The Local Church 3 - Part 1 — William MacDonald

Romans 6 and Freedom from Sin

Please turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6, 6th chapter of Romans, beginning at verse 1. Romans 6, verse 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death. That just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted, united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

For he who has died has been freed from sin. Tonight we're going to think first of all about the two ordinances of the Christian church. Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Some also believe that foot washing is an ordinance of the church.

Some very fine Christians practice that. However, we feel that the scriptures do not exactly bear that out. Baptism, instituted by the Lord Jesus when He gave the Great Commission to His disciples. Go into all the world, preach the gospel, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism as an Ordinance Explained Through Scripture

Baptism, instituted in the gospels, practiced in the book of Acts. You see it all the way through the book of Acts that those who trusted in the Lord Jesus were baptized in His name. And then expounded in the epistles.

Here you have the spiritual, the scriptural explanation of baptism and what it means. And what does it mean? Well, I like to use the three letters A, B, C. Baptism means allegiance. It's a pledge of allegiance to the Lord Jesus.

I think we all know what that means. Pledge allegiance to the flag. Pledging our loyalty to the flag and to the republic for which it stands. When you're baptized, you're taking your public place. Pledging your allegiance to Jesus Christ.

Say, I belong to Christ and Christ belongs to me. Baptism is burial. We read that here. If we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.

And it pictures the death of the old man. It pictures the death of the old nature. Now we're new creatures in Christ Jesus. And in type, at least, the old man is being buried. When the Lord Jesus died at Calvary, He died not only as my substitute, He died as my representative.

He not only died for me, He died as me. When He died, I died in Him. When He was buried, I was buried in Him. When He rose again, I rose again in Him as well. Allegiance, burial, see, commitment. It's a commitment to walk in newness of life.

Living the Baptized Life

It's just not a matter of ritually going under water, being immersed in water. But it's a public statement that I intend by the strength and grace of God to live a new life. To be committed to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

And I think this is very important. A lot of people think that when they're baptized, well, they've jumped that hurdle. And that's the end of that. But it really isn't the end of that. It's the beginning of something.

It's not enough to be baptized in water. We should go out from there to live the baptized life. So it should be a daily matter, our baptism. It's a continuum from that day that we took our place with Christ in the waters of baptism.

Now we go out to live as those who have died with Christ. Who have died to sin. Who have died to sin as master. I don't know if you noticed that. It says in one of the verses of chapter 6. We've died to sin.

Just let me get it. He who has died has been freed from sin. Freed from sin? I sin every day and thought word and deed. It might help you in understanding a verse like that to think. If you don't want to write them in your Bible.

Freed from sin as master. As master. Because that's really what it means. And it goes on to explain that in the rest of the chapter. Sin no longer has dominion over the child of God. Sin shall not have dominion over you for you're not under law.

Grace, Freedom, and Obedience

You're under grace. When man is under law he's in a state of bondage. But when he's under grace he's in a state of freedom and liberty. He can do what he wants to do because what he wants to do is what Christ wants him to do.

That's the will of God. It's the most agreeable thing to the new nature. So I just like to leave that thought with you. Don't think that ritual baptism in water is the end of anything. It's not the end.

It's just a beginning where you take your stand for the Lord Jesus. And where you go out to live that kind of a life. A life of separation from sin and the world to God. Very, very important. Is baptism important?

Baptism, Salvation, and Christian Obedience

Well, it really is important. Do you have to be baptized to be saved? No, you don't have to be baptized to be saved. But you do have to be baptized to be obedient. And I like to remind people that if they're saved by the grace of God and have resisted baptism and refuse to be baptized they will be unbaptized for all eternity.

Because there's no baptismal tanks in heaven. I think Presbyterians think they might have a second chance in the river of life in heaven but there's no scripture that would warrant that. No, if you go to heaven, you can go to heaven through the merits of Christ without being baptized but as I say, you'll be unbaptized for all eternity.

It's one of those wonderful things that you can do down here to please the heart of Christ you won't be able to do in eternity. When you trust Christ as your Savior, I don't think the devil necessarily sees it.

Baptism as a Public Witness Under Persecution

The devil is not omniscient. He's not omnipresent. He's not omnipotent. And he doesn't know everything that's going on. But you know, when you're baptized, he knows it. Because he can see that. That's open to the public.

And that's why in many cultures and nations of the world today and other religions, that is in countries where other religions hold sway you can trust Christ and not suffer persecution. But when you're baptized, the persecution begins.

And oftentimes it ends in death. But even in this country, parents of children who've been saved tell them they'll have to get out of the house if they're baptized. There is that measure of persecution in this country as well.

An anti-Christian bigotry. So, when you think of baptism, think of three letters. A, B, C. Allegiance, baptism, commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. The other ordinance of the Christian church is the Lord's Supper.

The Lord’s Supper as Central Christian Worship

And this is the central act of the church's worship.