Faith Baptist Church
11/16/25 Worship Service

      • Philippians 4:6-7KJV

  • All the Way My Savior Leads Me
  • Be Still My Soul
  • Blessed Assurance
  • Like A River Glorious
  • This morning we are going to bear witness to two believers following the Lord in baptism. Biblical baptism is a significant church ordinance. Baptism has significant meaning. It represents something very important.
    What is the Biblical significance of Baptism?
    Some would answer that baptism washes away sins. I want to argue that this is not the Biblical significance of baptism. Baptism does not picture washing. Baptism pictures identification. How do we know?
    Baptism pictures “identification” because:
    This morning I want to give you four arguments that baptism pictures identification.

    1. The Use of “Baptize Into”

    The phrase “baptize into” (baptizein eis) + an abstract idea = identification
    Matthew 3:1–5 ESV
    In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,
    Matthew 3:6 ESV
    and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
    What is the timing of the two actions? What happened first? Confessing their sins? Or being baptized?
    John the Baptist came to the wilderness area of Judea. What is the first thing that John did? V. 1? He came preaching.
    What was the content of his preaching? V. 2? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” What does it mean to repent?
    Repent: to turn or to reconsider — to have a change of self (heart and mind) that abandons former dispositions and results in a new self, new behavior, and regret over former behavior and dispositions.
    Example?
    Luke 3:10–14 ESV
    And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
    Repent: to turn or to reconsider — to have a change of self (heart and mind) that abandons former dispositions and results in a new self, new behavior, and regret over former behavior and dispositions.
    Matthew 3:6 ESV
    and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
    The idea is that John came preaching a message of repentance. Turn from your sin. Feel sorrow and regret over your former behavior and dispositions. Have a change of self, and determine to turn away from your sinful lifestyle.
    If you are greedy and selfish, then turn from that sin. Ask God to give you a generous heart.
    If you are lying and stealing money from people, stop, turn from that sin and ask God to give you an honest heart that treats people justly.
    If you are in positions of power, don’t use your power to threaten people for your own advantage.
    As John the Baptist preached his message of repentance, thousands of Jews were convinced in their heart of the truth of what he was saying. And they began to confess their sins. To confess simply means that they admitted to their guilt. Yes, I am a greedy and selfish person. Yes, I lie and steal for my own gain. Yes I abuse my position of power and take advantage of people. They simply agreed with the truth and admitted their guilt.
    And as they were confessing their sins John baptized them. Why did John baptize them?
    Matthew 3:7–11 ESV
    But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for 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.
    Matthew 3:11 ESV
    “I baptize you with water for (into) 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.
    Here we have a common Greek phrase, but an unusual one in English. We have the Greek words baptize or baptizo eis + abstract idea.
    Baptizo- means baptize or literally to immerse under water, to dip, or to plunge.
    eis- is a common Greek preposition. It is very flexible. It normally means into or unto, but is sometimes translates as in, for, or in other ways.
    John says I baptize you with water into repentance.
    How do you baptize someone into repentance?
    This Greek phrase is an idiom. Do know what an idiom is?
    Break the ice — start a conversation in an awkward situation
    Hit the nail on the head — say exactly the right thing
    Bite the bullet — do something difficult you’ve been avoiding
    Let the cat out of the bag — reveal a secret
    Kick the bucket — die (informal)
    Under the weather — feeling sick
    Piece of cake — very easy
    Spill the beans — tell a secret
    Break a leg — good luck
    Costs an arm and a leg — very expensive
    In the same way baptize into + an abstract idea- means to identify someone with the idea.
    When John says I baptize you into repentance. What he means is their baptism identified them as people who had repented. Their baptism who one of identification with repentance.
    Their baptism was an external sign or badge of their repentance.
    Examples of external signs or badges:
    If I wear a shirt with this badge or sign what am I identifying myself as?
    What about this one? I like Browning firearms
    If you see someone wearing this on their ring finger what does this signify? It is a badge or a sign that they are married.
    In the same way baptism is a badge or a sign that identifies you with something.
    John preached. The people repented. And as they were confessing their sins John baptized them. And their baptism was a visible sign that they were people who had repented.
    Let me give you a few more examples of this.
    1 Corinthians 10:1 ESV
    For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
    What Biblical historical event is Paul referring to here? The parting of the Red Sea.
    During the Exodus event when God delivered His people from Egypt, God parted the Red Sea and all of the nation of Israel passed under the cloud and through the sea.
    Now look at what Paul says in v. 2
    1 Corinthians 10:2 ESV
    and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
    Baptized into + an abstract idea.
    How do you baptize some into Moses?
    Again this is an idiom of identification. When all the people followed Moses under the cloud and through the sea, in a manner of speaking, immersed. When they were immersed into the cloud and sea the nation of Israel was identified with Moses. No one doubted who the leader of the people was. They were bound to Moses by their identification or their baptism into him.
    Matthew 28:18–19 ESV
    And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in (into) the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
    How do you baptize someone into a name? To be baptized into someone’s name means to be identified with that person through baptism. Jesus commands us to go and make disciples. One of the first steps of making disciples is to baptize them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
    This is what baptism pictures. It does not picture washing, as in washing away sin. The consistent picture in the New Testament is that baptism pictures identification.
    One more example:
    John 3:22–26 ESV
    After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison). Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”
    Who is the all that are going to Jesus? The all are the disciples of John the Baptist.
    How did they become a disciple of John the Baptist? They repented of their sins and then they were baptized by John to identify themselves as repentant ones.
    Now they are going to Jesus and they are getting baptized again? Why? If baptism washes away sins why would they need to be baptized again?
    But, if baptism pictures identification, then when they were baptized by Jesus they were now identifying as disciples of Jesus. They were disciples of John, but now they were disciples/followers of Jesus. And in order to show the world, they were baptized again as visible sign that they now identified as His disciple.
    What is the Biblical significance of Baptism?
    Some would answer that baptism washes away sins. I want to argue that this is not the Biblical significance of baptism. Baptism does not picture washing. Baptism pictures identification. How do we know?
    The phrase “baptized into”

    2. Salvation is by grace not works

    This is an argument against the idea that baptism washes away sins. Simply put, baptism is a work. It is something we do to earn our salvation. The bible is crystal clear. Salvation is not something to be earn by works. It is a gift to be received by faith.
    Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV
    For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
    Titus 3:5 ESV
    he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit
    Romans 6:23 ESV
    For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    How do you think about salvation?
    Examples of Jesus +
    If you think about your salvation as Jesus + what happens is Jesus inevitably drops out of the equation. Instead of trusting in Jesus alone for your salvation, you are now trusting in just your works.
    And when we trust in our works we don’t end up with salvation, we end up with despair!
    Why despair?
    Romans 6:23 ESV
    For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    Wages is what we get for our work. And what we get in return for our works is eternal death. Eternal separation from God in hell. That my friends is despair.
    The good news is that God offers to you the best gift imaginable! He offers the gift of eternal life. He offers forgiveness and cleansing of our sin and a future hope! And this truly is a gift. It is free! And how do we receive this free gift? Through Christ Jesus our Lord. Not through our works, not through the waters of baptism. But through Christ Jesus our Lord.
    Picture salvation as someone offering you a gift. The gift is already purchased. It is wrapped and tied with a bow. And all you have to do to receive this gift is to open it.
    This is what salvation is like. God wants to give you a gift. All you need to do is accept his free gift. How?
    Repentant faith. Turn from your sin and trust in Jesus alone to save you.
    Baptism does not picture washing. Baptism pictures identification. How do we know?
    The phrase “baptized into”
    Salvation is by grace not works

    3. Mere water cannot take away sins

    When we baptize Jeff and Debbie in just a few minutes they will be baptized (immersed) into water. It is simply H2o. We filled up the tank with water this morning. It came from our well. It is good clean water. Thankfully it is warm! But it is water none the less. There are no magical properties within water that is capable of washing away sins.
    There is only one thing is is capable of washing away our sins.
    1 John 1:7 ESV
    But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
    What is it that is able to cleanse of of our sins?
    The blood of Jesus, God’s Son. That is the only thing powerful enough to cleanse us of our sin.
    For those who think mere water can wash away sins they don’t understand how horrific our sin is, nor how righteous God is.

    God the Holy and Righteous One

    If you had to describe God is just a few words what would you say?
    Loving, good, kind, compassionate, forgiving?
    Listen to how God describes himself in just a few words.
    Exodus 34:6–7 ESV
    The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,
    How amazing is God? When God wants to tell his name and show us his glory he uses words like merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, forgiving sin.
    But God doesn’t stop there. Most people don’t know the end of v. 7.
    Look at v. 7 with me all the way to the end.
    Exodus 34:7 ESV
    keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
    God cannot clear the guilty. Why? He is a righteous God. He is Holy. He cannot simply overlook wrong. Why?
    Psalm 11:7 ESV
    For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds
    Psalm 33:5 ESV
    He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
    Psalm 89:14 ESV
    Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
    Habakkuk 1:13 NIV
    Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.

    The Awfulness of Sin

    This is where most people go wrong. They don’t understand just how vile sin is. Nor do they consider themselves sinful.
    If you ask the average person on the street, “do you believe you are a good person?” How will they respond?
    The Bible teaches that no one is a good person.
    Romans 3:10–12 ESV
    as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
    But we don’t understand what that means.
    If you ask someone if they have every sinned, what will they say? Well no one is perfect. They will admit that they make mistakes. That they mess up from time to time. They might agree that they commit sins. But that is different from understanding that you are sinner. That you are a sinner down to your very core.
    Largest quartz sphere in the world. In the National Museum of Natural History. Can you find any flaws in this Crystal Ball? Hard as you look, you won’t find any. It is flawless!
    This is the way we think about ourselves. We are naturally good. Sure we may make mistakes. We may smear mud on the outside of the flawless sphere. But all we have to do is wipe it clean and we are fine.
    That is not how the Bible pictures us.
    This is how the Bible pictures us. We don’t just commit sins. We are sinful down to the very core. We are shot through with sin. The cracks, mud, filth, and corruption go all the way to the center.
    Ephesians 2:3 ESV
    among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
    Matthew 15:19 ESV
    For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
    Romans 8:7 ESV
    For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
    Ephesians 2:1 ESV
    And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
    Mere water cannot cleanse us from this kind of filth!
    And it gets worse!
    Romans 3:19 ESV
    Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
    Isaiah 59:2 ESV
    but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
    Romans 6:23 ESV
    For the wages of sin is death,
    Revelation 21:8 ESV
    But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
    What can save you from such a fate? What can cleanse you from you sin? Water is not sufficient!
    1 John 1:7 ESV
    But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
    This is the good news of the gospel. Jesus came to this earth, to die for your sins.
    1 Peter 2:24 ESV
    He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
    Mark 1:15 ESV
    and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
    Realize your hopelessness! You cannot save yourself. You are a sinner through and through. Cry out to God to save you. He has provided you a gift of salvation. It is for those who repent- who turn from their sins. It is for those who believe the gospel. That Jesus Christ died for your sins, in your place. He was buried, and on the third day He rose again.
    Romans 10:9 ESV
    because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
    Baptism does not picture washing. Baptism pictures identification. How do we know?
    The phrase “baptized into”
    Salvation is by grace not works
    Mere water cannot take away sins

    4. Baptism identifies Christians with the benefits of the gospel

    This goes back to our original argument. Baptism into something- means that you identify with that something. Believers who get baptized identify themselves with Christ. But exactly are they identifying with?
    Romans 6:3–4 ESV
    Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
    In just a few moments Jeff and Debbie are going to be immersed under water. This is their way of identifying with Jesus. More specifically they are identifying with the benefits of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Jeff and Debbie have already repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus to save them. God has given them the gift of eternal life. The blood of Jesus his son has cleansed them from all their sin. And in order to publicly identify with that they want to be baptized.
    Baptism actually pictures the gospel. When they go under the water they are picturing the death and burial of Jesus. When they come up out of the water they are picturing the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. They are identifying themselves as believers in Jesus. As those who have already participated in salvation.
    And in doing so they are also inviting you to follow them.
    Romans 10:13 “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””
    1st step- repent and believe, Trust in Jesus! Call upon his name for you salvation!
    2nd step- follow Christ in baptism. Identify yourself as one who has already received the benefits of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus! Be a disciple of Jesus.
    3rd step- find a bible believing church and learn everything you can about being a disciple of Jesus!
    What step do you need to take this morning?

      • Matthew 3:6ESV

      • Luke 3:10–14ESV

      • Matthew 3:6ESV

      • Matthew 3:7–11ESV

      • Matthew 3:11ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 10:1ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 10:2ESV

      • Matthew 28:18–19ESV

      • John 3:22–26ESV

      • Ephesians 2:8–9ESV

      • Titus 3:5ESV

      • Romans 6:23ESV

      • Romans 6:23ESV

      • 1 John 1:7ESV

      • Exodus 34:6–7ESV

      • Exodus 34:7ESV

      • Psalm 11:7ESV

      • Psalm 33:5ESV

      • Psalm 89:14ESV

      • Habakkuk 1:13ESV

      • Romans 3:10–12ESV

      • Ephesians 2:3ESV

      • Matthew 15:19ESV

      • Romans 8:7ESV

      • Ephesians 2:1ESV

      • Romans 3:19ESV

      • Isaiah 59:2ESV

      • Romans 6:23ESV

      • Revelation 21:8ESV

      • 1 John 1:7ESV

      • 1 Peter 2:24ESV

      • Mark 1:15ESV

      • Romans 10:9ESV

      • Romans 6:3–4ESV

  • In Christ Alone

      • Romans 6:4ESV

Faith Baptist Church
faith@fbcocon.org
262-567-0040
http://www.fbcocon.org
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