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"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...
a. Beginning with the "Great Commission", an important part of
preaching the gospel was including the command to be baptized
- cf. Mk 16:15-16
b. As the apostle and others went out preaching Christ, they taught
the necessity of baptism:
1) Peter on the day of Pentecost - Ac 2:36-38
2) Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch - Ac 8:35-39
3) Peter and the household of Cornelius - Ac 10:48
4) Paul in recounting his own conversion - Ac 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, ONE IS DEAD "IN" SIN
A. ONE'S CONDITION OUTSIDE OF CHRIST...
1. Read carefully Ep 2:1-3
2. Note the state or condition one find himself in regards to sin
a. They are dead "in" sin, and as a result are "dead to God"
b. As for having a relationship with GOD, there is none!
B. WHAT GOD'S GRACE MAKES POSSIBLE...
1. Now read carefully Ep 2:4-9
2. By God's mercy, love and grace (and not any meritorious works
of our own)...
a. Those "dead in trespasses" (dead in sin) were made alive
together with Christ!
b. Those who were dead in sin were raised together with Him!
[Outside of Christ, one is dead in sin; yet by God's grace we can be
made alive! This raises an important question: "When" and "how" does a
persons who is "dead in sin" become "alive with Christ" and "raised
together with him"??? Here's the Biblical answer...]
II. IN BAPTISM, ONE DIES "TO" SIN
A. PAUL'S DISCOURSE ON BAPTISM...
1. Notice carefully what Paul teaches in Ro 6:1-8,11
2. Please note what Paul is not saying...
a. 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 churches, though
baptism is never described in these words in the Bible)
b. That baptism is a public profession of one's faith in the
death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (likewise taught
by many, despite several examples of baptism in private
- Ac 8:35-38; Ac 16:30-34)
c. Nor that one "dies to sin" in repentance and then is buried
with Christ in baptism (as many of my own brethren teach)
B. PAUL EXPLAINS WHEN AND HOW ONE DIES TO SIN...
1. It happens when they are baptized into Christ, which is a
baptism into His death - Ro 6:3-4
2. It is in baptism one is "crucified with Him (Christ)" - Ro 6:6
3. It is in baptism we die to sin, and then are "freed from sin"
(from 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 regards to God, as well!) - Ro 6:11
a. Before baptism into Christ, we were dead in sin, and dead to
God!
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? From Co 2:11-13, we learn that this change takes
place through faith in the working of God...]
III. BAPTISM IS A SPIRITUAL "CIRCUMCISION"
A. NOTE WHEN AND HOW OUR SINS WERE "CUT AWAY"...
1. It is when we were buried with Christ in baptism! - Co 2:11-13
a. Though "dead in trespasses" we were made alive!
b. Remember Ep 2:4-9, that it involved God's grace and mercy?
2. How were our sins cut away? Note that we were raised...
a. Through faith (this is man's part, expressed by submitting
to baptism)
b. In the working of God (this is God's part, who through grace
cleanses us by the blood of Christ and by His Spirit causes
us to be born again - cf. Jn 3:5; Ti 3:5)
-- 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!
B. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PENITENT BELIEVER IS BAPTIZED...
1. God performs a "spiritual operation" (the "circumcision of
Christ")!
a. He who was dead in sins has his sins removed (by Jesus'
blood shed in His death)
b. And thus he who was dead in sin is made alive!
2. Coming forth from the watery grave, he is raised together with
Christ (Co 2:12)
a. Having "put on" Christ in baptism.
b. Note: "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ
have PUT ON Christ." - Ga 3:27
3. This is how one truly receives Jesus Christ into their life!
a. Not by saying "the sinner's prayer" (which is no where
taught in the Scriptures)
b. But by submitting to the command of Christ to be baptized
into His death for the remission of sins! - Mk 16:16;
Ac 2:38; Ga 3:27
CONCLUSION
1. No longer dead "in" sin, but dead "to" sin, God's work on us in
baptism truly changes 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 - cf. Mk 16:15-16; Ac 2:36-38
Are YOU really "dead to sin" and "alive to God"? 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! If you have not been
baptized, then...
"...why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your
sins, calling on the name of the Lord." - Ac 22:16
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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© Mark A. Copeland, 2001
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