John chapter 4, and I'm going
to use this as a springboard to my message, this text, it's
vitally important. I'm going to use this as a means
to show forth this subject, to highlight this subject of baptism. That's the title of the message
this morning, the importance of baptism. The importance of
baptism. John chapter 3, And verse 22, And after these
things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea. And there he tarried with them
and baptized. And verse 23, And John also baptizing
in anon near Salim, because there was much water there, and they
came and were baptized." Now, this baptism, this message, these
two verses, come directly after the Lord Jesus Christ preaches
the gospel to Nicodemus. It says, after these things,
after He had declared the gospel Then we read of him baptizing. Now, the Lord, first of all,
proclaimed the gospel. This is necessary before baptism. The gospel must be preached and
Christ must be believed in order for someone to be baptized. And
this is the gospel message. I like this. He tarried there
with him. Do you suppose that he did anything when he tarried
with him but preach the gospel? He preached the gospel. This
is what he must do. This is what he was sent to do,
to preach the gospel to the poor. And as he comes to Judea, we
know this, that he is preaching the gospel to them, even as he
did to Nicodemus. And this is the gospel, that
you must be born again. This is the gospel message, that
you should be born again. Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God. Except a man be born of the Spirit
of God, he cannot have life and he cannot have faith in and of
himself. And all who are born again of
the Holy Spirit, we know this, that we are not born of blood.
My son is not a believer. Or an unbeliever, he's an unbeliever
because of me, but he'll never be a believer because of me.
It's not by blood, nor by the will of flesh. As Armenians think, as some men
think that the new birth comes by decision. It doesn't come
by decision. Not by the will of man, as the
Roman church believes. They believe that salvation comes
by the will of the Pope, or the will of the priests, or the work
of the priests. No, it doesn't come by their
will. The new birth comes by the will of God. That's the message
we preach. It's the message Christ preached.
It is a sovereign Spirit that comes and gives life to whomsoever
He will. The wind bloweth where it listeth,
you can hear the sound thereof, but you cannot tell whence it
cometh or whither it goeth. So is every one that is born
of the Spirit of God." Isn't that something a lot of... We
come here. Do we expect the Spirit to come? I hope we desire the Spirit to
come. Because this is the only way
you're going to learn or I'm going to be able to preach. Is
if the Spirit come. The Spirit is the instrumental
in the worship of God. And especially in the new birth.
And I can't tell where He's coming or where He's going. I can only
tell you where He's been. That's it. I can only tell you
where the Spirit's been. Because there's always an effect
of the new birth and that is faith in Christ. To believe on
Christ. Alone. This is vital to the gospel
message. You should believe on Jesus Christ
alone, apart from anything else. Believe on Him alone. It's natural
for men to believe on Jesus plus something, isn't it? Some outward
deed of the flesh, that salvation is somehow a cooperative effort
between you and God or you and Christ, No, salvation is an absolute,
complete surrender and confession of our sins and Christ's righteousness. The new birth opens the eyes
and hearts to sin that is incapable of pleasing God. And by this
we see our need. The new birth, there's an effect
of the new birth, is to see a man's need of salvation. If there is
no need of salvation, there will be no coming to Christ. You will
never come to Christ if you do not know your need of Christ.
And this is the effect of the Spirit. We see our need of Christ. Isn't that the proper use of
the Law? When the Spirit comes, He uses the Law properly. We
know this, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things
written in the book of the law to do them. And Paul says, no
man is justified by the law in the sight of God. As it is written,
the just shall live by faith. See, have you ever heard men
try to divide the law? They say, well, there's a ceremonial
law, and then there's a moral law, and then there's the dietary
law, and then there's the governmental law, but the Scriptures never
divide the law. The law is the law is the law,
and if you do not continue in all things, in all things written
in them to do them, you're cursed. You're cursed. When the Spirit comes, He'll
rightly show you that. He'll show you, you are cursed. Even because we died in Adam. Therefore, the law can do nothing
to give us life. We need to be born of the Spirit
of God. We need to see our need of life
and those who see their need of life, how do they see it except
through this message, except through this gospel message that
is preached to you. Jesus preached the gospel, even
so must the Son of Man be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness. Even so must the Son of Man be
crucified, lifted up for sin and death should come upon Him. You remember that passage in
Romans chapter 10. It says, Whosoever shall confess
the Lord Jesus, call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
That's a beautiful passage, isn't it? Whosoever will, come, believe
on Christ. That's a message, but how shall
they hear without a preacher? How shall they believe on Him
in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? Faith
cometh how? By hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God. This is why we preach. Because
this is the means God's chosen. Through the preaching of this
one man, Jesus Christ. For a man to be saved from his
sins, they must be atoned. They must be paid for. How lightly
do men by nature think of sin? They think sin to be something
frivolous, something that just is an accident or a mistake. No, it is treason against God. That's what sin is. And God's
justice demands perfect, a perfect sacrifice. And this Jesus did once for all. When God laid on Him the iniquity
of us all, He made Him to be a propitiation for our sins.
Whose sins? Whosoever believeth. Is that
not a beautiful thing? Wondrous gospel. And Paul says
justification. of justification, knowing this,
that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by
the faith of Jesus Christ. That is altogether glorious,
that a man is justified, not by even our faith, but rather
the faith of Christ. He justified us. The Spirit teaches
this in the new birth. When a man is born again, he
sees everything in Christ. He sees all of His justification,
all of His righteousness, all of His acceptance with God, all
of His sanctification in Christ. And we embrace Him, we receive
Him by faith. Faith in His obedience, in His
death, in His resurrection. So then, in order for me to introduce
baptism, this is altogether vital. Have you believed? Have you believed
in Jesus? In His faith, in His obedience,
in His blood, in His resurrection for all your salvation? I say,
yes! Yes, I have believed! I have
believed, and I say, Lord, help my unbelief. Why have you believed? That we might be justified by
His faith. That's why I believe that I should
be justified by His faith. Not by the works of the law,
but by His faithfulness and obedience. And this is the evidence and
fruit of salvation. So, we see the sole cause and
reason of our salvation is Christ. And therefore, I have now cast
the net of God's gospel to you as far and as wide as I can,
for God surely loves his people. God surely, infinitely, immutably,
unchangeably loves all of His people. His love has no beginning,
it has no ending. Its height is far above the heavens
and its depth is as low as our depravity. Lower than our depravity. His depth covers every... The
love of God covers everyone that is born again by the Spirit of
God. You realize this, that if God
loved none of Adam's race, it would be no injustice? If God
just let a man go on in his sin and rebellion, did He do that
man any injustice? No. But praise God He did not
let us go in our rebellion. I'm thankful that He arrested
me. Aren't you? Are you thankful that He arrested
us and brought us in by the grace of God? In Ephesians, He said
He chose us. Ephesians 1, He said He chose
us. Christ redeemed us. And now the Spirit has made the
mystery of this manifest to us. The mystery of this gospel He's
made known to us. And now we have trusted Christ. And this is the evidence Even
the seal of the Holy Spirit within us, the earnest of the inheritance,
the down payment has been given to who? To us who believe. And therefore, we love Christ.
We who are born again of the Spirit believe on Christ and
we love Christ. We come to Christ willingly. You know, you did not have to
drag me to Christ. Did He have to drag you? Is it
as though the Holy Spirit grabbed you by the hair of the head and
dragged you to Christ? No. No. When He showed you and
gave you life, there was nothing you could do but flee to Christ. That's it. Nothing. Did anyone instruct you to breathe
this morning as you got up? Did you have to be reminded of
that? Did someone force the air into your lungs this morning? No. If you're living, it wasn't
forced. You see, the Spirit of God gives
us a whole new nature by which we gladly receive the things
of God. Gladly receive Christ. with joy
unspeakable and full of glory. Is this a testimony of your heart? Do you believe on Christ? Have
you received Christ? Has He redeemed you? Do you confess
and repent of all self-works and religion? You lay down at
the feet of Christ all your acceptance with God. Listen, so does everyone that
has the new birth. And listen, if you have been
born again, listen how easily this text follows. When I first
read this text, it seemed somewhat out of place. Well, why is he
mentioning this? After these things, Jesus and His disciples
came and landed Judea, and there He tarried with them, we know
this, He tarried with them preaching the gospel, and baptized. And baptized. You know, the Holy
Spirit don't put anything in scripture just to fill space.
When I used to, I used to write papers in college, I used to
try to fill space. I mean, there was a certain length.
There was a certain thing it had to be. And man, I tried to
fill it with as many adjectives as I possibly could. I tried
to stack that paper. The Spirit does none of that.
All of this is on purpose. And He's showing us the importance
of baptism. If it was important, the Lord
Jesus wouldn't have done it. And so it's important. It's important. in the church
there are three ordinances left us three ordinances given to
us by the holy spirit according to scripture the lord's table
The night the Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed, he took bread,
he took wine, and he instituted a supper that as oft as you do
this, do this in remembrance of me. It is a perpetual ordinance,
one that is to be done as oft as we desire. We can do that
service. Have the Lord's table. And we
do it as a memorial service, and it was instituted by our
Lord. Another institution is church membership. Church membership. This was instituted in the book
of Acts. When those people believed, when
those 5,000 believed on the Lord, the scripture said they joined
together. There was a local assembly. They
joined together, break bread together, and they gladly received. but also this other ordinance
of baptism. They who received the Word. Go to Acts 2. I want you to see
it. I want you to see the necessity first of the order of it. Acts chapter 2 and verse 41. Then they that gladly received
His Word... What? His preaching, His gospel.
They received His gospel and were baptized. Baptized. Now, I want to be very clear.
Without any mistake here, baptism, the Lord's table, and church
membership in no way contribute in any part to salvation. None
whatsoever. They are ordinances given to
us for remembrance, for identification. That's what they're given for.
This morning when we're gathered together, we are members of this
church. What are we doing? We are identifying with the gospel
that's preached here. You're identifying with Christ
that we preach. So when you join a local assembly,
you're identifying with them and with Christ. When you eat
the Lord's table, you're identifying, you're remembering His death.
And so it is with baptism. So it has nothing to do with
salvation. Yet they are given to us as ordinances
by Christ. So the purpose, what then is
the purpose of baptism? It's one, very simple. It is
the only public confession of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
what it is. It is a confession. It is publicly
identifying with the Lord Jesus Christ. The confession of our
faith in Christ is only by baptism. Now, man-made confessions of
Christ, there are many of those. Have you ever heard this? Well,
if you want to confess Christ, then come to the front. That's
one. What about this one? Well, everybody,
bow your head, close your eyes, and raise your hands. Now, I'm
serious. You think that I've done it. It's not something that I have
not seen. It is out there. People say that's
confession of Christ. No, that's a man-made confession. There's no such thing in Scripture.
Not one. Other false things are, you know,
you've got to speak in tongues, you've got to do this, you've
got to obey the church rules. I even read this, that a man,
some churches, especially the Catholic church, you have to
have a sponsor. If they're a little kid, you've got to have a sponsor.
You've got to have somebody who's a believer sponsor that child
with faith. These are all man-made. None
of these confessions of faith These things, none of these things
can give faith or salvation. But the only biblical means of
confessing Christ is believer's baptism. So what is baptism?
It is a confession of our faith in Christ. So then, if baptism
has no merit before God or no power to justify or save, why
do it? I'm sure that's a question that
men have asked. Why then is baptism important? Okay, well, let me
give you some things. First of all, the Lord commanded. Now that is not enough. If you are a follower of the
Lord Jesus Christ, He gave to His church this ordinance. He
said, go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and the Holy Spirit. He commands it. If you're a believer
in Christ or fall over Christ, is it not just reasonable that
you would obey? Why is this a point of contention among men? You
don't think it is, but it is. Some men are really contentious
about this. They refuse to be baptized because
it doesn't have anything to do with salvation. But if you're a believer in Jesus
Christ, This is just a natural order
of things. If a man has a new nature, he
will obey Christ. That's why Mark put it like this.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth
not shall be damned. Notice that baptism is not in
that damnation part because it has nothing to do with that.
He's just saying if you've believed, it's just natural, you'll be
baptized. You'll be baptized. Because the Lord commanded it.
It is the desire of every believer's heart to obey Christ. Is that not so? What to God I
could obey Him more fully and thoroughly? Second of all, we
are baptized because it's a picture. It's a picture of what our Lord
has done for us and in us. Go to Romans. Romans chapter
6 bears out the picture of baptism for us. So we don't have to guess
what the picture is. Romans chapter 6 and verse 1.
What shall we say then? He's just confessed that salvation
is by the absolute free grace of God alone. And so what do men say? Well,
if salvation is by grace, then you're just allowing men to go
and live any way in any licentious life. Live sin, sinfully. You
see, if grace abounded, where sin abounded, grace did much
more abound. They say, well, let me sin more.
And what does Paul say? What are we going to say to that?
God forbid! God forbid you should think anything
like that. How shall we that are dead to
sin live any longer therein? Listen, no you not, that so many
of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into His
death. Therefore we are buried with
Him in baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk
in newness of life. You see, baptism is a picture
of what Christ did for us. Baptism. It's a symbolic picture
of the gospel we confess and believe. It is a public confession of
this, that the Lord Jesus Christ was immersed in the death, in
death, immersed in the tomb, and was raised incorruptible. undefiled, was raised without
sin, that He, when He died, all of
us who believe were with Him and in Him when He died. Paul says, knowing, in verse
6 of chapter 6, knowing that our old man is crucified with
Him. Is that not the best thing in
the world to know? That this old man, though he
hangs about our neck, I know this, he was crucified with Christ. My sins and all the sins in that
nature were fully executed when Jesus Christ died. We identify that He was buried
Because of our sins and transgression, the judgment of God fell on Him,
and He was immersed in that tomb for three days and three nights.
And when He came up out of the tomb, He came up and we came
with Him. We were raised with Him. So then
who are baptized? Only believers are baptized.
Only those born again of the Spirit. That's who are baptized. Only those who were baptized
with Christ in His death. You search the scriptures from
cover to cover, you'll never find one instance of unbelieving
children or infants being baptized. Paedobaptism is an abomination. It's an abomination because it's
not biblical, not scriptural. But believers are baptized according
to the Word of God by faith in Jesus Christ alone. And this
is the only requirement. This is so simple. There are
no other requirements for this. If you believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, what doth hinder you from being
baptized? Isn't that what the Ethiopian
eunuch said when he believed? He heard the preaching of Philip
and he says, what does hinder me from being baptized? And Philip
said, if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest.
See how simple that is? There's no requirements other
than faith. Faith in what? Faith in the immersion
of Christ into death. The immersion of Christ into
the tomb and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Isn't that the
picture here? When a man stands in the waters
of the baptismal pool, he is identifying with Christ's life.
He's saying, Christ lived the life that I didn't. He obtained
my perfect righteousness. And as we are immersed into the
water, we are saying that when Christ died, He was immersed
into the judgment of God. And we were with Him. And when
we come up out of the water, what are we testifying? That
He, by His resurrection, proved our sins have been washed away.
That's what it is. And it's only to be done by immersion. So it's only to be given believer
and it's only done by immersion because that's the only picture.
Let me show you some scriptures. Go to Psalm 69. These are prophetic psalms, these
are prophetic pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross
as He suffered. Psalm 69, verse 1, save me, O
God. Listen, for the waters are come
into my soul. I sink in deep mire where there
is no standing. I am coming to deep waters where
the floods overflow me. Now can that be pictured by sprinkling? Does that sound like he was sprinkled
with the justice of God, sprinkled with our sin? No! He was immersed in it! Go to Psalm 88. There are several
other pictures, but I'm trying to be brief here. Psalm 88, beginning of verse
3, Just give you the context. He
said, For my soul is full of trouble, and my life draweth
nigh unto the grave. Now then, go down to verse 6. Thou hast laid me in the lowest
pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me,
and thou hast afflicted me with all thy what? Waves. Billows. He was immersed in death
and judgment. You remember the prophetic picture,
the Lord Jesus Christ says, as Jonah was three days and three
nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth. And Jonah,
that's what he said, he said, the waters are come into my soul. The same as the psalmist. See,
Christ, being made sin for us, was immersed under the judgment
of God. He descended into death. But
now, by God's mercy, He has ascended out of the depths. Isn't that
good that when we're baptized, they don't keep us in the depths?
What would that do? That'd kill you. That'd kill
you. But this is it, that He rose
again from the dead. Even so, we are baptized into
that likeness. He was our representative, and
by the will and decree of the Father and our union with Him,
we are raised incorruptible, undefiled. Therefore, we who are baptized We testify of his death, burial,
and resurrection. We confess the old man is crucified,
and now we are risen anew. Dost thou believe on the Son
of God? If you have not been baptized and you believe on Christ,
you should be. According to the command of Christ,
according to the identification with the picture, It must not
be neglected. It is by no means contributes
to our salvation, but yet it is an obedience and faith that
we do this. Now can one be saved without
baptism? Most definitely. I told you baptism
don't have anything to do with it. The thief on the cross was
not baptized. Just wasn't. You're not able.
I guarantee you, you ask him if he could get down and be baptized,
I'm sure he would. And get right back up there. but he couldn't so it's most
definitely one can be saved without baptism but one who is willfully
neglects baptism is in open rebellion and i highly doubt his faith
is genuine Because he would openly defy
the command of Christ. Now by whose authority do we
do this? In the name of the Father who chose us. In the name of
the Son who redeemed us. In the name of the Holy Spirit
who quickened us. We are baptized. It's by the
authority of Christ we do this. Now some may ask, if I've been
baptized, should I be re-baptized? No. No. You know, the Lord's Supper,
I thought of this, the Lord's Supper is perpetual, isn't it?
Anytime we want to do it, we are able to do that. As often
as you do this, do it in remembrance of me. So it's a memorial service
we may do often. Baptism is something that is
only done once because Christ only died once. He suffered once
and we were baptized in Him once. And so, no, it should not be
done again. And I say that only with this exclusion, with this
exception, is that your faith was not genuine. How many people have been in
that? I tell you, many people have been there to where they've
just had a superficial experience. And they ran to the baptismal
pool thinking it was just what they needed to do, it was a duty
that they had to perform. They didn't know Christ. Now
if you don't know Christ, if you've not been born again, this
is not for you. This is only for those who believe
on Christ and embrace Him with all of their heart and soul and
life. Rest on Him. But if you... I know people that have done
that. They thought they were saved
and they come to find out that their faith was vain, it was
empty. Well, then you should be baptized.
If your faith is now genuine and real of the Holy Spirit,
you should. You should. Those who heard and believed,
believe on Christ, should be baptized. Now have you heard? And if you have, you should be
baptized as a confession of your faith. If thou believest with all thy
heart, thou mayest. And that shows us it's a privilege.
And we who have been baptized, we who have been baptized, It's
good for us to remember why we were baptized. And what the picture
means. That we were baptized into his
death. And even so we are raised with
him. Raised with him. And we recognize
that baptism is a privilege to confess Christ. Isn't it a privilege
to confess Christ? It is a privilege. It's a joy. to those who believe. It's a
joy only to them. This gospel message is a joy
to us who are baptized. And you know what the answer
to this is? I think to us who have been baptized,
it is what John the Baptist said in this chapter really sums up
our life. He must increase And I must decrease. Is that not the heart of one
who's been baptized into Christ? It is. It is. Christ is all. Christ is all. I pray that God
give us ever clearer picture of this. And may the Lord even
be pleased to call his people that we might be witnesses of
their obedience and faith in Christ. I pray God bless this
to your hearts.