Baptized Into Christ
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Reading of the text
Reading of the text
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
“But now that faith has come...” - In our last lesson we discussed what Paul means by “before faith came” in verse 23, which was? The new covenant
So now that the new covenant has come “…we are no longer under a guardian”
We used the analogy of a school teacher to describe one role of the law in our lives and in the history of redemption
Here we will that we are no longer under the law in one aspect of it’s purpose, but the law is not abolished in it’s totality
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Jesus came to fulfill the law in all measure. He not only lived a sinless life, but also fulfilled the prophesies and the ceremonial laws, hence why Christ is the ultimate a final sacrifice and thus the sacrificial system rendered completed and no longer necessary.
24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Break down passage in discussion
So if the law is complete does the law apply to us today? if so, how so? - John Calvin’s answer below
Is the law so abolished that we have nothing to do with it? I answer, the law, so far as it is a rule of life, a bridle to keep us in the fear of the Lord, a spur to correct the sluggishness of our flesh,—so far, in short, as it is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that believers may be instructed in every good work,” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17,)—is as much in force as ever, and remains untouched.
John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 109–110.
As John Calvin gives us the imagery of a horse being guided by the tools of the horse rider, so are we given guidance by the law though we are free from it’s condemnation
2. “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” - Under the law the Jews were enslaved until the time of the new covenant. Paul will argue in Chapter 4 that the Jews were like children, who were not mature enough to receive the inheritance and as such he argues are not much different than slaves. The gentiles were also enslaved, though enslaved to the basic principles of their pagan faith. We will dive into that more in Chapter 4
Though as sons of God we have freedom, the greek word “huioi” is a legal term used in adoption and inheritance laws of Rome within the first century, which leads us to see that regardless of our sex, social class, nationality, ect. we are counted as “sons” legally, and thus receive the inheritance, the privileges, and obligation rights as His children.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
This adoption is done “Through Faith” - We have already discussed at length in this epistle that it is those of faith who are sons of Abraham (Gal. 3:7), which is the same as being adopted by God into the promise as heirs with Christ
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
He, being Christ, was rejected by many of the physical descendants of Abraham, though that is not to say that there was not a remnant of God’s faithful people like in other times throughout biblical history, However as a general whole they rejected Jesus as the messiah.
In verses 12-13 John identifies characteristics of those who received Christ and also what they received
Those who receive Jesus as Christ are those who believed in his name(in who he said he is) and are those who were born of God
Then it follows that after these things, in a logical order, that they then are given the right to be adopted by God, they are counted as heirs with Christ
So we see that adoption is done through faith
3. “For as many of you were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” - What is baptism? What does it mean to be baptized into Christ? How does that relate to Christ being “put on” us?
Bapitzo is the greek word that we transliterate into baptize - It means to “to Plunge, dip, immerse” thus why when we baptize we submerge the individual in water
This is seen in some places in the NT such as Mark 1:5-10 and Acts 8:36-39.
Baptism is for people who have given a believable profession of faith in Christ that is an evidence of saving faith, we call this believers baptism as there are other views on baptism - After Peter’s sermon at Pentecost many who believed in Christ were Baptized
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
We also see in Samaria, Philip proclaims the gospel and those that believe are baptized
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
We also see that baptism is for those who have recieved the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit
14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
So we know what the word baptize means and who it is for, but what is it’s theological meaning? and what does that mean for believers?
Baptism is an outward sign/symbol of our union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, the cleansing and purification of our sins, and God’s inward regenerating work in our heart - regeneration being “a secret act of God in which he imparts new spiritual life to us”
In Romans and Colossians we see our union with Christ as those
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
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.
Being submerged into water symbolizes our death to burial with Christ and being raised from the dead in our emergence from the water
The water itself can be symbolized in two other powerful ways
First is that the waters symbolize the waters of God’s judgement as seen with Noah's flood (Gen. 7:6-24), the drowning of the Egyptians (Ex. 14:26-29), and Jonah (Jonah 1:1-16) and interestingly enough Jonah was submerged into the depths by a large sea creature for 3 days and 3 nights
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. 3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ 5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head 6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.
I share in the idea that Jonah actually died and was resurrected - Jesus liked his own death and resurrection to Jonah in Matt. 12:40
40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
We in a sense share in this experience of going down into the waters of judgement and death and only coming to be resurrected by the merits of Christ, in whom we are united with by faith, of course which baptism is an outward sign for.
In 1 Peter 3:21 we see the link between the waters of God’s judgement and salvation symbolized in baptism
20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
This text is not saying that sacrament of baptism saves you, as we know that justification is by faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9), that all who rely on works are under a curse (Gal. 3:10), but if we think of it in the sense of Ezekiel 36:25-27 and Titus 3:5
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
We see the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is the inward reality taking place in God’s elect, while the physical sign of baptism points to this reality
Peter says that Baptism doesn’t save because of an outward physical act of water washing away dirt from your body, but because of the inward washing away of your sins, regeneration of your spirit, and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness onto you all of which the symbol of baptism represents
This appeal for a good conscience is a request of assurance of salvation that all sin has been forgiven and that the relation with God has been reconciled Hebrews 9:14
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
This of course is secured through the resurrection of Christ Jesus
4. With a, hopefully, more full picture of Baptism we may understand what is meant by being “baptized into Christ...” we can understand the metaphor of having “…put on Christ.” - John Calvin I think expertly put forth the meaning in his commentary on Galatians
He therefore explains, in a few words, what is implied in our being united, or rather, made one with the Son of God; so as to remove all doubt, that what belongs to him is communicated to us. He employs the metaphor of a garment, when he says that the Galatians have put on Christ; but he means that they are so closely united to him, that, in the presence of God, they bear the name and character of Christ, and are viewed in him rather than in themselves.
Our new lives as Christians is characterized by our unity in Christ, that though we still struggle with the flesh, we have the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead also raises us from the dead, both spiritually and bodily (Romans 8:11, Eph. 2:4-6), of which that spiritual rebirth frees us from sin and death (Romans 8:2)
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
We will finish this lesson up with Hebrews 10:19-22
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
We have access to God by the covering or the putting on of the blood of Christ, by the way of Christ do we can make way past the curtain that was a barrier between us and God in the holy of holies. Christ who makes intercession for us gives us confidence to draw near to God with a good conscience by the regeneration of our spirit by the Holy Spirit
We share in the same blessings and inheritance as Christ does himself, we are in union with him