John 11: 25-27

(John 11: 25-27)

『Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 』

A man named Lazarus who lived in a poor neighborhood called Bethany died. Then Martha, Lazarus' sister, came to Jesus.

『Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 』((John 11: 23-24)

This is not a truth but a doctrine. Doctrine is just knowledge. In Revelation the Lord said to Sarde Church: "that you have a name that you live, but are dead."
 Although we can build biblical knowledge and speak with biblical knowledge, we cannot overcome sin. Jesus said: "If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth "Knowing the truth" means "experience." He who is with God must not be a matter of knowledge of the Bible, but a follower of the Lord. What Martha said is what she knows with knowledge.

『 Thy brother shall rise again 』,『, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 』 The above two sentences differ in meaning. So Jesus said:『, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead,』 People think of this as "someday after they die, they will rise again." Jesus' death is past tense. "though he were dead, shall he live"
This means "before spiritually dead, but alive in Christ." But many are still spiritually dead. So those who are spiritually alive have eternal life.

If we translate it literally, the content becomes strange. This means "when we live spiritually, we have eternal life." If you are not alive spiritually, even if you believe in Jesus, you cannot go to the resurrection of life. Those who read the literal translation think, "He who believes in Jesus someday dies physically and is resurrected again." This does not mean physical death, but spiritual death. If we understand this literally, we said "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die". The meaning of "whosoever liveth and believeth in" The preceding sentence and the latter sentence are connected. "Those who have believed before have died spiritually, but the Spirit is alive, and because they live and believe spiritually, they live forever." After the spirit comes to life, we receive eternal life.

 『And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 』((John 11: 26-27)

This confession is known by knowledge of the Bible. This confession is a lack of spiritual fellowship with Jesus. She is telling Jesus what she wants. But the thoughts of Jesus and Martha are different. If we do not go to the resurrection of life in the end times, we will go forth to the resurrection of judgment. Although we lived and died spiritually in this world, we live life spiritually because of Jesus. Everyone is resurrected. Whether you believe in Jesus or not, the end times are resurrected. Those who are in Jesus go forth to the resurrection of life, and those who do not go to the resurrection of judgment.

Today, many churches, like Martha, will have a false idea of the resurrection. "that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Through these words, many people think that if they believe in Jesus, they will go to the resurrection of life. But if we are not alive spiritually, we cannot go to the resurrection of life. Lazarus died, but Jesus said, "He sleeps." But Jesus' words "dead" means the dead of spirits.

『Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 』 (John 5: 25) Hearers are those who are spiritually dead. Thus, only those who realize that "I am spiritually dead" repent and live spiritually.『Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 』 (John 5: 28-29)

Those who are now in the grave are sleeping. The time comes when all the wicked will hear Jesus' voice. Then it is late because it leads to the resurrection of judgment. Salvation begins with the realization that I am in darkness. Although we are spiritually dead, we can be saved if the Spirit is raised by Jesus.

Although we believe in the resurrection, we are not saved unless we repent. Jesus asked Martha, "Do you believe in resurrection?" It is not necessary to say, "If you believe in Jesus, you will be resurrected." We must say, "The spirit will rise and the believer will have life." However, Martha said, “I believe that you are the Christ and the Son of God who is coming to the world.” Jesus' conversation with Martha is out of focus. Jesus evangelizes the word of life, and Martha confirms facts about the knowledge of the Bible. If we live spiritually and do not believe, there is no life.
Those without the Holy Spirit will not be saved. Spirit is life.

『It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 』 (John 6: 25-63)

Jesus raises the spirit of those who repent. The Lord said to the church of Sarde: "There is a name that lives, but he is dead. Therefore repent." If you do not repent, the Spirit will not rise. People repent only of world sin, but they must repent of the root of original sin. Self is formed from the root of original sin. So repentance is that the self, the root of sin, must die. To deny self before God's Word is to die. Only those who repent can do it.