THE
GOAL TO WHICH ACTS 2:38 LEADS US
March 11, 2012
MF Blume
Acts 2:38 KJV 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.
Preachers are more and more coming to realize that Acts 2:38 is the
proper response we must obey the Gospel.
Baptism for remission of sins was done immediately, the same day, in
the book of Acts when the people learned about Jesus and decided to
follow Him.
The reason this is so is because of the role baptism plays.
· We never read it is purely symbolic.
· We read baptism saves us like water saved
Noah.
· It’s the answer of a good conscience
towards God.
· We read it is circumcision made without
hands.
· It is burial with Christ.
Acts 19:1-6 KJV And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at
Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus:
and finding certain disciples, (2) He said unto them, Have
ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him,
We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
(3) And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And
they said, Unto John's baptism. (4) Then said Paul, John
verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people,
that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is,
on Christ Jesus. (5) When they heard this, they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (6) And when Paul
had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they
spake with tongues, and prophesied.
The majority of Christian circles are unfortunately no further along
than the disciples of John 2,000 years ago in Ephesus.
· No Spirit Baptism and no baptism in
Jesus’ name in water.
· Paul felt it important enough to make it the
first two questions he asked them!
1 Peter 3:21-4:3 MSG The waters of baptism do that for you, not
by washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting you through
Jesus' resurrection before God with a clear conscience.
(22) Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from
angels to armies. He's standing right alongside God, and what he says
goes. (4:1) Since Jesus went through everything you're
going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your
sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting
to get your own way. (2) Then you'll be able to live out
your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by
what you want. (3) You've already put in your time in that
God-ignorant way of life, partying night after night, a drunken and
profligate life. Now it's time to be done with it for good.
Notice that baptism is associated with sufferings that WEAN YOU AWAY
FROM THE SINFUL HABIT OF getting your own way.
· It is associated with life that is free to
pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.
· Instead of the FLESH DRIVING YOU to its
lusts.
1 Peter 3:21-4:2 KJV The like figure whereunto even baptism doth
also now save us (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: (22) Who is gone into heaven, and is on the
right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject
unto him. (4:1) Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for
us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he
that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2)
That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the
lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Notice that LUSTS are involved here.
· It is no longer living to the LUSTS OF MEN.
Baptism is like that.
Romans 6:4-12 MKJV Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism
into death, so that 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 joined together in the likeness of His
death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection;
(6) knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him in order
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not
serve sin. (7) For he who died has been justified (FREED)
from sin. (8) But if we died with Christ, we believe that
we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that when Christ
was raised from the dead, He dies no more; death no longer has dominion
over Him. (10) For in that He died, He died to sin once;
but in that He lives, He lives to God. (11) Likewise count
yourselves also to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. (12) Therefore do not let sin reign in
your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Romans 6 speaks of BAPTISM.
· It’s absolutely important.
· It’s like it has become a mere ritual
instead.
· Romans 6 says God sees it as our burial WITH
JESUS.
In Romans 6, Verse 4 says we are baptized with Jesus INTO DEATH.
· Then it says “SO THAT…”
· This shows the purpose.
· SO THAT as Jesus was resurrected , we should
walk in newness of life.
· The significant thing about Jesus’
death is that it was followed by resurrection.
· So if we could join the death of Jesus, the
reasoning is that we will then be assured of the resurrection Jesus
experienced, which is newness of LIFE FOR US.
· Our goal is this newness of life.
· It is directly linked to Jesus’
resurrection.
After verse 4 says we need a newness of life like Jesus was
resurrected, verse 5 says it only follows that if we are planted in
Jesus’ death then we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.
Verse 6 reaffirms we are crucified with Him order to destroy the body
of sins.
· This is so that we do not serve sin any more.
· Verse 7 explains how we do not serve sin any
more.
· DEAD PEOPLE ARE FREED FROM SIN.
Look at verse 22 now:
Romans 6:22 MKJV But now, being made free from sin, and having
become slaves to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end
everlasting life.
Look at God as a slavemaster who causes his servants to HAVE REAL LIFE
and to bear fruit in our lives towards holiness.
·
After verse 6 says we are crucified with Jesus, verse 8 gives the same
pattern that verses 4-6 gave repeatedly.
· Die with Jesus and RESURRECT.
· Verse 4 said baptized into Death in order to
walk in newness of life.
· It introduced the parallel with Jesus who
died and was raised by the glory of the Father.
· Verse 5 says we are planted in likeness of
his death to rise in likeness of his resurrection.
· Verse 6 says we are crucified with him to
destroy the body of sins, SO WE DO NOT SERVE SIN.
Romans 6:8 KJV Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we
shall also live with him:
And then we read of the powerfully amazing results of Christ’s
death, where He resurrected TO DIE NO MORE.
Romans 6:9 KJV Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead
dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
It brings DOMINION into the picture.
· Death has no more dominion over Jesus.
· And then we read DEATH caused Christ to live
a PURE LIFE TO GOD ALONE.
Romans 6:10 KJV For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but
in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
We spoke of this before. DYING TO SIN.
· Not many realize the implications of this.
· When you are dead to something, it no longer
has effect on you.
· DEAD FROM SIN is different than DEAD TO SIN.
Romans 5:20-6:2 KJV Moreover the law entered, that the offence
might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
(21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace
reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our
Lord. (6:1) 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?
Stop and think about this.
· How many feel we cannot stop from sinning?
· If Paul believed we cannot stop from
sinning, would he not have left Romans 6:1 by saying the only was grace
abounds much more where sin abounds is let go of any hopes of not
sinning, and just continue in sin that grace may abound?
· What else is your response to the truth that
grace abounds much more where sin abounds if you believe we can never
stop sinning?
· But that is not the response Paul gave in
verse 2.
· He rebuked the response that thinks we must
continue in sin to see grace abound, as though we can never stop
sinning.
· He said we are DEAD TO SIN, so why would
anyone dead to sin live any longer in sin?
People think Sin and ask forgiveness is the only victory over sin we
can have in this life.
And after we learn this in Romans 6…
Romans 6:12 KJV Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,
that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Romans 8 shows what to do INSTEAD.
Romans 8:10-13 KJV And if Christ be in you, the body is dead
because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
(11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead
dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (12)
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after
the flesh. (13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall
die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye
shall live.
You GET LIFE IN YOU NEXT.
· HIS SPIRIT.
· He quickens your mortal bodies.
· Recall 6:12.
· DO NOT LET SIN RULE YOUR MORTAL BODIES.
· INSTEAD, LET THE SPIRIT QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL
FLESH.
· Why?
· So you do not have to live after the lusts
of your flesh any more.
· The SPIRIT rises up in you and slays your
deeds of the body.
· THIS IS HOW we walk in newness of
what?… LIFE.
· THE SPIRIT IS LIFE.
That is what Peter said after speaking of baptism.
1 Peter 3:21-4:2 KJV The like figure whereunto even baptism doth
also now save us (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: (22) Who is gone into heaven, and is on the
right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject
unto him. (4:1) Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for
us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind (RECKON
SELVES TO BE DEAD INDEED): for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath
ceased from sin (WHEN DEAD YOU ARE FREED FROM SIN); (2)
That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the
lusts of men, but to the will of God. (YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE
AFTER LUSTS OF FLESH ANY MORE).
Notice the PAST TENSE use of DEAD when it comes to our death with
Christ.
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer
therein?
Rom 6:6 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.
Rom 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also
live with him:
Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me.
Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the
world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to
ordinances,
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
It is not DYING to sin as though it is a process every day.
· It is a past tense event.
One single death is all that it took to fee us from sin.
Romans 6:6-7 KJV 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.
Since our baptism, we do not need to die any more to sin.
So read this all at once now:
Romans 6:8-10 KJV Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that
we shall also live with him: (9) Knowing that Christ being
raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over
him. (10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but
in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
We believe that we shall live with him BECAUSE WE KNOW the truths of
verses 9-10.
Knowing all the facts about verses 9 and 10, we believe we shall live
with Jesus if we died with Him.
· How did we die with Him?
· We were baptized INTO HIS DEATH.
And after explaining what happened to Jesus after He died, including
His resurrection and the fact that death has no more power over Him, we
read:
Romans 6:11 KJV Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:8-11 Complete Apostles' Bible (8) But if we died
with Christ, we believe that also we should live together with
Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the
dead, no longer dies. Death is no longer master over Him.
(10) For what death He died, He died to sin once for all; but
what life He lives, He lives to God. (11) Likewise you
also, consider yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you got baptized into Jesus, then consider yourselves to be as dead
to sin as Jesus became, and as much as alive to God as Jesus is.
BUT IT IS LIVING TOGETHER WITH HIM.
· No longer on your own.
Apply everything about Jesus that occurred after His death to
yourselves who have been baptized INTO HIM!
Romans 6:12 Complete Apostles' Bible (12) Therefore do not
let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts,
YIELD NOW TO GOD.
· Not FORCE SELF TO DO GOOD!
Romans 6:13 Complete Apostles' Bible (13) nor present your
members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present
yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness to God.
Isa 40:28-31 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the
everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the
earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of
his understanding. (29) He giveth power to the faint; and
to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (30)
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall
utterly fall: (31) But they that wait upon the
LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as
eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk,
and not faint.
This passage begins the same way Romans 6 speaks.
Have you not known?
· Know ye not?
· The entire problem with too many saints is
that they do not know they do not have to sin again.
· Isaiah dealt with this as well.
Rom 6:2-3 KJVR 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?
God does not faint nor grow weary.
· But the strongest of humanity is the youth.
· Even they faint.
· But if we wait on the Lord, we will run and
not grow weary and walk and not faint.
· This can only mean God's power is
transferred to us!
· The same two elements of WEARY and FAINT in
verse 28, which God does not experience, are said to be what we will
not experience IF WE WAIT ON THE LORD.
· Waiting on the Lord is yielding to Him
according to Romans 6:13, for His empowerment, by faith He will empower
us!
People think of their own fleshly power when they propose we cannot
live without sinning. But if they think of God's power, and that
it can be transferred onto us, they would realize we can live without
sinning!
How does He do it? "There is no searching of his understanding".
But He does do it!
It is wings as eagles because it is NOT NATURAL TO US.
· This strength is not Human strength.
When we go deeper into this understanding, we learn we are in UNION
WITH JESUS NOW.
· We are not left to our own wits to do OUR
best to be Christians.
· SO long as we think that way we are between
two worlds, and useless to both.
· We are out of the world of sin and simply
will not join with the ways of the world, so we are useless to it.
· But although we are saved from sin, we are
useless to GOD as well, until we learn we are IN UNION WITH HIM.
Instead of waiting on the Lord, and yielding to Him, we are still
deceived to a degree.
· God has to get this final form of error out
of our lives.
· WE THINK WE HAVE TO DO OUR BEST to please
God.
The key is that we came into Union with Jesus when we were baptized
into Him.
· We died with Him, buried with Him, and
resurrected with Him/
· Now we are seated with Him.
· Do you see the common denominator in all
these stages?
· It is us WITH HIM!
Remember that MOSES left the ways of Egypt.
· But he did not know the full truth yet, just
like many believers do not know the full truth of salvation.
· HE TRIED HIS BEST.
Exodus 2:11-17 Complete Apostles' Bible (11) And it came to
pass in that length of time, that Moses, having grown, went out to his
brothers, the sons of Israel. And having noticed their distress, he saw
an Egyptian striking a certain Hebrew of his brothers, the children of
Israel. (12) And having looked round this way and that way,
he saw no one. And he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the
sand. (13) And having gone out the second day, he saw two
Hebrew men fighting; and he said to the injurer, Why do you strike your
neighbor? (14) And he said, Who made you a ruler and a
judge over us? Will you slay me as you slew the Egyptian yesterday?
Then Moses was alarmed, and said, If it be thus, this matter has become
known. (15) And Pharaoh heard this matter, and sought to
kill Moses. And Moses departed from the presence of Pharaoh, and dwelt
in the land of Midian. And having come into the land of Midian, he sat
on the well. (16) And the priest of Midian had seven
daughters, feeding the flock of their father Jethro. And they came and
drew water until they filled their pitchers, to water the flock of
their father Jethro. (17) And the shepherds came, and were
driving them away; and Moses rose up and rescued them, and drew water
for them, and watered their sheep.
Exodus 3:1-12 Complete Apostles' Bible (1) And Moses was
feeding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian.
And he brought the sheep close to the wilderness, and came to the mount
of Horeb. (2) And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in
flaming fire out of the bush, and he saw that the bush burned with
fire, but the bush was not consumed. (3) And Moses said, I
will go near and see this great sight, why the bush is not
consumed. (4) And when the Lord saw that he drew near to
see, the Lord called him out of the bush, saying, Moses, Moses. And he
said, What is it? (5) And He said, Draw no closer! Loose
your sandals from off your feet, for the place on which you stand is
holy ground. (6) And He said, I am the God of your father
— the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
And Moses turned away his face, for he was afraid to gaze at God.
(7) And the Lord said to Moses, I have surely seen the affliction
of My people that is in Egypt, and I have heard their cry caused by
their taskmasters; for I know their affliction. (8) And I
have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to
bring them out of that land, and to bring them into a good and wide
land, into a land flowing with milk and honey, into the place of the
Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and
Girgashites and Hivites and Jebusites. (9) And now behold,
the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have seen the
affliction with which the Egyptians afflict them. (10) And
now come, I will send you to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and you shall
bring out My people the children of Israel from the land of
Egypt. (11) And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should
go to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and that I should bring out the children
of Israel from the land of Egypt? (12) And God spoke to
Moses, saying, I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you
that I shall send you forth: when you bring out My people out of Egypt,
then you shall serve God in this mountain.
I WILL BE WITH YOU!
· The burning bush was GOD IN A COMMON BUSH,
SPEAKING OUT OF IT.
· That bush stood for Moses.
· After he GAVE UP trying on his own.
· He burned out in his own power.
· BUT HE WOULD RUN AND NOT BE WEARY!
· BURN AND NOT BE CONSUMED!
God would deliver Israel USING MOSES.
It was after this lesson on COMBINATION OF GOD AND MOSES that we later
read of the death of the Lamb, and Israel’s escape by the SHED
BLOOD that wreaked death on the enemy, while the Hebrew firstborn were
COUNTED DEAD BY THE LAMB’S DEATH.
Even GOOD is part of the knowledge of GOOD AND EVIL.
· It is not getting knowledge in you for
knowing good to do good and avoid evil, but GETTING LIFE IN YOU!
Romans 7 shows a struggle people have after they are saved of trying
their best and failing.
We lived for SELF as sinners.
· We were servants of sin.
· We realized we cannot be servants and slaves
of the devil any more.
· We admitted that was wrong, and so we seek
salvation.
· BUT AFTER SALVATION we still have that same
deception when we think we now have to choose to do good and serve the
Lord.
· The truth is that we are still servants.
· But now we are servants of RIGHTEOUSNESS.
The big error is in thinking that now that we are saved WE MAKE
OURSELVES PLEASE GOD.
· We are actually throwing ourselves into
servitude to the enemy again, and we do not know it.
· ANY CONCEPT OF US MAKING OURSELVES FUNCTION
is the devil’s deception.
· It’s like we are gods ourselves!
· The truth is that we are not to use our
abilities to TRY AND DO to do good instead of evil, because US TRYING
IN OUR OWN EFFORT is still wrong.
· The Bible taught WAIT ON THE LORD.
· YIELD TO HIM AND WAIT for his empowerment.
· HIS EMPOWERMENT IS HIM WORKING WITH YOU.
· Cooperation.
That is why we begin reading that WE ARE SERVANTS TO THE LORD NOW, and
not to sin.
Romans 6:19-23 KJV I speak after the manner of men because of the
infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants
to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your
members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (20) For
when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from
righteousness. (21) What fruit had ye then in those things
whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
(22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to
God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting
life. (23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
He said he used metaphors from everyday life because they were not
spiritual enough to really grasp these things without that method.
· Now we are still servants, after being freed
from being servants to sin.
· We’re just servants to God now and
THAT IS A GOOD THING.
· We served sin as though it was in us and
forced to do bad.
· Now God’s life is in us and he works
in us to do good!
Think of being a slave and your master is away after day and the slave
does some things on his own.
· But he returns to be the salve again.
· Same with servants to Jesus.
· We sometimes go off and do our own thing AND
IT IS THE RELIGIOUS THING.
· But we need to return and be the servants
who rely upon the Spirit of God inside to do the work instead of our
own little religious thing every now and then.
