So Simon Peter went up and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, 153; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. (v.11)

The water prevailed upon the earth for 150 days. (Genesis 7:24)

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. (1 Peter 3:18-22)

When we read John 21:1-11, we often focus on the fact that the disciples caught so many fish that they were not able to haul the net. Many fish may indicate that the disciple would save many people and fulfill God’s command/prophesy.

And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people.” (Mark 1:17)

John wanted to draw our attention to the number of the fish God made them catch. The end of the world will be like the day when the great flood came in Noah’s time. The world’s end is symbolized by the number 150. But the children of God are given the number 153. We all know where the number 3 came from. Christ’s death and resurrection save us. The church died and was resurrected with Christ. When Peter talked about baptism in 1 Peter 3:18-22, he did not refer to the ceremonial baptism. Peter knew it very well that the ceremonial baptism was only a shadow. It was one of the ordinances given to visible churches by God for the church era. Ceremonial baptism is only a shadow of the real baptism just as the visible church is a shadow of the invisible true church. Peter warned others of false teachers within churches. These false teachers received ceremonial baptism but did evil and enticed others.

It is by faith in God we are justified. But faith is not a condition. It is a feature of the children of God who are anointed with the Holy Spirit. Paul knew this very well. The kingdom’s foundation is love which God has given us through Jesus Christ. That is why Paul wrote 1 John 13.

If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2)

Peter, John, Paul and other disciples focus on agape. It appears that many Christians think faith is the new condition for salvation. They think that the law was the condition in the OT and the faith is the new condition in the NT era. Unless we are born again in the Holy Spirit, we cannot be the children of God. Without the Spirit, God’s love is not applied to us and we cannot love Him back.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:18-19)

Those who think they know the Reformed theology rarely talk about love, the kingdom of God, or the Holy Spirit. I know that many heretics have been misusing these words. Some people try to avoid using the words because heretics often use them. Still, it is strange that these words are rarely talked about in the Reformed denominations. The Reformed theologians and ministers focus on the law and punishment instead. This tells us that their theology is strange. And I find the issue in their understanding of the covenants and Adam. The nature of the kingdom is not forensic. The saints keep the true law of God, which is the law of liberty that came from God’s love shown on the cross of Christ.

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He would depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. (John 13:1)