Birth
#BecomingTheChurchHeIntends
In the beginning God (the One who is, and was and is to come) created EVERYTHING… HE created;
• Galaxies – millions of them
• Stars – trillions
• HE created our planet and He filled it with breath-taking beauty… sunrises, sunsets, oceans, mountains, rivers, streams, forests…
MGCC - what an incredibly beautiful planet we get to call home!
• AND LISTEN – not only did God fill this planet with breath-taking beauty, He also filled it with LIFE…
I MEAN – everywhere we look there is life… plants, insects, animals, birds, fish…
UNDERSTAND – if you put a shovel to the ground and place the dirt under a microscope it would be teeming with life.
AND – on day six God created man and woman (the crown of His creation… the VERY REASON why everything come into existence in the first place)…
AND HE - created them in His own image and likeness.
PLACING - them in a garden paradise, where they had an up close – personal and intimate relationship with Him…
Yeah, as crazy as it sounds, GOD would literally take walks with them in the cool of the morning.
I MEAN – just imagine what it must have been like… living in a world like that… a world untainted and uncorrupted by sin. IMAGINE - Experiencing intimacy with God like that, “Hey Steve, would you like to take a walk around the lake?”
YEAH – things were good, VERY good. BUT – unfortunately they did not stay VERY good, for VERY long…
YOU SEE – even before Adam and Eve made it out of the 3rd chapter of God’s 1,189 chapter story… THEY - screw up everything (not only for themselves, but for us as well)…
THEY – disobey God… THEY – take that bite…
AND – because of their choice sin, death, corruption and separation invaded God’s perfect world.
BUT LISTEN – that is only part of The Story…
FOR YOU SEE - long before the first couple sunk their teeth into that forbidden fruit…
GOD – already had A to set things right…
A PLAN - to remove the distance…
A PLAN - to give death, sin and separation - a crushing, lethal and once and for all defeating blow.
I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. - Genesis 3:15
UNDERSTAND…
Since the dawn of creation the overriding theme of human History has been God’s passionate pursuit of a prodigal people. Has been the story of a loving God doing whatever it takes (and I mean, absolutely whatever it takes) in order to bring people back to Himself.
AND MGCC – this plan to ensure that HIS passionate pursuit of us His prodigal people, would one day reach it’s desired endgame - was a 3 phase plan…
Phase One – The Nation Of Israel
UNDERSTAND - through Abraham God built a nation that would begin to show the world what the One True God was like.
A NATION - that was to be different, and to live different than the rest of world. AND – for 2000 years God shapes and prepares this nation for the coming of the Messiah (Christ) BY…
• Making a promise to them through Abraham
The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” - Genesis 12:1-3
• Giving them His Law… HIS - words, commands, decrees on how to live
• Building them a temple (a place where His presence would dwell)…
• Introducing a sacrificial system so that a sinful people could approach a holy God.
• Teaching them about holiness, about sin – teaching them and that obedience leads to BLESSINGS and that disobedience and chasing after things other than God lead to some pretty rough and negative consequences.
YES – for 2000 years God tries to shape this nation… and it is not an easy task. YOU SEE - here's the deal...
WHENEVER - you read the story found in the Old Testament… you just kind of get to this place where you’re like, “Man, nothing seems to be working for God’s people.”
I MEAN…
• God gave them the Law, but they couldn’t keep the Law.
• He gave them a temple, but more times than not it was either forgotten, treated with contempt or forgot whose house it was.
• He gave them kings, but many of them are proud and disobedient.
• He sends His prophets with words of encouragement and a call to return to Him, but they nobody listened to the prophets.
I MEAN – as you look at this phase in God’s plan of redemption…
There just doesn’t seem to be any hope for these people.
IN FACT – whenever you read through the Old Testament, I think we all - eventually got to the place where we were just getting tired of the Old Testament…
I MEAN - it started to really wear us out…
AND – do you know what that is exactly the point… The Old Testament – the Old Covenant. We just get tired of it. It doesn’t work (and in a way that was it’s intention).
Because it is all designed to point to Jesus, because He is our only hope. He is the only One who can save.”
Which brings us to… phase two of God’s plan of redemption.
His plan for setting things right between Him and us.
Phase Two – Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God
Who lived a sinless life… and died a sinners death…
A substitutionary death…
YES – Jesus took our place. HE – took my place and yours.
B/S - Jesus died in our place…
MGCC – we must never never never forget… God the Father poured out His sin-hating wrath on Jesus, so that He could pour out His soul-loving grace on us… on me on you.
YES – God’s passionate pursuit caught up to His prodigal people in all it’s fullness at the cross…
Which brings us to…
Phase Three (the final phase… our phase) – The Church
His body - His bride… the family of God, the flock of God, the ‘called out’ ones, the temple of God, His promised messianic kingdom, the only hope for this (dark, lost, broken, fallen and upside down world)…
AND MGCC – this is the phase we get to live in.
Maple Grove – welcome to week four of our series… "Becoming The Church He Intended"
That who intended?
NOW – this morning is a huge day in regards to the church.
QUESTION – does anyone know what today is?
It’s Pentecost Sunday, the 1,989th (give or take a year or two) Birthday of the church…
NOW – most of us are pretty familiar with birth.
I MEAN – I think we all ourselves… have been born.
AND – some of us have had the opportunity to be there for the birth of one of our own children…
YES - the wait can seem long
AND LISTEN - God had to wait not 40 weeks, He waited for thousands of years… since the dawn of creation.
OKAY – here is how I want to attack this conversation, by unpacking 3 statements or phrases….
• Final preparations
• Important Pre-views
• Time for the delivery
ALRIGHT – let’s do this… final preparations for the birth of the church…
I. Final Preparations
NOW – the reasons I say ‘final preparations’ is because some initial ones have already been made.
I MEAN - just like preparations that parents make today, there are some things you can do ahead of time…
AND THEN - there are others that can only happen when you are a few days or weeks out.
Initial Preparations (before the church could be born)
• Preparing the Nation
• Sending of Jesus (God’s one and only Son)
• Preparing the world
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law. – Galatians 4:4
NOW – that phrase fullness of time is so powerful…
QUESTION - why was first century Palestine… so rich, so full, so right, so perfect for the coming of Jesus and the birth of His church.
There are many reasons…
1. Roman peace (pax Romana) which made it safe to travel across the entire Roman Empire
2. Roman Roads
3. Common Language (koine Greek) thanks to Alexander the Great
4. Greek philosophy (especially that of Socrates) that help to prepare the Greek mind for Christ and His Gospel much like Moses prepared the Jewish mind
5. The Roman and Greek gods were waning in influence and people were primed and ready for something with more substance
6. There was a great anticipation among the Jews of that time that the Messiah would come… you see, the Roman rule over Israel made the Jews hungry for the Messiah’s coming.
Initial Preparations (before the church could be born)
• Preparing the Nation
• Sending of Jesus (God’s one and only Son)
• Preparing the world
AND NOW – in Acts 1 we see some of the final preparations that were made for the birth of the Church.
AND SO – what are those final preparations?
A. Time spent with the risen Lord
After He had suffered, He also presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God. – Acts 1:3
Jesus spent time with them to…
• Convince them of the truth that He really was alive
• Teach them about the Kingdom
B. A second final preparations is that…
Their mission needed to be clearly defined
…You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. – Acts 1:8
QUESTION – what was there mission?
(witness, Greek word ‘martyr’ – note it originally meant someone who gives a testimony about something or someone. But because so many Christians died giving their testimony about Jesus it changed the meaning of the word)
C. The King needed to ascend to His throne
After He had said this, He was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. – Acts 1:9
Why Does The Ascension Matter…
1. Jesus’ work was finished (Jn 17:4,5; 19:30; Phil 2:6,9-10). He accomplished what he came to do and it was time to go home.
2. He had to get busy at his new work of interceding for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrew 7:25)
3. The king had to sit down on His throne (Hebrews 12:2)
4. He had to go prepare a place for us (John 14:2)
5. The Holy Spirit had to be sent (John 16:7)
Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne. – Hebrews 12:1,2
D. His followers needed to be united in prayer
These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. – Acts 1:14
LIKE – prayer is really a big deal, amen!
Prayer matters!
And this believers in the first century always moved forward on their knees.
The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from our prayer-less studies, our prayer-less work, or our prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom; but trembles when we pray.-Samuel Chadwick
E. There needed to be a replacement for Judas
In Acts 1 we see Peter standing up among the 11 apostles and the others gathered (a group of about 120) and He told them that all of the Scriptures needed to be fulfilled about Judas including the on found Psalm 109:8. So he quotes it here…
May another take his place of leadership. - Acts 1:20
THEN – Peter explained what the requirements were…
How this replacement must be someone who had been with them from the time of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, up to and through His resurrection.
So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, Lord, know the hearts of all; show which of these two You have chosen to take the place in this apostolic service that Judas left to go to his own place.” Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias. So he was numbered with the 11 apostles. – Acts 1:23-26
Okay so those were the final preparations for the birth of the church…
• Time spent with the risen Lord
• Their mission clearly defined
• Being united in prayer
• The King taking His throne
• The replacing of Judas
Next
II. Important Previews
OKAY – here are some of the things we will see happening in Acts chapter during the birth of the church.
In the birth of the church we will see…
A. The Second Sinai
First Sinai (Ex 19:16-19) Second Sinai (Acts 2)
Loud sound Loud sound
Fire Fire
Birth of Old Covenant Birth of New Covenant
Identify Moses as Identify the Apostles as
God’s spokesman God’s spokesman
UNDERSTAND – the birth of new covenant is huge!
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” – Jeremiah 31:31-34
The Hebrew writer quotes this very passage in the 8th chapter of his letter…
For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people… - Hebrews 8:7
By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear. – Hebrews 8:13
In the birth of the church we will see…
C. Judgment On National Israel
In Peter’s message in Acts 2 he is going to pronounce God’s Judgment on National Israel for killing their Messiah…
In the birth of the church we will see…
D. The Reversal Of Babel
In Genesis 11 God uses the confusion of languages to accomplish his purpose. In Acts 2 He uses the diversity of languages to accomplish His purpose.
In the birth of the church we will see…
E. The Coming Of The Holy Spirit
• To fall on, empower and identify the 12 Apostles
• To indwell believers as a gift to restore, transform and recreate His people
The Holy Spirit came to work out in us,
what Christ has won for us
In the birth of the church we will see…
F. The Gospel Preached For The First Time
G. The Terms Of The New Covenant
III. Time For The Delivery
AND LISTEN – the way we will break this down is by looking at
The Event (2:1-13), The Explanation (2:14-36)
The Response (2:37-41)
A. The Event
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. – Acts 2:1
The Day Of Pentecost
• 50 days after Passover…
• Celebrated the harvest
• And since the Intertestamental Period Pentecost was also a time when they celebrated the giving of the law on Mt Sinai, which came about 50 days after the Exodus (Ex 19,20)
NOW - there were three feasts that the Jewish people needed to attend…
Passover (March/April),
Tabernacles (in the Fall)
and Pentecost (early June)…
AND – here’s the deal… The Jewish people who lived the furthest away, needed to make sure to attend at least one…
AND SO - which one do you think they choose… ‘Pentecost.’ Best weather and all of the shipping lanes would be open.
QUESTION – do you think it was an accident that God choose this feast (the most highly attended one, the one where they celebrated the harvest and the giving of the law) to birth His church?
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. -Acts 2:2
“Suddenly” – out of nowhere, unexpected
• Not wind, just the sound of wind
• Rushing down from heaven (storms normally blow horizontally)
• Picture what is going on… loud sound like wind but no wind, rushing down from above you, filling the room where you are seated… Had to be kind of freaky.
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. – Acts 2:3,4
• A huge sheet of what looked like fire begins to fill the room
• It breaks off into several parts that then rest on each apostle (the verb used here indicates that rested on them for awhile and then vanished…)
• The tongues of fire were a visible symbol of the audible languages they were about to speak
• They may also symbolize a cleansing of each apostle before God sends them out to speak for Him like we see in Isaiah chapter 6.
I MEAN – right after Isaiah said that he would go for God and bring His message to God’s people we read…
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." - Isaiah 6:6,7
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.
Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language - Acts 2:5-8
Galileans were known for being very uneducated
AGAIN – as I said earlier this is the reversal of Babel…
Bewildered…. Utterly amazed… down in verse 12 amazed and perplexed… (Luke nearly exhaust His vocabulary)
They are totally blown away… it is obvious to everyone that something not natural and of God was happening…
Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” - Acts 2:9-13
Okay so that is the event…
Now for God’s answer (through Peter)… to the all important question…. What does this mean?
Man, this guy has come along way since His denial of Jesus in the garden.
AND – what a powerful lesson Peter is for us, teaching us that our failures are not fatal…. And that they do not need to define us.
B. The Explanation
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! - Acts 2:14,15
OKAY – let’s unpack Peter’s explanation.
AND – as I look at I see 3 major points being made…
The first 2 are seen in verses 16-21…
AND – the first point is the biggest. How do I know?
• it is mentioned first
• it is mentioned at both the beginning and the end (it’s both the intro and the conclusion of Peter’s opening statement)
1) The Gospel, The New Covenant Is For All People
No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
“In the last days,
(the days of God’s final Covenant… when God will deal with His people in a new and better way)…
God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. – Acts 2:16-18
UNDERSTAND…
• If you were standing in that audience that day you would have been blown away…
• Your jaw would have dropped to the ground (I mean, God pouring out His Spirit and inviting into the kingdom all people was shocking to say the least. Though it should not have been (Genesis 22:18; Is 2:2, 60:1-3, 66:19-21)
• And listen though Peter spoke the words he still didn’t really get it. IN FACT - he would continue to wrestle with this issue for 10 more years…
Jump down to verse 21 to the conclusion and you will see that it is the same topic once again…
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. – Acts 2:21
Everyone is invited…
Now a lot of people miss the power and point of this verse by trying to use it to say that all you have to do is pray a prayer and you are saved. First of all that is not how you call on the name of the Lord…
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' - Acts 22:16
UNDERSTAND – the point, the awesome thing, the jaw dropping power of this verse is NOT that you only have to call on His name….
No the awesome thing is that you EVEN get to!
AND – where does that message that all people ‘get to’ call on God come from?
And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls. - Joel 2:32
The ‘get to’ message comes from Mt Zion, which in the Kingdom is the church (Hebrews 12:22,23; Revelation 22:17)
What does this mean? The Gospel, The New Covenant Is For All People
And...
2) A National Judgment Is Coming
I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. – Acts 2:19,20
When you read these verses with 21st century American eyes they may sound like the end of the world, but to a first century Jew it meant something else.
It meant that a nation was about to be judged by God.
There are many examples, here is just a sampling…
• Isaiah 13:10 - judgment on Babylon
The stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light.
The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shine.
• Ezekiel 32:7,8 - judgment on Egypt
When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. I will darken all the shining lights in the heavens over you, and will bring darkness on your land. This is the declaration of the Lord God.
Why is a judgment from God coming upon National Israel?
They killed the Messiah.
What does this mean? The Gospel, The New Covenant Is For All People, A national judgement is coming
3) Jesus is The Christ (The Messiah)
In these verses Peter is going to let the people know why all of this stuff was going down.
Why is the Spirit being poured out?
Why is there going to be a judgment?
Why is salvation available now to all people?
Jesus was from God
How did God demonstrate that He sent Jesus?
Through powerful ministry that he had.
Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. – Acts 2:22
“As you yourselves know…” (publicly, openly)
Jesus Died
This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. – Acts 2:23
QUESTION – who is ultimately responsible for killing Jesus? God the Father
Jesus rose from the dead
Notice that Peter used 1 verse to talk about Jesus’ life and 1 verse to talk about His death.
But 12 verses to talk about His resurrection.
• The cross was never meant to be the only or even the central symbol of Christianity.
• It was not until the 400’s that crosses showed up in Christian art
• Early Christian art, focused on miracles, healing and the ascension and resurrection
What was the rally point of the preaching of the apostles?
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. - Acts 4:33
To limited Christianity to merely being forgiven as awesome as that is to fall woefully short of the purpose and plan of God. It has always been God’s plan not just to forgive you but to restore you…
But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. – Acts 2:24
AND NEXT - Peter quotes from a Messianic Psalm – Psalm 16.
His purpose in doing this is to show that Jesus was, and is,
The Messiah.
NOTE THAT - Peter is ascribing the words of Psalm 16 to the Messiah even though they were originally spoken by David…
David said about him:
“I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.” - Acts 2:25-28
Why was Jesus not shaken? (He knew the Father was with Him)
What has God made known? (The paths of life)
Where is joy found? (In the Father’s presence)
Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.
God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. – Acts 2:29-33
YEAH – Jesus is behind everything that is happening right now!
AND THEN - Peter uses another Psalm, Psalm 110 in this message that again proves that Jesus is the Messiah.
It is interesting to note that Jesus used this very same Psalm in his final showdown with the Pharisees.
The Pharisees misunderstanding of this Psalm shut them up for good. (Mt 22:42-45)
NOW - the point of Jesus’ question is to get them to understand that the Messiah when He comes, will be both the Son of David (human) and the Lord of David (divine).
For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.” – Acts 2:34,35
AND FINALLY – Peter is like… okay, here is the bottom line
You killed your Savior, your hope, your liberator, your God!
Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. – Acts 2:36
What does this mean?
1. The Gospel, The New Covenant Is For All People
2. A national judgement is coming
3. Jesus is the Christ
C. The Response
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” - Acts 2:37
AND UNDERSTAND – when they ask this questions… they did not know the answer of if there even was an answer.
Have you ever betrayed someone and needed forgiveness?
I’m so sorry what can I do to make this right?
MGCC - there are no more important questions then;
• “What must we do to be made right with God?”
• “What must we do to deal with our guilt problem?”
• “What must we do to be saved from God’s wrath?”
AND LISTEN - this is the very first time that the terms of the new covenant: the new and much improved way to righteousness, are to be revealed.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. - Acts 2:38
Repentance is saying that my old way of doing things, of living was wrong… I need to stop living for my own agenda and live for God’s agenda. I no longer want to be the boss of my own life
Repent and be immersed in the name of Jesus
The phrase in the NAME OF – was a technical term used in the world of Greek business and commerce. It was used to indicate the transfer of a sum of money or an item of property into the account bearing the owners name..
AT our baptism a transfer of ownership takes place… and His Name becomes the only name that matters…
QUESTION – should we be surprised that Peter included baptism in the terms for entering the Ne Covenant?
NO – I mean, look at what Jesus said to them after his resurrection…
“ALL authority in HEAVEN and on EARTH has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” - Matthew 28:18-20
GO into all the world and preach the good news to ALL creation. Whoever BELIEVES and is BAPTIZED will be SAVED, whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mk 16:15,16
AND – remember what Jesus said about the KINGDOM
No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of WATER and SPIRIT. - John 3:5
And - in the Old Testament there were certain washing rituals and outside of the Holy Place a bronze laver that foreshadowed baptism…
And consider what we find taught in the rest of the New Testament…
Or don’t you know that all of us who were BAPTIZED Into Christ Jesus were BAPITZIED into His death. We were therefore BURIED with Him through BAPTISM into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father we too may live a NEW life. IF we have been united with Him like this in His death we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection..” Romans 6:3-5
For all of you who were BAPTIZED INTO Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. - Gal 3:27
In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, NOT with a circumcision done by the hands of men BUT with the circumcision done by Christ, having been BURIED with Him in BAPTISM, and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead. - Col 2:11,12
He saved us not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the WASHINGS of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. - Titus 3:5
“…and this water symbolizes BAPTISM that now saves you also – NOT the removal of dirt from the body BUT the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you BY the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” - 1 Peter 3:21
In Peter’s answer we see the double curse of sin taken care of…
The Curse Sin makes us guilty Sin corrupts us
The Cure Forgiveness of sin Gift of the Holy Spirit
This Is Called Justification Sanctification
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call. With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. – Acts 2:39-41
