to do thy will O God he taketh away the first that he may establish the second verse 10 by the witch will The will of God is the New Testament. That's what this is. By the witch will, we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting, knowing, till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Verse 15, Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, he entered into the veil by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. and having an high priest over the house of God, verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Man, I'm going to come back to that. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. I've got stuff to say, but I'm going to finish this reading, and then we'll come back. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another. And so much the more as you see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we receive the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment Suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions, partly whilst ye were made a gazing-stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me and my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. Verse 36, for ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith, But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. The just shall live by faith. We're talking about, I'm gonna go back up to verse 15, and then we're gonna go on, and we're just gonna keep reading. I'm gonna tell you why here. You guys think, man, this guy's crazy. Verse 15, whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us, For after that he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days. This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord. I will put my law into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now a remission of these is there is no more offering for sin. And then, just because it's got it in here, "...having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, 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." Okay, so this is the covenant that he said, this is the covenant that I'm gonna make with them. I'll put my laws into their hearts, and their minds I'll write them, their sins and iniquities I'll remember no more. That is, you've been born again, all right? His sins and iniquities as far as the east from the west, and Jesus Christ paid for them all. And then it says, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts, this is verse 22, our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." So the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, that is putting my laws into their hearts and in their minds. Will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more? And our bodies washed with pure water, that's baptism. So There are three that bear record in earth the spirit the water and the blood you've got the Holy Spirit That's obviously bearing record in the word and the truth The spirit is truth. The word is truth of the Bible says the water is just baptism It's just the baptism of believers. Just just showing forth the testimony of Christ the baptism is one of the ordinances and it pictures the death the burial the Resurrection of Jesus Christ the spirit the water and the blood. What is the blood? I think the blood is the fact that you've got a clear conscience. It's been sprinkled with the blood of the covenant, and it's all in here, sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. It says, whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make unto them in those days. I will put my law unto their hearts and their minds. I will write them their sins and iniquities. Remember no more. Now where remission of these is, no more offering for sin. And then it's to let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith. having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. If your heart's been sprinkled from an evil conscience, then it's been sprinkled with the blood of Christ. It's been sprinkled with the blood of the new covenant. So the Spirit, the water, and the blood. What is the blood? There are three that bear record in heaven. The Father, it's God the Father. The Word, that's God the Son. The Holy Ghost, that's the Holy Ghost. We know that, that's easy. And there are three that bear witness in earth. The Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one. The Spirit is truth, and I believe, and the Word is truth, and I believe that the Spirit bears witness of the Word, the Spirit bears witness in the water, the Spirit bears witness in the blood, in the sense that the real, a real truth, here, let me quote a verse to you. By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and we're all made to drink the same spiritual drink. I think I always mess up the end of it, let me just look. But, here's the point, the Holy Spirit, there's only one Spirit of God, alright? And it's not going to lead somebody, I mean, you know, it may impress upon me something that is not impressed upon you, but it's not going to lead us in opposite directions, alright? The Holy Spirit, there's only one Spirit of God. By one Spirit are we all believers, believers, people that truly believe, baptized into one body. You say, oh, that's the universal invisible church. Well, no, because you've got to get physically, literally baptized with water. Remember it says, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith. Have your heart sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with water. There are three that bear record in earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood. The blood is, it's in your heart. It's sprinkled on your heart. It's your conscience. It's what you preach. It's what we teach. The blood, but the spirit bears record of all of it. And I believe the water is the baptism. And then it says, you know, he came not by water only, but by water and blood. Well, I've explained this in the past as I don't think he's, obviously he's not just born of a woman and he come of water, but he came of blood. He's the son of God, the literal son of God. I don't think that's doing damage to the scriptures, but I don't think that's right. I think I've preached it wrong. I think he came by water. in the sense that he was baptized. Do you know that baptism was unto repentance? That's what the Bible says. Why would Jesus need to be baptized unto repentance except to identify himself with this covenant and to say that this is the water with which you will be washed, your bodies washed with pure water? The Spirit, and he bared witness of Jesus when he got baptized, and the Spirit ascending like a dove, and God bearing witness. Three full court is not easily broken. The Spirit, the water, and the blood. What is the blood? I think the blood is the fact that Jesus Christ, it says, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, our bodies washed with pure water. Jesus Christ's blood. was sprinkled on the mercy seat and all you guys know the picture I can't explain all the Old Testament symbology Jesus Christ's blood paid the final price once and for all and that's what makes you want to just go through all of Hebrews because it's just everything it ties together and now we've got a high priest and he's a real high priest he doesn't have to make Intercession or offerings for himself. He just made one offering. It's the it's the offering and then he just sat down in the right hand of God and now he can make intercession and Every one of these things goes together All of these things are the reason why we should serve him and that's what Hebrews exhorts us to do is to serve him And we closed up chapter 10, and I'm done, I'm out of time, but it says, Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. We're talking about what bears witness, a threefold court. But then Hebrews 1, you know these chapters and verses we just put in here, this was just a letter that he wrote to somebody. Hebrews 11 verse 1 now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen For by it the elders obtained a good report through faith We understand that the world's were framed by the Word of God So the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh. All right I know I'm out of time, but I got to explain this verse by faith able, offered unto God, a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. By one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether it be Jews or Gentiles, bond or free. Here, I've got it right here. And have all been made to drink into one spirit. That's what it says. The Holy Spirit, if you really ever get saved, if you really believe in the Lord, the Holy Spirit's gonna lead you to call on the Lord. If you ever really do believe in the Lord and call on the Lord and get born again, the Holy Spirit's gonna lead you to get baptized. If you ever really do believe on the Lord, call on the Lord, and want to get baptized, the Holy Spirit's leading you to do so, the Holy Spirit's gonna lead you to get baptized in a real church, a real assembly of God, a real body, by one spirit. There's only one spirit of God. All the other spirits are devils. all of them by one spirit. So you say, well, what does that mean? Somebody feels led to be sprinkled into the such and such false church of the devil. Another spirit is leading that person who's obviously not born again, but here we can see by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice. So, so just as that one spirit will lead a believer to confess, to believe, to repent, to trust the Lord, to get baptized, to go to a real church, to serve Him. You said you have to do all that stuff to be saved. Nope, you don't have to do all that stuff to be saved. But listen, if you're an apple tree, you're gonna grow up and produce apples. And if you don't, you'd be a very rare and extraordinary, infamous exception. If you're an apple tree, you're gonna grow up and produce apples. If you're a briar and a thorn, you're gonna grow up, produce thorns and briars. If you're an apple tree, you're just not going to produce thorns and briars. So it's all going to bear out and be seen. By one spirit, we're all baptized into one body. Doesn't matter who you are. The Holy Spirit's working on everybody. By faith, you're baptized into a real church with a real baptism. By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. So, it's not that the sacrifice made him righteous, it's that because he believed really truthfully, and that's what made him righteous, he did what that demanded of him, and he brought forth the correct sacrifice. You can say you believe in Jesus all you want, but if you've not offered in your heart Jesus Christ to the Lord, You've not been saved. You know, we go out soul winning, talking to people that believe the things that we say, we lay out details and they'll believe it. No problem. But if they've not offered the acceptable sacrifice, which is Jesus Christ in their heart, on the altar of their heart unto the Lord. then they've not been born again. And that's how he'll know. By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts. God testified that his gift was adequate. God testified that what he gave was good enough. And by that testimony, he being dead yet speaketh. I said that to tell you this. It says, In Hebrews 12, gosh, I know I'm out of time, I'm sorry. Verse 23, "...to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which were written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect," I just picked up, "...and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." The blood of Abel spoke. It did to God. God saw that blood as righteous blood. Not because Abel was righteous, but because Abel offered the acceptable gift. He obeyed God. Why did he obey God? Does God bless those and save those that obey? He blesses and saves those that believe. Those that believe, obey. That's what the Bible teaches. Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel. So Jesus' blood is truly pure and righteous. And if you'll offer that, God will testify that your gift is adequate, just as he did with Abel. So the Spirit, the water, and the blood, I believe that Jesus came by water. It's both natural birth and the baptism. I believe the baptism is the primary interpretation of that verse. He came by water, not by water only, but by water and blood. He literally died. He literally was allowed his blood to be the sprinkling of the blood of the covenant. There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. These three are one. There are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, the water, and the blood. These three agree in one. I've got more. I'm out of time. Gosh, I want to go to Ephesians. I want to go to 1 Corinthians. I want to go to Galatians. There's so much more. This is an awesome subject. You guys dig it out and we'll talk about it another time. Amen. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you so much for your word. I pray that we'd love your word and be excited by it and enjoy it and dig into it. And I pray that you just motivate us in that way. Bless the services today. Be with Pastor Turk as he preaches. Bless the message. Help it to work on my heart, God. I pray that you'd help it to work on each person just the way you want. I pray that you'd bless everything that's done here today, every little bit of it. In Jesus' name, amen.