Baptism - Washing Regeneration

Baptism - The Transformational Cross of Christ

Opener

613 Laws —> Jesus. Jesus said all of those pointed to him in one way or another: “I did not come to abolish The Law and The Prophets but to [fill to the full”. With the temple destroyed in 70 AD Dr Michael Brown points out that some, “75% of the OT laws cannot be obeyed”. It is almost as if God is doing something different! Of course when Jesus came he left the church with two ceremonial ordinances the church was supposed to practice, baptism and The Lord’s supper. And while there is no temple there is water and wine and bread everywhere!

“75% of the OT laws cannot be obeyed” - Dr Brown

The Cross of Christ

What is at the center of these two ordinances? The very center of the mission of our Lord, The cross of Christ. The most important event in all of human history now and forever more. A “believer” is someone who by definition “believes” in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Our inauguration, baptism, as disciples emphasizes this very thing. In other words at the center of baptism a picture of the cross is painted.

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” ( NASB)

Baptism does not save you, that is the washing of water from your body. We as sinners, created in the divine image, need a cleansing that goes deeper than skin deep! We need a cleansing of the soul!

Baptism does not save you, that is a pastor at a church putting you through a ceremony. We need a priest that could go into the heavenly tabernacle before the throne of God on our behalf.

Baptism does not save you, that is a religious gesture or sacrifice to God. We needed one who could once and for all be the sacrifice for sin that could deal with our sin for all time.

Baptism of course does none of those things, but it does point to the very event that does, the cross of Christ. You see as much as baptism is about the death and resurrection of our Lord it is a powerful symbol. Water of course is the perfect picture of making something clean. We at baptism are making an appeal to God for a clean conscience based the atoning blood of Christ. For it is the death of Christ on our behalf that can cast our sins into the sea. That can make us white as snow. That can make us that spotless bride without stain or wrinkle. It is the cross of Christ that can reconcile us to God.

A bloody cross defines our faith

Speak to baptizees.

We don’t leave them in the water right? We raise them back up. Just as Christ has risen so we rise.

We as Christians must never stop being defined by that bloody cross. The cross of Christ must never be downplayed in your life. We must never lose interest in it. We must never cease to study and gaze upon it in The Word of God.

1 Corinthians 2:2 NASB95

For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

I have seen people downplay the cross for more tolerable pieces of Christ ministry. “Let’s not put the emphasis on that bloody cross… lets put it on the miracles the moral teaching, on somewhere else but not that bloody cross.” Some have done this to the detriment of their soul. Some, like Ghandi, took the Sermon on the Mount as the framework for their life but missed out on Christ entirely because they missed out on the cross. You see the moral teachings mean nothing if you are not justified by the moral teacher Himself upon that cross.

Other get fascinated with the miracles. They love nothing more than a supernatural experience. But does not Jesus say,

“ 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’

23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Do not miss what is being said here. Supernatural giftedness is not paramount thing to the Christian life. The cross is!

Romans 3:23–27 NASB95

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 3

23 for all ahave sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation bin His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;

26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

What a glorious thing for this onetime event for the believer where they put faith in Jesus that it would be squarely focused on the event by which Christ “made redemption”.

Born of Christ

But we do not stay in the water do we?

(NASB95)

4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Jesus said, “You must be born again”

The Holy Spirit baptism is the only baptism that gets you into heaven. You are justified. When you believe in the atoning work of Christ on the cross, The Lord declares you in right standing with Him. But it doesn’t stop there.

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

The Body of Christ

What begins with justification, turns to regeneration, to being confirmed to the image of Christ, and ultimately to glorification.

Notice this isn’t a second work of God. This is the Holy Spirit applying the work of Christ on the cross to the believer: “He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

One goes into the waters of baptism a wanderer and comes out a follower. One goes in a defector and comes out a disciple! One goes in a sinner and comes out a saint. That is the picture of baptism. That is what the cross teaches us!

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6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

You could sum up like this: death is not master over Him.... sin is not master over you! Death is not master over Him therefore sin is not master over you. Death is not master over Him so sin is not master over you!

Don’t forget this truth! This is the transformational Gospel!

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said summerizing our Lord, “When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die.” Jesus said, “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, but who ever gives up his life for His sake will keep it unto eternal life.” It is the free gift that cost you everything. You are laying down your ashes and wrags and Christ is giving you the riches of His kingdom.

What a tragedy that men sell their souls for temporary and passing pleasures and ambitions.

They use to have these adds in the paper for car dealerships that said, “push it, pull it or drag it” and they would give you $1,000 on trade in. This is the call of the Gospel except you don’t get a discount on heaven. You get the Lord Himself. You become joint heirs with Him! You get it all! You get the one who is all in all! Some may think there life is pretty nice. I don’t have junker to trade in. This was the very thinking that Jesus challenged again and again.

He told the Pharisees because you say “you see” you remain blind

He told the rich in Laodicea, “Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked”

‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

But that is not you today. Today is your public declaration that you have trusted whole heartedly in Christ.

Jesus says “Follow me” some 22 times in the New Testament. You are here I am here to warn you there are a million voices out there that will be coming for you especially after today that will say “follow me”.

It could be old sins or bad habbits

It could be new ones. Things you never thought you would be entangled in.

It could be relationships both good and bad that seek to take the preeminent place in your heart.

It could be money… what we so professionally call today “career”.

It could be fame.

But you are no mere disciple. You are a disciple of The Lord Jesus Christ. You are being baptized “into” Christ. You are all in for Him. And remember that He will be with you always!

He will be there to lead and guide you

The great commission is are mode for how we “make disciples”. A disciple is a follower if nothing else. But you are no mere disciple. You are a disciple of The Lord Jesus Christ. This is something that cannot be ventured on half heartedly. You are being baptized “into” Christ. You are all in for Him. Renew in your heart today the same zeal, the same intention, the same humility as when you first called upon The Lord. Today is your public declaration that you are all in for Him. To learn all that He has commanded. To do all that He has said no matter the cost or consequence.

He will be there to supernaturally empower you to obey His Word!

He will be there to comfort you.

To bear your burdens and axieties never ceasing to intercede on your behalf

To Today is your public declaration that you are all in for Him. To learn all that He has commanded. To do all that He has said no matter the cost or consequence.

He will be there to forgive your sins

He will be there to supernaturally empower you to serve His body and advance His kingdom

In short you are a new creation in right relationship with the Creator!

Renew in your heart today the same zeal, the same intention, the same humility as when you first called upon The Lord. Today is your public declaration that you are all in for Him. To learn all that He has commanded and To do all that He has said no matter the cost or consequence.

The Body of Christ

Chrisfel, Allie and Karli please come stand up here. Chrisfel, Allie and Karlie the baptism tells us you are by the workings of Christ on the cross part of God’s family. These are your brothers and sisters. Amen?

Congregation. This is your brother, your sister and your sister.

They are going to share a brief testimony now and as they do cheer them on Amen!