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