Reformed Theology Pt 14 | Covenant Theology | 1689 Federalism

So our main text, again, is Genesis chapter 3, verse 15. Genesis 3, verse 15. Let's pray. God, Lord, we lift your name on high. Lord, we ask that you speak through me to your people, please. We ask that you have mercy upon us and that you will show us today your glory in the name of your precious son, Jesus Christ, and for what he has done to ransom us, your people,.

To yourself.

Amen.

All right. So we are in part 14 of our series dealing with Reformed theology. Started out, I thought, okay, well, six weeks, we should have everything wrapped up. So I told my wife this week, okay, I said, give me 20 weeks and I'm going to try to have everything done in 20 weeks.

The roughest part is dealing with covenant theology. Everything else we'll be able to breeze through, but the covenant theology part is something that we want to get in the weeds because you can get lost in covenant theology if you don't get in the weeds.

A lot of times you can't see the forest from the trees and you don't have too many people that are going through the weeds of covenant theology. Trust me, I've been looking and there's not many people doing this.

And so I wanted to do this. I wanted to lay a foundation and I apologize that it's taken as long as it has, but I'm going for 20 weeks now, okay, so if I go past it, please just give me a little bit.

Of grace.

So our theme is the covenant of grace and our timeless truth is this, same as it has been for two weeks now, there has only been one way of salvation. That's it. As Baptists, Reformed Baptists, that's what we hope to.

There's only been one way of salvation and that is through Jesus Christ. Whether it's retrospectively, whether it's them looking forward, or whether it's us looking back at one moment in time of Him redeeming a people.

And I made this statement, in order for Christianity to be true, and I stand by this, Christianity has to be owed. And in order for Christianity to be owed, it cannot be a parenthesis in the historical plan of redemption.

It cannot be a plan B. It cannot be, oh, the Jews have rejected their people, hmm, what can we do? Hey, Jesus, will you go and give your life? Like that can't be it, right? That's what the dispensational is owed to.

That cannot be the plan. It has to be owed the same way Abraham's saved is the same way that we are to be saved, by.

Believing.

My hope is this, is that as we're going through this series, and especially today, that you give me your attention, because I do not want to lose you in the weeds. Let's look at our main text and then we'll go on to a subtext, but our main text today is Genesis 3 .15.

Our subtext is going to be found in Acts chapter 2, Genesis 3 .15. God's speaking to the serpent says, I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. And he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heels.

This speaking of when Christ came and was crucified, that this was when the offspring of the woman bruised the head of the serpent. And this is what, if you are reformed, you see this as being the covenant of grace.

And I mentioned that our Presbyterian brothers see that this is when it was inaugurated, but I pointed out that this verse gives a promise as well as a fulfillment. So that's what our outline is based on.

In our outline, we will see a promise as well as a fulfillment. That the promise is that one is coming who is going to bruise the head of the serpent and the fulfillment will be when he bruises the head of the serpent.

So I'm going to give you three ways to think about the covenant of grace. The covenant of grace was a promise only in the old covenant. The covenant of grace is the new covenant, and the covenant of grace is the covenant of works fulfilled.

Typology, Shadow, and Substance in Covenant Theology

As we transition, I gave an analogy based upon something that Samuel Rinehan wrote in.

A book.

He said, you know, when you go to a restaurant, they hand you a menu, the menu has pictures.

Of food.

The menu is a shadow of the substance. So if you go to a Mexican restaurant, if you want a burrito, you see the burrito in the picture, you do not eat the menu. That picture is not the substance. Once you order the burrito, they take the menu and they bring you back what you ordered.

So in covenant theology, you have what's called typology. You have a type and an antitype. It's basically a shadow and a substance. I pointed out that the menu is a type, it's a shadow, and the burrito would be the antitype, the substance, that the menu is pointing to something greater than itself.

And that's what we have taken place in the old covenant, the Old Testament. It's pointing to something greater. It's pointing to something greater. And so we get to the old covenant. The old covenant points to something greater being the new covenant.

We have the sacrifices in the old covenant, where they're sacrificing lambs, they're putting blood on doors, they're sacrificing bulls. The high priest would sacrifice a lamb once a year to atone for the unintentional sins of the people and to atone for his own sins.

Like all these pictures of these sacrifices that we have in the old covenant, they are pointing to the new covenant of what's going to take place when Jesus Christ comes and bruises the head of the serpent to establish this new covenant, this covenant of grace.

And unlike our Presbyterian friends, we do not believe that any of the old covenant people that were in the old covenant were saved by performing these acts and deeds in faith. We believe that they were just types.

They were shadows pointing to something greater. And that when the greater came, we no longer have to do these theoretical performances. And because they hold to what's called the one covenant being established in Genesis three, that it's the same covenant that Jesus establishes.

So it's one covenant of grace throughout the old covenant and the new covenant. They see Israel and the church as being the same thing. As we would say, no, Israel was a type, it was a shadow. It pointed to something greater, the antitype.

And that is the eschatological Israel, the church, because the church isn't pointing something to something greater. The church is what it is. But if you hold to this covenant of grace being established at Genesis 315 and not established at the cross, then Israel is the church.

And you also have the problem that circumcision is baptism, and that's what we'll be looking at this week and next week. So our subtext is Acts chapter 2, verses 37 through 41. Acts chapter 2, 37 through 41.

Peter's Pentecost Sermon and the Promise of the Holy Spirit

Our subpoint outline today is simple. The promise, the people, the purpose. Point number one, the promise, point number two, the people, and point number three, the purpose. And as we transition, verse 37 starts out with, when they heard this, they were cut to the heart.

And our context verse for this is verse 36. So let's start in verse 36. But all the house of Israel, therefore, know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

So we have Peter and the disciples, the apostles, they came together. They were in the upper room, and all of a sudden the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking in other tongues, other languages, proclaiming the magnificent works.

Of God.

And you have these Jews coming from all over the world. Now the world then is not as big as the world is now, and this is all the world. And they were hearing them speak in their own native tongue. And Peter preached to them the gospel, and he told them, let all the house of Israel know, therefore, know for certain, that God has made him, him being Jesus, both Lord Adonai and Christ Christos, this Jesus whom you crucified.

Speaking about the Jews, you Jews rejected him, and you crucified him. So verse 37 to our text, now when they heard this, when they, the Jews, heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brothers, what shall.

We do?

And Peter said to them, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord, our God, calls to himself.

And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, save yourselves from this crooked generation. So those who received his word were baptized. And there were added that day about 3 ,000 souls.

So the nearest antecedent to the promise is the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 39. For the promise is for you and for your children. For the promise, what's the nearest antecedent? And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is for you and for your children. So the nearest antecedent to the promise is the Holy Spirit, and it seems to be given to those who repent and undergo Christian baptism. Again, look at verse 38.

And Peter said to them, repent and be baptized, every one of you, speaking to these Jews that have come to Jerusalem for this feast, for the day of Pentecost, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Now this is one of the most ambiguous texts in the Bible. It's actually one that I, for a long time, I just did not want to go to. You say, well, why not? Well, because there's so many different interpretations that can be taken here.

So let's just say one is Pentecostalism. They say, see right here, it says, be baptized in the name of Jesus. So they would say that when someone is baptized, they have to be baptized in the name of Jesus only, not in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, but just in the name.

Of Jesus.

Well, there was many baptisms that's taken place at this time, as well as in the Old Testament, but a familiar baptism that you see throughout the New Testament is two baptisms. One is the baptism of John, and one is the Christian baptism.

Now when they were being baptized by John, they was not being baptized in the name of John, but all throughout the book of Acts, the question was asked, were you baptized in John's baptism, or were you baptized in Jesus' baptism?

So when it mentions baptized in Jesus' name, it's basically pointing us to the fact that there's these two baptisms, one is John, one is through Jesus. John is not the Christian baptism, Jesus' baptism is the Christian baptism.

Now Matthew 28 tells us how you are to baptize, in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy.

Spirit.

By them saying, be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, for the name of Jesus Christ, I believe that this is just pointing us to a Christian baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, meaning that it's not John's baptism, and it's not the baptism that the Jews would use for purification when they would bring in converts or when they would clean each other ritually.

It's just pointing to a Christian baptism. But then you have the churches of Christ, who would say, see, it's right here, it says repent, Peter said, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus, for the forgiveness of your sins.

I say, the only way that you can have forgiveness of sins is you have to be baptized, so that's why the churches of Christ have ran with their works-based theology, that you cannot have forgiveness of sins unless you have made the decision to be baptized.

You cannot be a Christian until you are baptized. And then we have our pedo-baptist brothers, who would see this and say, right here it says in verse 39 that the promise is for you and your children, that this is the new covenant sign of the old covenant, and that we should give this to our children.

This is an ambiguous text, so many different interpretations. So my plan today is to give you a Baptist, Reformed Baptist interpretation to show you why there cannot be any interpretation that's valid.

So again, the promise here, the nearest and to seated is the Holy Spirit, and that's where we start our road. Now if you would turn with me to Luke chapter 24, this will be the road to Emmaus, Jesus has been crucified, he has risen, he has not appeared to everyone yet.

But he walks with these disciples, and then in verse 46, we have the preaching of the gospel, in verse 47 we have repentance for the forgiveness of sins, not baptism, repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and in verse 49, we have the promise.

Look with me, Luke 24, we'll start at verse 44 and read to 49. Then he said to them, this is Jesus speaking, there are many words that I have spoken to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, this is the gospel, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem.

You are my witnesses to these things, verse 49, and behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you, but stay in the city until you are clothed with power. And if you look at Acts chapter 1, verses 1 through 5, Acts chapter 1, 1 through 5, it says, this is Luke writing, in the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with many, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while they were staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait, right here, for the promise of the Father, which he said, you heard from.

Me.

For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Again, right here we have a baptism, John with water, and then we have another baptism that's not with water, it's with the Holy Spirit.

So you can see how ambiguous just the word baptism can be. So the promise is without a doubt, the Holy Spirit. Now how does someone receive the Holy Spirit? So we have the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Remember John preaching, I've kind of spoke about it, John is preaching, he says, I baptize you with water, but there's one coming after me whose sandals I'm unworthy to untie or unworthy to hold, and he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

That there's some kind of a Holy Spirit baptism that's going to take place, and we will pick up on that later. So the question is, is how does someone receive the Holy Spirit? Our text has two things, repentance and Christian baptism.

Of course I don't agree with those two things, but that's just what the text seems to be saying at first sight, right? Our text has repentance with Christian baptism, and we will look at baptism in our third point.

So what does repentance look like in the context? So I'm stating that it's repentance, but what does repentance look like in our context? Again, you go back to verse 36. Peter preaching, he says, let all the house of Israel therefore know.

Let who know? All the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him, this is Jesus, both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Then you have verse 37. Now when they heard this, heard what?

That they had crucified the Lord, they were cut to their heart, and Peter said to them, and the rest of his apostles, brothers, when they said, brothers, what shall we do? Peter said to them, repent and be baptized, every one of you.

So what were they repenting from? So the text seems to be clear that it's their sin was the rejection of their Messiah. That their Messiah had come, they rejected him, and they nailed him hands and feet to.

A Roman cross.

They had pierced their Messiah, and so when they said, what shall we do? He says to repent. What does repentance look like? It's not rejecting their Messiah. It's receiving Jesus as their Messiah. That it's repentance would be receiving the Messiah and trusting him, Jesus, trusting in the sufficiency of Jesus Christ to save them.

So you got to put your mind where they were. They held to the sacrificial system. When I sin, I take a lamb, I give it to the priest, the priest cuts the throat, throws the blood on the altar, I'm forgiven.

Peter said, no, repentance is trusting in the Messiah who came and this death that y 'all, when y 'all killed him, when y 'all crucified him, that blood, that blood that was spilt was spilt for you, and it's sufficient, that you don't need anything else, nothing else.

That's what repentance looked like for them. Not for me, not for you. Our repentance is different. For them, in the context, they killed the Messiah. They were, they rejected the Messiah. They killed him.

They were to not reject him and to hold that what he done was sufficient for them. So what we believe as reformed, if you're not fully reformed or you haven't had this understanding then I bring it to light to you today that faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin.

You cannot repent truly if you do not have faith, and if you don't have faith, and faith cannot, you cannot have faith without repentance and you cannot have true repentance without.

Faith.

Faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin. When you turn from self-righteousness, this is repentance, when you turn from self-righteousness, what do the Jews have to do? They had to turn from self-righteousness.

They trusted in a sacrificial system. They had to turn from self-righteousness and trust in Jesus Christ. You and I have to turn from self-righteousness, though it's not the sacrificial system. It's the same thing, but it's a different system.

It's to turn from self-righteousness and it's to trust in Jesus Christ. So, when you turn from self-righteousness and when you trust in Jesus Christ, you will receive the Holy Spirit, and that can only be done through the preaching of the Word as we see in our context.

Go back to verse 29 and we'll read to 36. Peter preaching, Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he is both dead and was buried in his tomb, and he is with us to this day.

Being therefore a prophet and knowing that God has sworn with an oath that he would set him and his descendants upon the throne, he foresaw and he spoke about the resurrection of Christ, that he would not abandon to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, there it is again, the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you are seeing and hearing.

For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says that the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool. Verse 36, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified.

So right here we have Peter preaching the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus, and so right here where it says, whenever they said to him, brothers what shall we do? Right here we would say that they were already given faith.

They were cut to the heart, they were convicted, what else do they need to do? Repent and be baptized. If you're not cut to the heart, if you're not gifted with faith, you would not say these words. You would not reply with these words.

Galatians chapter 3 verse 2 says this, let me ask you only this, Paul speaking to the Galatians. Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing in faith? This is a rhetorical question. As Reformed Baptists, we believe that regeneration precedes faith and that faith is followed by repentance.

Let me say that again. We believe that regeneration precedes faith and that faith is followed by repentance. Faith before repentance. That when God gives grace to a man, that when God buys grace, gives grace, and when God buys grace, gives faith, this is what the Bible calls being born again.

The People, the Promise, and the Children of the Jews

As we transition, I want to call your attention one more time to the word promise. Notice with me, the promise does not refer to repentance and the promise does not refer to Christian baptism. But it only refers to the Holy Spirit that it is given to those who repent.

Faith and repentance. Believe and repent. When it comes to baptism, again, we'll touch that here momentarily. So now the second point is the people. Acts 2, 37 through 40. Now when they heard this, when who heard this?

The Jews.

Now when they, the Jews, heard this, they, the Jews, were cut to the heart and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brothers, see right here, it's the faith, brothers, what shall we do? God has graced them.

They want to know what to do. And Peter said to them, repent, faith and repentance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise, which is the Holy Spirit, is for you, the Jews, and for your children and for all those who are far off, for everyone who, who the Lord our God calls to himself. And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying, save yourself from this crooked generation.

So our people categories are, it says you, which is the Jews, it says your children, which is the children of the Jews that were there, right? He wasn't speaking to me, I wasn't there. And he says, and all who are far off, Gentiles.

And he sums all of them together by saying everyone. So the Jews, the children of the Jews, and all who are far off, the Gentiles, all sum together in the word everyone. So when it says everyone, it's speaking to the Jews, to their children, and to the Gentiles, whom the Lord our God has called to himself.

Our Presbyterian brothers would point to this verse, verse 39, and say, the covenant promise is for our children. So the covenant sign should be given to our children. The covenant promise is the Holy Spirit.

And I would agree, if anyone has the Holy Spirit, they should receive the covenant sign. Right? If you have the Holy Spirit, let's give them the sign, hallelujah, hallelujah. So they would say, our Presbyterian brothers, that verse 39 says, the covenant promise is for our children, so that the covenant sign should be given to our children.

Now remember that the promise is not baptism. The promise is not repentance. The promise is the Holy Spirit. So yes, if they receive the Holy Spirit, they should receive the sign. A verse that seems to go well with their interpretation, according to that view, according to that way of thinking, is found in Genesis chapter 17, verse 12.

It says this, he who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generation, whether born in your house or bought with your money, from any foreigner who is not your offspring.

So they would see the you, the Jews, this is speaking to Abraham, your male child should be circumcised. This is his child, this is his children, and that everyone who is, I think I had it wrote down here.

Yeah, okay. Let me just read what I wrote so I don't get confused here. The covenant sign of the Old Testament was circumcision. A male child was to be given the sign. They would see all who are far off in Acts chapter 2, representing the foreigners here in Galatians chapter 17, 12.

So Abraham was the first Jew. His children would have been, his descendants would have been his children. This is for you and for your children. And then for the foreigners who you bought with your money, they would add that this represents all who are far off.

So they connect these two verses together. Now I would agree, and I know most of y 'all would agree with me, that when it comes to the sign, I believe that the covenant sign is baptism. Now not all Reformed Baptists agree here, but if you want to be confessional, if you want to hold to what the confession says about baptism, it says that it's the sign.

So it's hard to be truly Reformed and confessional and say it's not the sign, but a lot of them.

Do.

So I believe that it is the sign, but I do not believe how they believe. So I believe it's the sign, and I do, and they do, we would point to Colossians chapter 2, verses 11 and 12, but I do not believe what they believe about it.

I would take a totally different interpretation. So I want to read Colossians real quick. I'm not going to give any interpretation at the moment, I just want to read it. Colossians chapter 2, verses 11 and 12.

It says, In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, and which were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God who raised him from the dead.

So they see circumcision, and they see that baptism has replaced circumcision through that verse. The reason why they would say circumcision and baptism are the same is the same reason why they see Israel and the church as being the same, and that's because they see the old covenant and the new covenant as being the same.

If the old covenant and the new covenant are the same, and as these transitions take place, the only thing that's changed is the administration. It's the same substance, it points to the same thing. God's people, Israel, now the church.

God's covenant sign, circumcision, now baptism. Because the covenant of grace, you had these shadows that when it came to the anti-type, it would just reveal the shadow, there was nothing different about it.

When you ordered from the menu, they brought you back the menu, they didn't bring you back the burrito, right? We think the shadow, the menu is the shadow, the burrito is the substance. Types and sacrifices, Israel, circumcision, they're all pointing to something greater.

They're shadows, they're pointing to something greater. The eschatological Israel, the church, baptism for believers, and Jesus Christ, the only true God. So since in the old covenant, the male child took the sign of the covenant, so this will be their argument, so since in the old covenant, the male child took the sign of the covenant, which is circumcision, then in the new covenant, the children are to take the sign of the covenant, which is baptism.

So they would include baby girls into this. Old covenant, just boys, new covenant, the girls are included. So since in the old covenant, the male child took the sign, circumcision, now that we're in the new covenant, the children are to take the sign, which is baptism.

Now before I go through that text, I want to point out where they err in their interpretation. So don't let me lose you here, I hope I don't lose myself. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant, right?

Circumcision was the sign of the covenant. It was not, listen, it was not the entrance into the covenant. Birth was the entrance. Circumcision was the sign. Circumcision was only to be given to those who were in the covenant, mainly meaning those who were born.

The Jews were not given the sign to those who were not born into the covenant, who were not born. Like they didn't just go around giving people this sign, they weren't going around circumcising Philistines.

I hate to put this in such a way, but before the child came out, they didn't go in the woman to circumcise the child. It had to be born. It had to be born into the covenant. Circumcision was to be given to those who have entered the covenant by birth.

Now, entrance into the new covenant, the kingdom of God is not by natural birth, but by spiritual birth, by being born again. You have the earthly kingdom, which was Israel. The heavenly kingdom is the church, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God.

Those that are born again are to receive the sign of the covenant, which is baptism. Now, as we transition, pay attention here. Baptism is the sign of the new covenant. And like the sign of the old covenant, circumcision, it is only to be given to those who have entered the covenant.

The old covenant, the birth of a male child, the new covenant, the new birth, being born again of a male or female, and to be clear, being born again is when a person is given faith to believe and receives the Holy Spirit.

When the gospel's being preached, you go from not believing to believing, asking, what must.

We do?

And you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Also, where it says the promise is for you and your children, this is speaking to Jews. Gentiles are brought in in the next text and all those who are far off.

This text doesn't mention the small children of the Gentiles. So listen, if our Presbyterians want to be consistent, they need to understand that when it says to your children, it's not speaking to Gentiles.

It's speaking to the Jews, the children of the Jews. It mentions nothing here about Gentile children, absolutely nothing. There are three separate people groups here, the Jews, the children of the Jews, and the Gentiles.

The text makes it clear that the promise is for everyone, and that's the Holy Spirit. So we agree with them, but we disagree with them. They would have to agree that in order for a male child to receive circumcision, they had to be born.

The Purpose of Baptism and the Circumcision of Christ

Well, in order for a child or anyone to receive the new covenant sign, they have to be born again, because your first birth, don't cut it. Point number three, Acts chapter 2, 37 -41, and our focus, I'm sorry, I'm having a, I just want the context, our focus will be on verse 41.

Now, when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brothers, what shall we do? Peter said to them, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promises for you and for your children, and for all those who are far off, every one whom the Lord calls, God calls to himself, saying, I mean, and with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying, save yourself from this crooked generation, this generation that held to the sacrificial system.