The New is Here!

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Intro:

The successful Christian lives by what he Knows & Practice

The main factor in a Christian's spiritual failure is lack of knowledge, ignorance about the spiritual truths available to him

In Romans 6:1-6 the key word is the verb "to know" where it appears three times, verses 3, 6 and 9 - Paul wants us to know something...

In other words, he is saying "you need to understand something".

The successful Christian lives by what he knows.

If the devil can keep us in the dark, in ignorance he keeps us neutralized.

What do we need to know?

The Dynamics of Baptism in the Life of the Believer .

Baptism is an illustration of three spiritual truths in the life of the believer:

I. NEW LIFE 2 Cor.5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

...The new life has a beginning, and baptism is the inauguration of this new creation!

a. Baptism is the inauguration of this new life!

In the Bible, every believer begins his or her journey as a follower of Jesus by following Jesus at baptism.

Acts 2:37–38 NIV

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “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 gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:41 NIV

41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 8:12 NIV

12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 8:36–38 NIV

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 37 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

Acts 10:47–48 NIV

47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Acts 16:14–15 NIV

14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Acts 16:29–33 NIV

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.

Acts 18:8 NIV

8 Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

Acts 22:6–16 NIV

6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8 “ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10 “ ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. 12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. 14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

every believer begins his or her journey as a follower of Jesus by following Jesus at baptism. Never the other way around.

A person begins his life as a follower of Jesus through baptism.

b. The Commission of The Church is to Make Disciples

Matthew 28:19 NIV

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

1. The disciple is not just a frequent listener of Jesus, he is a follower, he is where Jesus is.

John 12:26 “26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

James 1:22 “22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

1. There are many who want to “follow” Jesus – singing... playing... cooking... taking care of the children in the church... but refuse to follow Jesus in baptism.

2. Baptism is an act of inauguration, it marks the beginning of the life of a disciple.

Second spiritual truth Baptism is an illustration of

II. NEW IDENTITY

Baptism is a illustration of

a.Spiritual Union with Jesus

Romans 6:3–4 NIV

3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

The text says that baptism is an illustration of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

Colossians 2:12 NIV

12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

The apostle Paul want us to know that when believers are baptized, they are symbolically united with Jesus in His death and resurrection.

Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, believers, through baptism, are spiritually raised to live a new life, free from the power of sin.

The apostle Paul want us to know the transformative effect of baptism, signifying the believer's identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

Baptism illustrate spiritual union with Christ and it proclaim

b. New Spiritual Status

When the true believer passes through the waters of baptism he is declaring to the world that his or hers spiritual status has changed:

i. As Christ died, he also died...

a. ...to sin

b. ...to the consequence of sin (6:23)

c. ...the judgment of sin.

Romans 8:1“1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

ii. He also declares that he has been raised to a new life, with a new identity.

a. ...life of freedom in Christ

b. ...life free from the wages of sin

c. ...life free from the dominion of sin

d. ...life free from the judgment and condemnation to come.

iii. Baptism symbolizes that the person:

a. ... listened to Christ

b. ...died with Christ

c. ...he was resurrected with Christ and is now a new creature. (1Pe.2:9-10)

The third spiritual truth that the apostle Paul wants you to know is that Baptism is an illustration of

III. NEW CHARACTER

Mark 16:15–16 NIV

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Mark 16:15-16 records Jesus' commission to His disciples after His resurrection.

He instructs them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Those who believe and are baptized will be saved, but those who do not believe will be condemned.

This passage emphasizes the importance of two things Essential to salvation.

Faith in Jesus and baptism.

There are two lines of interpretation regarding baptism:

first, a person needs to be baptized to be saved; and second, baptism is a symbol or outward sign of one who has believed and been saved.

Notice two things:

Which may go unnoticed by many people.

Believing is an act of obedience to a requirement of God for those who wish to be saved; and baptizing is also an act of obedience to a requirement of God for those who believe.

Baptism is an act of obedience to a demand of God just as belief is.

Very Simple: if a person wants to be saved, God says (commands, demands...): Believe, and if the person has believed, God says (commands, demands...) be baptized.

A question we need to answer: "Is it possible for a person to sincerely say "I believe" and then immediately rebel against his Lord in the matter of baptism?"

How can a sincere person, at the same time, believe and rebel by not obeying the Lord in baptism?

When the Scriptures confront the reality of this situation, they are firm and objective.

The person who truly believed in the Lord Jesus will not refuse to follow Him in baptism or anything. (Luke 9:23).

Believing and obeying are the sides of the same coin.

Hebrews 5:9. "(Jesus)... became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him"

There is no faith without works or without fruits.

Faith without obedience is not what the Bible teaches about faith.

Biblical faith is the faith that embraces the Lord with the heart and diligently seeks to do His will because it believes that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

The person who truly believes follows the Lord in Baptism, or wherever it may be.

It does not mean that the person will be perfect, it means that he will not continue to live in rebellion to His will.

a. This does not mean the person will be perfect and never fail. Far from it. He will fail, but he will not continue in sin. He will get up out of his sin, ask God to forgive him, and begin to follow the Lord even more.

Baptism illustrates the inauguration of a new life..., a new identity..., and a new character.

The main factor in the spiritual failure of a Christian is the lack of knowledge of these and other spiritual truths available to him...

CONCLUSION

A very important reason to be baptized

a. Approval. Baptism gives us God's approval.

Luke 3:21–22

“When Jesus was baptized a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.””

When a person believes and is baptized, God is pleased because that person is obeying, inaugurating his walk of faith exactly as Jesus inaugurated it!

At Jesus' Baptism, God demonstrated His approval in at least three ways:

1. The Heavens were opened...

a. For Jesus, that was special, to feel the glory and presence of the Father at that moment. He needed that to begin his ministry. The Father's seal of approval to reveal to John and everyone there that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29).

2. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove.

a. This symbolized that the Holy Spirit identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior, and that he had the power and approval of God.

3. The Voice of God was heard...

b. We should not procrastinate Baptism, it is our inauguration!

1. Baptism should be followed as soon as a person believes in Jesus.

2. There is no Biblical reason to wait... Acts 2:38-39; 8:12, 38; 9:18; 16:14-15, 31-33; 18:8; 19:3-5;—

3. It is our first opportunity to show God and the world that we are a new creation and that we are with the Lord through thick and thin...

i. ...That we want to see His plans fulfilled in our lives...

ii. We live in a time when our generation lives to do what God disapproves, but we seek God's approval in our lives. Amen!

Invitation: In addition to those who are here to be baptized, is there anyone else who has already confessed their sins and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives and today wants to be baptized as the Bible teaches?