<< Previous | Index | Next >>"THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST AND THE PROBLEM OF SIN" The Gospel's Answer To The "State" Of Sin (Baptism Into Jesus Christ) INTRODUCTION 1. We have been examining how the gospel addresses the PROBLEM of sin in this series of lessons a. Our first lesson dealt with this subject IN GENERAL TERMS b. Then we looked more closely at: 1) The command to BELIEVE as the gospel's answer to the LOVE of sin 2) The command to REPENT as the gospel's answer to the PRACTICE of sin 2. In this lesson, we shall examine how the command to be BAPTIZED is the gospel's answer to the STATE of sin... 3. Beginning with the "Great Commission", an important part of preaching the gospel was including the command to be baptized: 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16) 4. As the apostle and others went out preaching Christ, they taught the NECESSITY of baptism: Peter on the day of Pentecost... 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do? 38 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) Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch... 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on [their] way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8) Peter and the household of Cornelius... And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. (Acts 10:48) As Ananias told Paul (and related by Paul himself)... And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. (Acts 22:16) [Why this emphasis on baptism? It helps us to appreciate its importance when we see how baptism changes the "STATE" of sin...] I. BEFORE BAPTISM INTO CHRIST, ONE IS "DEAD IN SIN" A. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE: 1 And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2) 1. Such is the STATE or CONDITION one finds himself in regards to sin 2. They are "DEAD IN SIN", and as a result are "DEAD TO GOD" 3. As for as having a relationship with GOD, there is none! B. BUT NOW READ ON... 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2) 1. By the mercy, love and grace of God (and not through any meritorious works of our own)... 2. Those who were "DEAD IN TRESPASSES" (dead in sin) were MADE ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST! 3. Those who were dead in sin were RAISED TOGETHER WITH HIM! [A most important question to answer properly: "HOW" AND "WHEN" DOES A PERSON WHO IS "DEAD IN SIN" BECOME "ALIVE WITH CHRIST" AND THEN IS "RAISED TOGETHER WITH HIM"???] II. IN BAPTISM, ONE "DIES TO SIN", AND BECOMES "ALIVE TO GOD"! A. PLEASE NOTICE CAREFULLY THE FOLLOWING TEXT: 1 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. 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. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: (Romans 6) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11) B. PLEASE NOTICE THAT PAUL IS "NOT" SAYING... 1. That baptism is a SYMBOLIC demonstration of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ engaged in by those who have ALREADY died to sin (as taught by many denominations, though baptism is never described in these words in the Bible) 2. That baptism is to be a PUBLIC profession of one's faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (likewise taught by many, despite several examples in the New Testament of baptism in private - Ac 8:35-38; Ac 16:30-34) 3. Nor that one "dies to sin" in REPENTANCE and then is buried with Christ in baptism (as many of my own brethren teach) C. PAUL IS REMINDING HIS READERS "WHEN" AND "HOW" THEY DIED TO SIN! 1. It happened when they were baptized into Christ, which was a baptism into His death - Ro 6:3-4 2. It is IN BAPTISM that one is "CRUCIFIED WITH HIM (CHRIST)" - Ro 6:6 3. It is IN BAPTISM that we DIE TO SIN, and then are "FREED FROM SIN" (it's guilt, consequence, and power) - Ro 6:7 4. The following illustration might be helpful: HOW BAPTISM CHANGES THE "STATE" OF SIN ____________________________________________________________________________ BEFORE BAPTISM| IN BAPTISM | AFTER BAPTISM | | We are... | We are... We are... | We are... DEAD "IN" SIN | BURIED WITH CHRIST RAISED WITH CHRIST | DEAD "TO" SIN DEAD "TO" GOD | BY BAPTISM INTO Co 2:12 | ALIVE "TO" GOD Ep 2:1 | HIS DEATH TO NEWNESS OF LIFE | Ro 6:11 | Ro 6:3-4 Ro 6:4-5 | Ga 3:26-27 | \ / | | ~~~~~~~~~~\~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~\~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\CHRIST'S/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DEATH/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~ United in a likeness~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~ of His death, we are...~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~ CRUCIFIED WITH HIM ~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~ Thus, we... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~ DIE TO SIN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~ And we are... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~ FREED FROM SIN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ro 6:6-7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | ______________|___________________________________________|________________ 5. Notice that our STATE in regards to SIN has changed (and also our state in regard to God, as well!) - Ro 6:11 a. Before baptism into Christ, we were dead IN sin b. But after baptism into Christ, we are dead TO sin, and ALIVE TO GOD! [How can such a simple act of immersion in water bring out about such a significant change?] III. THIS CHANGE TAKES PLACE IN BAPTISM THROUGH FAITH IN THE WORKING OF GOD! A. NOTICE CAREFULLY THESE WORDS... 11 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: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; (Colossians 2) B. USING THE FIGURE OF "CIRCUMCISION", PAUL STATES "HOW" AND "WHEN" OUR SINS WERE "CUT AWAY" 1. It was WHEN we were buried with Christ in baptism! 2. Though "dead in trespasses" we were made alive! (remember Ep 2:4-9?) 3. HOW? We were raised... a. Through FAITH (this is man's part, expressed by submitting to the command of baptism) b. In the WORKING OF GOD (this is God's part, who through His grace cleanses us by the blood of Christ and by His Spirit causes us to be "born again" - cf. Jn 3:5; Titus 3:5) c. Yes, baptism is a "working of God" by which He imparts wonderful blessings to those submit to it, NOT a "work of man" by which one tries to earn or merit salvation!) C. SO WHEN A PERSON IS BAPTIZED AS A PENITENT BELIEVER (one who believes in Christ and has repented of their sins)... 1. God performs a "spiritual operation" (the "circumcison of Christ")! a. He who was dead in sins has his sins removed (through the blood of Christ shed in His death) b. And thus he is made alive! 2. Coming forth from the watery grave, he is being raised together with Christ (Co 2:12), having in baptism "put on" Christ... For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:27) 3. This is how one REALLY receives Jesus Christ into their life; not by saying "the sinner's prayer", but by submitting to the command of Christ to be baptized into His death for the remission of sins! CONCLUSION 1. No longer DEAD "IN SIN, but DEAD "TO" SIN, God's work on us in baptism can truly change the STATE of sin! 2. This explains why in the preaching of the gospel of Christ, the command to be baptized naturally follows the commands to believe and repent: 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16) 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do? 38 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) 3. Are YOU really "DEAD TO SIN" and "ALIVE TO GOD"? a. Only if you have been scripturally baptized (immersed in water by the authority of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins - Mt 28:18-19; Ac 2:38) can you be CERTAIN that through the "working of God" your sins are forgiven and you have been raised together with Christ! b. For a more detailed study on the subject of baptism, please see another "Executable Outlines" study entitled "BAPTISM" - A Special Study<< Previous | Index | Next >>
The "Executable Outlines" Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 1999
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