Baptism part 2

All right and we are live.

Welcome everyone to my second podcast trailer park theology

and tonight we will continue and discuss in baptism.

Now I'm looking at this from a reformed Baptist position.

I hope to what's called 1689 Federalist

1689 Federalist.

And so what that means is is that

so the Presbyterians.

Well let me read Genesis

315 real quick and then we'll kind of dive into that.

So the covenant of grace is found in Genesis 315.

And this is God speaking to the serpent after Adam and Eve were

deceived in eight of the tree of knowledge and good and evil

315 is the curse given to the serpent.

It says this.

I will put enmity between you speaking to the serpent and the woman

between your offspring and her offspring he shall bruise

your head and you shall bruise his heel.

And so last week I kind of dove into the differences that we would have with our

Presbyterian brothers.

So Presbyterianism when it comes to the covenant theology they

believe that it was inaugurated right here.

And because it was inaugurated that there's one covenant

since this.

So so the covenant of grace is inaugurated in Genesis 315.

God gave the covenant of works to Adam the eidemic covenant.

They fall they break it they break the covenant.

God gives them the covenant of grace.

And so every other covenant the Abrahamic Covenant the Mosaic Covenant

the Davidic Covenant and I would also add the Noahic Covenant are all

administrations of the one covenant the covenant of grace.

My problem with that is this is that Genesis 315 does not teach

that the covenant of grace was inaugurated.

But what does it teach.

It teaches a promise and a fulfillment.

It promises the covenant of grace but it gives the fulfillment.

It lets you know when this covenant would be inaugurated.

Let's read it again.

God speaking to the serpent I will put enmity between you and

the woman and between your offspring in her offspring he this offspring

coming from the woman will bruise your head and you shall

bruise his heel.

So we believe that this is speaking of the crucifixion of Christ when

Jesus Christ was crucified when they nailed him hands and feet to a Roman

cross.

That this was Jesus bruising the head of the serpent while

only having his brute his his heel bruised.

So the crucifixion is the heel of our Savior

being bruised all right.

That that was the inauguration of the new covenant.

That the new covenant is the covenant of grace.

The covenants that was seen in the Old Testament is not the

covenant of grace.

So that's the Reformed Baptist 1689.

Federalist view the Old Testament.

The old covenant is not listen is not the covenant of grace.

The new covenant is the covenant of grace.

It was inaugurated when Jesus Christ was crucified.

And so I left off last week reading from

our confession the London Baptist confession of faith 1689.

Chapter 29 this is where it speaks about baptism.

I'm going to read that again from the start 29.

Chapter 29 paragraph 1 says this baptism is an

ordinance of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ

to those baptized it is a sign of their fellowship with him

in his death and resurrection of their being grafted into

him of remission of sins and of submitting themselves

to God through Jesus Christ to live and walk in newness of

life.

Paragraph 2.

Those who personally profess repentance toward God and faith in

obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ are the only proper

subjects of this ordinance.

Paragraph 3.

The outward element to be used in this ordinance is water in which the

individual is to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit.

Paragraph 4.

Immersion or dipping of the person in water is

necessary for this ordinance to be administered

properly.

All right.

So when it comes to salvation so we don't believe in

salvation by baptism and we will get into that when it comes to the text I don't know if we'll get

there this week because acts 242 kind of there's some language there that we have to work

through.

So as a reformed Baptist this is what I believe about salvation.

I believe that salvation has to be owed.

I believe if salvation like the way in which someone is saved

rescued ransom reconciled to God has to be owed it can't be new.

All right.

The same way Abraham was saved is the same way that you and

I today are saved.

So if if being emerged if being baptized into water is

how a person becomes a Christian then Abraham needed to be

baptized and emerged in water to become righteous before God.

If Abraham wasn't emerged in water baptized

to become righteous then you and I do not have to enter the waters of baptism to

become righteous before God.

So as a reformed Baptist we believe in one way of salvation that that that

salvate that there's continuity when it comes to salvation.

And that is trusting God belief in God.

And so when the Bible says that Abraham believed God well what did he believe.

Well he believed that that that that through his

offspring he would inherit a and that the whole earth will be blessed

through him.

The offspring would be the offspring of the woman.

Right.

So this offspring that was coming from the woman is passed through Abraham.

And so by believing in this offspring who is Jesus ultimately will be Jesus.

Jesus will fulfill the prophecy of the offspring by believing in this offspring that would

come and by whom would would keep the covenant would keep the law and would

earn the land and would and through him all the nations of the world will be blessed.

That that is how a person was saved that is how they were justified.

That is how they are declared righteous before God.

And so I believe that as Baptists we hold this belief and it's

unique to other denominations.

So the same way that Abraham was saved the same way that he was declared righteous before

God it's the same way that you and I are saved and declared righteous.

Abraham believed in the promise of something that would happen.

You and I today believe that the promise has happened that it did happen.

Right.

So they were looking forward to something that was going to happen.

We're looking back at what did happen.

And what did happen was the offspring did come and it was

Jesus Christ who lived the life that we could not live and who died

the death that we deserve to die.

In dying his death he reconciled us to God and in living the

perfect sinless life he saved us from the wrath of God.

That being said when he done this that was the inauguration of

the covenant of grace.

Let me get some coffee all

right.

I'm out of coffee.

Let me open my water.

All right.

So now let's get to the text.

Acts chapter 2 again.

I expressed this last week that in study and baptism are not like

like this portion of Scripture is it's really something I never wanted to deal with and I didn't

want to deal with it because it's so ambiguous and we'll look at that.

So Acts chapter 2 what do I have.

Verse 36 through 41.

So if you have your Bibles you can turn there with me.

Acts chapter 2 36 through 41 I will be reading from the ESV.

Let's get this closer all right.

So here

the context would be Pentecost.

Jesus has ascended.

He's with the father promises throughout the book of John

about them sending the Holy Spirit.

They're in the upper room.

They receive the Holy Spirit.

They start proclaiming that magnificent works of God.

And and in doing so they were speaking in other

languages.

It talks about Jews from all over the earth were gathering together because of

the feast and they were able to hear the Apostles and those that

were there preach and speak in their own language.

They were not speaking gibberish.

They were not speaking in unknown languages.

They were speaking in languages of the people who were gathered

together that day.

Jewish people from all over the earth that were gathered together who spoke

in a different tongue.

They were able to hear the Apostles speak in the magnificent work of God in

their own tongue.

So this is what's taken place.

This is the context and we'll get more into it.

But verse 36 says this.

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that

God has made him both Lord and Christ this

Jesus whom you crucified.

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.

Verse 36.

And Peter said to them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of

Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of 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 yourself from this crooked generation.

And those who received his word were baptized and they were

added that day about 3 ,000 souls.

All right.

So what I have here that we're going to go through.

I have outlined the promise the

people and the purpose.

So as we go through here we will see that what the promise is who are the people and what

was the purpose of this.

Now I'm I'm not sure if we'll get through all three

points.

As a matter of fact it's not really my goal to get through all three points.

I want to make sure that what I'm saying is clear.

And then and then next week we'll go back.

If I don't get through all three points next week we'll go back and we'll look at it.

So point number one the purpose I mean excuse me the promise.

Remember.

Point number one the promise.

Point number two the people.

And point number three the purpose.

So right now we'll look at the promise.

Verse 38 and Peter said to them

repent and be baptized every one of you in the

name of the Lord 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 God has

called to themselves.

So I'm not going to skip repentance and being

baptized but I'm going to come back to it in just a second.

Right now I just want to look at what is the promise.

So the nearest antecedent to the promise is not

repentance and it is not baptism.

The nearest antecedent to the promise is the Holy Spirit.

All right.

So he says 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 Holy

Spirit.

For the promise the Holy Spirit is for you and for

your children and for all those who are far off.

So here it's not saying that repentance

and baptism is the promise but it's saying that the Holy Spirit is the promise.

Now I'm not throwing away repentance faith and baptism.

I'm just showing the nearest antecedent what is the promise.

And so Acts was actually written by Luke.

And if you look at Luke chapter 24 beginning in verse

45 so this would be the road to Emmaus.

Jesus has been crucified.

He has he has three days have passed.

He has resurrected.

He is walking with his disciples.

But they have but they they did not recognize him.

But he says this.

And I won't get into everything.

I don't have the time to flesh all that out.

But verse 45 says this.

Then he opened their minds to understand the scripture.

Speaking about the disciples Jesus opened their mind to understand the scriptures

and he said to them.

Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third

day raised from the dead.

And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Notice it didn't say baptism.

That repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in

his name to all the nations beginning in beginning from Jerusalem.

You are my witnesses to these things.

And behold I am sending the promise of my

father upon you but stay in the city until you are clothed

with power from on high.

Now what does Luke say that the promises.

And behold I am sending the promise of my father

but stay in the city until you're clothed with power on high.

Now remember in our excuse me

remember in our text that they were in the upper room.

They were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Power came upon them.

Trace back to Luke.

I mean to Acts chapter 1 beginning in verse 1

Luke writes in the first book first book being Luke.

Oh theophilus I 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 he was staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem but

to wait for the promise of the father which he said you have

heard from me for John baptized with water.

But you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

Also let's look at Acts 2 33.

This is in the sermon that Peter's preaching

says this being therefore exalted at the right hand of God.

Having received from the father the promise of the Holy

Spirit he has poured out this.

You are seeing you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

So the promise is clear like it's clear the promise is the

Holy Spirit.

The promise is not baptism and the promise is not repentance.

The promise is the Holy Spirit.

So let's go back because I don't want to skip over for some reason I am just really caught in now.

I do not want to skip over repentance and baptism.

So I mentioned last week how how this is this text is very

ambiguous that there's so many different

interpretations taken right here in verses 38 and 39.

So we have our our friends the churches of Christ and I have some really good friends

and the churches of Christ you know preachers there

whom I who I've you know connected with on Facebook who I love dearly

but I disagree 100 with when it

comes to when it comes to this and they know it right.

You know I don't I don't hide my disagreement

where it talks about and Peter said to them repent and be baptized every one

of you in the name of Jesus Christ and you will receive

I mean in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and

you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So the argument here is that in order to receive the Holy Spirit

and in order to be in Christ meaning salvificly you

have to be baptized emerged

that that that you're not like if you haven't been baptized like you're

not a Christian you're not a brother in Christ until you

are baptized and come about the water that somehow

in the waters of baptism is how you is how the blood of Jesus

is applied to your life.

So if you haven't went under water baptism then the blood of Jesus is not applied to

your life and you have not received the forgiveness of sins.

Now my problem with that there is again Abraham was not

baptized in order for Christian salvation to be true.

Then Christian salvation has to be owed the same way Abraham was saved is the same

way that we are saved.

And I would add I kind of hinted at it earlier

Luke chapter 24 verse 37.

Well let's go to verse 46.

Verse 46 says this.

And he said to them Jesus speaking thus it is written right here he's going to give you the gospel

that the Christ should suffer and on the third day raised from the dead

in that repentance for the forgiveness of sins

should be proclaimed in his name to all the nations.

So Luke writing same author and acts he says repentance

38.

Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

Luke chapter 24 says that repentance for the forgiveness of your

sins.

So before we dive in that any deeper let's look at repentance.

What is repentance.

Well I'm going to say that repentance is turning from self

-righteousness when it comes to salvation.

Right.

Salvificly at the moment of salvation repentance is turning from self

-righteousness.

And I believe that's what the context teaches.

Repentance is not stop sinning.

Like like that's impossible.

First John tells us hey hey you don't sin.

But when you do sin confess your sins and never say that you have not sin.

And know that when you sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous.

Now I'm not telling you it's okay to sin.

Don't walk away thinking that I'm telling you it's okay to sin.

It's not okay stop it.

But when you do sin because you will confess it and know that you have an advocate with the Father

and never say you don't sin.

So repentance is turning from something to something.

And in our text we see that it's turning from self -righteousness to the righteousness of

Christ.

Notice with me verse 36.

And let all the house of Israel know there.

Therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and

Christ this Jesus whom you crucify.

Notice verse 37.

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart.

And they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles brothers what must we do.

Now let me ask you something.

If they were not given faith to believe right here would they say

what must we do.

Absolutely not.

I've been preaching the gospel on the streets I don't know 12 years now

and I've never had anyone who wasn't interested in Christianity who God

hasn't sovereignly removed from the fire asked me those things

them asking what must they do tells me that as Peter

was preaching God gave to them faith to believe.

And Peter's response to them was to repent

to turn from self -righteousness.

You say you say how do you know that because their self -righteousness was in the

Mosaic system it was in the sacrificial system that at this

time in order to receive forgiveness of sins you would bring to the priest you would go to the

temple.

You would bring the priest a lamb a turtle dove a pigeon whatever the sin was

whatever it required you would bring to him these things.

And that the priest would sacrifice would kill this lamb would kill this turtle

dove on behalf of your sins all right.

So to them that was their righteousness their righteousness.

They were dependent upon themselves to bring an offering to the priest at the temple to

be sacrificed.

They were trusting in something that they could do.

And Peter makes it clear.

He says let the house of it.

He says let the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made

him both Lord and Christ whom you the Jews

not me.

I didn't crucify.

Not you.

You didn't crucify.

But the Jews of that generation crucified our Lord.

Not the Jews today who are in Jerusalem they didn't crucify.

But the Jews then at that time crucify him crucify him give us

Barabbas.

They crucify the Lord.

And he is telling them to repent to turn from their self -righteousness to

stop trusting in the sacrificial system and to trust in the one who died

for their sins.

To trust in Jesus Christ.

Self -right repentance is turning from yourself and putting your

trust in the sacrifice Jesus Christ.

And I believe that when you do that you will receive the forgiveness of your sins.

Now I say that in two ways.

Because I you know I don't want to get into Calvinism right now.

So we're we won't touch it we won't touch it.

That's another video.

So you and I we have to repent.

We have to believe in Jesus Christ.

Now I'm not forgetting baptism here but I want to touch on some other things

dealing with baptism.

Why the text is so ambiguous.

So back to our churches of Christ brothers.

So they would say it's clear right here that you have to be baptized in order to receive

forgiveness of sins.

But notice what it says.

It says in the name of Jesus Christ.

Now there's another group of people one is Pentecostals who would say that you

have to be that your baptism has to be in the name of Jesus Christ only.

So if you're baptized in the name of the Father Son and the Holy Spirit then you really haven't been

baptized.

They would say see right here it's clear in order to receive forgiveness of sins you have to be

baptized in the name of Jesus Christ only.

Well wrong.

Like I would say wrong.

But they would say look it's in the text it's it's clear Jesus Christ.

You have to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

And my Church of Christ friends would say yeah we don't believe that.

You know how.

It doesn't have to be in the name of Jesus Christ only.

It's the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Matthew chapter 28 tells us the formula of how you baptize.

You baptize them in the name of the Father Son and the Holy Spirit.

But yet when we get here in this ambiguous text dealing with baptism it says

you baptize them in the name of Jesus Christ.

So baptism at this time

again.

So so there's two main baptisms that's taking place in the book of Acts.

The baptism of John and the baptism of Jesus.

John speaks about a different baptism.

Yeah I mean so John's preaching he's he's calling the Pharisees to repentance.

He says repent for the kingdom of heaven is a hand for I am he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah a voice crying out in the

wilderness.

Prepare the way of the Lord.

Make straightest path.

I see you Pharisees and Sadducees coming down to the waters of Jordan.

You brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath to come.

Therefore do not think to say to yourselves to not say oh we have Abraham as our father for I tell you that God is able to raise up

children from Abraham from stones.

And even now the axe is at the root of the tree and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown

into the fire.

Listen he says I baptize with water into repentance.

But he who comes after me whose sandals I'm unworthy to carry he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit

and fire.

The will of the fork is in his hand and he will thoroughly cleanse the threshing floor and he will gather his wheat into the barn but the chaff

he will burn with unquenchable fire.

So so speaking about he baptizes with water and Jesus is

going to baptize with Holy Spirit and fire.

Two different baptisms for Jesus.

One is the Holy Spirit.

Some people are going to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and some people are going to be baptized in fire.

So if you look at verses so it's 10 11 and 12.

Verse 10 says the axe is at the root of the tree and any tree does not bear good

fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

So what does that fire mean.

Does it mean passion for God.

No.

It means judgment.

Verse 12 the will and fork is in his hand and he will thoroughly clean clean the threshing floor

and gather his wheat into the barn but the chaff he will burn with an unquenchable

fire.

Is verse 12 talking about passion or judgment.

It's judgment.

It's it's it's hail.

So when you get to verse 11 the the verse that's sandwiched in between two passages speaking about

judgment and hail and it says that Jesus baptizes with Holy Spirit and fire.

That fire is not passion it's judgment.

Some people are going to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and some people are going to be

baptized in judgment.

They're gonna be judged.

They're gonna be accountable for the life that they lived.

And so right off the bat there's baptism of John Jesus carrying into baptism

Holy Spirit and judgment.

But yet we see Jesus in the disciples back mostly the disciples baptizing

a Christian baptism the name of Jesus and it's with

water and they're being emerged.

And so right here where it talks about in the name of Jesus when you read the book of Acts it

speaks about two baptisms.

It speaks about the baptism of John.

Were you baptized in the name of Jesus or in the name of John.

Ladies and gentlemen trust me whenever they were back to whenever John was baptizing and John's disciples were

baptizing they were not saying I baptize you in the name of John the Baptist.

No it's just that their baptism was in reference

to the ministry of John.

So same thing here whenever people in the New Testament are being baptized in Jesus

name it was not that they were I baptize your name of Jesus.

It's it's pointing to the ministry of Jesus.

Matthew 28 gives us the formula the name of the Father Son and the Holy Spirit.

And so this baptism is basically just speaking of Christian baptism

or it versus the baptism of John the baptism in the minute the ministry baptism of John

versus Christian baptism.

And so if my churches of Christ brothers want to be consistent and hold that for

repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins then they have to be consistent with

Jesus Christ as well.

Because if they take my interpretation then they have to take my interpretation when I when I speak about

what baptism is momentarily if I get that far tonight

I just wanted to to lay that out.

So the the the promise is the Holy Spirit.

Those who have been given faith they because

as a reformed guy I believe that that that that that faith is preceded

that faith is preceded by regeneration and followed by repentance.

You're saved by grace through faith not of works.

So I believe that upon hearing the gospel God gives you faith to believe.

And when he gives you faith to believe we turn

from our selfishness we turn from our self -righteousness and we turn to God in Jesus

Christ.

That is salvific repentance.

It can't be anything else or else it's works based and I'll get to

baptism later on.

I don't think it'll be tonight but we'll eventually get there.

But when it comes to the churches of Christ and the one is Pentecostals all right.

So our second point is the promise.

I mean excuse me not the promise the people.

So the promise is the Holy Spirit who are the people.

So let's just read verse 39.

For the promise which is the Holy Spirit is for you

and for your children.

And for all who are far off everyone whom the Lord God calls to himself

all right.

So the people are the Jews who were there.

Remember all the Jews from around the world were gathering

together in Jerusalem because of the feast.

So whenever he says the promise is for you he is speaking

about the Jews that were there.

He wasn't talking to look at me.

He wasn't talking to you.

He was talking to the Jews that were there.

The promise is for you the ones who crucified their Lord.

And then he says.

And to your children the children of the Jews who were

there that crucified their Lord he wasn't talking to your children.

Right.

I mean am I an idiot.

Am I missing something.

The promise is for you the Jews whom he's speaking to.

And to your children the Jews who crucified their Lord the

Jews that were there now right here.

And to all those who are far off now this is you this is me

this is the Gentiles.

And then he sums all three of these up in this sentence.

Everyone whom the Lord God calls to himself.

So it's for the Jews those that were there those that took part in this crucifixion those who were

hearing the Apostles proclaim the magnificent works of God

in their own tongue.

And for their children who were probably I would say were there with them.

Like.

But their children would have not been absent.

Their infants would have been there with them.

And all who are far off those that were not there the Gentiles

everyone all y 'all all humans the Jews you

who are hearing me your children your infants and the Gentiles all whoever that

the Lord calls to himself.

I want you to ask yourself being that there were Jews there

being that there were infants there there were children there.

And yet verse 41 says this.

So those who received the word were baptized.

You have to receive the word to be baptized.

Now if this was the sign of the Covenant and the sign pointing back to circumcision

why didn't they at this moment baptize their infants.

Don't tell me that there weren't infants in this group of 3

,000 Jews.

Listen if you try to tell me that there weren't infants we got

major problems major problems.

They were infants at this time with them and they

did not get baptized.

Why.

Because they could not receive.

If you can show me here where infants were baptized I would be a Presbyterian.

I would hands down absolutely.

But it says all those who received were baptized.

Ladies and gentlemen 3 ,000 Jews families come into Jerusalem families

households.

No infants were baptized.

Only those who received were baptized.

And I would also add since I'm harping on this real quick

that this could have been really settled so and I'm fixing to get into Colossians real quick.

But before I do I want to kind of throw a punch at my Presbyterian brothers

if if circumcision is or if baptism is circumcision

you know if it is the New Covenant sign that points to

circumcision how come in Galatians Paul

dealing with the Judaizers who are preaching circumcision.

How come Paul didn't say hey brothers why are you tripping.

We baptize them.

Baptism is the New Covenant sign for circumcision.

Baptism is circumcision.

Circumcision is baptism.

Why are you tripping.

We don't have to circumcise.

We have to baptize them.

Now why wasn't that argument made.

It wasn't made.

Because circumcision and baptism don't point to each other.

Circumcision was not pointing to.

I mean baptism was not pointing back to circumcision.

That's how.

Yeah that's how I should say.

Baptism is not point because circumcision is pointing to something greater.

But baptism is not pointing back to circumcision.

Baptism is not does not come from circumcision.

Now if you believe that there's only one covenant you have no choice but to believe that.

That is true.

If you believe that the covenant of grace was inaugurated in Genesis chapter 315 which I've shown that

it's not it has not been.

It cannot be.

There's no way you can view it as that that if you

believe that you are blinded by your traditions

Paul does not make the argument in Galatians when he's speaking to the

Gent the the Apostles when he goes to the the Apostles and the

the church in Jerusalem.

Or when he's speaking against the the Judaizers he doesn't say why

are you tripping.

We don't have to circumcise them because we baptize them.

That argument is not made.

And it's not made because baptism does not derive from circumcision.

Now I do believe that baptism is the sign of the covenant.

But I don't believe that it points back that it has any any relation with

circumcision the the the cutting of the foreskin.

And this is where we'll go to.

We'll go to Colossians.

Colossians chapter 1.

No excuse me Colossians chapter 2.

So I will read this and I will give you the interpretation that my Presbyterian brothers take

y 'all can probably hear my son crying waking up for a bottle.

So verse 11 Colossians 2 verse 11 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 in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of

God who raised him from the dead.

So they see right here they see verse 11 circumcision.

Verse 12 baptism baptism and circumcision.

Circumcision.

Oh covenant sign.

New new covenant sign baptism.

We circumcised our infants.

Now we baptize our infants again.

This is bad interpretation and so I want to look

at it.

I'm gonna go up a verse first.

Nine notice.

Right here it says.

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.

So who is the nearest antecedent to the in him.

Verse 8 the very end.

It says not according to Christ.

For in him which is Christ the whole fullness of deity

dwells bodily.

Verse 10.

And you have been filled in him.

In who in Christ whom is the head and rule

of all authority.

Now verse 11 in him Christ also you were

circumcised with a circumcision made without hands.

So what is the circumcision that's made without hands.

What's not circumcised.

It's not the cutting of the foreskin.

Go back to it.

Look at it in him also you were

circumcised with a circumcision made without

hands.

Right here it answers you by putting off the body of the flesh

by the circumcision of Christ.

So are being circumcised.

Our circumcision without hands is us being is our body of

flesh being put off and it's called the circumcision

of Christ.

So what is the circumcision of Christ.

Verse 12 having been buried with him in

baptism in which you were also raised with him

through faith in the powerful working of God who raised him from

the dead.

Right here.

And you were dead in your trespasses and uncircumcision.

So when we were uncircumcised we were dead and our trespasses and uncircumcision of our flesh.

But God made a lie made us alive together with him having forgiven us of our

sins.

How did he do that.

By counseling the record of debt that stood against us and its legal demands.

This he set it aside and he nailed it to the cross.

The circumcision of Christ.

Our circumcision of Christ are being.

Are it the circumcision of Christ is listen to me the circumcision of I don't know

which camera look at.

The circumcision of Christ is the crucifixion of Christ.

It's what Paul says in Galatians.

I have been crucified with Christ.

This is speaking of baptism.

I have been crucified with Christ.

It's no longer I who live.

But it's Christ that lives in me in the life that will live in the flesh.

I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

The circumcision of Christ is him.

It's him being crucified on the cross.

It's it's his heel being bruised while it's bruising the head of the serpent.

The circumcision of Christ is the crucifixion of Christ.

It says in him you were circumcised.

I have been crucified with Christ.

It's no longer I who live in him.

You were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of flesh.

Right here it says the verse 13.

And you were dead and your trespasses in the uncircumcision of your flesh.

God made us alive together with Christ forgiven us of our trespasses.

Go back to verse 11.

Having put it off the body of flesh by the circumcision of Christ

was the circumcision of Christ.

It tells you having been buried with him in baptism.

Buried Christ died for our sins.

He was buried and he rose again buried with him in baptism in which you were raised with

him through faith.

Now let's go to Romans chapter 5

verse

3.

No I'm sorry.

Romans chapter 6 verse 3.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized in to Christ

Jesus were baptized into his death.

Let me read that again.

Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized

into his death.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into his death

in order that Jesus in order just in order that just as Jesus was

raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might walk in newness of life.

I have been crucified with Christ.

It's no longer I who live but it's Christ who lives in me in the life.

That I live in the flesh.

I live by faith in the Son of God.

That that are being crucified with Christ is in our baptism.

That our baptism does not point to circumcision.

Our baptism points to the crucifixion of Christ.

Last week I said that that baptism isn't a symbol that it isn't a

cross that you wear around your neck.

But baptism is a sign.

It's the sign of the covenant.

This is my body which is broken for you.

This is my this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

The Lord's Supper represents the death burial and resurrection of Christ.

And you go back to our confession the 1689

chapter 29 paragraph 1.

Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ

to those baptized it is a sign of their fellowship with

him.

Listen in his death and resurrection

of their being grafted into him of remission of

sins and of submitting themselves to God through Jesus Christ

who lived and walked in the newness of life.

So when we say that baptism is a sign of the new covenant we're not saying that it

correlates with circumcision the the mutilating of the

the foreskin of the cutting off of the foreskin.

But we're saying that baptism is a sign that it's pointing back to what Christ Jesus

has done in our behalf him standing in our stead

what he has done to justify us to reconcile us to God.

Our baptism is in him.

It has nothing to do with old covenant circumcision.

It has everything to do with the covenant of grace Jesus Christ dying the death

that we should die.

Where am I at.

Okay 58 minutes.

So at this moment I would be going to the purpose and we will conclude

and get the purpose next week.

So next week I'll do a recap of what I said tonight and then we'll dive into the purpose.

So the three points that we were looking at were the promise the people and the purpose.

So we looked at the promise.

We looked at the people.

The promise is the Holy Spirit.

The people are in the text are the Jews who were gathered together.

It was their children not my children.

Not like it specifically in that text.

It was their children the Jews that were gathered together.

And then we are brought in all those who are far off.

And then he he concludes with all that together by saying everyone whom the Lord God

calls to himself.

And I pointed out that this group of people who who who believed who

received his word were 3 ,000 Jews.

It was these families that were gathering into Jerusalem all over the earth

that they had infant children with them.

And the only people who were baptized or those who received look at that look

again acts 241.

So those who received his word were baptized.

Infants cannot receive the word.

So infants weren't baptized.

So next week we'll get we'll dig back into this.

We'll look we'll go to the purpose and we'll hash out more with the

you know of course the the Presbyterian Covenant theology will deal more with the Church of

Christ idea of baptism and also with one that's Pentecostal ism.

But as always I love y 'all.

I'm not saying any of this to to disrespect anyone to or anything like that.

I'm just asserting what we believe as Baptists.

You know a lot of times I'll get asked the question as a Baptist they'll say something like

do you allow people who hasn't who hasn't taken the to take

the Lord's Supper who hasn't been baptized as a believer.

Or would you allow someone to be a member of your church if they haven't been baptized as a

believer.

And I would.

And so my answer is always this.

Do you want me to be true to my

confession.

Because that's what we confess.

That the Lord's Supper is for those who have been baptized as a believer.

That membership into the church is for those who have been baptized as a believer.

Are you want me to go against my convictions.

Because if you do and something then

the one in the wrong is you not me.

I'm trying to hold true to what I believe.

So I believe that if you have not been baptized as a believer that the Lord's table is not for you.

That's what I believe.

That's what our confession teaches.

I believe if you have not been baptized as a believer that you know I can't

welcome you into membership now am I saying that you're not a Christian.

No absolutely not.

Absolutely not.

Because I don't believe that baptism saves you.

But I believe that the the Lord's Supper is for those who are baptized.

That membership into the congregation is for those who are baptized

now.

If you disagree with that that's fine.

But don't expect me to to back down from

what I believe.

So I don't hurt anybody's feelings because I'm not going to do that.

I'm not going to go against my convictions.

It's not going to happen.

And people should respect that if anything

you know.

So our Presbyterian brothers believe that if you don't baptize your child that you're sinning.

Well I don't hate them for believing that it's consistent with their view.

Because they believe that baptism points to circumcision.

I would say that if you baptize your children you're sinning.

You're breaking the moral law.

Thou shall not steal.

You're stealing your child's baptism.

Now if they want to hate me for believing that that's on them.

But I'm being consistent just like they're being consistent.

So I don't hate them.

I love them.

I know there's a lot of work that still needs to be done when it comes to the subject.

But Baptists listen to me.

Do not back down from your convictions.

I love everyone.

Thank you for listening.

Hallelujah holla back.