C. BOSTIAN A NEW IDENTITY: 1/29/06
Through Baptism
[S] Hebrews 6:1-3 (KJV)
Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;
not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith
toward God, [2] Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of
resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. [3] And this will we do, if
God permit.
THIS
VERSE HAS BEEN THE BASIS OF MY GOAL IN MINISTRY. WE NEED TO BUILD A LIFE ON THE FOUNDATIONAL DOCTRINES OF THE
BIBLE THAT WILL HELP US FIND OUR IDENTITY IN THE PERFECTION OF JESUS
CHRIST. [S] IN A SENSE WE LEAVE THE BASIC TEACHINGS REGARDING OUR
SALVATION AND DEAL WITH THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF CONFORMITY TO THE IMAGE AND
LIKENESS OF CHRIST IN OUR PERSONAL CONDUCT AND BEHAVIOR. THAT’S WHAT THE AUTHOR TO THE BOOK OF HEBREWS
MEANS WHEN HE SAYS LEAVING THE PRINCIPLES OF THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST, LET US GO
ON FROM THERE TO PERFECTION. THE WORD
PERFECTION MEANS FULLNESS OF AGE, COMPLETION OR BECOMING A MATURE BELIEVER IN
CHRIST. ONE OF THOSE BASIC DOCTRINES
THAT I DON’T PREACH A LOT ABOUT IS THE DOCTRINE OF BAPTISM AND THAT’S WHAT I
WANT TO LOOK AT THIS MORNING BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO CANDIDATES FOR WATER BAPTISM
TONIGHT AT THE RAMKOTA.
[S] Mark 16:16 (KJV)
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned.
[S] Romans 6:1-4 (KJV)
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin,
that grace may abound? [2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live
any longer therein? [3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into
Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [4] Therefore we are buried with him
by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Baptism is one of many things in the church that most
everyone is familiar with. we’ve heard the word, we’ve seen it done and we know
that it’s an important part of the Christian experience. jesus himself said, he
that believes and is baptized shall be saved. But I wonder if we really
understand what it’s all about. When did baptism begin? Why do we do it? What’s
the purpose of being baptized? those are some valid questions that i hope to
answer this morning.
[S] Exodus 12:48-49 (KJV)
And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and
will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then
let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land:
for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. [49] One law shall be to him
that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
To begin understanding this thing called Christian baptism we first have to
understand that Christianity was born out of Judaism. Jesus Christ, in his
flesh, was a Jew - descended from the lineage of King David. [S] After his birth he was
presented to the high-priest and was circumcised. He grew up in a Jewish home.
He was taught all of the Jewish laws, customs and traditions. He fully
participated in the Jewish religion, celebrating in all of the feasts and
festivals. He would have had a bar-mitzvah like ceremony at the age of 13. As
an adult, he was recognized as a Jewish rabbi - giving him authority to speak
to people gathered at the synagogue.
[S] Matthew 5:17-18 (KJV)
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the
prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. [18] For verily I say unto
you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass
from the law, till all be fulfilled.
As Jesus began his ministry, [S] he called 12 men to follow
him and be his disciples. These men were all Jews. During the 3 1/2 years they
spent together, before Jesus death, resurrection, and ascension—they remained
Jews. They continued to observe and practice the fundamentals of the Jewish
religion, [S] with Jesus helping them to look outside of the
legalistic box constructed by the Pharisees and Sadducees, and see the true,
rich meaning behind their religious practices. Jesus
[S] Luke 22:15 (KJV)
And he
Jesus unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you
before I suffer:
1 Cor. 5:7
(KJV)
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be
a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed
for us:
Once we understand that christianity was born out of
judaism, we can begin to understand why we as Christians do some of the things
we do today. For instance - when we celebrate communion in our churches today,
we are really celebrating the Jewish Passover which was fulfilled by Jesus
Christ and fully explained by Him during the last supper with his disciples.
Our Christian marriage ceremonies today are a beautiful picture of the Jewish
understanding of covenant. Like these and many others, baptism finds it’s roots
in the ancient Jewish practice of proselyte baptism FOUND IN THE TALMUD. Let’s
take afew moments to examine this practice together and
[S] Leviticus 19:33-34 (KJV)
And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land,
ye shall not vex him. [34] But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be
unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were
strangers in the
THE WORD PROELYTE IN THE HEBREW IS THE WORD FOR
SOJOURN AND TO FIND REFRENECE TO A JEWISH PROSELYTE YOU NEED TO DO A SEARCH
USING THE WORD STRANGER OR THE WORD SOJOURN. [S] SO THIS PROSELYTE BAPTISM IS A BONIFIDE RITUAL
IN THE O.T. AND IS THE ORIGIN OF N.T. WATER BAPTISM. JESUS HIMSELF MADE REFERENCE TO IT IN THE
N.T. WE HE CONFRONTED THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF HIS DAY:
[S] Matthew 23:15 (KJV)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make
him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
From the time of Abraham to the time of Jesus, the Jewish people were the
[S] Esther 8:17 (KJV)
And in every province, and in every city,
whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and
gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became
Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.
NOW, There was A process through which a non-Jew could become a Jewish proselyte,
[S]
and
that process involved three things. A sacrifice, circumcision, and baptism. The
sacrifice was a heifer or a pair of turtledoves. It was brought to the priest
and given as a burnt offering to God. ALL THE SACRIFICES IN THE O.T. ARE TYPES AND SHADOWS
OF THE ONE PERFECT SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST WHO TOOK OUR PLACE ON THE CROSS
AND DID FOR US WHAT WE COULD NOT DO FOR OURSELVES. HE PAID THE PENALTY FOR OUR SINS SO THAT WE
COULD ENTER INTO FELLOWSHIP AND COMMUNION WITH GOD.
[S] Hebrews 9:26 (KJV)
For then
must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself.
1 Peter 2:24 (KJV)
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on
the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed.
[S] Hebrews 9:12 (KJV)
Neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into
the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Hebrews 10:11-12 (KJV)
And every
priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins: [12] But this man, after he had offered one
sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
[S] THE ONLY WAY A NON
CHRISTIAN, WHETHER HE BE JEW OR GENTILE, CAN BECOME CONVERTED TO CHRISTAINITY
IS BY ACCEPTING THE ONE PERFECT SACRIFICE OF JESUS AS AN ATONEMENT FOR THEIR
PERSONAL FAILURE AND SIN. THE ONLY WAY
WE HAVE ACCESS INTO FELLOWSHIP AND COMMUNION WITH GOD IS BY THE SHED BLOOD OF
JESUS CHRIST.
NOW, The next thing that had to
[S] Romans 2:28-29 (KJV)
For he is
not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is
outward in the flesh: [29] But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision
is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not
of men, but of God.
[S] Philip. 3:3 (KJV)
For we are the (true) circumcision, which worship
God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the
flesh.
Col. 2:11 (KJV)
In whom also ye are circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the
flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
When we enter into relationship with God, through
Christ, there is a circumcision that takes place with us as well. But it is not
a circumcision of the flesh performed by the hands of men. [S] It is a circumcision of
the heart, performed by Christ himself. The circumcision of the flesh was a
cutting away, an alteration, a change that could not be undone. What does the
circumcision of our hearts look like? Scripture has a
[S] Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked: who can know it?
Ezekiel 36:26 (KJV)
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit
will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,
and I will give you an heart of flesh.
First, it is a heart that is made new. Jeremiah speaks about the heart of a
person who is not in relationship with God. It is stubborn, evil, and deceitful
above all things and beyond all cure. But when Christ circumcises our hearts,
according to Ezekiel, this stubborn, evil, deceitful heart of stone that is
beyond cure is removed - cut away and replaced with a heart of flesh that is
soft, tender, receptive, able to hear and respond to the voice of God. A
circumcised heart is one upon which God is writing his laws so that we gladly
obey God from the heart, not under compulsion by a religious system. The
circumcised heart is one that is no longer under the control of the evil
desires of our flesh and is in direct relationship with the significance of
water baptism as prescribed in romans chapter 6.
[S] Romans 6:4-6 (KJV)
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into
death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been
planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection: [6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve
sin.
THE PHRASE: ‘THE OLD MAN’ IS DEAD’ HAS REFERENCE TO
YOUR SINFUL (HEART) OR NATURE THAT WAS REPLACED WITH THE DIVINE NATURE ONCE YOU
WERE BORN AGAIN. THE PHRASE ‘BORN AGAIN’
HAS REFERENCE TO BEING BORN OF THE NATURE OF GOD. SO [S] WHEN YOU ACCEPT CHRIST AS
YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOUR YOU GET A NEW HEART AND A NEW NATURE THAT IS PRONE TO
DOING AND ENJOYING WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT.
[S] 2 Peter 1:3-4 (KJV)
According as his divine power hath given unto us
all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him
that hath called us to glory and virtue: [4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Finally, after the circumcision wound had healed the JEWISH proselyte had to go
through [S] ONE final step, which was WATER baptism. The person
was stripped of all of their clothes, completely naked. They then went into the
water, and dipped themselves being sure to fully immerse their entire body in
the water. They were very careful that not one bit of their flesh remained dry.
When males were baptized, the priest was present. When females were baptized,
they were attended by other females while the male priest or rabbi stood
outside the door.
[S] Isaiah 62:2 (KJV)
And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and
all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of
the Lord shall name.
[S] Rev. 3:12 (KJV)
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the
temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the
name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem,
which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new
name.
Once this process had been completed, the proselyte
was now considered to be a Jew in every way. He had fully renounced his
previous life, his previous nationality, all allegiances he had to his previous
life ceased to exist, he was fully Jewish. He or she was not someone who had
simply added Jewish-ness to his old identity. In a sense, the Gentile died when
he went under the water and a new person with a new name, and a new identity
was born when he came out of the water.
Everything instituted by God in the Jewish religious custom was meant to be a
picture of Jesus Christ and the new covenant that God would make with humanity
through THE Messiah. This process is a beautiful picture of what happens with
us when we enter into covenant with God through JESUS Christ.
[S] Zech. 3:3-4 (KJV)
Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and
stood before the angel. [4] And he answered and spake unto those that stood
before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he
said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe
thee with change of raiment.
[S] Ephes. 4:22-24 (KJV)
That ye
put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts; [23] And be renewed in the spirit of your
mind; [24] And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness
and true holiness.
There’s so much symbolism to see here IN BECOMING A
JEWISH PROSELTYTE. THERE WAS A RITUAL CEREMONY THAT INCLUDED A SACRIRFICE,
CIRCUMCISION AND A Baptism THAT begins with the person removing their clothing.
Now...don’t worry...we remain fully clothed when we baptize around here! But [S] this nakedness represents
a stripping away of everything external, an abandoning of that which identifies
us AS BEING A SINNER: wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. THE
[S] Isaiah 64:6 (KJV)
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our
iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
[S] Matthew 8:2-3 (KJV)
And,
behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean. [3] And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying,
I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
[S] John 15:3 (KJV)
Now ye
are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
1 John 1:9 (KJV)
If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Then THE JEWISH PROSELYTE enterS into the water. [S] The water IS A SYMBOL THAT
represents cleansing. Ceremonial cleansing was incredibly important in Jewish
custom. The proselyte, who was previously considered to be unclean by the Jews
was now placing his whole body in cleansing water that would now make him
ceremonially clean and acceptable.
[S] Acts 2:38 (KJV)
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:41 (KJV)
Then they that gladly received his word were
baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls.
[S] THE WORD BAPTIZE IN THE
GREEK MEANS LIT. TO PLUNGE, SUBMERSE OR COMPLETELY COVER IN THE SENSE OF A
BURIAL. SO THIS complete submersion represents a complete abandoning of their
old identity and A full acceptance of the new identity AS A JEW. Today, when we baptize, the water IS A SYMBOL
OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS cleansing OUR sin. It is a visual representation that all
of our sin, regardless of how vile and filthy it may have been, regardless of
how unclean and unworthy we feel we are in the eyes of God, that sin has been
completely washed away through the blood of JESUS and we have been cleansed
FROM all unrighteousness. [S] The submersion that takes place represents THE death
of our old self, our old identity, AND our
[S] Matthew 3:16 (KJV)
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up
straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
[S]
WHEN
THE CHRISTIAN THAT IS BAPTIZED COMES OUT OF THE WATER OF BURIAL IT IS TO BE
UNDERSTOOD AS A TYPE OF A RESURRECTION. THEY ARE Being raised from the dead
into A new life, with a new name, a new identity, new habits, NEW attitudes,
and NEW desires written upon THEIR hearts by God and brought to life within us!
When we baptize, we declare that we are baptizing that person in the name of
the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. What we are saying
here, is we are baptizing you INTO the name of God. [S] When you enter into
covenant relationship with God, his name becomes your identity. Just as a bride
forsakes her maiden name and accepts for herself the name of her husband, we
take for ourselves the name of God. We are now His CHILDREN, THE OFFSPRING OF
HIS SPIRIT.
SIMPLY PUT, [S] WATER BAPTISM FOR THE CHRISTIAN IS AN OUTWARD AND
PUBLIC SIGN OF AN INWARD CHANGE. WE ARE
SAYING TO OURSELVES, THE WORLD, TO GOD AND TO ALL THE DEMONS IN HELL THAT WE
HAVE CHANGED ALLEGIENCE FROM THE DEVIL TO A MERCIFUL AND LOVING GOD.
Why do you put a soldier in a uniform? To make him a
soldier or because he IS a soldier? Why do you put on a wedding ring? To make
you be married or because you ARE married? Why will we baptize some tonite? To
save them or because they HAVE BEEN saved? WHAT HAPPENS AT THE BAPTISMAL
SERVICE TONIGHT IS AN OUTWARD SYMBOL OF AN INWARD CHANGE THAT HAS ALREADY
I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ON THIS POINT REGARDLESS OF
YOUR FORMER DENOMINATIONAL TIES, [S] baptism is a symbol that identifies us with Jesus
Christ. You see, “Baptism is like a wedding ring: both [a wedding ring and
baptism] symbolize transactions. A wedding ring symbolizes marriage, just as
baptism symbolizes salvation. However, wearing a wedding ring does not make you
married any more than being baptized makes you saved.” A small six-year-old
child can wear her mother’s wedding ring, but we know that she’s too young to
be married. And in the same way, a person can be baptized without having
accepted Jesus Christ into his or her heart. Unfortunately people are baptized
without having accepted Christ as Lord and Savior all too often, and when a
person is baptized in this way it doesn’t make him a Christian.
[S]
Baptism
in itself has no saving power. The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9,
“For by grace have you been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” [S] Salvation is a free gift
that God grants to those HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR. We are
saved through our faith in Jesus Christ, not through baptism. Baptism is only a
symbol of our faith in Jesus Christ. “[Baptism itself] does not wash away any
sins. There is no magic in the water that we use. The purpose of baptism is that it identifies
us openly and publicly with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord AND
SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.”
