After the Remission of Sins, How Do We Live? A Testimony from India
After the Remission of Sins, How Do We Live? A Testimony from India
The righteousness of God is not something we earn by fighting against sin — it is what we receive by believing that Jesus took our sins upon Himself at the Jordan River and was judged for them on the Cross.
The Gospel of Matthew opens the New Testament with the genealogy and birth of Jesus, the ministry of John the Baptist, the baptism Jesus received in the Jordan River, and the temptation He faced in the wilderness. “Matthew seen from the perspective of the gospel of the water and the Spirit (I)”, written by Rev. Paul C. Jong, a servant of God at The New Life Mission, is a Bible study book that helps readers see Matthew chapters 1 through 4 from the perspective of the salvation Jesus Christ has already completed — that is, the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Jesus shows a believer where his sins were taken away — at His baptism in the Jordan River and on the Cross.
This book is offered free of charge on the official website of The New Life Mission. Readers can download it as a PDF or an audiobook at no cost, or read it online right away through the viewer built into the website.
What This Free Bible Study on Matthew Contains
“Matthew seen from the perspective of the gospel of the water and the Spirit (I)” is a 754-page New Testament study book written by Rev. Paul C. Jong. It explains Matthew chapters 1 through 4 from the perspective of the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Each chapter is presented in three parts: a summary of the whole chapter together with an exposition given from the perspective of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, questions and answers, and the sermons of Rev. Paul C. Jong.
The Baptism That Stands at the Center of Matthew 1–4
What makes this book meaningful is that it does not read Matthew chapters 1 through 4 merely as a record of Jesus’ birth and the beginning of His ministry. Through this Bible study book, Rev. Paul C. Jong shows that every record — from the genealogy of Jesus to His baptism and His temptation — testifies that Jesus is the promised King and Savior, and that at the center of all these records stands the baptism Jesus received from John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13–17).
Through this baptism, all the sins of the world were passed on to Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and God the Father bore witness that Jesus is His beloved Son. Jesus then received on the cross the judgment for the sins He had taken upon Himself, and rose again from the dead, completing our salvation. This is the gospel of the water and the Spirit that this book testifies to from its first page to its last.
That is why this book does not stop at explaining how one receives the remission of sins. Through the questions and answers and the sermons in each chapter, it also leads readers to live by the Word as those who have received the righteousness of God. This is precisely the heart of what the reader below says he came to realize.
A Reader’s Testimony from India
Today’s post comes from a believer who, after reading Rev. Paul C. Jong’s “Matthew seen from the perspective of the gospel of the water and the Spirit (I),” sent us a review of the book along with the testimony of his own faith. In this testimony, he shares what he came to realize about the baptism of Jesus and the cross, and about how someone who has received the remission of sins ought to live from now on.
A reader opens Matthew chapter 1 in Rev. Paul C. Jong’s free Bible study book.
My name is Praveen Chakravarthy. I am a 35-year-old man and a coworker serving in India.
After finishing Matthew seen from the perspective of the gospel of the water and the Spirit (I), I wanted to share with you what I realized through this book.
What I liked most about this book is that it not only makes known the word of truth by which we receive the remission of sins, but also gives the answer to a very important question — namely, how we are to live after receiving the remission of sins.
The part about the baptism that Jesus received moved me deeply once again. Jesus, who is God, had no sin, yet He was baptized by John the Baptist in order to fulfill all righteousness. Just as in the Old Testament sins were passed on to the sacrificial offering through the laying on of hands, Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world through His baptism. And bearing those sins, He went to the Cross and was judged. Therefore, the reason I can say that I am righteous is not because I have become a good or perfect person. I have become righteous because of what Jesus did for me, and I was made righteous by believing that fact. And now comes the practical part.
Believing this gospel does not mean that our flesh suddenly becomes perfect.
We still have bad thoughts, temptations, weaknesses, and desires. At times we even wonder why such evil thoughts arise in us when we have been born again.
This book helped me to understand the answer to these questions clearly in the light of God’s Word. The answer is not to fight against the desires of the flesh and strive to make ourselves perfect. Our flesh is still weak. But now, in us who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, the Holy Spirit dwells. The Holy Spirit leads us through the Word of God, and instead of acting as our flesh desires, we learn to follow the righteousness of God.
I realized this especially deeply in chapter 4. When Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus answered with the Word of God. This shows how important the Word of God is in our daily lives as well.
And as I read about the Beatitudes, prayer, seeking the Kingdom of God first, not worrying about tomorrow, the narrow gate, and doing the will of the Father, everything began to come together.
These are not merely separate, individual teachings of Jesus. They show how a person who has received the righteousness of God is now to live.
This does not mean, “Since Jesus has already taken away my sins by bearing them, I may now go on sinning.” Absolutely not. It is not that we struggle against sin in order to become righteous.
I have already received righteousness through Jesus. And now, because I have received the Holy Spirit, I want to follow God, listen to His Word, pray, serve Him, and live for His gospel. This difference is very important.
Another thing that remained deeply in my heart is that Jesus said not everyone who says to Him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Christianity is not simply calling oneself a Christian, going to church, or performing various religious acts.
We must know what God has actually accomplished for our salvation and believe His Word.
After reading this book, I felt keenly that many Christians who are suffering from sin and guilt need to know this gospel. Many people are striving to make themselves righteous before God without understanding the righteousness of God that He has already given them through Jesus.
That is why a strong desire arose in me to share these books. I gladly received this gospel of the water and the Spirit, and I hope that others also will have the opportunity to read, understand, and believe this gospel.
I thank God for this book and for this ministry. I pray that the gospel of the water and the Spirit may be delivered to many more people here in India and throughout the whole world.
I will continue to read the other books as well and share my reflections on them one by one.
May God bless His servant and all of you.
— Praveen Chakravarthy, a coworker serving in India
The salvation Jesus completed, and the life that follows it, are found in the Word.
The Salvation Jesus Accomplished, and the Life That Follows
Having read the testimony of Brother Praveen Chakravarthy, do you also want to know more about the salvation Jesus accomplished and about the life that follows receiving the remission of sins?
Find the answer in the Word of God through Rev. Paul C. Jong’s book “Matthew seen from the perspective of the gospel of the water and the Spirit (I).” This book explains how Jesus took away all our sins through the baptism He received from John the Baptist, through the cross, and through His resurrection. It also leads us — who have believed in this gospel and received the Holy Spirit — to rely on the Word and to live following God even in the midst of our weaknesses and temptations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does this reader’s testimony say about life after receiving the remission of sins?
If our flesh is still weak, how can we be called righteous?
Where can I read the full Bible study on Matthew (I) for free?
Read the Full Bible Study — Matthew (I)
Matthew chapters 1 to 4, expounded from the perspective of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, with questions and answers and sermons by Rev. Paul C. Jong. 754 pages, completely free.
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