Okay for this morning galatians
chapter three again We are kind of coming down to the close or
that not to close but the end of this chapter And I want to
read three verses, but I have one verse as my actual text but
I hope this will become a little clearer in a moment why I insist
on reading the other two with the one verse. My actual text
will be in verse 27, but I want to read 25, 26, 27 of Galatians
3, where Paul, of course, he's continuing, but in 25, he wrote
these words. But after that faith has come,
we're no longer under a schoolmaster. for you're all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. And here's my text. For as many
of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Of course, my title comes from
the words kind of Not a quote but comes from the words stated
by paul in verse 27 baptized believers Have put on christ
It's baptized believers have put on christ. I have a quote
from arthur w pink. I want to give you And it it
bears in line with what i'm going to try to say this morning Arthur
w pink wrote these words god called men do not promote their
belief system. Now, I'm stopping now. That's
the start of his quote. God called men do not promote
their belief system. God called men have their opinions.
They have certain things they think, but being sent by God,
they endeavor to preach what God says, not their opinion. So I'll read it again. God called
men do not promote their belief system. nor combat an erroneous
system by forcing all text into compliance to their belief system. Do you see what that, let me
read that again. God called men, do not promote their belief system,
nor combat an erroneous system by forcing all text into compliance
to their belief system. God sent gospel preachers must
take great care not to read into any text what is not there. And they must take great care
to faithfully proclaim what God's word actually says. And I emphasize this morning
that my text, that is verse 27, for as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ, have put on Christ, is one of those texts
in particular with which A.W. Pink's words are very pertinent. Our text, our text, verse 27,
speaks of a believer obeying Christ. That's what it's talking
about. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. But we dare not divorce
that statement from the context of what Paul's been saying. And
specifically from the context of the verse before. For you're
all the children of God, how? By faith in Christ Jesus. Example in point, the thief on
the cross believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and was promised
by Christ. Today, you'll be with me in paradise. And he was not baptized, okay? But that does not refute what
Paul says here. For you're all the children of
God held. By this and this alone, I stressed
that last time, last Sunday. We're all the children of God
by faith in Christ and faith in Christ alone. But we dare
not not deal with what Paul says in the next verse. For as many
of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
So again, I say our text speaks of a believer obeying Christ. I have four things to give you
before I get in the message in earnest. And I will have to do
some some it some phrase gives some phrases it paul does not
say this paul does not say that and the reason i give these is
because not only are there people who take this one verse and kind
of move it away from its context, and then they teach certain things
about baptism that are not true about baptism. Now that's true,
but because there are those who don't, there are also those who
don't want to be listed among those who teach that baptism
is an actual part of our salvation, or that baptism is an actual
part of becoming a child of God, that they then do not teach directly
what this says, and they start to teach their theory, or their
opinion. Four things first before we get in the message in earnest.
Paul gives no word here that baptism here is Holy Spirit baptism. And let me just say that right
up front. Just because the Spirit of God and the Spirit of adoption
is mentioned in the next chapter does not give me the right to
say that the baptism spoken of in verse 27 of chapter three
has to do with Holy Spirit baptism. Everywhere the Bible speaks of
being baptized with the Holy Spirit, it says baptized with
the Holy Spirit. So there is no question as to
which, put it in quotes, baptism is being spoken about. So number
one, Paul gives no word that baptism here is Holy Spirit baptism. And there's more I could say
about Holy Spirit baptism, but that's not the point this morning.
Number two, Paul does not say here that baptism, Now, stop
it. Paul does not say here that baptism,
and I'm going to define baptism. Baptism is obedience to Christ's
command to be immersed in water in the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Ghost. And it was a command given. It
wasn't a suggestion. It's not just a ritual to go
through. This is what... Some people see baptism only
as a ritual. looks like a ritual to those
who do not understand what baptism is about. Because you go through
a certain, what people see as a ceremony. Some words are said
and people are immersed down into the water and brought back
up. But again, Paul does not say here that baptism, and baptism
is this. This is kind of simple, there's
more to it than that, but it's this. It is obedience to Christ's
command to be immersed in water. Paul does not say here that baptism
brings justification. He does not say here that baptism
brings forgiveness. He does not say here that baptism
brings sanctification. It is clear in his letter, even
up to this point, not even counting the rest of it, but the rest
of it is in agreement with the first part. It's clear that these
three things in particular, justification, forgiveness of sins, and sanctification
take place through the personal work of the Lord Jesus Christ
himself. And he's adamant about that as
opposed to circumcision. So for me to come along and just
bring in another so-called ritual or ceremony and replace circumcision
with baptism is nothing more than the height of folly. It
would totally go against what Paul's saying in the whole of
this book. So again, he does not say here,
it does not say it. that it brings justification,
forgiveness of sins, or sanctification. Thirdly, Paul does not say water
baptism is an ordinance which puts believers in Christ. But
I guarantee you that your flesh and my flesh, because we have
so much error around us, and our flesh will not, Paul already
mentioned it, our flesh will not submit and subject itself
to the truth of God. When you read this, for as many
of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ,
we immediately correlate, well, baptism must put me in Christ
Jesus. It does not say that. He said,
for you're all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus,
because or for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ.
He doesn't say baptism put you into Christ. He said, ye have
put on Christ. Do you see that? Now I know this
may, sound convoluted to most folk, because there's so many
different opinions about baptism, how it's to be done, as well
as what it's for. I mean, there are some who believe
you're supposed to be dunked three times, and Father, dunk
once, Son, dunk again, Holy Spirit, dunk again. There are others
who believe you're supposed to be baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ only, because the name of Jesus is the name
of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. So there's argument after argument
after argument. Some say you could be sprinkled.
Some say you got to be immersed. Some say you'd be baptized forward
rather than backward. There is no end to the argument. So again, Paul gives no word
here that baptism is Holy Spirit baptism. And it doesn't matter
what you've ever been taught or who taught it to you, we want
to know what God said through this apostle, not defend our
own system. Paul does not say here that baptism,
again, I'm repeating, brings justification, forgiveness, or
sanctification. Paul does not say that water
baptism is an ordinance which puts believers in Christ Jesus.
And number four, Paul does not say that the act of baptism or
merely being baptized alone is putting on Christ. But yet, that's
what some people teach. It's when you're baptized that
you put on Christ. But he said, no, you're the children
of God by faith. And every one of you that's been
baptized into Christ, you put on Christ. He does not say baptism,
but you put on Christ for you. And as I thought about these
things, I thought this could go on, these negatives I'm giving,
what Paul did not say could go on and on and on and on. So here's what God said by Paul. Number one, baptism according
to the context. Baptism is for believers in Christ
only because only believers in Christ are the children of God. That's verse 26 and 27 taken
together. The very fact that verse 27 begins
with a four connects it to what came before it. The fact that
26 starts with a four means that something comes along with it,
verse 25. The fact that there's a but In
verse 25, let's just know that there is a difference, something
Paul is saying is not true as compared to what is true in all
the preceding verses. So you kinda keep it up with
me here. Number one, baptism is for believers
in Christ Jesus only. Read it again. For you're all
the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. And I'm gonna
say the next thing, period, period. It's not even a comma, okay?
It is period. For as many of you, or that is
every one of you, that's another way of putting it. For as many
of you has been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. But
this does not mean that just because you went through the
act of being immersed in the water, that you've been baptized
into Christ or that you put on Christ. It's only for those who've
been baptized into Christ, only they have put on Christ, who
have believed in Christ and are the children of God. So you see
that. Now, according to the scripture, now turn to Mark chapter 16.
And just a couple things to verify what I'm giving you here concerning.
this thing of baptism, this first point concerning baptism. Baptism
is for believers in Christ Jesus only. Mark chapter 16, this is
not novel to Paul himself. Our Lord himself wrote, or Mark
wrote these words spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ. Mark 16, just
two verses for the sake of time. Verse 15, and he said unto them,
this is to the disciples that were remaining. Now remember
Judas is dead and gone. Our Lord has suffered for our
sins, he's been buried, he's been raised from the dead, and
he's given last instructions to the disciples. The remaining
was before he sends back the glory. And he says, and he said
unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach what? The gospel
you see it the gospel to every creature now when we reference
the scripture we know this preaching Baptism is not preaching the
gospel because Paul said Christ didn't send me to baptize but
to preach the gospel and So the gospel itself and what it is,
is separate from, though there is a connection, but it is separate
from baptism. So, and he said to them, go ye
into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Christ instituted
this, Paul. This is not something Paul come
up with. Peter, the other 10 came up with is nothing. This
is our Lord's own words. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved, but he that believeth not. Why? Because baptism is only for believers. Now, another proof of that. Turn
to Acts chapter eight. And of course, Let me just go on and read. Acts
chapter eight, and let's see verse, let me look, verse 30.
Now this, of course, is Philip, when God had sent Philip and
crossed paths with the Ethiopian. Remember the Ethiopian? The Ethiopian's
been reading Isaiah, and Philip comes up along, he hears him
reading from Isaiah, he recognizes it as what we call Isaiah chapter
53, and here's what happens, verse 30. And Philip ran thither
to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest
thou what thou readest? And he said, how can I except
some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he
would come up and sit with him. So Philip enters the chariot
with him and they've got that scripture right there. He's reading
it. He's not quoting it from memory. He's reading it right
out of a scroll, I suppose is what it was. And the eunuch is
reading it. Philip gets up in there, in that
chariot and starts to read it with him and look, The place
of the scripture which he read was this. He was led as a sheep
to the slaughter. Paul, you just preach from it.
And like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his
mouth. In his humiliation, his judgment
was taken away, and who shall declare his generation? For his
life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip
and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? Of
himself or some other man. So he knew this is vital. but he didn't know for sure who
it was talking about. Look, then Philip opened his
mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him, Jesus. He did not preach unto him baptism,
though it's clear from the context that somewhere along the line,
Philip mentioned baptism. But we know from experience and
having it in our own possession, baptism is never mentioned in
Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53 is about Jesus Christ. his person and his work, what
he did toward God on behalf of his people. Okay, keep up with
it now. Then Philip opened his mouth
and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus.
And as they went their way, so here it's clear that there was
more said. They were still going on the
journey and more has been said. And as they went on their way,
they came unto a certain water. And why does it say a certain
water? It's not because you gotta be baptized in a stream. It's
not because you gotta be baptized in a baptistry. It's none of
that, it's because they finally came to a place where there was
enough. That's what it boiled down to. And as they went on
their way, now we haven't even got to what I'm saying here.
This is not novel to Paul. Baptism is for believers in Christ
only. Remember, that's the first point.
And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water,
and the eunuch said, see, here is water. What doth hinder me
to be baptized? So one thing about it, if you're
preaching Christ, there's nothing wrong with mentioning what Christ
commanded believers to do, right? The eunuch didn't just draw this
out of a hat. Philip had clearly told him about
this. that people who believe this Messiah, this Jesus of Nazareth,
that's who this passage is talking about, and people who believe
him are following his command to be baptized, to be immersed
in water. So as they're riding along, the
eunuch said, hey, here's water. Now look, what doth hinder me
to be baptized? And here it is, I'll just read
the one part. And Philip said, if thou believest with all thine
heart thou Missed we see it. So Philip was in essence saying
if you don't believe with all your heart, I won't do it. I
Won't do it. But now notice It's Philip that's
going to do the baptizing. It's the eunuch that's going
to be baptized Note that let's take a note. That's that that's
not specifically stated, but it's clear in the text. What
does hinder me to what not? baptize myself But to be baptized,
Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, thou mayest,
and he answered him. Notice it didn't take him, I
don't even see him getting a good breath, Paul. And he answered
and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and
he commanded the chariot to stand still. They both went down into
the water, and he was baptized, okay? So first of all, baptism
is for believers in Christ only. Baptism cannot be twisted to
mean infant sprinkling, nor can it be twisted to mean an initiation
into church membership. This eunuch went all the way
back to Ethiopia, where he was from, where there was no local
assembly, and maybe Paul started a local assembly. We don't know.
We know nothing more about this man. He wasn't being initiated,
he wasn't sprinkled, they both went into the water. Kind of
silly if they both go into the water, then Philip just gets
a little bit of water and sprinkles it on his head, is it not? While
he was to be baptized, that is, immersed in the water. This baptism
cannot be twisted to mean infant sprinkling. It cannot be twisted
to mean initiation into church membership, nor is it a ritual
for those who seek to reform and convert. I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God, and that's my only hope. That's what
believing in him with all your heart means. Paul, there had
to be a whole lot that the Ethiopian eunuch still did not know. And
I also figure there was a whole lot that Philip still did not
know. But he preached unto him, who?
Jesus. Jesus. Okay, that's the first
thing. Here's number two. Baptism has both a passive and
active aspect. Verse 27. For as many of you
as have been, this is the way the KJV puts it, and it's certainly
okay, there's nothing wrong with it. For as many of you as have
been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. So you see two
aspects. You have both a passive and an
active aspect. Now, this may seem elementary,
as we say, to some of us, but there are people. I know Earl
spoke of one lady, he seen her on TV, and she went over there
to the holy land, as they call it, and she went on and on about
how she went into the Jordan River and baptized herself. It
don't work that way. You don't baptize yourself. One,
it is to be a public confession. Therefore, you can't do it to
yourself. There has to be at least somebody
else around to baptize you and for it to be a open public confession
to. Don't have to be but one, Paul.
Now here, there's every evidence that there were a lot of other
people around, but be that as it may. Again, I point out, Baptism
has both a passive and active aspect. According to, it's not
stated directly, but it is referred to for as many of you as have
been baptized, that's the passive aspect, into Christ, have put
on, that's the active aspect, okay? First of all, believers,
as I've done said, have been baptized. We do not baptize ourselves. It's just like, I mean, I just,
I'm sure there's been cases of it happened where you just, if
you ever felt the urge just to sit down and take the Lord's
table all by yourself. We don't do that, do we? We take
the Lord's table with God's people when we're gathered together.
Believers have been baptized, we do not baptize ourselves.
It's passive in that sense. But secondly, baptized believers
have put on Christ. But again, I point out, it doesn't
say the baptism was how you put on Christ. It's those who believed
in Christ who are the children of God. They've been baptized
into Christ. They have put on Christ. You
put on Christ. It didn't say baptism put Christ
on you. Now, do you see that? And yet
some people, when they read verse 27, they read all these other
things into baptism, okay? That's number two. Baptized believers
have put on Christ. That would be the active aspect. None, no one has authority to
baptize themselves. People's got weird ideas, you
know. Believers in Christ Jesus are baptized and they have put
on Christ. Now that's the way I said it
because that's the way Paul said it. He doesn't say you put on
Christ by being baptized. Now does he? He doesn't say that.
In what way have we put on Christ, okay? The word means, to put
on means, and it's found all throughout the scripture, put
on the new man, put off the old man. the old man, but Paul putting
on the new man is not something that he's out here and you don't
have him, and somehow you get him and put him on. He's there,
he's created in righteousness and true holiness in you, but
we're to put him on, okay? Literally, the word to put on
Christ is to array. or to sink into a garment. Like a person, a man or a woman
would put on trousers or pants. You put on those pants. You already have them in your
possession, Paul, or you couldn't put them on. But anyway, the
word means to array, to sink into a garment or or simply to
clothe with, to or to be clothed. You can be clothed or you can
also clothe yourself. Here it is to clothe, okay? You've
put on Christ. Secondly, we put on Christ by
believing him, not by just going through some ritual or ceremony
of being baptized. Thousands of people have been
baptized that could care less about Jesus Christ. One, they've
never been baptized in or into Jesus Christ. They've just been
baptized because it's a church ritual. It's a religious thing
to do for someone who believes in God, decide to straighten
up and live right. So remember, we put on Christ by believing
Him. That's how we take Him upon ourselves,
is by believing Him. Now I know there's more to it
than that. I know we never put Him on unless He's first put
Himself on us, but that's not what I'm dealing with in the
text here. We put on Christ by believing him. And what I'm saying
flows exactly with what Paul wrote here. It's just our minds
are so flooded with error when we read it. Ever notice how two
people can read the same sentence and get two totally different
meanings from it? But what I've tried to do is
point out just exactly what Paul said and some things it's clear
he did not say. Number three, we put on Christ
by believing he wrought the redemption price. He wrought peace. He wrought
reconciliation. He wrought forgiveness of sins.
And that's what Philip meant when he told the eunuch, if you
believe with all your heart. It's not a percentage thing.
It's not you gotta believe with a percentage thing, it's you
believe Jesus Christ and him only. You reject everything about
yourself and you receive him and him only. That's what it's
talking about. Here's number four. We put on
Christ by submission to him as God's righteousness. You see, just to be baptized
into water, If you're immersed in the right way and the proper
words are said, it still is nothing but a ritual or a ceremony if
you have not bowed to the righteousness of God, which is Christ himself. Number five, we put on Christ
by willing submission to his command to be baptized. We don't just put him on one
time. Linda, we need to daily be clothed with him, clothed
with him, clothed with him. We put on Christ by willing submission
to his command to be baptized and to be baptized in his name
because of him publicly confessing him. Here's the way it puts it
directly in the Greek. For as many as to Christ were
baptized, Christ ye did put on. Now that sounds pretty simple.
It doesn't have all the fluff that religion puts on it, does
it? Word for word, from the Greek into English, for as many as
to Christ were baptized, Christ ye did put on. We must not add
more than is written, but we never should deny what is written. Number six, again. Baptism alone
the act of be baptized confers nothing It confers nothing now,
that's where the rub really gets because that's where the difference
between different denominations and different belief systems
come the act of baptism alone confers nothing It is faith,
it is the trust, it is the subjection, it even in the baptism, it is
the obedience in faith in Christ that is our putting on Christ. Again, that's what Paul actually
wrote. For ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus, period. You see it? Period. Four, as many of you as have
been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Number seven, again, Paul does
not say, as many as were baptized, that baptism put Christ on you. And yet, that's what's taught
by many people. Or, neither does Paul say, as
many as were baptized, was you putting on Christ? It's not the
act of baptism, it's the submission to Christ, the bowing to Christ,
the being subject unto Christ. Now here's the question, do I
have proof for those statements? By faith, by faith we put on
Christ because of a living union we have with him. And all throughout
the scripture, we are accepted in who? The beloved. We're forgiven
by whom? The beloved. Our peace is the
beloved. Our reconciliation was wrought
by the beloved. Our forgiveness of sins was secured
by the beloved, the son, the son, the son. It's always Christ. But those for whom he died is
only manifested in those who believe on him, not just those
who are baptized. Again, thousands have been baptized
and have no idea who Jesus Christ really is. So again, by faith
we put on Christ because of our living union with him. Now we're
gonna look at the proof. Baptism is the public confession
that we as believers have put on Christ. It's not what we do
to put on Christ. It's not what we do to get into
Christ. Paul is clear where he said,
Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. And
then he concludes what we call the end of that chapter with
this, but of God are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto
us wisdom. and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. So again, baptism is the public
confession that we as believers have put on Christ. Again, it
is not our being baptized that puts on Christ. It is the believer
who have been baptized, they have put on Christ, okay? How do you know someone's really
a believer? Because they believe the five
points. We know people who believe the five points, but yet go way
astray on other things. How do you know what this person
says, I believe with all my heart and I need to be baptized? This
subjection, this submission to the command of Jesus Christ is
evident in that they seek it with all their heart. What hinders
me to be baptized? It's kind of clear that Philip
Told the eunuch i'm going to say this right that philip told
the eunuch about baptism But baptism wasn't the main thrust
the main thrust was what or rather who? jesus christ Okay, jesus
christ again It's not the act of being baptized that put on
Christ. It was our subjection to him
that we put on him, and we confessed him in obeying his command. Now,
I'll show you this language in 1 Peter 3. And this is the quintessential,
if I even said that, the quintessential, Passage that talks about baptism
and it's talking about water baptism not Holy Spirit baptism
Turn to first Peter chapter 3 and we will see this language for
you first Peter chapter 3 But I cannot read just the part about
baptism without starting at least in verse 18 for Christ also hath
once suffered for sins the just for the unjust and that he, you
see it, that he, nothing else, not even faith in this instance,
but that he might bring us to God, not baptism, because faith's
gotta come before baptism, right? For Christ also hath once suffered
for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
and how'd he do that? Not by faith, not by baptism,
not by church membership, not by service, Look, being put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit. We can't put on
what's not already there to put on. Do you see what I'm saying?
How do you put on something that's way over yonder? You don't pray
it down, you don't believe it down, it's given to you freely
by God through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Therefore,
Joe, not Joe, Paul, it's right there ready for you to put on.
It's not something you gotta sew, it's not sew it together
and put it on, it's just put him on. Okay, let me read it,
go back to the beginning. For Christ also hath once suffered
for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
And that's why we harp on this thing of it's Christ and him
crucified, Christ and him crucified. Everything else, no matter how
valid a thing it might be, faith, baptism, church membership, service,
witnessing, all of these things have no foundation, they are
but Mensis close in God's sight apart from the blood work of
Jesus Christ but look By which he also went and preached unto
the spirits in prison now just reading that so far you think
what? Where did this come from? Do you think where did this phrase
come from by which he does now? No, but what? the last antecedent
is not Christ the Son not Christ God the son, the last antecedent
is God the spirit. Do you see it? Okay. So by which
also he, that is the spirit, do you see it? By which he went
and preached on the spirits in prison. Now we'll read the rest
of it in a moment, but I'll jump ahead. There are people that
preach that when people were dying in Noah's day during the
flood that Jesus Christ personally appeared and went back and preached
to them. That is not at all what this
says, but they read that into it. I mean, even the, what is
it, the Mormons, the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints,
they actually believe that Jesus Christ came and preached to the
American Indians before the white men ever came over here. It's
all just this human lies and stuff that takes away from the
true work and the true person of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
Let's go back and read it by which also the Spirit of God
I'm not wrong in reading it that way by which also the Spirit
of God went and preached unto the spirits in prison now They're
in prison now The prison they're in now is called hail But they
weren't in prison back then They were alive and well as we say,
okay Look by which also the Spirit of God went and preached unto
the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient. Do
you see it? When once the longsuffering of
God waited in the days of Noah, It wasn't even the spirit that
Paul come in some appearance as a dove, as we know he did
on an occasion or two. It wasn't something like that.
Where was the spirit of God and where was this preaching being
done? To these people who are now in
prison, but were once disobedient in the days of Noah, in the person
of Noah, the spirit of God was in Noah preaching who? Jesus
Christ. That's the amazing thing that
most people even miss there. They think it was Jesus personally
preaching, the Holy Spirit personally preaching. They don't realize
it was Noah preaching Christ through the power of the Spirit
of God. That's the context. It's not even a different sentence. It's the same sentence. Now we're
getting somewhere, right? So let's read it again. For Christ
also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that
he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit, by which also he went and preached unto
the spirits in prison, which, there was a time there weren't
in prison, okay, which sometime were disobedient when once the
long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, While the
ark was a preparing wherein few, that is eight souls, were saved
by water, it calls Noah a preacher of the book does, calls Noah
a preacher of what? Righteousness. Whose righteousness
was he preaching? His? No. Christ's righteousness,
the Messiah's righteousness. Pam, I got no reason to believe
he knew Jesus of Nazareth, but he still knew him by this, the
Messiah, the Christ, the promised seed that it had been passed
down orally from God's people, the seed of the woman's coming,
the one that's gonna crush the serpent's head, he's coming,
okay? Now look. While the ark was preparing,
we're in few. So don't be discouraged when
not many people believe you when you're preaching Christ. We're
in few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. Now, wait
a minute, again, by water? I thought they were saved by
being in the ark. Yes, but look, the next phrase,
the like figure. So the water is a figure. the water that he's speaking
of there, the same water that drowned everybody else did what?
Lifted that ark up above. And they were safe, not because
they were floating around in the water, but because they were
in the ark. But the same water that dammed
everybody else, that drowned them in perdition, was the same
water that lifted them up in the ark. Okay, while the ark
was a preparing, you see. But the water back then, as well
as this other thing, is a like figure. The like figure wherein
to even baptism doth also now save us. It's not the literal
thing that saves us, Paul. It's a like figure. It illustrates
what did save us, what? A death, a burial, and a resurrection. And I'm not making this up, we'll
read this, okay? But remember, I mentioned to
you, subjection, right? Submission. It's not the act
of being baptized, it's the subjection, the submission to Christ's command
that says, this person truly has put on Christ. They mean
business. They believe with their whole
heart. Okay, let me start again, verse 20, which sometime were
disobedient. When once the long-suffering
of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing,
he wasn't waiting for everybody to give God his way, he was waiting
for the ark to prepare. And God was gonna save how many? Eight, how's that, eight, just
eight, huh? which sometime were disobedient,
whence once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of
Noah, while the ark was a-preparing, wherein few that his eight souls
were saved by water, the light figure, whereunto even baptism
also doth now save us. But there is this caveat, because
Peter, by the Spirit of God, knew we'd twist this all around.
Not, here's what baptism is not, and that's why Paul wasn't wrong
for me to talk about all these things it was not. not the putting
away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer or the response
of a good conscience toward God. The good conscience is already
there. If it's not there before you're
baptized, your baptism is nothing but a ritual. I don't care how
much truth you had around you, how much truth you believed in
your head, as we say. It's a good conscience. It's
the answer, the response. That's what an answer is. It
is a response to a question. The response, the answer of a
good conscience toward God. Now go back and read it without
the parentheses. The like figure whereunto even
baptism doth now save us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That's what that baptism shows.
How long are you gonna survive down there underneath that water?
Immerse there. How long are you gonna survive? Somebody else
is putting you down there. They're holding you down there.
What has to happen? You gotta come back up. That's
what Peter says. It's a like figure, but it is
the answer, the response of a good conscience toward God. It doesn't
put away not one sin. but it's the response of a conscience
that already sees sin put away by Jesus Christ. Isn't that exactly
what Hebrews says? Look at Hebrews 10. Look, for
the law having a shadow, it has like figures too, Paul. For the
law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very
image of the things, can never, with those sacrifices which they
offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect,
for then would not they have ceased to be offered, because
the worshipers, once purged, should have no more conscience
of sins. The context then declares that
what? How's the only way my conscience
can truly be purged of sins? By the person and work of Jesus
Christ doing the will of God the Father, offering his body
as a sacrifice for sin once. So when my conscience does scream
at me and bother me, why is it? Because I'm looking to something
else. That's why, even as a believer,
I've got my eyes of faith. Nope, strike that. I've got my
eyes, maybe of some kind of faith, not the faith of God's elect.
I've got my eyes on something else. Paul, when God enables me to
just believe Him with all my heart and trust Him only, my
conscience is clearer concerning sins. Has God already in His
Son dealt with it? The son had the right to cry
because he had satisfied God. Paul just preached it. It's finished. It's paid in full. And when I
see that, I got a good conscience. How do I answer that? How do
I respond to that? Obey Christ. Go into the water. And is that not exactly what
Peter's saying here? The like figure, whereunto even
baptism doth also now save us. Now let's note, not the putting
away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now look at
it. I know I mentioned that word, subjection, submission. Look,
who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God. Angels
and authorities and powers being made, what? Subject, what? Unto him. Not the ritual. You see it? The ritual, and it
is a ritual for most folk. Linda, when people see us baptize
folk out there in that lake over here, for them, they see it's
just a ritual. It's just a ceremony. They're
baptizing somebody else. They're becoming a member of
the church. They're believing in Jesus and they're deciding
to live better and try to do right now. Isn't that what they
see? They don't see it as what? Being subject to Christ because
he reigns and rules in glory. Baptism right there in the middle
of that. I didn't add it there, and I ain't no Campbellite. Baptism
don't save you, but baptism is the answer of a good conscience
toward God. Before I close, let me say this.
to anyone will say, but I was, I've been subject to Christ.
I believed Christ for years and years before I was baptized.
Only if you'd never ever heard of being baptized. That's the
only way that could be true. The only way that could be true.
Anyone who's heard the preaching of the gospel of Christ and has
been told that they are to be baptized once they believe, their
believing is false if they don't immediately start seeking to
obey the Lord. Now that is what I've had some
years ago, I had a fellow write me, well, you're a Calvinistic
Campbellite. And I thought, well, you can't
win for losing, huh? Let me tell you something, when
a person sees that Jesus Christ suffered for their sins and satisfied
God, and they hear that Christ said, he that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved, what do you think they're gonna do
if they are subject to him? What are they gonna do? They're
gonna be baptized. And it is that simple. People
can, they can say, well, you're preaching this. I've preached
exactly what's in this book. Now, some people are not to be
baptized. Philip made that clear to the
eunuch. If you believe with all your heart, he said, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Whoa, horsey! Stop the
buggy right now. They both get out of the chariot,
walk down into the water. Philip baptizes the eunuch, brings
him back up, and guess what? Philip goes his way, the eunuch
goes right on back to Ethiopia. You see, here's the question. Has God's gospel wrought in me
subjection to Christ? That's the question. If it has,
here's my other question. Why haven't you been baptized?
Any excuse of months and years lets us know they have not been
subject unto Christ. Now, they may be now. They may
have been, since they've been baptized, or I said that wrong,
they may be, because they've been baptized, manifest, I am
subject to Christ. But this idea of this baptism
being something you just do years and years, nowhere is it like
that in this book. The question is, has God's gospel
wrought subjection in my heart to Christ? If so, I will be baptized. I will submit publicly. I will
submit publicly to being baptized because I've submitted inwardly
to Jesus Christ and his cross work. You know the one statement I
have to say that? Amen. That's it. Heavenly Father,
oh Lord spare us from our own opinions. Our own ways. Lord, we know your gospel is
offensive to the natural man. It's offensive to the religious
man. It's offensive to even the orthodox
man or woman. But oh, God, teach us thy truth.
Lord, subject us to Christ. We know we are in your sovereign
purpose, but Lord, subject us to Christ in our experience and
in our lives as well. We thank you for this food we
have and for For those who are here today, and Lord, we thank
you for those who couldn't make it. May they have had their hearts
and minds stayed upon the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ's name, amen.