Lesson 17: A Look at Baptism
Notes
Transcript
Lesson 17: A LOOK AT BAPTISM
Colossians 2:12-15
Let me refer you briefly back to our last study where we looked at this great truth in verse 10, “And ye are complete in him” and continues to say that the Lord is more powerful that all principalities and powers. whether angels or demons - or even authorities on earth such as kings, rulers, or governors. God is great than all of them and we have absolutely everything in our relationship with Him to be successful in our Christian life.
My income level is not a problem
Having certain relationships don’t make me complete
Not even a certain amount of success
To do that we must look to Christ, trust in Him, walk with Him, and grow in Him.
Now we mentioned last time that the Old Testament rituals ended with death of christ - the Sacrifice was made and everything changed.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
The Holy of holies was opened up for all the view. Now the circumcision was to be something on the heart. Paul says it this way for the Judaism that was creeping in the church. Not Old Testament ritual of the Law was going to fix anything, it never had, it had to be a work on the heart.
Now in this passage, Paul goes on in the same vein and continues to talk about the keeping of the law cannot save us nor do we have to follow it to keep our salvation by to doing following any ordinances.
I. The Teaching of Baptism
I. The Teaching of Baptism
We mentioned briefly last time in our study that we are no longer under the law nor of the need of circumcision. A circumcision of the heart, of course, but not a physical one.
But God does want us to have a baptism.
The one is a Christian ordinance whereas the other is Jewish rite.
The one is for those who have trusted in Christ as their Lord and Savior and want to obey Christ in identifying with him and make it public while the other is for eight-day-old Jewish infants. The one is associated with water whereas the other is associated with blood.
The Lord Jesus left His church with just two ordinances—no more, no less—baptism and breaking of bread, both of which speak of Christ and His Cross. In baptism, the believer bears witness to his death with Christ. In breaking of bread, he bears witness to Christ’s death for him. Both ordinances have been grossly distorted by the church.
No elaborate detailed instructions are given in the New Testament for the administering of these ordinances. The actual ceremony is played down in both cases, and emphasis is placed on their significance
A. Buried with Him
A. Buried with Him
That is shown in the baptism obviously in going under the water, but it is of course, far more than that. We are dead to the effects of sin.
B. Risen through Faith
B. Risen through Faith
“risen with him through faith”
C. The work is accomplished by God
C. The work is accomplished by God
“the operation of God” - that is what we have faith in. It is not by the operation of man; or the operation of our holiness; or the operation of works or performing rites.
God buries us with Christ as well as raising us by faith. He did all the work - we just believed on Him as our Lord and Savior.
II. The Testimony of Baptism v.13
II. The Testimony of Baptism v.13
A. You Before
A. You Before
1. Where you were in your sin
1. Where you were in your sin
You were unclean, vile, helpless. You were unable to rid yourself of the guilt or the filth.
2. Where you were in flesh
2. Where you were in flesh
B. You Now
B. You Now
1. Quickened
1. Quickened
Look at the word, “quicken” in verse 13. This word means to make alive, to bring to life.
How does that happen? The Bible says this is what has happened to us. We have been “….quickened TOGETHER WITH HIM, having forgiven you all trespasses.”
Have you ever had a dead battery? It was so dead your car would not do a thing. But someone came along with some jumper cables, and connected their live battery to your dead battery, and all of a sudden your battery had life flowing though it again.
But remember, the only way we can be quickened is:
2. With Him
2. With Him
This is what the Lord has done for us. We were dead, but He has quickened us “Together with Him.”
The life that now lives in us, is Christ living within us. THIS LEADS TO VICTORY OVER SIN.
This is why the apostle Paul said in
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
We are to be AWARE of our DEADNESS TO SIN, and our ALIVENESS TO CHRIST.
3. Forgiveness
3. Forgiveness
All trespasses have been forgiven.
What a joyful thought that is that God has forgiven me of my past sins, my present sin, and my future sins by the gift that His Son, Jesus Christ gave to us.
III. The Trendsetter before Baptism
III. The Trendsetter before Baptism
The ordinances of the law, particularly, the circumcision, but the law and it is ordinances in general. The New Testament and the Gospel replaced all fo this, and along with the observance of the Lord’s supper and baptism these things were all replaced.
Negating of the Old Testament Ordinances
A. Ordinances are done away with:
A. Ordinances are done away with:
1. Concerning the offering for the priest
1. Concerning the offering for the priest
Lev 16:1-14
And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
The high priest selected a young bullock for a sin offering.
He also took a ram for a burnt offering.
He washed himself.
He put on his holy linen garments.
He took two kids of the goats for a sin offering for the congregation.
He took a ram for a burnt offering for the congregation.
He presented the goats.
He cast lots for the goats.
He sacrificed his bullock as a sin offering for his personal sin.
He took a censer of burning coals.
He filled his hands with incense and brought it inside the veil.
He took a censer and filled it with live coals off the golden altar.
He put the incense on the fire so that the cloud of incense might cover the mercy seat so that he not be killed.
He brought the blood of his bullock and sprinkled it before and on the mercy seat.
2. Concerning the offering for the people
2. Concerning the offering for the people
Lev 16:15-26
He killed the goat for the people.
He went in alone with the blood into the Holy of Holies.
He came out and sprinkled the blood on the golden altar in the Holy Place.
He took the live goat and laid his hands upon it.
He confessed over it all of the sins of the people.
He handed the goat over to a “fit” man.
The fit man led the goat away into the wilderness.
The high priest went back into the tabernacle.
He took off his holy linen garments.
He washed himself.
He put on his garments of glory.
He offered his ram as a burnt offering.
He offered the people’s ram as a burnt offering.
He burnt the fat of the sin offering on the altar.
The fit man returned from the wilderness.
The fit man washed his clothes.
The fit man bathed his flesh.
The fit man came into the camp.
3. Concerning offerings in public
3. Concerning offerings in public
Lev 16:27-31
An unknown man took the carcass of the bullock (the high priest’s sin offering) and the carcass of the goat (the people’s sin offering) outside the camp.
The unknown man burned the remains of the bullock and the goat, including their skin, flesh, and dung.
The unknown man washed his clothes.
The unknown man washed his flesh.
The unknown man came back into the camp.
The people afflicted their souls.
The people totally abstained from work.
The people were made to recognize that all of this was an unending process—a statute forever.
Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring Colossians & Philemon: An Expository Commentary (Col 2:14). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.
The ordinances referred to were handwritten, they were written down, we still have them today, it is in the Old Testament, particularly the Pentateuch. They were elaborate and very detailed and were by the Jews taken to the extreme but it had to be repeated year after year which was unbearable. It was a difficult thing.
B. The Law did not fix us
B. The Law did not fix us
As a matter of fact, it couldn’t. It was never meant to.
v.14 - “which was contrary to us.”
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
C. The Law & Ordinances were nailed to the cross
C. The Law & Ordinances were nailed to the cross
It was taken out of the way v.14, It is not the point of the Gospel - it is not the focus of redemption.
God took them unto Himself. Christ paid for all the transgression committed under the law. The work was accomplished on the cross; as his feet and hands were nailed to it - so were the Ordinances and their requirements.
Not is all accomplished by His shed blood and our faith in Him.
III. The Triumph of Baptism
III. The Triumph of Baptism
v. 15
A. The spoil of the powers that be
A. The spoil of the powers that be
B. An open showing
B. An open showing
“he made a shew of them openly”
Not only in his death on the cross, and in his resurrection and ascension, but every time a new Believer follows the Lord in baptism it once again is an open showing.
C. A wonderful triumph
C. A wonderful triumph
A wonderful testimony and triumph over death, sin, the grave and Satan himself.
Lesson 17: A LOOK AT BAPTISM
Colossians 2:12-15