What is the mysterious ‘second death’ spoken of in John’s epistle? Why was there such an urgency to rid Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden after their transgression? What are the rewards for those who overcome in this lifetime? These are the questions which will be answered in this episode. The writings of John the Apostle were the last writings of the New Testament, and contain key thoughts for the church to overcome the devil in this last hour. Every believer must have complete knowledge of the new birth and eternal life. John’s epistle provides the answers…
Here is a complete transcript of the broadcast (below)…
Friend, this is part 7 of our study of the first epistle of John, and we’re in chapter 5 today. We’re continuing on from where I left off. We’re in verse 4, and I’m gonna read it for you now. For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, question mark, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Friend, do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? If so, you are an overcomer. And friend, I’m not sure if you know, but in the book of Revelation there are several benefits, several rewards for overcomers, all right? And I’m gonna list some of these for you now. But as you overcome this world, the denial of the flesh, the taking up of your authority over the demonic realm, fighting the good fight of faith on a daily basis, by doing these things you’re an overcomer, amen? And in Revelation 2:7 it says, “he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. And friend, remember that Adam and Eve were banished before they could eat of the tree of life, after they had eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The reason that God banished them is that if they ate of the tree of life after sinning, they would have been in a perpetual and unredeemable state. Wow. But friend, when you’re in heaven you can partake of the tree of life. You’re able to partake of its fruit. It hasn’t gone away, it’s still there, amen? And check this out in Revelation 2:11, “he who has an ear to hear, let him hear. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.” And friend, in Scripture death is really separation from God. You know, we’re gonna die physically certainly in this world, and we’re gonna leave it, and we’re gonna go to one of two destinations, either heaven or hell. Whoever your God is in this life, you will meet in the next. To whom you serve, you will live with.
And friend, please receive Jesus that you may abide in heaven. But friend, the second death is really the eternal lake of fire. It is the final judgment for those who’ve chosen not to follow Christ Jesus. Hell right now is a penitentiary. Hell is a holding place. It is not the final judgment. Friend, the final judgment will be at the end of a thousand year millennial reign, when all those who fail to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior will burn perpetually in an eternal lake of fire. And oh friend, we do not want to go there. And that is the urgency behind the gospel. Receive him now, amen? Or you will be eternally separated from God, and that is not our desire, all right? And then in Revelation 2:17, “to him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone, which no one knows but he who receives it.” This is a very intriguing verse in Revelation. There is actually the implication here that each believer has his own new name, a name granted to them by Jesus Christ, that only you know, friend.
Now, you may not know it now, but when you get to heaven you will know it. And I really believe that names and identity are tied together. So whatever name God is going to give you, it’s tied to who you are as a person. That’s just mere speculation, friend. Revelation 2:26 says, “to he who overcomes and who keeps my deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.” And here is a prelude to the millennial reign of Christ, that we Christians are going to rule over nations. Some of us are, okay? I don’t know who, but the point is we don’t value what Christ did. We don’t value who we are in Christ and the things that he is preparing you in the life to come, in the next phase of your life that is eternal. There are things prepared and stored up for you, friend, you can’t even fathom.
And Christ trusts you, friend. The Bible says we’re gonna actually judge angels as well, far out, okay? Revelation 3:12 says, “to he who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God and he will not go out from it anymore. And I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God and my new name.”
Now, friend, few people realize that heaven is coming to earth. That’s gonna happen in the book of Revelation. Heaven is coming down. After the millennial reign of Christ, God will create a new heaven and a new earth, okay? And we don’t know much beyond that point. But there’s gonna be a period of a thousand years where we are gonna rule and reign with Christ. And then God is gonna enter into the next phase, the new heaven and new earth. And there’s not gonna be any sea, by the way, in the new earth. All sea will no longer exist. All oceans put away. But did you notice that Jesus is gonna write the name of his God and the name of the city of his God, Jerusalem, somewhere on our physical bodies? It says these names are written on us. Whether it’s the hand, whether it’s the forehead, it could well be. Whereas the same time God is making a declaration that his name and the name of his city, Jerusalem, is written on you.
All right? Now, we’re getting into some pretty deep stuff here, okay? But I’m just reading the Word of God to you. And finally, in Revelation 3:21, it says, “to he who overcomes, and that’s you, friend, you’re an overcomer, I will grant to him to sit down with me on my throne as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne.” What an incredible statement by Christ. He is gonna grant you to sit on his throne as he overcame, right? Who did he overcome? He overcame the world. He overcame the flesh. He overcame the devil for us that we may walk in newness of life and walk as he was in the earth, amen? We have the opportunity to do that. But just as we overcame, we have a ruling authority as Christ did, and he’s gonna offer us to rule with him. Oh, Jesus, what a powerful, powerful scripture. And the truth is our peewee brains can’t really gauge, I shouldn’t say peewee, our brains can’t really fully gauge or comprehend what is to come.
That we are already eternal beings changed from death into life. We’re eternal beings now, okay? And then we’re gonna see out our days with Christ Jesus. Oh, friend, what a wonderful thing the Lord did when he came to shed his blood and propitiate sins that we may be made righteous, amen? And then we have this fascinating verse in verse 6. It says, 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 bears witness because the Spirit is truth. Now, this whole water and blood concept, what does it all mean? Well, what’s significant is that Jesus Christ was an immaculate conception.
Joseph wasn’t the father of Jesus. No, the heavenly father was the father of Jesus, right? And some translations have even gone as far as saying that Joseph was the father of Jesus. That’s not true. The heavenly father was because it was an immaculate, supernatural conception. And during pregnancy, Jesus was housed and cushioned in a fluid filled with amniotic fluid, or better known as the amniotic sack, in the womb. And he was in water. He started out by the blood of his father, supernaturally conceived in Mary. Then he spent time in water in that sack. It started with blood and water, friend. And when he was on the cross, do you not remember? To provide evidence of Jesus’s death, the soldier stuck a spear in his side. And what two things came out, that would be the water and the blood. It started with blood and water, and it ended with water and blood, friend.
That’s how it went down. What does water symbolize? It symbolizes cleansing. That’s why we get baptized in water. We’re putting aside our old life, and we’re raised in newness of life, okay? It was a rite of purification, and that’s what water symbolizes. In John’s Gospel, chapter 19, verse 34, like I said, blood and water flowed from Jesus when the soldier pierced his side. And in light of this imagery of water and blood coming from Jesus’s side, it released the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which was symbolic of the water, and purified us from sin, which is the blood. Together they conferred eternal life to us. It was the final act of giving. Jesus’s ghost had been given up, and when he was pierced, water and blood came out. It was the culmination of his saving mission. It was done. It was finished. And how did John know this? How did the Apostle John know? Because he was their friend. John was at the crucifixion of Jesus, and was witness to these events, and testified of the water and blood himself. And notice it says the Spirit of Truth bears witness.
And then in verse 7, it says, I could go on with more analogies of threes. But friend, it is the Holy Spirit that bears witness to the truth. But here’s my personal B friend. If you read other translations, other than the King James, it gets a little dicey, because they have purposely removed portions of this verse. If you read the NIV, for example, what does it say here? It says, for there are three that testify. Full stop. Or period, as you say in the United States of America. The ESV says, for there are three that testify. All right? It is only the King James, and the NASB, actually, that says that the Spirit, water, and blood testify. Listen, if you’ve got three testifying, that’s a rabbit, a badger, and a goat. I mean, take your choice. You don’t have three randomly confirming the Godhead, testifying of what Christ did. No. The testimony is of God himself, because all three components of the Godhead were at the cross anyway. And it’s important that these verses are not removed.
It is a slight watering down of the potency of the Word of God. And I’ll tell you, friend, I don’t like it. That’s one example in many cases of the NIV removing key verses, which I may cover again in other broadcasts, but I have done so already. And then in verse 8 it says, “and there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one.” And let me touch on that again, just a few more examples of the of the threes in life. All right? We have faith, hope, and love, the great triumvirate. Then we have body, soul, and spirit, which describes man, man’s composition. Family is comprised of men, women, and children. That’s another three.
Then you have the temple with its outer court, inner court, and holy of holies. That’s three, right? And then any house you’re in has a foundation, it has walls, and a roof. And if you think of the earth itself, the earth is made of a crust, a mantle, and a core. And then in the cosmos itself you have the sun, moon, and stars. And so there’s lots of threes in nature, lots of threes in creation. And this is a theme that runs throughout the Bible, friend. And then in verse 9 it says, “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 believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself.” He that believes not God hath made him a liar, because he believes not the record that God gave of his son. Again, salvation is tied to the Son. The Father has given witness to the earth. Amen? Verse 11, and this is the record that God has given to us, eternal life. And this life is in his Son. Amen? You cannot have eternal life without the Son, and no other religion offers the Son as Christianity does. So I’m going to wrap it up there, because we have more to cover in this very meaty chapter 5 of 1st John. Until tomorrow, good night, God bless, and remember to spread the good news.
https://carljosephministries.com/podcast/from-darkness-to-light-part-1/
https://www.bibleversestudy.com/johngospel/john1-study.htm
Title: The Book of 1st John: Part 7
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Six Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What does it mean to be “born of God,” and why is it important for overcoming the devil?
Being “born of God” means experiencing the new birth—becoming a new creation through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:3, 1 John 5:4). This new birth is spiritual, not physical, and is what qualifies a believer to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. Without this transformation, no one can enter the kingdom of God or live victoriously in this last hour.
2. How does faith help believers overcome the world and the devil?
1 John 5:4 tells us that faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Faith connects the believer to the finished work of Jesus Christ—His authority, His righteousness, and His victory over sin, death, and Satan. Through faith, believers walk in authority, deny the flesh, and stand strong in spiritual warfare, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
3. What are the rewards for overcomers mentioned in the book of Revelation?
Revelation lists several powerful promises for overcomers:
- Access to the tree of life (Rev 2:7)
- Protection from the second death (Rev 2:11)
- Hidden manna and a new name (Rev 2:17)
- Authority over the nations (Rev 2:26)
- Pillars in God’s temple, with His name written on them (Rev 3:12)
- A seat with Christ on His throne (Rev 3:21)
These rewards reflect both spiritual authority now and eternal glory later.
4. Why are the water and the blood significant in Jesus’ mission and in our salvation?
Jesus came by water and blood (1 John 5:6), symbolizing both His cleansing work and His atoning sacrifice. At birth, He was surrounded by amniotic fluid (water), and at death, water and blood flowed from His side when pierced (John 19:34). Together, these elements represent the fullness of His mission—to cleanse and save us. The Holy Spirit also bears witness to this truth.
5. What is the “second death” and how can believers avoid it?
The second death is eternal separation from God in the lake of fire (Rev 2:11, Rev 20:14). Believers who are born again and remain faithful will not be hurt by the second death. Hell is currently a temporary holding place, but the lake of fire is the final judgment. Only through Jesus can one escape it and receive eternal life.
6. Why is it important to believe in Jesus as the Son of God for eternal life?
According to 1 John 5:11-12, eternal life is in the Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever doesn’t, does not have life. No other religion or belief system offers the Son in the way the gospel does. Belief in Jesus as the Son of God is not optional—it is the only path to eternal life and victory over the devil.
Carl is an authority. He is a biblical scholar, minister, author, husband, father, and life coach. In his mid-twenties he had a powerful encounter with God and saw miraculous healings as a result. Carl is a unique researcher who investigates current affairs, societal trends, prophecy, technology, cults, and end time events, all through a biblical lens.
Carl holds a Doctorate in Theology (Th D). His Alma Mata includes: Salford University, Manchester, UK, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK, Rhema Bible Training College (Tulsa), and Southwestern Christian University (Oklahoma City).
Carl Joseph Ministries empowers believers in Christ to fulfill their God given potential. Join Carl every other Monday on the Lions Unchained Podcast, available on Spotify, iTunes and other mainstream platforms.
He currently resides in Colorado, with his lovely wife Amy, and their three children.
