1689 London Baptist Confession (part 66)

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Our father we came before you this morning just thankful for the opportunity to worship you
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To look into your word to see what you've revealed to us about yourself even as we think about the fact that The things that you've granted us
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We ought to study and the things that you've not shown us belong to you and we have to trust you
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But father you've given us many things in your word You've given us men over the centuries to study your word to Concentrate consolidate it into Confessions and statements of faith and Lord it is these that we study
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But we want to be faithful to your word father. We thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for All the blessings that are ours in Christ Lord bless each one here in Jesus name.
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We pray amen Man it sounds like we have kids on microphones upstairs well this morning we come to the point in the
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London Baptist Confession of Faith where we're going to see and study really some differences between I Just thought it was interesting looking at the
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Westminster Confession of Faith and the London Baptist Confession of Faith and you'll understand when I say that this morning.
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We're going to be looking primarily at baptism and then next week at the Lord's Supper, so Let me just kind of read this is chapter whatever it is section 37 of our notes of baptism and the
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Lord's Supper and It says the confession says baptism of the
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Lord's Supper are ordinances of positive and sovereign institution Appointed by the
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Lord Jesus the only lawgiver to be continued in his church to the end of the world now when you hear
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That an ordinance is positive You know, I thought about that and I go, okay, what's a what's a negative ordinance?
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what it was that mean and What is a positive ordinance? well the positive they're positive in the sense that They are additions to the moral law of God our
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King the Lord Jesus Commands the church to do these things Now I found a source that said this about positive institution or positive command
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The confession means by that that it is an institution or a command that is
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Not now, this is not really all that clear. So we'll have to expand on a little bit is not inherently moral
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What they mean by this is if you look at baptism or you look at the
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Lord's table In and of themselves you would not look at those things and say well it is sinful to not do them in other words and And here's the big contrast
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People know because they have God's law written in their hearts They know that it is sinful to kill to steal to lust they know these things
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Even if they don't want to confess them They know these things because God has given them a conscience has instituted these things in their minds
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But when it comes to baptism, we don't automatically think if I failed to get baptized, that's a sin
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Right people wouldn't naturally think that and So the
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Lord Jesus when he gives us those commands They become sinful to disobey it is sinful for a
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Christian not to be baptized It is sinful for a Christian not to partake in the
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Lord's table, and that's essentially What the confession is arguing here now, what is the purpose of an ordinance?
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Ah strong writes this he says by the ordinances we mean those outward rights which
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Christ has appointed to be administered in his church as visible signs of the saving truth of the gospel
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I'll say that again visible signs of the saving truth of the gospel So when we see baptism as we will this morning or when we partake in communion
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These are visible signs of the saving truth of the gospel We're gonna talk about baptism this morning
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Some more, but when you think of the Lord's table, well, how is that a visible? Sign of the truths of the gospel saving truths of the gospel.
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Okay, you're participating in it, right? What do you think of the bread you think of the cup?
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Where do they represent his body and his blood or his death, right?
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And so How is that a symbol of the gospel will simple? His body broken for us his
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Blood shed for us his life given for us without that apart from The sacrifice of Christ we have no gospel.
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We have no good news. We have no redemption. So in that sense it would be that picture of our salvation now we have two ordinances as opposed to Seven sacraments of Rome and it's important to keep that in mind because the confession is very particular about What an ordinance is and how many there are?
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So I thought we might just take a moment before we I actually have handouts this morning, which is exciting
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Before we go to the handouts. I wanted to just kind of examine the seven sacraments of Rome and According to Rome each of these administer grace to the recipients
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Now I want to say that again they administer grace to the recipients What does that bring to your mind and I'll be a little more specific and Who is the dispenser of grace in Rome?
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The church is the dispenser of grace You know, do we see that in Scripture?
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I don't I don't really think so I think we would see that God is the dispenser of grace. He gives grace So the seven sacraments the sacrament of baptism and Listen to this and we're going to talk about the contrast of what baptism is versus what
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Rome says it is It removes the guilt and effects of original sin
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Adam sinned I guess we could say Eve sinned Adam sinned
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Adam fell Adam was our representative, right? And they say that that This Baptism washes away the original sin and incorporates the baptized person into the church the mystical body of Christ on earth now
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Does baptism wash away original sin that that is to say think about that because it suggests then that Baptism as an infant brings a person to moral neutrality right with God So is it any wonder that in Catholic hospitals, you know that people are running around trying to baptize babies
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Of course because they want to they want to help that person the second part of it incorporates the baptized person into the church and It's so offends me and I know
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I've mentioned this before but I hate it when I go to Catholic funerals Sorry why for this very reason and Becky's had a few of those in her family others have too and it's not anything against them but when the priest stands up and says
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We know that so -and -so is in heaven the first reason they list is baptism
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Because they're a member of the church the dispenser of grace It's Terrible, it's blasphemous.
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I sat there. I remember Steve Nelson's mom's funeral and I was just clenching my fists. I'd get so You know his mom's in heaven because she was baptized as a baby and because she participated in knitting circles
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And I'm not even making that up the sacrament of baptism.
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So that's one the sacrament of confirmation It's interesting that they used to do it immediately after baptism they would
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Confirm that little person Little baby a member of the church now you have to kind of wait and go through some classes
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But here's what they say about confirmation. It perfects our baptism There was something wrong with it in the first place
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I guess and brings us the graces of the Holy Spirit that were granted to the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday That's what they say confirmation does
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Third The sacrament of Holy Communion This sacrament is the source of great graces that sanctify us and help us grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ I'm not even going into what they say about the transformation of the bread and wine, that's
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Fourth the sacrament of confession go to the priest confess your sins Gives us grace in reconciling us to God Fifth the sacrament of marriage it reflects the union of Jesus Christ and his church true, but it's not a sacrament sixth the sacrament of Holy Orders This is the continuation of Christ priesthood which he bestowed upon his
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Apostles. There are three levels to the sacrament the Episcopate The priesthood and that do you connect the deaconette?
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Yeah that diaconette Seventh the sacrament of the anointing of the sick traditionally referred to as extreme unction or last rites
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That is administered both to the dying and to those who are Gravely ill or about to undergo a serious operation for the recovery of their health and for spiritual strength
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And they say that each of these seven Items bring you great grace, and you know
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I think if we went further We'd find that apart from participation in all these seven you can expect a good chunk of time in purgatory
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So that's Rome To just finish what the confession says about The ordinances these holy appointments are to be administered by those only
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Who are qualified and thereunto called? According to the Commission of Christ, so I mean if you read this it seems that baptism
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Lord's table Basically should be done by elders, but I think it could be reasonably argued that they can delegate this
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But it does make me think that these ordinances ought not to be performed outside of the local church
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Pastor Mike and I were just talking about the idea of You know some couples want to have communion as part of their wedding
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Ceremony because they want to take it together for the first time and that may be very sweet and nice and everything else
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But it doesn't go with the whole intention of communion, which is for the entire body the local body
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Okay, now when I had out these Maybe I can get somebody to help me here hand out these handouts
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Thank you, John because I saw
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I just saw the the contrast Between the two and I thought we might spend two now the the left ones you have on the left hand side
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You have the Westminster confession of faith and on the right hand side. You have the London Baptist confession of faith, and I've sort of Had to rearrange the
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London Baptist confession of faith, so it was a little more Analogous with it. We should be close to having enough
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So okay, well, we'll see we'll see how we are.
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I think we're I think we're pretty close All right, so on the left hand side
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Westminster confession of faith says baptism is a sacraments, and there's that word a
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Sacrament of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ Would we agree with that it is definitely ordained by the
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Lord Jesus Christ, and I think we have about three or four extra And they list
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Matthew 28 19 Which is the Great Commission make disciples and baptize?
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Not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church now
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Didn't we just read that or didn't we just hear that about Rome saying that?
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Get baptized you're part of the church. I don't like that I Don't like that because I don't think it's true
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I mean you get removed from the church later on but I again, I think it has to do with this idea of How many of you ever listened to the debate between RC Sproul and John MacArthur on baptism and it's interesting because Right before that or some months before that Sproul had debated
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Alistair Begg and from what I never listened that debate before when I heard about it
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RC took him to the woodshed and And So I guess he thought he'd dispense with MacArthur too, and it's so he challenges
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MacArthur MacArthur says Sure, if you want to you know on one condition. What's that?
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I get to go first and you know he Pretty much buried
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RC. We were there and I remember RC gets up, and he sort of chuckles a little bit.
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He says now that my friend John Has shown you that it can't possibly
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A Baptism can't possibly apply to infants. Let me tell you why I believe in anyway, and I just said you've lost
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And actually I think it was more like The Bible teaches that it can't possibly be for babies, and he said that he says let me tell you why
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I believe it Anyway, and it had to do with the confession So I don't think we should let the confession
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Trump scripture Well, we shouldn't so Baptized into the visible
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Church now Can you think of problems with that and the Westminster Confession of Faith by the way lists 1st
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Corinthians 12 13 that isn't something? I put on there. That's something they put there, so if you look at 1st
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Corinthians 12 13 Excuse me You know let's see if that convinces you
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See if I can make you into a pedo -baptist this morning with my powers of persuasion
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For in one spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks slaves are free and we're all made to drink of one spirit
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Are you convinced? What's that? Okay, so we should you know then baptize babies?
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Okay And and here's the thing what's the context of 1st Corinthians 12?
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Spiritual gifts right so how many infants are running around? Exercising their spiritual gifts,
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I would say that that's not too compelling of an argument It goes on to say but also unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace that they were
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Well now it's interesting because what is the covenant of grace we don't talk much about it covenant of grace
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Okay, we'll move on Question is though if it is a sign and seal a covenant of grace let let me just Take big picture who is the guarantor of the covenant of grace if there is such a thing as the covenant of grace?
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okay, the Holy Spirit or just Grandly big -picture God, right? So do you suppose that if a person bears the sign and seal of the covenant of grace let's say it's the
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Holy Spirit Would God revoke that?
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And yet what happens is somebody's born into a Presbyterian home they get baptized They grow up and let's say they just walk away from the church and the faith well
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Then they're going to be removed from the church and what does that say about the sign and seal of the covenant of grace?
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they they like what RC did is he made a one -for -one correspondence between baptism and Circumcision which
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I always I always wonder about that anyway because only young men were Circumcised but everybody gets baptized pastor
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Bob was pointing out that you know it's really by the Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians 1213 and that's just being placed into the body of Christ has really nothing to do with the the physical
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Act of being baptized, but even if it was the physical act of being baptized. It doesn't suggest babies should be baptized
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Let's see Of his in grafting into Christ just continuing out of the
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Westminster Confession of Faith of Regeneration that that these are signs and seals of all these things happening in grafting into Christ, right?
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Gentiles being brought into the the body of Christ and Shows that they've been regenerated they've had their sins remitted of his giving up unto
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God through Jesus Christ to walk in the newness of life in other words to Live like like a
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Christian live life like a Christian Which sacrament is by Christ's own appointment to be continued in his church until the end of the world?
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So that's what Baptism means in the Westminster Confession of Faith now the
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London Baptist Confession of Faith says this baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ to be unto the party baptized a
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Sign of his fellowship with him with Christ in his death and resurrection of being
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Engrafted into him of remission of sins and of giving up into God through Jesus Christ to live and walk in newness of life
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Okay, so these are really close Except for one thing
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You know, it's a sign to the person being baptized right in the London Baptist Confession of Faith and over here on the other side
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It's assigned to everybody in the church that this person belongs to Christ Because he's been or she has been baptized now moving down to the second section
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Says the outward element to be used in this sacrament is water Wherewith the party is to be baptized in the name of the
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Father and of the Son of the Holy Ghost by a minister of the gospel lawfully called thereunto
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London Baptist Confession of Faith the outward element to be used in this ordinance is water where in the party is to be baptized in the name of the
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Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit now it doesn't say a Minister of the gospel lawfully caught that's kind of in the previous section sort of indicated but you know here in the
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Presbyterian Confession that would mean somebody who's been licensed by the Presbytery and that's it
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Second paragraph there Dipping of the person into water is not necessary But baptism is rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling water upon the person
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London Baptist Confession of Faith the immersion or dipping of the person in water is necessary Contrast to the due administration of this ordinance, so we'll talk about what that means in just a few minutes here
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So you can see a contrast there in the dipping and the sprinkling kind of idea the third paragraph
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Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ But also infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized so mom or dad is a believer they should the children should be baptized and London Baptist Confession of Faith says those who do profess repentance towards God faith in and obedience toward our
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Lord Jesus Christ are the only proper subjects of this ordinance the
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Presbyterian the Westminster Confession of Faith goes on to say this although it would be a great sin to Contend and I meant to look it up.
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It's not condemned. They really mean contempt anybody know what contempt means is that what it is?
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No, I'm asking Okay, okay,
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I don't have my little phone so I can't look it up Although it would be a great sin to condemn or contemn or neglect this ordinance yet grace and salvation
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Are not so inseparably annexed unto it in other words Well, they explain it as that no person can be regenerated or saved without it in other words
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Baptism doesn't necessarily have to precede regeneration and Salvation for which
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I'm very thankful That all are baptized
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Oh or that all who are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated in other words they say Just because you're baptized doesn't mean you're going to be saved
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The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is ministered yet Notwithstanding by the right of this ordinance the grace promised is not only offered
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But really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Spirit to such Whether of age or infants as that grace belongeth unto
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According to the counsel of God's own will in his appointed time Let me just translate that for you it means that you can be baptized and that might be a sign and seal of the
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Holy Spirit if you're one of the elect And if you're not then it doesn't
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I find that just a very odd thing so you could but you could see there I mean they have to write a lot more about baptism because they have all these
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Qualifications for it any questions or yeah John no they the question was do they rebaptize let's say you know
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You baptize a baby and then you know 15 years later They make a profession of faith the answer is no they wouldn't rebaptize them
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They would just presume that now is the time when the Lord has chosen to regenerate them, so they wouldn't rebaptize yeah,
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Joni Okay, so you had it right there contempt show contempt for despise or scorn
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Yeah Yeah They they really didn't Pastor Bob said not only do they not rebaptize, but they're pretty hostile to that idea they have a term for those who baptize a
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Second time that is anabaptist There's a lot of theology that goes with the anabaptist, but yeah, they weren't too crazy about that And are not too crazy about it in fact in fact.
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I've even heard how about this There are some Presbyterians who are so serious about not baptizing again that they will take a
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Catholic baptism as genuine Right if the person comes to faith later on where you baptize as an infant yes in the
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Roman Catholic Church Well, it's according to the Father and the Son the Holy Spirit Good to go how about this one though?
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baptized in the Mormon Church and There are
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Presbyterians who argue that that's a legitimate Baptism because you're baptized in the name of the Father the
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Son and the Holy Ghost Well don't don't even get me started on that, but they say you know it'd be wrong to rebaptize
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You know that's a good question. I don't know why they're so against it and John asked if it might be because they're against baptismal.
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They're afraid that it might lend credence to Baptismal generation regeneration,
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I don't know if that's it or if it's just that they hold Infant baptism in such a high place that they don't they don't want to yeah there might be some variance there because I I you know the the person who
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Didn't want to rebaptize Mormons, I don't think that would be a majority position so yes Pastor Bob was relaying that when he was in the mission field that they had a
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Presbyterian family come and serve alongside them and one of the kids Got saved and thought
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I need to be baptized as a believer and the parents just were steadfast against that so yeah, and and It seems very odd to me.
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I mean I would want to see I mean of course. I'm a Baptist, but I would want to see You know my kids give testimony and be baptized, but Other thoughts questions
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Charlie. Yeah, I don't I don't really get it I mean it does seem well, and if we look back historically
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You know again putting into the context of Rome, and I meant I meant to look this up if maybe we'll do this next week
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But there there are a long list of groups that held What Rome thought were aberrant theologies and what happened to them?
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What happened to all of them? Rome tracked them down and killed them right so Luther comes along and You know kind of reestablishes the gospel as it were and The Reformation starts spreading is it any wonder if you just think about it as a matter of survival
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That they would lean towards infant baptism because if you get the kids into Lutheranism or whatever ism it is
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Well now they have whether they're believers or not they have a vested interest in defending against Rome right so you've got an army and You know
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I I wouldn't say that's a good reason for it But I think in my mind that's part of the reason why they just did it yeah
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I mean, this is a big issue and and I think they I think it was
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MacArthur who said you know it's time to finish the Reformation. Let's get rid of infant baptism He For time to time he says provocative things,
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I don't know Gets himself in trouble Yeah, it depends on the church and actually that that's why
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R. C. Sproul jr. Was defrocked because he was practicing that and you know when you think about it.
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It does make it's consistent, right if Baptism is a means of grace and infants should get it then why not communion too so a nature right?
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but you weren't baptized as a baby right and and see in the child or the young person that Bob was talking about was but But yeah, well, it's and you're not really part of the church, right?
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I mean, they don't they don't go to five -year -olds and go What do you guys think of the color of the carpet or you know? Anything I mean they don't have it and they don't expect them to Right and that would be the confirmation process or or whatever they call it.
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Yeah, okay good anyway I just thought that was interesting so I thought I'd highlight that this morning
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Other thoughts or questions before we go into yes a sacrament. Yeah, it doesn't say what will happen if you don't right now
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I'll tell you what do you think the number one reason people don't get baptized this? Besides that they're not saved.
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I mean the number one reason what do you fear? Yeah, they don't want to get up in front of the church and give their their testimony
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I What's that Yeah, that's an argument for pedo -baptism, right that's already done
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No testimony needed. Okay, any other questions Bob? I I Think it if I recall correctly and you correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was somewhere around The third century when infant baptism became more prevalent and then when
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I'm sure when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the
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Empire that became even more prevalent because you know Everybody's a Christian. So baptize all those babies
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Charlie. That's a good question
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I think I think all we would have you know, the question is, you know Is there a biblical example giving your testimony before you get baptized?
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Well, or yeah Or dunking people while they're testifying Or if they're going on too long, all right enough of that, you know
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Which is why now we practice holding your nose because there were some problems That's a good point
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I I think I think or a good question I think what we would see in the Bible though is people make some
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Profession of faith or exhibit some desire. I mean like, you know, you think about the Ethiopian eunuch
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There was nobody for him to testify before right That we that we know of I mean he may have had some people accompanying him that aren't mentioned in the text
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But he listens to Stephen and he says, you know, there's some water what prevents me from being Baptized so I I think
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I think what we would typically see is, you know, even in Pentecost Peter gives this sermon and the people are
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You know cut to the heart and they say what must we do? Right, and so it's repent and be baptized each one of you so it's had that change of mind and But it started with them saying, you know, we we know that we've sinned.
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What do we do? We know that we were we were wrong Of the thoughts about that Bob, okay
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Romans 10 9 if you believe, you know that I Can't even recite it now that Jesus is the
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Christ and a living God, you know You know you shall be saved so could that be a confession that they were making at that time during baptism
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Yes, I I think we have the examples and I think we would Typically say that you know, who who is it who gets baptized?
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Disciples right believers followers of Christ from the Great Commission so any last
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Charlie and we're gonna get to that we're gonna get to the the whole thing in fact,
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I have a quote from a living Baptist Talking about it.
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So about people who can't get in the tank or oh, what were you gonna say?
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I mean that that would be an interesting thing. You know, I I think probably what we would do in a situation like that.
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I mean Yeah, it'd probably do exactly that a
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Q &A type of thing Depends on how severe it is, but I I wouldn't want people to use it.
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I Have a phobia of public speaking. Well, so do I you know? What's that Right.
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So so it has to be a deep kind of like, you know If you do that, I'm gonna black out or I'm gonna you know
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Okay Well, then then we'll have to Well, at least that way
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I won't strain my back until I bring you out that'll be the strain of the back Yeah, so I I you know,
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I think you have to take every case individually and sort of be sensitive to it But I think if somebody just says
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I'm afraid well Okay Let's walk you through this and see if you can you know do if we have to blindfold you
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I don't really you know I just don't want to see a bunch of people. Okay here.
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I Mean that was one of the nice things about Grace Community Church. I remember when Janet was getting baptized I or a dollar now what
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Janet was gonna get baptized and she goes, you know They're all those people and everything out and I'd been baptized before her and so I said
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You know some months before that and I just said listen when you're there and they have because it's a big place
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And then these lights because they dim all the house lights And so the spotlights are on you and I said I have to be honest
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I couldn't see anybody out there, you know, so I don't think that made her feel any better, but I Couldn't Well, probably because you were looking for him
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I just kept you know, I kept looking skyward for the Lord to appear All right, well we have to close because I've got a couple things to do here before baptism, so let's pray
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Father we thank you for your word. We thank you for the clarity with which it speaks
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We thank you even for our Presbyterian brethren. We know that they love the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaim the gospel and we thank you for that Even if we disagree on secondary issues
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Lord we do indeed have Fellowship with them in the larger body of Christ father.
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We thank you for the Reformers just the man who brought The gospel back into the light out of the darkness it had been in for so many centuries under Rome Father even as we look forward to seeing baptism this morning.
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We give you the praise and the glory for that and for saving Many people and bringing them to faith and Putting yourself on display in baptism.
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It's not about the people. It's not about the baptizer or the person who's getting baptized it's about how you change lives and Regenerate souls and we praise you for that in Jesus name.