Then Went He Down and Dipped

Q: What does the Bible say about pride?

The Bible warns that God hates pride and considers it an abomination, as seen in Proverbs 6:16-17. Pride is a major theme in the scripture, representing a fundamental rebellion against God. Proverbs 6:16-17 states that 'these six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him.' The first item on that list is a 'proud look,' indicating that pride is not just a sin, but something detestable to God. Isaiah 2:10 also emphasizes the need for humility, instructing us to 'enter into the rock'—Jesus Christ—highlighting that true strength lies in recognizing our lowly state before God. In the last days, as proclaimed in 2 Timothy 3, pride will be rampant, evidencing the sinful condition of mankind that God must address in His dealings with humanity.

Q: How do we know God's mercy is sufficient for sinners?

God's mercy is exemplified through Christ's sacrifice, which is sufficient for all sinners, as seen in Romans 5:8. The sufficiency of God's mercy is vividly portrayed through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 declares, 'But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' This indicates that God's mercy is not based on our righteousness or deeds, but entirely on His grace and love. In the context of Naaman's story, we see that the healing he received was not based on his status or works, but solely on obedience to God's instruction, which represents a picture of faith in Christ. The message is that no matter how vile a person’s sins may be, God's mercy in Christ is able to cleanse and redeem, as seen in 1 John 1:7.

Q: Why is humility important for Christians?

Humility is essential for Christians because it aligns our hearts with God's, as we recognize our need for His grace. Humility is fundamentally important in the Christian faith as it enables true repentance and an understanding of our need for salvation. In James 4:6, we see that 'God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.' This shows that humility is a prerequisite for receiving God's grace. When Naaman initially approached the prophet Elisha, he came with pride, expecting recognition due to his status. However, it was only when he humbled himself and followed simple, albeit humbling instructions that he received healing. This illustrates that our understanding of who we are before a holy God fosters a spirit of humility, crucial for repentance and acceptance of God’s grace.

Q: How can we be assured of our salvation?

Our assurance of salvation comes through faith in Christ's completed work, as affirmed in Ephesians 2:8-9. Assurance of salvation is a significant aspect of the Christian faith that rests upon the work of Christ rather than our own efforts. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.' This passage clarifies that salvation is a divine gift, emphasizing that it is not something we can earn or achieve through our own merit. In Naaman's healing, we see that despite his stature, he could not cleanse himself of leprosy without following God’s command. Similarly, we cannot cleanse ourselves from sin except through faith in Christ, who is the only way to the Father. Therefore, our salvation is assured through trust in Him and His blood that was shed for us.

I want you to turn with me first of all to Isaiah chapter 2 before we look at the story in 2 Kings. Isaiah chapter 2. You know what a pandemic is, don't you? You probably didn't until 2020. It means a worldwide disease that everybody has. Well, we're in a pandemic, and that disease is pride. It has killed and is killing everyone.

God hates it more than anything. It says, in the last days, particularly, spoken of in 2 Timothy 3, listen, listen, everybody, young and old. In the last days, men will be lovers of their selves. You cannot fear God, you cannot love God and love yourself. You can't do it. Boasters, proud.

Heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than God. Proverbs 6 says, six things the Lord hates, seven are an abomination to him. Six things the Lord hates, and he names them, and seven are abomination to him. And the first one is a proud look. God hates it. Hates it.

Why? Because what do you have that you have not received from the, from the hands of God, whether it be strength or ability or talents or beauty or riches or whatever it is, you did not acquire that the Lord freely gave it to you should be for his glory, not for our boasting. But this is what we do by nature. It says in Proverbs 16 verse, verse, where is it?

A proud look is an, oh, verse five. Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. The Lord doesn't love everybody. He's angry with the wicked every day. And what he says in Ezekiel 16, he said, this is the sin of Sodom. This is why the Lord destroyed Sodom.

He say it was homosexuality. Well, that, that was a result of these three things. So there was, they were proud. Number one, they were proud. Number two, fullness of bread. They had it all. This describes the day we live in, an abundance of idleness. They did nothing, but yet boasted great things. And so here in Isaiah, look at this, Isaiah chapter two. Here is the strong warning of our Lord and A command, verse 10, we have it. Enter into the rock. What rock is that? Jesus Christ.

Hide thee in the dust. He who alone could be proud was meek and lowly as our substitute. Enter into the rock and hide the dust for fear of the Lord and the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man, the proud and haughty looks on faces will be humbled. The haughtiness of men will be bowed down. The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Verse 17, he keeps saying this, the loftiness of man shall be bowed down. The haughtiness of men shall be made low.

Look at chapter three, verse nine. See it? Verse nine. The show of their countenance doth witness against them. They declare their sin as Sodom and hide it not. You know well by now that this month has been designated as gay pride month. It's a shame to speak of those things done by them in secret. I really don't even want to bring it up, but God doesn't love this world. He's angry with it. The wrath of God's revealed day in and day out.

Look at verse 16, young ladies, look at this. Verse 16, young men. The daughters of Zion, the Lord said, the daughters of Zion are haughty. They walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing like these runway models you see them, strutting their stuff.

It's an abomination to God. Abomination. Big, strong men flexing their muscles. Athletes with their swagger, they call it, which men love and commend. He's got a swagger. God hates it. He hates it. He's going to bring it down. Won't take much. Doesn't take much. He that walketh in pride, Nebuchadnezzar found this out. Nebuchadnezzar said, look what all I've done. And God reduced him to an animal. And he ended up saying, he's saying that he that walketh in pride, the Lord is able to abase.

He's able. The mightiest, the strongest, biggest man on earth, one little germ will put him in a wheelchair. and nobody paying attention to him ever again. All his muscles a trophy and he's a nothing. The most beautiful woman, a car wreck, disfigured, she's gone, nobody, people be ashamed to look at her. Doesn't take much, doesn't take much.

Learn this now, haughty look, look at me, ain't I something? Well that was this Naaman fella. Okay, go back to our text. That's what this story is about. A proud man, a great man among men, honorable, held in high esteem, highly esteemed among men. An abomination to God. Mighty, Valorous, strong. Look at verse 1. Naaman, captain of the host. Now this is a general is what it is. Captain back then is the highest you can get. He's captain, he's general over the whole army. He's somebody.

You know how long it takes to become a general in the army? If very few privates become generals. Most start out in officer's training school and go into the army as a lieutenant and then work their way up and they know somebody. They have some money and they work their way up and influence and all that. But if you started out as a buck private, it would take you at least 35 years to be a general. And you'd have to do great feats. Though he had spent his life accomplishing this rank.

Look at me, aren't I something? He was a captain of the host, the king of Syria. His right-hand man was a great man, with his master, that is, not with God. There are no great men before God Almighty, except one. the Lord Jesus Christ, that man rejected and despised. And he was honorable, that is, he was gracious, that he seemed to be. When everything's going well, people are gracious. Now look at this. By him, the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria. Who did this? This man had won many battles and fought many wars and battles and great victories and deliverances. Who did it? Who did it? The Lord did it, didn't he?

He's not giving the Lord glory for this. No, he isn't. He was a mighty man in valor, strong, But he's a leper. He's a leper, meaning you take off all of his armor. all his medals, all his uniform. You strip him naked and you won't be able to look at him. He's such a vile, rotting, corrupt piece of flesh. He's just a dying man, that's all he is. He's dying, leprosy. You couldn't stand to be around him if he didn't cover up. He didn't cover up.

And men and women and young people cover themselves up with their fig leaves and, you know, all their attainments. And they seem to be gracious and nice and honorable and all that. But if you strip them, and God doesn't see as man sees. Man looks on the outward countenance. God looks on the heart. If you open up the hearts and minds of all human beings, you couldn't stand to be around anybody. He's a leper. All are before God. Everyone's a leper before God. Brother Chapman preached this, didn't he? Don't need to preach it again. That's all of us. We're all lepers. The Lord looked down from heaven, Psalm 14. Listen, listen to it. The Lord looked down from heaven, and this is Romans 1, Romans 3.

The religious world doesn't believe this. Firepower Baptist Church and Abner Methodist Church are not preaching this morning. They've got a lot more people because these fellows are going to tell people what they want to hear. What good people you are and how the Lord needs you. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fool has said there's no God, they're corrupt. Lord, look down from heaven upon the children of men.

Who's that? What are you? Are you one of the children of men? Are you anybody here? Not the children of men. See if there were any that didn't understand. Did you understand what you are and who God was before God revealed himself to you? No, he did not. Did you seek God? No, he said there's none. And they won't. None will. unless God, in great mercy and grace, causes them to see. Isn't God good?

They're all gonna sigh. They're together become filthy. Now, the word filthy means stinking. You know, you nurses have been around corrupt, dying, dead flesh, haven't you? Human beings, there's nothing smells worse than a dead human cadaver, is it? Is it not true? Or you can go out in the woods, and you've done this, man, haven't you? Walking in, whoa, what's that smell? There's a dead animal somewhere. Dead flesh, corrupt flesh.

That's what mankind is to God. It really is. He knows us. Well, look at our tech. Go back to our tech. This man may be great before me, but he's nothing but a dying, stinking leper. He's not great God, he's just a sinner. He needs saving, and you and I do too. Not did, do. The Syrians had gone out by company, brought away captive out of the land of Israel, little maid. She waited on Naaman's wife. This young girl was taken captive by Naaman and his army and all that. Now she's working for Naaman's wife. There's no accidents with the Lord. Naaman apparently is a chosen man of God. He's gonna hear from God's prophet. And if you're chosen by God, you're gonna hear from the Lord's prophet.

And the first thing you're gonna hear is you're vile. And you need to wash and there's only one place. And perhaps you heard that there was a prophet through a witness. a young maid, a young girl or something, or somebody, just tell you, you need, look at verse three.

She said to her mistress, would God, I pray to God that my Lord were with the prophet that's in Samaria. He would deliver him of his leprosy. This young girl knew that prophet. What now? Elisha Was a man and God's prophet and the Lord used him greatly and gave him great power, but Elisha represents Jesus Christ Okay That prophet Moses said that prophet the Elisha Represents crowd the only one who can heal lepers and do you know the Lord Jesus Christ healed more lepers than any other disease and There's a reason for that, because that's all of us by nature. Like this old man, we've got a new man. Nahum, when it's all over, he's going to be like a little child, but he's still a sinner in it.

And there's a new birth that all of God's people, that God We're begotten of God by the gospel and yet there's an old man He's still a filthy stinking sinner and you get a whiff of him every now and then you know what you do You go back to that fountain every time You'd strip and dip I Named this once before strip and dip Come down Well, this young girl told her, the woman she worked for, he needs to go to the prophet.

Do you talk to your employer? Or someone who works for you? You know what you need to do? They're a rotten, dying sinner, and you need to tell that person they need to come to Christ. They need to hear the gospel. Tell them. Well, you might get me fired. Sooner the better. The Lord will just give you a better job. Guarantee it. Guarantee it. No man has left, you know, sacrificed for Christ and the gospel a hundredfold. You need to tell your employer or your employee that he's a rotten sinner and needs to come to Christ.

That's your purpose. This woman, this girl is not working there by accident. She's there for one reason. For this right here. You never hear from her again. You never hear this servant again. This is the story. This is the one thing needful. You don't need a raise.

Your boss, he needs to see Christ raised up and lifted up, high and lifted up. You understand me? When's the last time you brought somebody here to the gospel? Or talked to somebody about the gospel, huh? Say, I'm ashamed. It ought to be. Our Lord said, you're ashamed of me and this generation, adulterous generation, I'll be ashamed of you. This is what it means to confess him. This girl said, he, he, Mayimah needs to be with the prophet. He'll recover him. And so somebody went in and told the king this, and king Assyria sent letters, verse 5, with Naaman, sent Naaman with talents of silver and 6,000 pieces of gold and 10 changes of raiment.

You know we're not redeemed by corruptible things such as silver and gold, don't you? You can't put away one sin. You can't change your life. You can't redeem anything. You can't undo anything you've ever done in your whole entire life. You can't do it, not one thing.

What can wash away our sins? Nothing but the blood of the Lord Jesus. Have you heard this before? We're still sinners. The prophet, Elisha, represents the Lord Jesus Christ. There's only one. One prophet. That prophet, the Lord Jesus. He's our prophet, capital P. Prophet in scripture is never capitalized. Pastor, never capitalized. You hear me? Priest, never capitalized. King isn't even capitalized. Preacher is Jesus Christ, that's Hebrews 3. Consider the Apostle, capital A, and high priest, capital H, capital P, Jesus Christ. He's the only one that deserves capital letters and a title before his name. You won't see me put that in front of my name. I don't take lofty titles. Master would take me away, that's what Elihu said.

But Christ is that prophet. But there are men whom the Lord raises up as prophets. Elisha was truly a prophet. And Naaman needed to hear from him, didn't he? There was only one. Wasn't there only one? Was there another one? No. And he's called the man of God four times in the scripture. Four times. Does God still have any men of God?

You're gonna have to hear him from him. Whoever it is you want cured of their leprosy, they're gonna have to hear from a man of God. They're gonna have to hear the message from God by a man of God in the place where God is found in his church. And so you need to tell them, you need to go and listen to the gospel from that man.

I don't know of another anywhere else. I just talked to the lady the other day about this. I said, there's nobody, I've been here a long time, and nobody's preaching this God like this. Nobody's preaching man like he really is. Nobody. They're not doing it. You've heard them. You hear them. You can't believe the trash, the garbage, the abominable things I get in the mail from every one of these so-called places around here. It's an abomination.

And wherever the prophet of God is, he's preaching God high and man low. He's preaching a holy, and righteous, and just God, and a stinking, filthy, rotten, hell-deserving, not a good person, not you God want you, no, no, no, no, no, no. A worthless, vile, sinner, worm, and only the grace and mercy of God would save such a creature as this. What is man, Scripture says, that thou art mindful of him? That's what the Bible says, Psalm 8. Doesn't it? That's man. That's you, that's me.

The sooner we find that out, the sooner we're going to get mercy and peace. There is no peace for the wicked. Who are the wicked? Everybody. Peace one place, one way. Not by us doing anything. That's blasphemy. It's by the blood of His cross. It's what Jesus Christ did alone. It's not what you do with what He did. It's what He did for you. It's not you accepting Him. No, no! It's Him being accepted by God on behalf of a worthless sinner.

Don't get mad, preacher. We don't know mad until we... The whole world is going to... Be in for a dreadful realization when we stand before a thrice holy God. We did this, we did that. Get them out of my sight. I hear the harlots and the publicans. Lord, why are you here? The blood of the Lamb, come in. You're blessed in my Father. Come on in here.

There was a king, true story, Spurgeon told it. A king determined to pardon a criminal. He disguised himself and went into one of the prisons. Went into a prison. He was walking around that prison yard and hearing the stories of the various prisoners. And one would say, well, if I get out of here, I'm going to show them. I'm going to get that judge. Another one would say, I was framed. I was framed. Another one said, well, that buddy ratted on me. Ratted on me.

And there's one fella sitting over in the corner with his head in his hand. Tears running down his face. And the king in disguise went over and sat down beside him, stooped down, and said, sir, what's wrong? He said, I'm here because I killed a fella, and I'm guilty, and I'm getting ready to die for it. And there's nothing I can do about it. He said, I'm guilty. I'm sorry for it, but there's nothing I can do. I deserve to die. The king said, you're not going to die.

I hereby pardon you. Your sins are forgiven. That's that woman with the alabaster bottle, that woman who wiped his feet with her hair, her pride, her tears. It's a woman, thy sins are forgiven. Freely, frankly, forever with a word. Why? For the guilty. That's it. Confession.

Pleased God by the foolishness of preaching. Look down at verse eight. So when Elisha, the man of God, heard the king had rent his clothes, the king was of Israel, that's Ahab's son, rotten, no good fella. But anyway, Elisha heard and he said, why rent your clothes? Let him come to me, he'll know there's a prophet in Israel. What did our Lord Jesus Christ say?

He stood up that last great day of the feast and he said, ho, everyone that thirsts, let him come unto me. If any man thirsts, let him come unto me. Come unto me, all ye that labor and heavy laden. And I'll give you red, come unto me, come unto me. You got people going to church, got people going to the mass, got people going to this place and that place. You got people, no, Christ said, come unto me. There's only one. Pharaoh is a vain person to go to. Egypt was a vain person. A horse is a vain thing for strength. Come to Christ, come to Christ. He said, I'll give you red. Only one that can heal. Look at verse nine, I love this.

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and he stood at the door of the house of Elisha. He's sitting on his high horse, a big white or black stallion, I'm sure, with all its finery, with his finest saddle and hardest money could buy in his chariot, that is. And he stood there, came to the door of the house of Elisha.

We come here this morning. This is the house of God, isn't it? How did we come here? How do we come here? Do we come in pride or do we come in humility? Here I am, or do we come, oh Lord, please have mercy upon them. And he stood. You know, we have chariots and horses, don't we? Every one of us has, most of us have more than one chariot. Are you proud of it? It's one thing to have nice things, but to be proud of it, that's another thing altogether. Don't do it.

This man was, he came and he stood outside the door. He's not knocking. He's not knocking on the door. He's not seeking. He's waiting, thinking that this little prophet's gonna be glad to see me. He's gonna come out to me. Look, after all, I'm captain of the host of the king of Syria. Here I am. What if the president of the United States walked in this room right now? If I acted any differently toward him, you need to go someplace else. Honestly.

He's a sinner that needs saving. He's a leper. He doesn't know it. He's a leper. He needs saving just like you and I do. He's no better than any one of us. Now here he came and he stood. He stood outside. And Elisha, verse 10, sent a messenger unto him. Elisha doesn't go out to speak to him. If this man had come to the average so-called church today, they would have rushed out there to meet him. Well, look, there's Naaman. We could use his money. I mean, we need his influence, and he's somebody. Aren't we honored to have him in our midst?

Thank you for coming, Naomi. Boy, sinners saved by grace, they're going to be thanking God for coming. They're going to be thanking God all the rest of their days, Christ, for coming to this earth. For coming for them. For calling them. Choosing them. Saving them. Dying for them. Living for them. Calling them.

Having mercy on them. being long-suffering to them, they're gonna be thanking God forever. We're bound to give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved Lord, because God had, from the beginning, chosen you, not vice versa, because Christ died for you. Oh, thank God. Thank God.

So, Elisha, and our Lord Jesus Christ sends lowly messengers. What was this man's name, this messenger? Doesn't give it, does it? Who is he? Where's he from? What are his credentials? This is not Gehazi. This is a messenger. Gehazi was his personal servant. He was corrupt.

But this young, this messenger, it doesn't say, and that's by design, our names, the name of the preacher is not important. Our Lord said, you let a man come in his own name and the world will receive him. It's just so in it. You let a man come and won't mention his name like John the Baptist or John the Apostle. In other words, he is a devil. He's a man of God. That's how you know. That this servant came out. And Elisha sent him with a very brief message, wasn't it? A very simple message, wasn't it? Verse 10.

Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. He turned around and walked back in the house. Go down to that old Red River Jordan, that old muddy, filthy, rotten Jordan River and get down off your high horse, take your medals you're covering off, strip yourself of your fig leaves, come down and strip and dip. Get down in that muddy water where you belong.

And then you'll be clean. And this is our message, it hasn't changed. Every proud sinner that comes here, we tell them, well, you don't want to run people off. You can't run God's people off. They'll run to Christ. When they find out what they really are, they'll run to Christ. Draw us, we'll run to you. This is the drawing power of God.

What do you mean? You're going to save people by telling them how rotten they are? The Lord healed a blind man by putting mud in his eye. He healed a deaf man by putting his fingers in his ear. How can that happen? Our Lord said, though your sins be as scarlet, they'll be as white as snow. How can you take a black sinner and dip him in red blood and he come out white? Would you tell me? And if you know the gospel, you do. This old Red River Jordan represents the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The river, going washing the river.

He said, my master sent me to tell you, come off your high horse, repent. You're not a great man with God, you're a great sinner. You're not honorable, you're an abominable. You're not mighty, you're a dying leper. Everything you've ever done, God did it for you. And you're not, you're stealing his glory. He's not, doesn't love you, he's angry with you.

Come down, sinner. Go down. Get down on your knees before a holy God. Strip naked. Take off your fig leaf. Take off your filthy rags. Throw them away. Your works. Stand naked before God. He sees you anyway. Stand naked. Show the world. Confess to the world. Show everybody. Go down to that muddy Red River Jordan.

What it took for God to save sinners is nothing more and nothing less than God making his son a burnt offering, going through hell on Calvary Street, stripping him of his righteousness, his beautiful, pristine, holy life that he wrought out with his own hands to cover our neck, and the soul that sinneth will surely die, making his soul an offering for sin. The life of the flesh is in the blood, the blood. He poured out his soul unto death, and not only that, but his blood was shed for the remission of our sin. Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sin.

We've got to wash. This is an old-fashioned message, old-fashioned. Are you washed? Where? In the blood of the Lamb, the modern world. That's old-fashioned, archaic, mountain talk. No, it's Bible. It's the truth. There is no other way. No other way. You're gonna live by Christ dying. The way up is down. The way in is out. Christ came into the world to save sinners. He didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. What kind of sinner? Worthless sinner. Only hope for a leper is in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ. If we say we have no sin, that means if we say there's not in us every propensity to do any sin ever been committed by any human being. If we say that's not in us, we're making God a liar. But if we confess our sins, say, God, I'm rotten.

The only reason I haven't done this or done that, because you kept me from it. The reason I did this and did that, because I wanted to. I was talking to this lady. I said, she was mad at God. And I said, you need to be mad at yourself. The sooner you take the blame for everything, the sooner God will forgive you. You know what?

Let me tell you this. As soon as there is admission, there is remission. Just as soon as there's confession, there's redemption. Sounds easy, doesn't it? No, it's hard. It takes the spirit of God to make a person realize what they really are. It's this person. It's that person. It's their fault. It's my mama's fault. No, it's your fault. You did exactly what you wanted to do. You lived exactly the life without any thought of God ever in your life, and then you get in trouble, and then you call on him, expect him to just stop everything, and oh, he loves you so much. That's just not so. That God would save anybody is infinite mercy.

I'm not exaggerating it. Am I? Most of you in here have read this book. From the preacher on down, we're all worthless sinners. There's one way. One way. There's a fountain filled with blood. They're all from Emmanuel's veins. Sinners plunge beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.

One of our ladies said she'd like to, every time she hears the gospel, she wants to be re-baptized. Well, I do too. I told her we can't do that because everybody'd want to do it. We'd be baptizing, baptizing, baptizing all the time. You just need to come to Christ. Keep coming to Christ and stripping and dipping. All your life.

This layman was wroth. He was angry. And he went away mad. That's what Barnard told my dad, a young preacher. He said, Henry, preach for a verdict. Preach so clearly and so plainly that when people hear you, they know exactly what you're saying. And if they know what you're saying, they'll go away mad, sad, or glad. And the layman went away mad. Young Saul of Tarsus, that young rich rung ruler went away mad. Now if you belong to God, he'll make you sad. Oh, why did I get mad at God? It's all my fault.

And then if you hear the gospel of a substitute for such an unworthy sinner, it'll make you glad. And I am sure glad when this is over. that he heard from this little two-bit messenger. I thought, I thought, I thought, I thought, Psalm 50, thou thoughtest, God said, that I was altogether such as one is he. That's what God says to man. Thou thoughtest, he said, I'm gonna set things in order before your eyes. I'm God, there is none else. I thought, There's a way that seems right to man. The end is always destruction. It's not like you thought. Salvation is what God thinks, what God said. I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and be glad to see me and pass his hand.

Where's the humility in that? Where's the stripping? Where's the exposure? Where's the confession in that? Put his hand over. No, no, no. It's got to be humiliation before exaltation. You humble yourself in the sight of God, he'll exalt you in due time. That's what baptism in the picture is. Recover the leopard.

He said are not a banner and far far rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel That's better. They got a better choir down there. They got a better Sanctuary down there. They got a better in that better than this play. No, there's no better gospel anywhere.

No, no, no That's wood hay and stubble And his servant said to him, verse 13, Father, if the prophet told you to do something great, wouldn't you have done it? All he told you is wash and be clean. Dip, huh? You don't have to climb Mount Sinai. You don't have to do this and do that. No, no, no. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that's what he said. Believe what? Believe that you're a rotten, no good sinner, and only one thing gonna save you, it's his blood. Not even your repentance, that's not it, it's Christ. If he doesn't save you, you're not gonna be saved. That's your confession.

What happened then? Verse 14, then went he down. So he went down. He went down. I believe the Lord finally gave him a whiff of himself. You ever get a whiff of yourself, your son? Your thoughts ever crop up? Your deeds, you do something, you think, oh, I thought that was over. Huh? You ever get a good whiff of yourself?

You ever look in the mirror? You know, all we have to do is look in the mirror. You know what, take a good, honest look in the mirror. Don't listen to what other people tell you. Take a look in the mirror. What mirror is that? This one right here. The scriptures talks about a man beholding himself in a glass, and that's this book.

And if you look a good, honest look in this book, and it'll show you what you really are, it'll expose you. The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. All things are naked and open before the eyes of God. No covering for your sin, no covering for your thoughts, a discerner of the thought. You say, oh, thou, Lord, seest me.

I've done this in thy sight. I've covered it up. People think I'm this, that, I'm not. Is that you? I wish the worst sinner on the top of the earth could sit here this morning. Somebody should raise their hand just now. That's who Christ came for. So he went down. He went down. And he had to take off those medals. Take off those medals. He had to take off his armor. He had to take off all his clothes. And he's standing there naked. And now everybody sees him. I thought he was a great man. Look at him. He's getting old and wrinkled. Any person in here would look good naked. No, you don't. We cover up pretty good, don't we? Hmm not to God But he standing there naked Isn't that what our Lord did on the cross they stripped him?

To cover us But he went down he went down he got down off his high horse and he got in that old muddy River Jordan it's mud. Oh My He got down in that old red muddy river in Jordan, the muck and the mire and the filth and the slime and all that. You know, that's what Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ became for us. That's why that represents Christ so much. He became sin for us. And you're going to have to be immersed yourself in him. When the scriptures talks about, our Lord said, he that go out in the world and preach this gospel that I preach this morning, and he that believeth, what?

That he's a no good sinner before God, that God is holy and righteous. And there's one way of deliverance of salvation before God is the blood of Christ. He that believeth and is baptized. Baptism is an answer of a good conscience. What's a good conscience? Conscience of sin. Conscience of God's holiness. Conscience of a need for righteousness. You don't have one.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. That's what it said. In baptism, old Naaman went down and the prophet told him, dip seven times. Seven is the number of perfection in it. Seven is the number of completion in it. Seven, when the Lord finished the world, seven he rested. It's all finished, it's done. That's a picture of the perfect work of Christ. You're complete in him. Completely washed, completely justified, completely sanctified, completely redeemed. Full atonement, can there be? Yes. Absolutely. No other place. Not far par in Ibanar. Only in Christ.

He went down. You know what it was? It was a humiliating thing for him, wasn't it, Kelly? Humiliating. He got down in that muddy water, went down. He was spitting mud. He got back up. Look at old Naaman there. Look at him. Go down again. He got down there again, he came back up, and down again. And this whole life of ours is spent, we need to keep coming down. Until he comes, he's down so bad in mud, and the muck, and the mire, and he thinks, I'm just a filthy, rotten, look at, look, I thought I was this great man, honorable, and all, look, I'm nothing but a filthy, rotten, muddy, I got filth in my ears, eyes, all over me, inside of me, I'm nothing but a filthy, rotten creature.

Oh, my, my, that's seven times clean. He came up. Like a baby. Amen. Without spot, without blemish, blameless, holy, unblameable, and unapprovable in God's sight. Just dipping in the Red River, yes. And that river is the blood of Jesus Christ. Yeah, old-fashioned. You know, baptism is kind of humiliating. That's good. You ladies have your makeup on, your hair all done up. That woman with the alabaster box, let that hair down. Don't go in that. Wipe his feet with that hair. The only reason you're not barred from cancer is he didn't give it to you. Come on down now. Come on down now. You've got your pretty clothes on, you know, and you get in that pool and he puts you down under that water and you come up looking like a wet rat. Oh, she ain't so pretty after all, is she? She is to God now.

And baptism is a picture of a death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. I should have been crucified. Yeah, yeah, I was crucified with Christ. My sins deserve to be exposed to the whole world, but Christ was exposed for me. And when Christ was buried, I need to be put out of sight and out of mind. I should be buried. The soul that sins shall surely die. I deserve to die, but I confess that Christ died for me.

All right, now when you baptize somebody, when you put somebody down, now what? Now what? That fella better raise you. He better lift you up or you're gonna die. You're gonna drown. Right? What a picture that is. If Christ doesn't raise us up, quicken us together with him, we're gonna die from what? Leprosy. But if by the grace of God, you're buried with him, crucified with him, buried with him, you will rise to walk in newness of life. Born again, a new creature, right? That's as good as I can do. There is no better, there's no better message anywhere. All right, let's sing a closing hymn.

Then Went He Down and Dipped

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about pride?

How do we know God's mercy is sufficient for sinners?

Why is humility important for Christians?

How can we be assured of our salvation?

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Then Went He Down and Dipped

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about pride?

How do we know God's mercy is sufficient for sinners?

Why is humility important for Christians?

How can we be assured of our salvation?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

Comments

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