What's the Point of Baptism? Pt. 4
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Introduction
Introduction
In the past few weeks we have seen the biblical evidence for our Baptist beliefs on Baptism.
In the past few weeks we have seen the biblical evidence for our Baptist beliefs on Baptism.
In the past few weeks we have seen the biblical evidence of our Baptist views on Baptism
In the past few weeks we have seen the biblical evidence for our Baptist beliefs on Baptism.
This week I want us to look at what Baptism means for those Baptized and those that will be
CoG defined
Baptism as a “means of grace”
Means of Grace defined - a tangible act or experience God uses to communicate an intangible reality
Preaching
Not a powerless human explanation of God’s word
It is Spirit empowered and purposeful
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isa 55:
Praying
Not empty words spoken to nothing
Establishes communion with a Holy God, creator of all things
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
Baptism & Lord’s Supper
Sacraments (Ordinances)
Not mere memorials
We mysteriously take part in Christ Himself when, by faith, we take part in these ordinances
16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
1 cor 1
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,
There is nothing extravagant about these simple acts
God uses common elements (speach, bread, wine, water) to do an uncommon work in the lives of believers
Natural elements to bring about the supernatural
Baptism as a Means of Grace
Baptism as a Means of Grace
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 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, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
This passage is difficult to interpret
Some use this passage to reinforce the view of baptismal regeneration
There is an important message about baptism here
We must examine the context in order to arrive at this message
Christ is raised in victory (18)
Christ is raised in victory (18)
We see three passive actions in this verse (suffered, put to death and made alive)
Suffered -
Christ suffers for our sins once for all
27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
heb 7:
Heb
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.
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Heb 9:
Christ’s suffering satisfies the justice of God
20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Put to death in the flesh and made alive in the spirit
It is the death of Christ that satisfies the wrath of God for the elect
It is the resurrection of Christ that vindicates Christ and gives victory to the elect
The victory we have in the death and resurrection of Christ enables us to enter God’s presence
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Jesus removes the sin that separates us from God making us acceptable to God
Christ proclaims victory (19-20a)
Christ proclaims victory (19-20a)
First active noun in the passage “proclaim”
What was proclaimed?
Some say the gospel to those in hell
This is a large assumption with no scriptural evidence
There is no scriptural evidence that men get a second change to repent after death
Some say the gospel to those in the days of Noah
What is meant by “proclaimed?”
To say the gospel is adding to the text
The text does not say the gospel was proclaimed
Simply Christ’s victory was proclaimed
Not an evangelistic message
I believe he simply proclaimed victory upon his ascension to Heaven
Specifically to the disobedient supernatural spirits
The word spirit has two qualifications
In prison
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
rev 20:1
7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;
6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
Scripture does not say that the souls of men are kept in prison
2. Disobedient
The spirits themselves are disobedient
Not the spirits of the disobedient
This idea of supernatural spirits agrees with what we read in the gospels
11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”
Christ does not help angels
16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.
Baptism proclaims victory
Baptism proclaims victory
Victory over wickedness
What can we appeal to?
Christ and His ultimate victory