Pastor Bart Bornhorst covers four components for baptism, in his continuing series of the seven doctrines of Hebrew 6.
Sermon Notes
Notes:
Everything that is taking place in our life, is from the hand of God.
John 6:44 → No one can come to me with God.
4 Components of Baptism
Repentance
It means to change one’s mind. It also means to repent of offending someone, the someone is God. Our previous life offended God.
Acts 2:38
God will not force us into a relationship with HIm.
Rom 8:5-8 → When we live according to the flesh, we only pursue things of flesh. After baptism, we pursue things that are not ourselves. A carnal mind is enmity against God.
We have to come to a point in our life where we realize the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We have to be sorry of the direction our life has gone.
God cannot deal with us in a state of corruption. We have to see our corruption, that is where our repentance begins. This is a tough part of our life to examine.
Even if you’ve lived your life obedient to God up to adulthood, you will have to examine your faults and that can be difficult.
All have sinned and fallen short of the righteousness of God.
Matt. 19:16 → This scripture properly addresses the battle a young person faces today. What good thing must we do for eternal life and a relationship with God the Father? We need to keep the commandments and be obedient. If we are disobedient to our parents, we have enmity.
The young person doesn’t see their sins when speaking to Jesus. Jesus says to be perfect, go sell what you have to the poor. The young man was sorrowful because he had much wealth and was focused on the physical. He was holding on to something he wasn’t will to surrender.
A person has to dig deep to see their true corruptible nature. When we see this, God will lead us to repentance. When we yield to him, He will lead us.
Rom. 2:4 → Do we despise the richness of His goodness. We want righteousness living in our life.
God wants us to repent and then He can dwell with us.
Isa. 66:1-2 → God is asking where is the house that you will build for me. Where can he come and live with us.
Having a poor and contrite spirit comes through God’s Spirit. Conversion helps us grow every day.
John 15:4 → Abide in me and I in you. We have to yield our self over to Jesus Christ.
Another component of baptism is that of Faith.
We will be asked if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal savior. That is a question of faith.
We need help and the forgiveness our sins. God is restoring us to perfection. We were not born into sin, God does not create sin. Baptism restores us to a state of perfection in our life. It make it possible for God to dwell in us.
Rom. 3:23-28
Jesus Christ is the justifier of us, He makes us right in the eyes of God. None of our righteousness will lead us to having God dwell with us. We need Jesus Christ.
Grace is involved, it is undeserved mercy. Redemption is the idea of a price being paid and that it has been paid. Jesus Christ has redeemed us with His life.
Jesus Christ was the atoning sacrifice for us. He made it possible to be brought back together with God.
Eph. 2:8 → Out of His love, He give us underserved mercy.
Our faith is of paramount importance and baptism.
Mark 16:16 → He who believed and is baptized will be saved, he who does not, will be condemned.
Immersion
Some churches practice a sprinkling. What is the right practice?
Greek word for baptism means to be fully wet.
Matt. 3:13 → Jesus did not need baptism, but went through it to show an example to the rest of us.
There would no reason for total immersion unless for the example for us.
John 3:22 → They were seeking out large bodies of water to be baptized.
Mark 1:4-5 → When we are raised, we are thoroughly cleansed of our sins.
Col. 2:12
Laying on of Hands
Once a person has been cleansed, we can now dwell with God.
Acts 2:38 → We shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, this is a promise from God.
The gift of the Holy Spirit comes from the laying on of hands.
Acts 19:1 → When Paul laid his hands on them, then the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Acts 8:14-17
God works through a process that He has ordained. There is a significance to following each of the processes.
John 14:15-23 → If you love me, keep my commandments.
God wants to make a home within us and live with us every day.
Gal. 2:20 → Paul speaking of being crucified with Christ. It is no longer it is I who have lived, but it is Christ who has lived within us.