God’s Sign of Baptism
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
8/27/2017 AM
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Text:
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Romans 6;
Lord's Day 26
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Psalters: |
177, 89, 234, 396 |
- Its institution.
- Before baptism, God first gave circumcision as a sign of our being forgiven by demonstrating separation from our sins.
- First, the cutting away of a piece of flesh represented the cutting of the sins of the flesh (Col. 2:11).
- Second, this sign indicated His people were separated from the world.
- God always taught that real circumcision was of the heart (Deut. 10:15; Jer. 4:4; Rom. 2:29).
- Baptism came in the place of circumcision, having the same meaning (Col. 2:11,12).
- Baptism’s meaning.
- Real baptism (like real circumcision) is spiritual and speaks of spiritual washing and cleansing (Titus 3:5).
- In addition to washing is the idea of our incorporation into Christ: “buried with Him” into His death and we “are risen with Him.”
- We are so cleansed in Jesus’ sacrifice that we are pure enough to have fellowship with the Holy One.
- This is the meaning of the formula Jesus has us use: “in the name of …” means into fellowship with the Triune God.
- This is our real experience when our faith takes hold of God’s powerful work of raising Jesus from the dead.
- The sacrament assures believers.
- Our conscience can be free (good) toward God because baptism assures us that all our sins have been forgiven us.
- My baptism gives me powerful incentive to live an antithetical life, i.e., he is an enemy to worldliness.
- And the knowledge of my baptism gives me strength to fulfill my calling and to bear life’s burdens.
- Finally, when I fall into sin, I must not despair of God’s unchanging mercy and forgiveness.
- Let us remind ourselves that we were baptized and let us remember what it signifies: washed by and with Christ.