 Amen. So keep your place in Matthew chapter three. So we're continuing our Baptist basics series this evening and tonight We're gonna talk about baptism. We're gonna talk about the doctrine the practice of Baptism so baptism in the Bible, you know is one of two ordinances in the church by ordinance You know, I mean commands, you know the things that the church Deals with things that the church Does things that the church does that and things that we should do in obedience to Christ so in Matthew chapter 3 here, we see the first mention in the New Testament of Baptism and if you look down at verse number 5 We see here where the Bible says then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan and were baptized of him in the Jordan Confessing their sins now turn to Luke chapter 3 and we'll look at another View of this another writing of this, but we're gonna talk about, you know Just some basics of what baptism is this evening We'll read you the first mentions of it right now and then we'll talk about what it is Why we do it what it means and just give us a good picture of what? Baptism is and why it's such a big deal in the Bible and you know We'll also look at you know, some things that other people have done to baptism other religions other You know, you know denominations whatever you want to call it have done with baptism and I'll show you The falsehoods of those things as well. So look at Luke chapter 3 and look at verse number 2 So we're looking at just the first mentions of baptism here We see John the Baptist in Matthew chapter 3 again in Luke chapter 3 and the Bible says in verse number 2 of Luke chapter 3 Anise and Caiaphas being the high priest the word of God The word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness So I want to point out the difference here You see a little bit more detail here on in Luke chapter 3 of you know why John the Baptist was doing this You know why he was doing this practice what was going on? And we see in verse 2 that the word of God came unto John the Baptist in the wilderness Okay, so basically, you know, we see this is kind of a modus operandi of God with his his main Men his main prophets. He did the same thing with Paul in Arabia. He took Paul into Arabia for three years Here we see that John, you know, John wasn't just in the wilderness You know wandering around, you know eating bugs, you know God was the word of God came to him God was teaching him in the wilderness and this is part of the things that God was teaching him Very similar to Paul look at verse 3 and he came into all the country about Jordan So after the word of God came to John and he was taught by Jesus You know, he was preaching the baptism repentance for the remission of sins as it is written in the book of Asaias the Prophet saying The voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare you the way of the Lord make his past straight So it's a prophecy fulfilled as well, but the point I'm trying to make is this didn't just come out of nowhere This was a practice that was taught to John by Jesus Okay, this was taught to John by Jesus the word of the Lord the word is Jesus You know Jesus is the word become flesh came to him in the wilderness He did not just start doing it because it was something different or he thought it was a good idea Or it seemed interesting. This was a specific thing that he was taught to do Okay, so what is it? We see that it was mentioned It was taught to John and John started doing it here, you know in preparing for the kingdom of God preparing for The coming of Jesus preparing the way for Jesus. What is it? So it turned to 1st Peter chapter 3 I'm gonna give you three Old Testament references that the Bible gives us for baptism I'm gonna give you three, you know, and then we're gonna look at each one of those and it'll each one of those Individual references to the Old Testament will give you a clue or give you a little bit of information on what baptism is and why we do It, okay, so turn to 1st Peter chapter 3 now There's a lot in these four verses that I'm gonna read. We're just gonna focus on baptism Okay, there's a lot of doctrine in 1st Peter chapter 3 We're gonna start reading in verse number 18, but this practice, you know The Bible teaches that there are pictures of baptism in the Old Testament. We're gonna look at three of them Tonight in 1st Peter chapter 3 we see the first one the Bible says in verse 18 for Christ also Has once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God Being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit which also he went and preached under the spirits in prison Which sometimes which sometime were disobedient when once the long suffering of God Waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing where in few that is eight souls were saved by water The like figure wear unto even baptism doth also now save us Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh But the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ So what the Bible is saying here is that the flood of water is a picture of baptism and it's a picture of these eight souls they were saved by water I mean they were physically saved by the water, okay They literally did not die and they were saved in the ark and it's comparing that physical salvation And it has to do so this gives us a clue that baptism has to do with your physical life on earth It has to do with your physical life your physical walk on this earth baptism is you know It would be confusing if in verse 21 the like figure wear unto even baptism doth now also save us If we didn't have the parentheses right after it, okay But the parentheses right after it because a lot of people teach and I'm gonna I'm gonna destroy that one in a few minutes, but a lot of people teach that baptism is part of salvation This is one of the verses that they will use because it says the words baptism doth now also save us But in parentheses literally right after that phrase It says that not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but it's the answer of a good conscience towards God So we see that it's a picture of the flood of that physical salvation the saving of their lives the saving of their lives and that baptism is an answer of a Conscience a good conscience towards God. It's one of the first Works that you will see that you are supposed to do after you are saved after Your spiritual salvation Okay, so it's something that you are to do with this grace that you've been given So that's what first Peter chapter 3 is talking about It's comparing that that first you that that salvation that physical salvation of those eight souls on the ark Noah's family with your physical Action towards God your your your action of a good conscience towards God in your life your works Your works. It's one of the first works that you'll do so. It's like hey, I'm gonna it's you saying I'm gonna do something I'm gonna do something with this grace that I've been given It's a picture of that Okay of your physical Salvation look and when you go and you live and you become a disciple that is you physically doing things For the Lord that's you physically working for the Lord. It's not your spiritual salvation It's your answer of a good conscience towards God is what that is Turn to first Corinthians chapter 10 So we see that it's it's about your physical life on this earth from the first Peter chapter 3 The second Old Testament reference is in first Corinthians chapter 10 that we're gonna look at this evening and look at verse number one first Corinthians chapter 10 and verse Number one look what the Bible says more over brethren I would not that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and All and we're all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea of course they followed You know the cloud and then you know they went through the red sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat And did all eat the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ More evidence of salvation always being the same the gospel always being the same by the way even in the Old Testament But the Bible says in verse number two they were baptized unto Moses They all ate the same spiritual meat and drank the same spiritual drink showing that baptism identifies you with a local group of believers baptism identifies you with a local group just like baptism identified these people Together as they went through What they were going through this is you know the local group This is why by the way Jesus decided to be baptized by John You know he wanted to be baptized by John showing his accord with John Turn to turn to Leviticus chapter 16 and look at the third Old Testament reference The third Old Testament reference let's look at Leviticus So we see so far that it has to do with our physical action our physical action in our lives After we're saved and I'll show you that it's after salvation in a little bit But after we're saved. It's our physical Response you could say our physical response of a good conscience towards God meaning we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna use this grace We're not going to take advantage of this grace and turn away from God We're going to you know, it's that grace may abound because grace will abound But we're going to have a good conscience towards God and show that physical action number two We see that as they were baptized unto Moses you're baptized You know, it shows that you're in accord with a local group of believers Okay, it shows that you're in accord turn to Leviticus chapter 16. Look at verse number three. The third one is this Look at verse number three of living Leviticus 16 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place with a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering He shall put on the holy linen coat And he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh and shall be girded with a linen girdle and with a linen mitre Shall he be attired? These are the holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his flesh in water And so put some put them on now turn to Revelation chapter 1 So before the offering for sins was given Aaron was supposed to you know wash himself in Water the priest was supposed to do this before the sacrifice turned to Revelation chapter 1 Well, here's the thing Here's the thing. There's a washing of the priest But here's the thing in the New Testament the Bible says that if you're saved you are a priest And this is another Baptist basic that we'll get into in a few weeks talking about the priesthood of the believer But look at Revelation chapter 1 and verse number 6 the Bible says and hath made us Kings and priests unto God and his father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever Look if you are saved you are a king and a priest the Bible says so this is again a picture of The cleansing that has taken place So your baptism is a picture of the cleansing the priest was cleansing you are a priest It's a picture of cleansing that has taken place after you got saved your cleansing from sin So we see that it number one it Number one it is a picture of your physical conscience your action towards God It is a picture of you identifying with a local group of believers and number three It is you know a picture of your washing of your cleansing from sin that has taken place already Now it also is by the way I'm not going to really dig into this too much because I think this one's pretty obvious actually But baptism is is done the practice of baptism is immersion by the way It is complete immersion in water You see nothing other than that in the Bible the word the Greek word for baptism actually means eat to immerse I mean, I don't know you know how you can get you know any more clear than that I mean Philip in the Ethiopian unique they went down into the water You know, they were baptizing in a river, you know, John was baptizing in the Jordan River I mean if all you had to do is sprinkle somebody why didn't they just do it in town? You know why not just do it anywhere, but they did it in a river Jesus came up out of the water It's immersion. It's very clear in the Bible and you know the sprinkling honestly It just came from Catholics and Protestants and who hijacked baptism who added baptism to salvation Quite frankly it's just lazy It's just it's just easier to have a little thing up here You know that you can call holy water and you just like And that's that you know, I mean look they made they turned it into something. It wasn't why not do it the way? We want to do it. I mean whatever it's just it's just laziness. It's convenient. They hijack baptism It's easier just to sprinkle people But I mean it means to immerse somebody and that's how it is done So that's what baptism is that's what it pictures in the Old Testament We've seen some examples there who is baptism for turn to Acts chapter 8 Who is baptism for who's to get baptized should we all get baptized should everybody get baptized? Should we just you know go around you know baptizing everybody? I mean what are we supposed to you know? What does the Bible say about this look at Acts chapter 8 and verse number 26 very famous Story in the Bible, but it's very clear on who is to be baptized here And this is why these types of but the stories are in the Bible to teach us this doctrine look at Acts chapter 8 verse 26 The Bible says in the angel the Lord spake unto Philip saying arise and go to the south Under the way they go down from Jerusalem on the Gaza which is desert And he arose and went and behold a man of Ethiopia and eunuch of great authority under Candace Queen of the Ethiopians who had charge of all her treasure had come to Jerusalem for to worship Was returning and sitting in his chariot. He read to Psyus the prophet When the spirit the spirit said unto Philip go near and join thyself to his chariot and Philip ran thither to him and heard him read the prophet Psyus Isaiah in the Old Testament and said understand this thou with thou readest and Ethiopian eunuch replies he said how can I Except some get man should guide me and he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him The place of the scripture which he read was this he was led as a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb dumb before his Shears so open he nod his mouth. He's reading the prophecy of Jesus of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament in his humiliation His judgment was taken away and who shall declare his generation for his life is taken from the earth and the eunuch Answered Philip and said I pray thee of whom speaketh the prophet this of himself or some other man He's saying who's this about what is this this you know this person that's gonna come and make this sacrifice this Messiah What is it about then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus? Explaining the gospel to him explaining that you know Jesus came and who the Messiah was what Jesus did You know, we don't know exactly how he he did it But he explained who Jesus was and that Jesus was this Messiah that he was reading about And as they went on their way they came under a certain water and the eunuch said see here is water What doth hinder me to be baptized he's saying here's water. He just preached the gospel to him He's like here's water why you know, I mean, I'm sure he explained You know what John the Baptist was doing preaching the kingdom of God And he's like well, I need to be baptized now. I want to be baptized He's like what would stop me from being baptized is what he says and In verse 37 the Bible says and Philip said if thou Believe us with all thine heart thou mayest We're basically another way of saying that is if thou have believed on Jesus Thou mayest he's saying if you've trusted on Jesus thou mayest and he answered and said the eunuch answers and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God I believe the gospel that you just preached me. That's what he just said And he commanded the chariot to stand still and they went down both into into the water once again They went down into the water both Philip and the eunuch and he baptized him acts 837 is the key verse here It's really the key verse in the whole Bible on who is to get baptized, okay? It's really the key which is why by the way, it's removed from so many Bibles You think a super important verse like this that would basically prove that you can't baptize Babies that you know have not believed on Jesus, you know, I mean obviously an infant cannot believe on Jesus you cannot preach the gospel to an infant and have them believe on Jesus but look that's why you have to get rid of that Verse you have to take that verse away And then you just simply miss quote a couple other verses that I'll show you and all of a sudden you can attach Baptism to salvation and now people have to come to your church to get saved I mean it's kind of brilliant really especially if you're in the business of getting people in your church Hey, you want to be saved you better get come here We we dish out baptism here folks. Look. Do you want your kids to go to hell? You better bring them here and get baptized. I mean look the Catholic Church at times I don't know they probably still do it in other places around the world, but they would not even bury a Child that died and that was not baptized You know, they would tell people that child is you know And I don't know what they call the you know the the middle place or some you know I've heard even Lutheran pastors saying that look I Told some of you this before but Lutherans believe that if a child dies and it's not baptized and Catholics believe this too That child goes to hell. That's what they believe Because baptism saves you and tell you're old enough to believe and then keep your own self It's really confusing But the whole thing is that look I mean while that child is growing up to be an adolescent or whatever It's that baptism that injects that faith into them that saves them I mean, this is why when I was a Lutheran and my children were born They were baptized right after they were born in the hospital most Lutherans wait three or four or five weeks Get a little dress have a big party get a cake and all this kind of stuff and have a baptism thing Have all the family come into town. Are you kidding me? I'm gonna wait five weeks and risk my child going to hell I don't think so. I was the only Lutheran. I knew that actually believed this stuff. I Really believed the false doctrine At least I was you know if we're gonna be in let's be in I mean, thank God for the truth, but here's the thing. I mean baptism you verse 37 You have to have a King James Bible. Who would read a Bible that goes verse 36 verse 38, but that's what I mean You know, but here's the thing. They don't read the Bible They don't read the Bible. They don't want to know what it says. They're just listening to what people say So acts 37 shows us that baptism happens after you are saved Baptism is a believer's you know once you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and you are sealed in a moment Then you're to be baptized That's it So that leads us to this final point that I want to really hit some parts here. It's this does baptism save you Does baptism save you because look or is it part of salvation? Is it like you know a Lego kit and one of the pieces is baptism? Let's look at it one of the most common verses I just heard this a couple weeks ago out soul winning one of the most common verses used on Baptism saving you is acts 238 turn to acts to verse 38 Look what the Bible says in acts 2 and verse number 38 the Bible says and Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and You are she shall in ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost so right there It says you need to turn from all your sins and get baptized and you're saved Is that what that says? That is not what that says what it says is repent. There's your belief right there Repent means change your mind Repent means turn from what you used to believe to what you should believe it means believe the gospel that one word is How you get saved right there by repenting by repenting by turning from whatever it is that you believe before To the truth of the gospel that's it and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Jesus Christ So it says repent and be baptized turn to mark chapter 16. There's other verses that say the same thing Turn to mark chapter 16 and look at verse 15. So it says repent and be baptized Repent meaning believe believe the gospel mark 16. Look at verse 15 Let me just wait for you to get there because this is a it's important that we understand this point The Bible says again in mark 16 verse 15 and he said unto them go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved But he that believeth not shall be damned So first of all verse 16 is used by many people They just use the first part of that verse to say that you've got to be baptized to be saved because he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved I mean But look look what it says after that but he that believeth not shall be damned It doesn't say baptized not So let's apply it let's apply some logic here Let's apply some logic just to this statement and to the statement in Acts 2 38 he that believeth and is baptized Shall be saved. Is that true? Is that true? I Mean you're all saved you all believe the gospel that if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ You're saved if you believe it then or baptized are you saved if you believe it Let's try another one if you believe it then install carpet for a living. Are you saved? If you believe it and eat turkey on Saturday, are you saved? Yes, you are right. How about this one if you believe it and go fishing? Are you saved? These are all true statements These are all true statements now. Look if I said He that eateth not turkey on Saturday Is damned Now we have a problem But that's not what the Bible said The Bible did not say the Bible did not say that if you're not baptized you're damned It did not say that it just said he that believeth not as a matter of fact that one verse Proved that it's by belief only by that second part of the verse turn to John chapter 3. Here's another one Here's another one. So just I mean just simple logic Simple logic and remember this remember this as we read the rest of these verses and the rest of these stories in the Bible Remember this the whole Bible has to be true If you're reading something in the Bible that makes other parts of the Bible untrue You're reading it. You're you're interpreting it wrong Because they otherwise it either you're interpreting it wrong or the Bible has contradictions in it The Bible doesn't have contradictions in it turn to John chapter 3 Here's another one John chapter 3 look at verse 5 Jesus answered verily verily I say unto thee Accept a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God see You have to be baptized or you can't go to heaven See it just said it right there John 3 5 you have to be baptized to be saved Well, first of all, there's two problems here. Okay. The first problem is what I just say the whole Bible has to be true This is in John chapter 3 and verse number 5 which is very ironic because the first one is is that if John chapter 3 and verse number 5 meant you had to be baptized to be saved that would directly contradict not only dozens of other places in the Bible, but John 3 15 John 3 16 John 3 18 and John 3 36 in the same chapter Not only with the Bible contradict itself John chapter 3 Would contradict itself several times? Actually, so what do we do when we see a verse being used for something when we see what's our what's our first step in our methodology of Understanding things. What do we do? We just read a few verses before it and a few verses after it to get the context. So look The same chapter in the Bible would contradict itself if John 3 5 meant you had to be baptized to be saved Okay, John 3 would just be it would be a mess Instead of one of the best chapters in the Bible. It would be a contradictory mess is what it would be Let's look at it. Let's look at the whole thing. I mean just imagine this I mean imagine the most famous book ever written Imagine the most famous popular book ever written that was miraculously preserved for thousands of years and You know is claimed in errancy and you know scholars can't find errors in it And you know all sudden just like one chapter just contradicts itself like six times It doesn't make any sense But look the whole conversation. I'm going to show you something the whole conversation in John chapter 3 that we're Going to look at wouldn't make any sense If John chapter 3 verse 5 make you have to be baptized to be saved. So let's look at the whole conversation here First let's look at it correctly. Let's let that look at it correctly Let's look at a first the first verses before it and a few verses after look at verse number one of John chapter 3 Jesus is having a conversation with a Pharisee here, and he's trying to explain a very specific Comment that he makes to this man verse number one There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews The same came to Jesus by night and said unto him rabbi We know that thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do these miracles that thou do us except God be with him He says look we know we know that you're from God or at least Nicodemus knows that he's from God He's saying look. He's like you the miracles that you do you could never be able to do these if it didn't come from God Jesus answered and said unto him verily verily. I say unto thee accept a man be born again He cannot see the kingdom of God all the following verses are going to be Jesus explaining verse number three All the following verses are going to be Jesus explaining because Nicodemus is completely confused From verse number three. He's like you need to be born again Jesus says to him look we understand but let's just pretend like we don't understand what Jesus was talking about here Jesus is like You must be born again, or you can't see the kingdom of God look you must be born again, or you can't go to heaven is what Jesus just said Look at verse number four then Nicodemus. He's confused. He says Nicodemus saith in him. How can a man be born when he's old? How can he enter into the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Nicodemus is confused about this second birth that Jesus is talking about look if you're born again How many times have each of you been? physically born here once if you're born again, how many times are you born? one plus two You're born twice if you're born physically and then you're born again. That's twice Nicodemus is confused How could I be born again when I'm old? So Jesus you know starts explaining what it means to be born again He's talking about it. Jesus said Nicodemus even says the first birth is the physical birth From your mother's womb. He's talking about look at verse number then we see verse number five Okay, now we see verse number five Jesus answered verily. I say and you so we're talking about two births Nicodemus is saying the first birth is your physical birth. How could you have a second birth? Are you supposed to go back into your mother into your mother's womb? How is that? How is that even possible? Then look at verse number five Jesus answered verily verily. That means truly truly. I Say unto thee accept a man be born of water and of the spirit. There's two births right there There's two births. He cannot enter into the kingdom of God So what are the two births that Jesus just explained water and the spirit so the physical birth and The spiritual birth is what Jesus is explaining water is the physical birth water is the first birth that Nicodemus brought up in verse number four the spirit is the spiritual Rebirth the second birth thus the term born again Look at verse number six and then you say okay what but then Jesus just slams it home again He says that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is the spirit The flesh equals the spiritual is the physical birth and the spirit is the spiritual birth the birth Again being born again So there's two births there that both of these men are talking about Two births your physical birth and then your spiritual Rebirth being born again water and the spirit is those two births. It's the physical and it's the spiritual It's only not but let's read verse number five Now let's try to understand it the wrong way Now let's read knowing the conversation Let's read verse number five and let's let's let's pretend that it's baptism that it's talking about Let's read it now that we know the whole conversation Nicodemus being explained, you know, there's the physical birth that we all went through How could you be born again and Jesus has it's spiritual? It's a spiritual birth But knowing that conversation let's read verse five as if it is talking about baptism Jesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee accept a man be born of water I guess that's baptism and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven So in verse number five we have two births water and the spirit one being baptism the water right because water must be baptism Because it says water Water being baptism and one being the spirit So, you know, which is weird because it the spirit follows baptism So this would mean you're baptized and then you're saved or You're granted salvation after you're baptized people teach that but look We have two births in verse number five one is baptism and one is the spirit But now combine that with your physical birth birth Now we have three Now we have three births We have the baptism we have the spirit and we have your physical birth We have three births then verse number six when he says the flesh is the flesh and the spirit is the spirit Now we're back to two births again. It doesn't make any sense. You can't make it fit You can't shove it in there Verse five look verse five this will help people understand it that believe this but verse five All I need to do is just put a little emphasis on the word and in verse number five and it you know It will clear this up for people Jesus answered verily verily I say unto you after he explained the physical birth the spiritual birth. He says verily Accept the man be born of water and of the spirit He cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven Let's say look you got to be born physically just like you said Nicodemus. Yes, every man is born physically Every person is born physically, but you have to be born physically and Spiritually that's what Jesus is saying. It's very simple and it's very it's very clear and guess what? It lines up with the rest of John chapter 3 and it lines up with the rest of the entire Bible There's your there's your your clue that you've got it right Okay, look baptism, you know You can put the emphasis on the word and or you can just read the whole conversation and it's very clear Right, so look that's how you're born again. It's spiritual. It's spiritual Nicodemus. No, you're not going to go back into your mother's womb It's a spiritual rebirth. That's what that's the that's the conversation in these six verses So baptism is a command There's nothing to do with salvation as we can see That's why you have all these verses look all these verses if it had anything to do with you can destroy Baptism having anything to do with salvation by all the verses that say I mean I mean what must I do to be saved? What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and now shall it be saved. I mean you think they would have mentioned it I mean you think I mean if there's two things I got to do to be saved and you leave 50% of them off Boy, that's bad. That wouldn't even make the Bible. I Mean this book is perfect. It's an errant that statement would not be true John 3 15 John 3 16 where it just says believe on John 3 36 believe on the Lord Jesus Christ He that believeth on the Sun half everlasting life. It doesn't mention baptism. That would not be true Just logic These verses would not be true If you had to believe on the Sun and be baptized to be saved you could not say he that believeth on the Sun half everlasting life Because there would be people that believe on the Sun and aren't baptized And and they wouldn't have everlasting life. I mean it's not true. It's just simple logic It's simple logic So what do we see baptism as command as something we do in obedience to Christ? It's the answer of a good conscience Towards God The first thing that it's you know It's the first thing that we should do and look if you've not been scripturally baptized after Salvation a lot of people a lot of people may have been in a Pentecostal church They may have been in a Protestant church of some kind. They may have been baptized Baptized sprinkled as a baby. Whatever. This is not baptism, you know, Pentecostals Catholics This is why Baptists were first called Anna Baptists Baptists were first that which means re-baptizers You know, they would go around and they they you know, that's one of the reasons that you know They never joined the Catholic Church Baptists never split from the Catholic Church in 300 AD by the way, they never joined They didn't go to the council They didn't want any part of it because they would not give in on these core doctrines of what of salvation They would not give in on these core doctrines adding baptism to salvation. It's workspace salvation Adding anything, you know great, you know belief plus anything is worst based salvation and Baptist didn't want to have any part of it so they held the faith and They were called Anabaptists re-baptizers because they were still preaching the gospel to people that got baptized as a or sprinkled as a baby And then they would scripturally baptize them so they were given the name of re-baptizers anabaptists, you know kind of as a You know as a as a shun to them, but you've only been scriptually baptized one time If you're baptized as a child as a baby in a Catholic Church You know if you're a sprinkled in a Catholic Church or a Lutheran Church, and then you get baptized after you've gotten saved You've been baptized one time That's it. So there's no re-baptism, but that's the name that they were given. That's the name. I mean they were killed for this The martyrs mirror that I've read to you a few times is is the main doctrine that was getting all these people killed I still have it here all these people killed the main doctrine all these people Tortured burned is baptism is scriptural baptism. That's how important it is It's important that look that's how important salvation doctrine is It's worth dying for because it will cost generations down the road now This is a witness for us showing us how important this proper doctrine is They were killed for it But look here's another thing like all commands in the Bible Baptism has a purpose. We've already discussed three things after you're saved you're to be baptized It's a picture of your answer towards God. You know your your good conscience towards God It identifies you with a local group of believers And it's a picture of the cleansing that has taken place after you've gotten saved But the best I've saved for last turned to Romans chapter 6 Turn to Romans chapter 6 I've saved the best picture For last of baptism everything that we do everything that God commands us to do in the Bible We should look we should just do it no matter what just because God tells us to do it But all these things have a purpose. They're beneficial to us They had they show beautiful pictures of the gospel of Jesus of God's will for our lives of You know the Bible tying itself together look at Romans chapter 6. I've saved the best picture for last Romans chapter 6 look at verse number one The Bible says what shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound So Paul is preaching that this is just all about grace. You are not saved by your own works You know he's like whoa if the law if the law has no power over me if the law has no power over me I'm no longer a servant to sin. I'm no longer a slave to the law. Look the law cannot send me to hell anymore And if that's the case should I just should I continue in sin? I mean why not? I'm not going to hell Said that grace may abound grace will abound Paul knows this then in verse number two he says God forbid He said no, he should not do that How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried Underline that word buried in your Bible. We are buried with him by baptism into death Like that as Christ was raised now underline that word raised From the dead by the glory of the Father even so we should also walk in what we should be raised to This is a picture baptism is a picture as you go and this is why by the way You when you bury somebody you just throw a little dirt on them When you bury somebody you're just like It's good. No you bury him in the ground The Bible says that baptism is a picture of us being buried with Christ of us Identifying as we identify through baptism with a local group. You know who we're really identifying with we're identifying with the death of Jesus Christ as We're put under the water. It's a picture of Christ being buried in The grave and then are we kept under the water? Are we just like are you just like does the pastor just hold his hand on your face? He's like Done No You're immediately you're put down and you're immediately brought back up and and that's a picture of being raised with Jesus and Jesus look Jesus was raised from the dead Death had no power over him. He defeated death and the devil, but you are raised to do what? You are raised to walk what walk. That's your works folks Your walk your Christian walk is what you do. It's how you act. It's what you do with the grace You are raised to walk in newness of life You're raised up. It's a picture of you not being the same person that you were before you got saved It's a picture. It's a reminder. Well, God knows we need slaps in the face How many Christians how many saved people do you know that are not walking in newness of life? They look when they walk if you would see them walk and you would see unsaved people walk You would not know any difference by the walk They walk the same they walk the same they talk the same they Do the same things? We're not to do that. We are not to just take advantage of and abuse grace We are not to you know disrespect the sacrifice that will look graceful abound God will keep his promise But we're to have a good. I mean could you could you have if you were walking if you were walking if you got saved? And you were given eternal life, and you were sealed in a moment You have you have it now you have everlasting life, and they were just walking like everybody else in the world walks And I mean you obviously your conscience isn't completely seared your con you have a conscience You have a conscience because you were able to believe the gospel Somebody that's conscious is completely seared, you know as and cannot believe the Pharisees or reprobates or whoever else look They don't even have a conscience God gives everyone a conscience. He writes the law in our heart ours is intact if you got saved It's intact enough at least for you to believe the gospel If you were sitting there, and you have an intact conscience, and you get saved you take that grace Got mine, and then you walk like everybody else, and you say forget this following God thing. I got mine Could you have a good conscience? Could you have a good conscience towards God? That's how baptism Identifies you by raising you up, and you you're supposed to walk in newness of life So you can have as first Peter chapter 3 says a good conscience towards God You can go to bed at night With a clear yeah, you're still a sinner, but you know what you're walking in newness of life Trying to be a disciple you're trying to follow Jesus You're trying to you know and when people look at you when people look at you they're like you know what that guy's different Look, I'm telling you if people don't look at you and know if you go and you start a new job If you go and start a new job and people Listen to me closely and people don't notice within the first half an hour That you are different than other people you are not walking in newness of life That's how bad it is. I mean this is not like oh a little bit different You should you should act differently you should speak differently you should look differently People should not you shouldn't even have to speak By the things that you don't say People should say that there's something different there There's something different. They may not know what it is, but they'll know something's different But too many people there is no difference This is what baptism is picturing. This is why God gave us baptism. This is why God commands this ordinance It's not just hey do this because I'm God and I want to just have you puppets do what I want No, it's for us It's for us to remind us just like the other ordinance the Lord suppers to remind us what we need reminders We need reminders. I mean otherwise. I mean there'll be no difference It's a command. It's a picture of our new birth and what we should become Verse 6 says that look at verse 6 knowing this that our old man is Crucified with him look that the old man it gets even better the old man That used to walk the old way that was the sinful man that was just Embracing all the garbage of this world that man was crucified on the cross with Jesus That the body of sin might be destroyed that hemp henceforth. We will not serve sin. No, we should not We should not You want a good conscience towards God don't serve sin Walk in newness of life. It's a picture of our new birth It's a picture of being born again. I mean, why would you want to be born again and then? Just be the same that you were a lot of way too many people do that Way too many Christians are just taking advantage of that grace turn back to Matthew chapter 3 That's why look that's why it's this it's this idea of this new birth that you're a new creature You know and then people will take this into false doctrine, too They'll say oh, you know if if you're saved if you're truly saved you're gonna have the works for sure Look, that's just a that's just an end run around workspace salvation You should do it if you want a good conscience towards God you should do it That's what Paul is saying you should it's not just this magical thing because then it gives people this this power to say Oh, you don't have the works so you're not saved. Oh, you know, you still have a problem with this sin So you're not saved, you know gets it's it's it's a it's a power play It's a power place false doctrine. It's attaching works to salvation Look, you don't come to this church three times a week and and tell me how great of a preacher I am like at least six times a week like I mean are you even saved? This is where this stupid stuff goes It's attaching works to salvation that you will have the works you will do whatever I feel like Entering into those blanks that that's that's how dumb this gets but then people buy it I mean it's just look you should You should turn to Matthew chapter 3. But look this is why in Matthew chapter 3 Look at verse number six. So here they are. They're getting baptized They're getting baptized by John John was taught this doctrine of baptism in the wilderness by Jesus and they're getting baptized But look at verse number six when he baptized look what they were doing look what they were doing baptism What are we supposed to do? We're supposed to be raised to walk in newness of life. It's about our walk It's about a reminder. It's a command by God after we're saved It's about a reminder of the new birth the new person the new creature and our walk that we're supposed to have that We should have look at verse number six And we're baptizing the Jordan confessing their sins these people were getting right These people were getting right. Do you confess your sins? You should Do you confess your sins to God? You should? Don't don't get so you know You know look it's not part of salvation, but it's a good thing to do You should be confessing your sins on a regular basis unless you've somehow figured out how to stop sinning which you haven't You should be you should be confessing your sins to God these people were getting baptized They were confessing their sins. They were getting right and they were they were gonna walk in newness of life That's what these people were gonna do Confess your sins don't make a mockery of the grace that you've been given Baptism is a picture It's a symbol. It's a symbol. It is in the Old Testament And it's a symbol of our walk that should be in grace their walk, you know that grace will abound But we should have the walk So we're not taking advantage of that grace and look It's an outward expression that we realize this It's in you know, it doesn't get you saved It doesn't keep you saved It identifies you with Christ That's what it does. It identifies you with Christ buried with him into death You're raised to walk in newness of life, and it's a symbol of your new life Which includes this local group of believers that you are what yes, what we're all doing together We're all walking together in this Christian life We're all walking together You see how it all fits together You see how all those Old Testament, you know References that that was brought up in first Corinthians 10 and first Peter 3 you see how it all fits together How we identify with each other through our baptism how we identify in Christ through our baptism how we're all It's a picture of our cleansing together It's a picture of our cleansing from sin after we've gotten saved And then really I mean it identifies us, you know with Christ together, but look we're all walking together That's what we're doing here. That's what we're doing in this ministry. We're doing the first works Which you know is literally a lot of walking But this is baptism it's a beautiful picture of what we've been given and what we are to now do So if you haven't been scripturally baptized you should be you know talk to my wife or talk to me About it and we will get you scripturally baptized. It's very simple. It's an ordinance. It's a command from God and as you can see It's it's a very beautiful picture of our salvation and our life our physical life after salvation Let's bow our heads and have order prayer