Go Therefore - Part 4 — Erlo Stegen

The Great Commission and Baptism Into God's Name

And he says, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now, this is not referring to the water baptism. It's a pity when people read the Bible, the Scriptures, and they twist it.

That you just baptize anybody and say, well, now they've been baptized in this power. In the Greek it says, go to all the nations. You go then and baptize them, not just in, but into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

That, as it were, God himself were this pool that you baptize the person into, into God himself. Not baptismal water, that's one thing. Here it says, don't baptize, he didn't say, baptize them into the water.

He says, baptize them into the name, and into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This has a deep meaning. For then he says, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

Baptism as Transformation Into God's Nature

For if you baptize someone and put someone into the Father and into God, then he will keep what he has commanded him. This isn't a small thing. You can't say just because you've baptized people, you've fulfilled this commission.

You've baptized them, but they stand up, they smoke, they drink, they use drugs, they kill each other, they slander, they sin, they're promiscuous. If you are baptized into God the Father, the very nature, the very character of God, then they become like him.

You baptize them into the very nature and character of God, and then you will keep what he's commanded us. You teach them, instruct them to keep what he has commanded you. That becomes possible because you've been baptized into God himself.

Indwelling God and Obedience to Christ

You become part of his nature and his character, and he dwells in you, making it possible that you can keep all these things. He says, behold, if you keep all those things, do what I've told you. Behold, I will be with you.

Even to the end of the age. Or in other words, that he will be with us right to the end, until he comes to fetch us again. If you were baptized into the character of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, then you become like him.

And whatever Jesus has told you to do, you'll do it. But if you haven't been baptized right into him, into his name, the name is symbolic of his character. And you can teach your, tell your child, don't it will steal.

Or tell your child, don't have anything to do with boys. Don't mess around with them. Don't have relationships. But the child will do it. But that changes when that child is baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, because then he will keep and the child will keep it.

The Commission Requires Christ's Power

So the Lord Jesus has commanded us to do it. Now let me ask you, how many people have you taught to keep all that which Jesus has instructed and commanded us? But you can't do it in your own strength.

You can only do it in the strength that you get through him to whom all authority and power has been given. Only the Lord Jesus can make it possible.