[Richard Kennebeck] Well, Happy Sabbath to all of you. It's such a beautiful Sabbath. We've had such cloudy days of late, and now to have the sun and the warmth and the like…. As they mentioned, I'm in charge of the IT department around here. Unfortunately, this heat wave is actually hurting us here. Our air conditioner is out in our server room. So, we've been able to pump in cold air up until now, so – but we're working with it. We get that fixed on Monday – it actually froze over, so, we'll get it thawed out.

Well, 37 years ago, I made a major commitment in my life. There was a special person that I had met. I was in the registration line – freshman year of college – among scores of other classmates, of course – probably all men – together, as we were waiting in line to register, and this young lady walked up to me and introduced herself. Now some of you may call that bold. I call that a Godsend. 37 years ago I made a commitment to her. And we made a commitment, to honor, respect, to love and to cherish each other. For my whole physical life I made that commitment – good times or bad. And anyone who makes a commitment in marriage knows that we have to make a change. When you get married, you can't continue on with your normal, single life. You change. But that commitment also says that you don't walk away from it. You know, I can't come home from work one day and say, “You know, I had a rough day at work and I'm tired of the kids – I'm leaving.” Now, unfortunately in this world, that happens all too often. But the commitment of marriage isn't supposed to be that way. It's a lifetime commitment, where we love and cherish the other one, and we're committed to that spouse for a lifetime. You know – and if you're committed to God and to marriage – God has built into marriage wonderful blessings that come from that – that come from that commitment.

And you know, a little over two years after we were married, my wife and I made another commitment. Now I know what you're thinking – marriage, 2-1/2 years later – it must be kids, right? Well, wrong. It wasn't kids. My wife and I, on the Feast of Trumpets, towards the end of the day, were baptized. We were baptized into the family of God. And that's an even greater commitment than the commitment of marriage. It's much greater than that. Now, kids did come along later, and that's a commitment of and by itself, but that commitment that we make in baptism – make to the family of God – is truly a lifetime commitment. Marriage – that commitment is incredibly profound and important – but it's nothing like that commitment that changes our lives and is for a commitment of eternal life. And baptism is where we make that commitment – start to make that commitment – that covenant that we go through. It affects our life with the Creator of our very bodies, of our very being, of who we are, of this world, of this creation. As I said, marriage is a commitment till death do us part. Baptism is a commitment for an everlasting, to an everlasting God. And that will never change, will never go away – will never end.

So what is baptism? What's its meaning and symbolism? Why do we do it? What do we say if we've been through it? What did we say? And if you haven't been through it, what will you say when you are baptized?

Well, those are some of the topics I'd like to go through today in this sermon. You know, in the first couple of verses of Hebrews 6, we read about the foundational doctrines of the Bible in the Christian church. And I'd actually like to begin reading – if you'd like to start turning there – to Hebrews 5, where we'll read about this, these foundational doctrines. But in Hebrews 5, we find the author of this book, Hebrews, which many think, is Paul, writing to the Hebrews and telling them that, you know, they really needed to be more well-rounded in the truth of God, and to the doctrines of God. And they really weren't at that point. So let's start in Hebrews 5 verse 12:
Hebrews 5:12 – For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. Vs. 13 – For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. Vs. 14 – But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil...And then we continue on to the next paragraph, and it says in Hebrews 6 verse 1:

Hebrews 6:1 – Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection...or to maturity...not laying again...these foundational principles...the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. Vs. 2 – of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

So baptism is considered by Paul to be one of the main foundational doctrines of the early church. And one that, not only is foundational, but one that we all as Christians, should understand. That we should all to understand. These six doctrines are considered foundational doctrines in the church. They should be foundational in our beliefs – baptisms being one of them.

You know, my wife and I have recently started listening to a Bible app on the way in to church and on the way home – we work together. And that Bible app just goes through the Bible, reads the Bible to us. We just started at the beginning of the week, and I've been preparing this sermon, and as we're listening to this app, I was struck by how many times the word covenant was said as we're reading through Genesis, and we're only partially through it now. Covenant is found 23 times in Genesis alone. So far as we've read, or have listened to the readings in Genesis, we've heard about the covenants – two covenants – that God made between Himself and Moses and his family – one being that God would bring them safely through the flood. God made a covenant that He would do that. The other was that He made with Noah, and all of mankind, and even the animals of the earth; that He would no longer destroy the world by a flood. But God also, in a short period of time that we've listened to Genesis, made several other covenants to Abraham and to others.

And baptism – that's what it is – a covenant that we make with God. And it's the single most important covenant that we will make in this physical life. It's a covenant by which we say we are sinners, and we cannot live without God in our lives. It's through baptism that we accept a life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, both Himself and within us. It's with that time, with that covenant of baptism that we say, we want to do away with the old man and become a new man. It's at that point that we say, I'm putting my hand to the plow; I will not look back.

Baptism is the death, burial and rising from the grave. When we're plunged into that water, it covers us completely – completely covering us, symbolizing death; symbolizing the burial of our old self. The burial of that old man. When we are immersed in that water, we are covered, and we will die within minutes if we're not brought back up. You know, how long can you hold your breath? My grandkids and I have this little game we play sometimes in the pool or in the hot tub, where we see how long we can hold our breath. My grandkids – they're pretty young – 20 seconds – the oldest one can do about 35 seconds. I really astound them when I can make it all the way to about two minutes. But I couldn't make it much beyond that. At two minutes I'm already beginning to die. If it wasn't that I would come up, I would die. And that's what baptism is. When we are brought up from that water, we come back to life. We are resurrected into a new life, into a new man, cleaned of our old sins that we've repented of prior to baptism.
You know, this analogy of the old man and the new man is something that Paul talks about. You can begin turning with me to Romans 8, because Paul talks about this old man and this new man, and he explains that our water baptism is a symbol of the death and burial of that old man. That old man who lived apart from God. That old man who thought he could live on his own and do it all by himself. Romans 6 verse 1, and it says:

Romans 6:1 – What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Vs. 2 – Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Vs. 3 – Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?...So going down into that water, and being covered by that water, pictures the death of Christ and of our old selves – the death of our old selves. Vs. 4 – Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death – that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Vs. 5 – For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection...coming up from that water pictures Christ's resurrection and our spiritual resurrection into a new way of life; into a new walk of life. Vs. 6 – knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Vs. 7 – For he who has died has been freed from sin, Vs. 8 – Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.

Through baptism we can live with Christ as a new man, as a new creation, as a new being. But how do we do this? How do we do this? Well, we put on Christ. We put on Christ as it says – and we won't turn there – in Galatians 3:26 and 27. It says:

Galatians 3:26-27 – for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Vs. 27 – For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

That's what we do, we put on Christ. This new man puts on Christ, and the old man is put away. After putting to death that old man, we have Christ live within us. And Christ lives in us, because after the baptism, we have the hands layed on us and are prayed that the Holy Spirit comes upon us. And at that point, the old man begins to pass away, and the new man begins to live. And that's a process of maturation, of maturing. It doesn't happen immediately. When you are baptized, you don't immediately come up and everything is perfect.

I grew up in a household where one of my parents was in the faith. And I grew up my whole life pretty much following God's way. In some ways, I was kind of like that rich man who came to Christ and said, what shall I do? And Christ said, well, give away all of your goods and come follow Me, because the rich man said, well, I've been doing all these things all my life. Well, I had been keeping the Sabbath, keeping the commandments, all my life. And as I grew into a teenager, an older teenager, I started thinking about baptism, and I said to myself, well, I'm not ready yet. I'm not good enough yet to be baptized. And so I delayed baptism and delayed baptism, because I thought, well, I'm not good enough yet. I still have all these sins that I need to conquer before I'm ready to be baptized. And then I finally realized – I was missing one of the key points of baptism – baptism is not a seal that we're ready to be a Christian. Baptism is a seal that we can't do it ourselves; that we're sinful, we need to repent, and that only through Christ can we do and become part of His family. I needed to realize I was a sinner, which I did realize, but that I couldn't do it by myself. And it was at that point that I realized that I needed Christ to dwell within me, to be part of me, because baptism isn't a seal that you are a Christian, or that you can become a Christian. Baptism is a seal that we've committed to God, and that we need Him in our lives to be able to become a true Christian. Baptism changed me from self-reliance to God-reliance. From self-reliance to God-reliance. It made me realize that I needed to get rid of the old man, no matter how good I thought he was or I tried to be as an old man, and put on a new man with Christ in me. I needed Christ to live His life in me. I needed to realize that.

Now how do we know we're supposed to still be baptizing today? There are quite a few churches who say well, we really don't need to baptize anymore. That's something that – long time ago – don't need to do it anymore. Well, we can take a look at the Bible and see from it what we're told. You know, in the book of Matthew it concludes with what we often call is the commission to the church, in Matthew 28 –  the commission to the church and the commission that Christ gave to His disciples. Matthew 28:18 through 20. It's a time just shortly after Christ had been resurrected, but before Pentecost. In verse 18 it says:

Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”...Jesus was given authority to do, tell these disciples what their career, what their job was going to be...Vs. 19 – “Go therefore”...and this is the commission...“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Vs. 20 – teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

One of the things that Jesus commanded was that we baptize, is that we baptize and make disciples. You know, another thing that shows us that we should be baptizing in the modern age is that Jesus Himself was baptized. Jesus Himself set us an example in Matthew 3. If we turn there we can see His example. He set an example of being baptized. In Matthew 3 we find John the Baptist baptizing along the Jordan River. In verse 13 it says:

Matthew 3:13 – Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. Vs. 14 – And John tried to prevent Him, saying I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? In Vs. 15 Christ says...Vs. 15 – But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for this it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he...John...allowed Him.

John's baptism was a baptism for the remission of sins. You know, Jesus didn't need baptism for the remission of sins – He had not committed sins, He was without sin. But He was doing this to fulfill all righteousness, and to be an example to us of how a righteous person would live his life – that he would be baptized. You know, but not only was Jesus baptized, not only did John baptize, but Jesus actually baptized more people than John did. Jesus Christ showed us an example that we should be baptized. Now He actually did this through His disciples, but during His life here on this earth – we can find that in John 4. In John 4 verse 1, we find that Jesus Himself had baptisms, or did baptisms. John 4 verse 1 it says:

John 4:1 – Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John...and then in verse 2 it gives the little parenthetical thought...Vs. 2 – (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples).

So not only was Jesus baptized and go through that process, but He had people baptized, that followed Him, while He was on earth.

So Jesus left us an example in the commission He gave to the Church. John the Baptist baptized. Jesus, through His disciples, baptized, so it shows us that we should continue to baptize, even in our modern age. Now how did Jesus and John baptize people – and even in the early church, how did they baptize people within the Church? You know, was it through immersion, sprinkling, dipping or pouring? And most of us realize it's through full immersion. Through full immersion. And there are several examples in the Bible where it talks about, that people were baptizing because – you know, location – because there was much water. And John the Baptist was found baptizing by the Jordan River, because it says in John 3:23:

John 3:23 – Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water.

And in (Acts 8) we can read about Philip, who baptized the Ethiopian eunuch in a location where it says there was much water. And it even says not only that, but it says where they could go down into it and come up out of it. You know, and many passages in the Bible talk about baptism, and refer to it as the death, burial and a resurrection. That would require that you be immersed. You know, when we're buried, they don't just leave you on top of the ground and sprinkle a little bit of dirt on top of you. They put you under completely.

The word baptism, in most cases in the Bible, is not really translated, but it's just kind of Anglicized from the Greek. In most cases in our Bible, we find baptizo just translated or changed into baptize. And according to the New Testament lexicon, the King James version, it says, baptizo means to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge, as in a sinking vessel, or a sunk vessel. To cleanse by dipping or submersion. You know, some ancient authors at the time of the New Testament, wrote about ships being baptized, or being sunk in battle – being sunk to the floor of the sea. Another author, writing at about the time or close to the time of the early Church, actually wrote and used the word baptize or baptizo, in a recipe for making pickles. Maybe one of these days I'll have to make this and see how it tastes compared to ours. But, in an article in Bible Study magazine, by James Montgomery Boice, from May 1989 – James Boice writes, the clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician, Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles, and is helpful because it uses two related words – the Greek words bapto and baptizo. And baptizo is the one that's typically used for baptize in the Bible, whereas bapto is the word that is used when it says – remember when Christ said that the one that was going to betray Him, would dip, or sop, the bread with Him? Do you get that? Well, that's bapto, and if you've ever sopped bread, you typically don't push it underneath – a lot of times you're holding onto it and you dip it under. But, baptizo is different. Anyway, Necander says that, in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be dipped (that word bapto) into boiling water, and then baptized (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is not complete, and is only temporary; whereas the second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change. There must be a union with something to make a real change, like the vegetable, to the pickle. In other words, through baptism to baptizo, when we go under that water and are baptized, it's supposed to make, not a temporary change in our life, but a permanent change in our life, just as pickles are permanently made into, or cucumbers are permanently made into pickles.

Now, who should be baptized? You know, what about infant baptism? Should only adults be baptized? What should we do, what do we read about in the Bible? There are many religions that practice infant baptism. How do they justify being able to baptize infants? What's their justification? Well, in my studies, I see that there's usually two, maybe three, arguments that typically are used for that. The first one is that baptism replaces circumcision. So they say as a child is circumcised, that eight days, a child should be baptized at a young age. Another one is that they say that there's evidence in the early church that infants were baptized. But, when you actually read the evidence, oftentimes those that's evidence from writers that wrote over 200 years after the death of the last apostle. Some also take the example of Christ lifting up the children and blessing them, to show that we should baptize children. And we celebrate that in the blessing of the children.

You know, but what does the Bible indicate? The Bible indicates that baptism must be done with somebody who's old enough and mature enough to understand what they're getting into, and can count the costs. You know, Jesus, who showed us the example of righteousness, was not baptized as a baby. He was baptized as an adult. One of the requirements of baptism is repentance. You know, as we can read in Acts 2, if you want to turn there with me, Acts 2 verse 37. Acts 2:37, we see that repentance is one of the key requirements of baptism. This is on the first Pentecost of the New Testament Church. Peter finishes preaching his first sermon to those that were there, and he says in Acts 2:37:

Acts 2:37 – Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart...those that were listening to him...and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?...Verse 38 Peter tells them...Vs. 38 – then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So repentance is required for baptism. And obviously, infants, babies, can't repent. You know, as I mentioned earlier, I grew up in a household that one of my parents understood the truth and lived by the faith of God. But I also had a parent who was a Lutheran, and I was baptized or sprinkled, as an infant. But I can tell you, I knew nothing about repentance at that point. I knew nothing about any change. I knew nothing. And my parents couldn't really speak for me as far as my repentance at that time. So baptism requires that we reach a point where we can make a decision and count the cost and repent.

Now, I'd like to go back and take a look at something interesting in Hebrews 6. We'll take another look at that, even though we've been there once before. You know, this is something that I've read – Hebrews 6 verses 1 and 2 – quite a few times, and for a long time I never really understood or saw something that it said. In Hebrews 6 verse 1 it says:

Hebrews 6:1 – Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, Vs. 2 – and...of the doctrine of baptisms...did you notice the word baptisms there? It's got an “S” at the end of it. It's multiple. It's talking about multiple, different types of baptisms.

So what are these baptisms? There's more than one. So let's go back to Matthew. Matthew 3. And we again in Matthew 3, find John where he's baptizing – this is just shortly before Christ was baptized. Matthew 3 verse 7. And let's see what these different baptisms are, cause they're all mentioned in this one place. Matthew 3 verse 7 it says:

Matthew 3:7 – But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Vs. 8 – Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. Vs. 9 – and do not think to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Vs. 10 – And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Vs. 11 – I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

So here we see the three different baptisms. Baptism with water unto repentance, which John was doing right then; baptism with the Holy Spirit; and baptism with fire. We want to be baptized with those first two. We don't want to be baptized with that last one.

You know, some people actually think that you do want to be baptized with that last one, because they think this is talking about fiery trials, and that that's how we grow, but that's not the case. That's not the case. John was baptizing with water – it's the same baptism we receive today – baptism with water and repentance. And he said in verse 11 that there was somebody, Christ, who was coming after him, who would baptize with something additional, and that Jesus would go beyond his baptism, and that Jesus added to it, the Holy Spirit. Let's turn to Acts 1 verse 4. In Acts 1 verse 4, we'll see this. This is shortly after the resurrection of Jesus, but before the Pentecost again. In Acts 1 verse 4 he says:

Acts 1:4 – And being assembled together with them...because He was assembled with the disciples...He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me”...Now Jesus had spent quite a bit of time at Passover talking about this Comforter that would come to them. And we continue in Vs. 5 – “for John truly baptized with water”...that's that first baptism...“but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”...This is that second baptism – the baptism with the Holy Spirit – that immersion in the Holy Spirit. And that would happen to the disciples not many days on during the first New Testament Pentecost. And that, we can also take part of today, in our baptism, through the laying on of the hands,  we are baptized with the Holy Spirit also.

You know, what about this baptism of fire? This one we don't want to have; don't want to get close to? Well, let's go back to Matthew 3 and see what John says about that, because John immediately tells us what that is. We don't have to look any further than Matthew 3:11, and that portion where he's talking about those baptisms, to see what it means. Matthew 3:11 says:

Matthew 3:11 – I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire...And then, immediately, explains this. Vs. 12 – His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

This baptism of fire is talking about the time when God will take those who have decided they will not follow His way – absolutely will not follow it – they've understood it, but they will not follow it, and they will be thrown into the lake of fire. That's the baptism of fire. That's the one we don't want to be in. Baptism by fire is immersion in the lake of fire – that second and eternal death – of those that are incorrigibly wicked and do not want to repent.

You know, I'd like to take a few minutes and just take a look at what does the baptism ceremony actually say? You know, there are many of us here who have probably been baptized 30, 40, maybe 50 years. I'm sure if I asked for a show of hands, there are many patriots, or patriarchs, here in the faith, who've been baptized longer than many of us have been even alive. And then for others, there are those who may have been even just baptized this year, and come into the family of God. And there are others of you who are probably just contemplating this and thinking, you know, what should I do? Men and brethren, what shall I do? And you're thinking about whether you want to devote your life – repent and devote your life to God, and to make that commitment, that covenant, and to become a new man. You know, I'm not going to ask you to raise your hands, but how many remember what was said at your baptism? You know, to be honest, I don't. I know the gist of it – I know what I said I was going to do, but I don't know pretty much the exact wording. I mean, to be honest with you, I don't remember what was said at my wedding ceremony! I don't remember what I said “I do” to. But I know the gist of it. And I've actually gone back and listened to it on my scratchy tapes – but I have a covenant with my wife, and I know what that covenant means. I may not know what the words were exactly, but I know what that covenant is. And, I'm going to be true to that. But, it does help us from time to time maybe to take a look at – what did we actually, you know, get married? What were our vows at marriage, if we still have our tapes or our recordings?

But, what exactly is typically said in the ceremony of baptism? Well, I'll go through what it says and what we use in the United Church of God. And, as far as I understand, the essence of this hasn't changed that much over time. I'm sure there are some here who've been around much longer than I have, who can tell me whether it had or hadn't, but from what I can see, the essence hasn't changed that much. The baptism ceremony goes like this: the minister asks, “Have you repented of your sins?” Now this has all been preceded by some counseling to help the people understand – to help the person who's going to be baptized – to understand what they're making this covenant, what the covenant is, and what they're saying “I do” to. The minister asks, “Have you repented of your sins?” The person responds, “Yes.” The minister asks, “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?” The person responds, “Yes.” The minister states, “Since you – what's your name, you can put it there – since you, Richard Kennebeck, have repented of your sins, which are contrary to and against God's holy, righteous and perfect law, and since you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, your Lord and Master, your High Priest, and soon-coming King, I now baptize you, not into any sect or denomination of this world, but into the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I do this in, by and through the name and authority of Jesus Christ, for the remission of all your sins. Amen” And that is the beginning of a new creation, the beginning of a new man and a new woman. When you agree to that, when you affirm that you have repented of those sins – and it's not just specific sins – but your sinful way of life, who you are. When you say you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, and that you are baptized into the name of the Family of God, and you have the hands laid on you, and the Spirit of God is given to you, that is the beginning of a new man. That's the beginning of a new creation. Let's turn to John 14:16, cause it's this receiving of that gift of the Holy Spirit that really begins the change in us. In verse 16 of John 14 it says:

John 14:16 – “And I will pray the Father”...and again, we're going back to the time when Christ is talking to the disciples at the Passover...“and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – Vs. 17 – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. Vs. 19 – A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. Vs. 20 – At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” Vs. 23 – Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

Jesus is talking here about that baptism of the Holy Spirit. He wants to live inside us, through His Holy Spirit. And it's that Spirit living in us that makes us a new creation. You know, but it doesn't happen all at once. We don't become perfect all at once, after baptism. I remember when I was baptized, I felt so clean, so new, so fresh. You get the same feeling, or I do, after Passover too, and it just felt so great. And then I sinned. And I repented, and then I sinned. And I repented, and I began wondering, you know, did the baptism take? I mean, maybe you had that same feeling too. Was God's Spirit really living inside of me? But then over time, I realized that God was working with me – that He was helping me to grow and overcome, and I saw evidence of His Spirit. And it took me a while to realize that that change of that spirit was something that He was going to work with me in. It wasn't going to be something that He just took control of me and made me perfect, but He was going to help me to become perfect, to become mature, through His Spirit. And that's how we become that new man. It isn't instantaneous, but God does take us to that new man.

You know, that repentance process that we come to before baptism, is really an ongoing process. It's lifelong. It doesn't begin and end at baptism. Baptism isn't the last time we repent of our sins. We must continually ask God to repent of our sins, to help us change, to show us where we need to change, to reveal to us the areas that we need to repent in, and to draw closer to God. It goes on for a lifetime. It goes on for a lifetime as we commit to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So we must continually be asking God for repentance – to continually be asking Him to create in us a new heart, to give us His Holy Spirit, to give more of His Holy Spirit, so we can fight off Satan and this world, and to become more like Him – more like Jesus Christ and God our Father. Let's turn to Psalm 51. You know, I was/hadn't planned on it being sung this morning, but, In Thy Loving Kindness Lord, is Psalm 51. It didn't really ring for some reason when I was reading this, that that's the same song that we typically read at the end of Passover service. You know, David is a man who had a special relationship with God. When we read through Psalms that he wrote, we can see a very deep emotional relationship with God that David had. In Psalm 51, we read David's heartfelt prayer of repentance, his prayer of repentance, because he had sinned with Bathsheba. Psalm 51 verse 1:

Psalm 51:1 – Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot our my transgressions. Vs. 2 – Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity...these are all things that we need to continue in our new man...Vs. 3 – For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Vs. 4 – Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight – That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Vs. 7 – Purge me with hyssop...now hyssop was an herb that was used for ritual purification...and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Vs. 8 – Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Vs. 9 – Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities...you can see the depth of his repentance here...Vs. 10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Vs. 11 – Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Vs. 12 – Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

You know, just as David entreats God to blot out our iniquities and to create in us a new heart – that's what our new man/life in our new man is. We need to be asking God to blot out our iniquities – to help us to see them and overcome them, and to give us His Holy Spirit, more of His Holy Spirit.

You know, several months from now, we'll again begin the Holy Day cycle. And we're going to have some Bible studies on those. And we'll begin with Passover. And all of us who are baptized, will again participate and come before God in the Passover ceremony – the death, or memorial, the death and burial of our Savior, Jesus Christ. During the time between now and then, is in many ways, a good, especially good time to reflect upon that agreement and covenant we made with God our Father and Jesus Christ at our baptism. It's a good time for us to ask ourselves, are we fulfilling our part in this covenant? Is our old man growing weaker, more feeble every day, year by year? Is our new man growing stronger year by year? Cause each year at Passover, we recommit that covenant that we gave at baptism. That covenant to bury that old man, and to live as a new man. Passover is a reminder of that for us each year – that we are sinners and we need our sins forgiven. That there's only One sacrifice that can do it. We cannot do it ourselves. We can only do it if we are buried and resurrected, and given the Spirit. You know, baptism doesn't guarantee salvation. If you're baptized, it doesn't mean that you're saved. But it does mean that you've made a commitment, and if you live by that commitment, God has some wonderful things for us in the future. Baptism is just the beginning of our conversion process. Baptism isn't just a one-time thing. It's an ongoing, year after year, process in our life. You know, it's a wonderful process of becoming a son of God, of being a very part of God, of going down into water, and it pictures the death of Christ, and of our old man, and the new life of Christ's resurrection, and us living in newness of life.

Now, I'd like to read you a short piece entitled, The Jordan, by Jack Gulledge, from Ideas and Illustrations for Inspirational Talks. The River Jordan flows south where, through the Holy Land. For the most part it is neither beautiful nor peaceful. It's 25% mud, and plunges downhill at a furious pace, falling nine feet per mile. The 158-mile river begins in the snows of Mount Herman, at a point of 260 feet above sea level. By the time it empties into the Dead Sea at a point of 1,287 feet below sea level, the water has reached the lowest point on the earth. Ironically, the river on whose banks words were uttered that influenced the course of mankind,” talking of John the Baptist, and Jesus, when He was baptized. “Today it serves as a barrier of 30 miles for the hostile nations of Israel and Syria. Amid the un-beautiful, sometimes furious river, east of Jericho, there is a lovely bend called, Fort of the Partridge. It's a place of great beauty, shared by willows and eucalyptus trees, much as it was in the New Testament times. Here, according to tradition, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. How symbolic the place of baptism is the spot of beauty and of peace, amid a furious flowing river of hate and strife. In John 10:40 it says, when Jesus was confronted by those who sought to take Him, He went away beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized. And there He abode. Whether at this location on the Jordan or another, Jesus found refuge from the trials of life at the place of His baptism. And we can too. When difficulties seem more than we can bear, going back to our baptismal experience, puts it all into perspective.

You know, my wife and I had our children at home – home births – with a midwife, help of a midwife. That was a wonderful experience to help bring those small children into the world. To hold them – those tiny children – to look at them, to love them – the joy that came with that – the potential they had. How precious that was. How joyful that was. But there was a much greater and profound experience that came into our lives, when, as they grew older, we watched them, as they were reborn in baptism. Reborn into the family of God, now as humans, but in the future as God spirit beings. How wonderful that was to watch that.

You know, what a wonderful blessing it is that God gave us – the ceremony of baptism – and the laying on of hands to give us His Holy Spirit. I'm sure He watches with great joy as each of us come to repentance and baptism, and then come into His family, the family of God.