Baptism
9 August 2026
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
(Acts 2:36-41)
Last week we began a new series looking at the subject of The Church. So, this is a topical series and we began where we must begin with the subject of the Gospel last week, which is that Christ has come to this earth, the second person of the triune God, lived a perfect sinless life and laid down that life for fallen broken sinners like us and that it is by Christ's life being laid down by His blood being shed for sinners that any one of us could be saved, saved by the blood of Christ upon repentance of our sin and faith in Jesus Christ and this is foundational to the subject of the church because it is by believing in the Gospel, by truly having repented and believed in Christ, that any one of us can and does become part of, we are then the church. And this is also crucial for then understanding how the church is to function. Now with this said, we come to the next subject in this series looking at the church, which is the topic of Baptism. So please turn with me to Acts chapter 2. This is a passage which is used to frame our church membership course. And what we're going to see and consider is, first of all, crucially from last week, there needs to be an understanding of the Gospel, a belief in the Gospel. And then the question comes, for those who believe in the Gospel, well what then comes next? And this is where today we will deal with Baptism and then next week we'll get into the details of the church and in the weeks that follow. So, we're going to read Acts chapter 2 from verse 36 and we'll read down to verse 41. This is the Word of God.
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Amen. Let's pray together.
Oh God, we pray that as we come to study a subject that likely for many has been thought about, considered, applied even in terms of having been baptized on profession of faith, Lord, help us today to have ears that would hear what your word declares, what would then be taught in our hearts. and in shaping our thinking, our minds in this important aspect of doctrine with regards to the life of the church and as an act of obedience to our Lord. So, bless us we pray through the preaching of your word for we ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.
So, as we deal with Baptism, this is one of 2 ordinances that we know have been given to the church by the Lord Jesus. And that's what an ordinance is. It is something which has been instituted by Jesus Christ. Another word that's often used for Baptism is sacrament, which means a Christian right as an outward sign of an inward reality. So, maybe sometimes you hear the word sacrament being used in some false religious type of context and you would associate it with that. But actually, true biblically defined sacrament is something that is based upon an inward reality. Not simply something that you're doing externally. Something that has happened inwardly. Now this has to be stressed right from the beginning, when we deal with one of these ordinances, which is Baptism. Because often as we look at the 2 ordinances collectively, we would understand and summarize that Baptism is the initial outward sign. And then when we'll get to Communion later in this series, it is the ongoing outward sign. So, as we come to this initial, and that word is important given the timing of when we deal with Baptism in this series, it is the initial outward sign and it is also a crucial part of how one can then become part of how the church functions. And this is something that we see from passages like the one that we've read here this morning. Because there's a very formative nature to what takes place in the beginning of Acts. And we'll deal with this in a bit more detail when we tackle the subject of church membership, but it is important just for dealing with baptism today to see something of the structure of this text. Because this is the time of Pentecost. Here we have the apostles having gone out being given this great commission from the Lord Jesus, to preach the Gospel in making disciples by establishing, planting churches. And as this Gospel is preached during the time of Pentecost, as we thought of last week dealing with the Gospel, we see the response of thousands in verse 36 of that message to then verse 37, them being cut to the heart. They're cut to the heart. There is a conviction of sin which leads them to ask the question, brothers, what shall we do?
You're speaking of Christ, the one who we've crucified. So, what should we do? And the response that we have in verse 38 of the apostle Peter, repent and be baptized. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And this is why, again, as we remind ourselves, we began with the Gospel, understanding that and the essential nature of there needs to be conversion, a change of heart, the transformation of one who is living according to the flesh, now living for the sake of the purpose of the glory of God. That's a saving work that Christ does in the heart of a fallen sinner. So there needs to be that conversion, which is where repentance and the forgiveness of sins come in, but also the placement of not just the command of there needs to be repentance, but also the importance, the emphasis of Baptism. Because we have - repent and be baptized. And as we scroll down to verse 41, we see that there is a structure to those who have received the word, those who have been saved, we see that they are baptized. So today we come to look at this subject of Baptism.
Now, again, as is the case for probably every single sermon in this series, they could be sermon series of themselves. So, what we're aiming to do in the time we have working through the doctrine and application of the church is to deal with the key points on each of these topics. So today, in the time that we have, we're going to cover a number of key points in brief, but with what we seek to have scriptural clarity and precision. So, we're going to think about 4 key points. We're going to think who Baptism is for, the meaning of Baptism, the mode of Baptism, and then the pledge of Baptism. And then in the remaining minutes, we'll think of some of the practical points, the practical outworkings of Baptism itself.
1. Who Baptism is for?
So first we're dealing with the subject of who Baptism is for. Now, the reason that we're starting with this is partly because that very question has been one of the biggest theological debates within the Protestant Reformed tradition over the past six, seven hundred years, but also because it takes us to some important doctrinal foundations that we need to be clear about. As likely everyone would be aware, within the Protestant Reformation, when the churches were beginning to form, having broken away from Roman Catholicism, for a significant period of time, all of the Reformed churches would have been Presbyterian, which means that they had a hierarchical ecclesiology of church governance and also a specific view and outlook of the covenant. Now in a fortnight's time, we're going to deal with the subject of doctrine and its importance. So, you'll find that sometimes there'll be some linking between some of the themes. So, we will go back to this subject then, but important to realize in relation to Baptism is in the Reformed churches. So, this is not like apostate Church of Scotland today who are sprinkling babies and we wonder what this is about. No, in the Protestant Reformed time, the churches had a belief about the covenant that God enters into with man, which they would argue is the covenant of grace which remains consistent throughout the Bible. So, that argument would be that this covenant remaining the same is applied in the old covenant context by circumcision of Israel marking their identity as belonging to God. And then in the new covenant, they would argue that it is by Baptism by which, again, the families, like it would be for Israel, are marked as their identity of belonging to the church.
Now, as Reformed Baptists, we would have many objections to this doctrinal argument. So, we're just going to quickly go through this as we explain who Baptism is for. The first thing to note with regards to the covenant is that the covenant of grace does not remain exactly the same from old covenant to new covenant. And one of the key reasons we know this is because we go from promise to fulfillment. The promise of one who is to come, the fulfillment in the one who has come, which is Jesus Christ. Now we can see this clearly in passages like Jeremiah 31, from verse 31 which says – “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
So, notice some key differences here. There is the promise of a fulfillment of this covenant where something will be written in our hearts. So, we go from something that is physical to something which is spiritual. There's a physical kingdom which is Israel, then there is a spiritual kingdom which is the church. That is a marked change in the covenant. And so second of all, we need to then understand how covenants are sealed. And covenants are always sealed by blood. So, in the old covenant, the blood that was shed to seal that covenant was the blood of circumcision of the 8-day old baby boys. Now in the new covenant there is blood which is shed, which is the blood of Jesus. There's no blood in Baptism and also, we don't just even in the Presbyterian system just have boys being baptized, also baby girls. So, again we're seeing some inconsistencies in this seeming same covenant. No, we're going from promise to fulfillment, a sealing of blood in each of these covenants old to new. And crucially one other point that must be stressed is who the church is made up of? And this is where we get to the heart of who Baptism is for?
In Galatians 3:7 it states - Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. Those of faith. In the new covenant you are a son, the offspring of Abraham, because not of your physical identity as was the case of Israel. No, it is because of the faith that you have in Christ. Now that cannot include and apply babies and infants. They are not the church, though the babies and infants of families who gather in the church are very much welcomed and we pray they would be raised in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, that they would be saved by the grace of God. But we have to be clear that in the new covenant fulfillment, the church is made up of those who have been blessed and given this gift of faith, those who we know Christ has died for.
This is why Galatians 3:29 declares - And if you are Christ's, so if you are Christ's by repentance and faith in Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. And that's the distinction. And it's why when we come to the New Testament, we don't have any recorded account of any babies or infants being baptized, and we have consistent instructions being given, like we have in Acts chapter 2, to those who profess faith, be baptized on profession of that faith.
And we go even to the foundation by which the apostles went forth with the message of the Gospel in Matthew 28:19 where it states – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age." So, there is the command to the apostles, make disciples by the preaching of the Gospel and these disciples are to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. So, who Baptism is for is for those of faith, those who repent and believe in the good news of Jesus Christ. And this is our understanding of what it means to be covenantal as a Reformed Baptist Church. Now like I say, we will draw this out again as we go to the subject of doctrine in a fortnight's time, but this is an important first port of call in dealing with the topic of baptism because as we see in the text, the command is given. The Apostle Peter upon the authority given by the Lord Jesus says, repent and be baptized. So, that is a command to the believer because it is a holy ordinance, a sacred blessed application by which we are to follow.
2. The meaning of Baptism.
So, with that stated, we come then to the next point which is the meaning of Baptism. So, let's just turn to Romans chapter 6. So, we go to Romans chapter 6:3-4, an essential passage when coming to the question of meaning of Baptism. Because this text, arguably more than any other, gives us the picture of what we witness when we are at a baptismal service. So, Romans 6 from verse 3 it says - 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.
Now notice how this passage begins in verse 3, beginning with the declaration that the Christian, the professing Christian has been baptized into Christ Jesus. They are baptized into his death. Baptized into Christ Jesus, baptized into his death. Now what this does, and let's not miss this, it marks our identity. So, this marks your identity. This is where we begin to draw out meaning of Baptism and its significance. It draws out your identity as a people who are bound to who? You're bound to Christ, the Saviour in whom you trust, as we identify with Him in this holy ordinance. And who is Christ? He is the one who is wounded for our transgressions, who has been crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). He has been taken as the substitute in our place, eternally putting away our sin on the cross. That is who we have an identity with and in by faith in Christ. And this is why just later in Romans 6:6 it states that therefore our old self was crucified with Him. It's crucified with Him, which means we have died to sin and its dominion.
That's the finality of the change that happens in your life. So, if anyone has misconceptions about just how transformative the Gospel is in the life of someone who is saved, this is a dying to that that you were. Here, literally, the picture of Baptism as you go under this water is a picture of that being crucified with Christ, having died to the flesh, having died with Christ. Because what Christ is doing on the cross as He is taking that sin upon Himself, it is putting to death that sin which would destroy you. That is what dies. And so therefore, with meaning of Baptism, we have the being buried with him picture the old sinful self being buried with him. But it doesn't end there. And this is where we stand alive today. Now, yes, physically we are alive and breathing, but we know that there is a ticking clock and there's a time when we will be no more physically earthly speaking in this world. But spiritually, for all eternity, for those who are in Christ Jesus, we are alive. We are alive in Him, the one who is the risen and exalted Lord and King. And so therefore, when we go under the waters of Baptism, which is the picture of a dying to the old sinful self, we do come up out of the water as the sign and picture of who we now are, which 2 Corinthians 5:17 says - you are a new creation. A new creation in Christ Jesus. That's the picture we have of Baptism and that's the meaning of it. It's why it's so sacred. Because we've died and we are alive. We are alive today in Christ. That means even in the face of death, which we know is one day appointed for us to die, it is but falling asleep for the Christian because we look to the one who's overcome the grave. We look to the one who is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high and we know that this is our promise and reality, that we will be with our God. We will stand before our Lord as risen, resurrected men and women because Christ has secured it. And baptism is that picture. It is the meaning of Baptism, a dying to our old sinful self and a rising to the newness of life that we have in Christ.
3. The mode of Baptism.
Now this takes us, and we'll be brief on this, to the next point regarding the mode of Baptism. And already as we're describing this picture, we should already start to have an understanding as to the mode being significant. Now some may say, well, it doesn't matter, the details aren't that big a deal, but the details of what Christ institutes matters. Think of how detailed for example, the putting together of the tabernacle, the temple is in the Old Testament. The details of what we do before the Lord. It's not to contribute to our salvation, but it is a means by which we worship, honour and obey our Lord. And in our confession, in the Baptist confession in chapter 29 paragraph 4, it says on baptism regarding mode - immersion or dipping of the person in water is necessary. Note, it's necessary due to the due administration of this ordinance.
Now let's just unpack this a little bit more with regards to the picture of water and being put underwater. In scripture, we find that water is often a sign of God's judgment. So, think for example, with the flood in Genesis, or the drowning of the Egyptians in Exodus. So, when we get to baptismal waters, we see that on one profound level it is a sign of the Lord's judgment. So, when we deal with immersion, is a sign of the Lord's judgment. This is why there is death and burial of the sinner. And so, when we come to immersion, it therefore is an important picture on that regard. Now even the word Baptism, which is the Greek word baptizo, it literally means to dip or to plunge into. And it's a word in its original Greek, which is often associated with ships sinking in water. And it's consistently used in scripture relating to washings such as Naaman's cleansing in the River Jordan in 2 Kings 5:14. So, it does matter because it is a picture of what has happened to us. Because that judgment, this water judgment picture that we have, is the judgment that Jesus has faced. And this again is why as we come up out of that water, we come as those who are no longer under judgment. We stand in and because of and by His grace.
Now, just to clarify something at this point regarding Baptism. Though the ordinance of Baptism is of great significance, instituted by the Lord Jesus, it must be stated in no uncertain terms that Baptism in no way contributes to or is part of our salvation. It doesn't add to our being justified or add to our cleansing in our standing before the Lord. It is a sign of that. It is a picture of that spiritual reality which Christ has eternally and entirely secured for you. So, because you know that it is all because of Christ, because of His sacrifice, because of His life which has been laid down and His victory over sin and death, because you know and believe this, the obedience of going under the waters of Baptism is a sacred sign. It is no more than a sign, but it is still a sacred sign. It is the picture of something that has transformed, namely you, the born-again believer.
4. The pledge of Baptism.
So, we have who Baptism is for, the meaning, the mode. Now we come to the pledge of Baptism. One other text to turn to 1 Peter 3:21. 1 Peter 3:21 which states – Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Now, first of all, we need to be clear about the context because if it's saying, Baptism which corresponds to this, we would wonder, well, what is the this that the verse is talking about. And if we just glance our eyes at the previous verses we would see, well it's speaking about Noah and his family being saved in the days of judgment, the flood waters that came upon the earth by the ark which they entered into. So that's important again, think of the picture of water and judgment, God's judgment upon the earth. He provided the ark which Noah faithfully, obediently built and there was a protection there. So, that's important to have this picture in mind. Because when we come to verse 21, it says Baptism and then this phrase which corresponds to this.
Now this in the original Greek is actually the word antitypon which is where we get the word antitype. So, what this is actually telling us is that What has come before in the previous verses, namely Noah, the judgment, the flood, that is the anti-type, the picture of what we now see of Baptism. And so therefore, when it's using the language of Baptism, which is the anti-type, this anti-type, which now saves you, the language of saving is referring to being saved from God's judgment. So, just as Noah and his family were saved from God's judgment, so we too know we are being saved from God's judgment. And as we'll see at the end of the verse, it is because of Christ, his death and the mention of his resurrection. So, it's important just to get that context. So, with that stated, then we come to the pledge of Baptism.
Baptism, which corresponds to this, this anti-type, now saves you. And then it says - not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience. Now, at first glance, you might have been thinking, well, it might have been more likely to read, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but of a cleansing of the soul by the blood of Christ. But instead, it says, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience. And maybe we'd scratch our heads and think, well hang on a second, Baptism is a sign of what Christ has done. We go up and down under the waters of Baptism. We come out of the waters of Baptism as a sign of our new life in Christ. So, what's this appeal to God for a good conscience? Well, this is where we have the godly pledge.
Now this is not to say, well, our godly pledge, our appeal for a good conscience is contributing in some way to salvation or anything like that. Just as in Romans 10:9 when it says – if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, it also states crucially, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. So, there is a call when it comes to salvation that we confess Christ with our mouth, confess that He is Lord, but us saying the words doesn't save us. We say the words because the Lord has given us the new heart. The Lord has done a saving work in our lives. So similarly, in 1 Peter 3:21, when it talks about an appeal to God for a good conscience, that is what we do in Baptism. But we don't do it because we are trying to earn something. We do it because we already have the favour, the mercy, the grace, the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So, think for example when you profess, even at the Baptism, do you believe in the one true living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Yes. Have you repented of your sins? Do you believe in Christ as Lord and Savior of your life? When you say yes, this is what I believe, this is your public declaration that I belong to Christ. Saying those words is built upon the change that's happened in your heart. But also, as we see here, during and in Baptism we are also appealing to God for a good conscience. Namely, it is a pledge that it's not just a one-off thing. Remember Matthew 28 in the baptizing them? The apostles, disciples then, are called to make disciples. And this is what you now are, brother, sister in Christ. You are a disciple of Christ. And this is where we start to see how this relates to the subject of the church.
Sometimes, I remember people talking about, oh, I'd love to get baptized in such and such a location as though this is some perfect spot like a wedding. As though it's this big one-off occasion and that's all that it is. But it's not. It is a sacred occasion undoubtedly. But in that sacred occasion, which is the outward sign of that inward faith where we go under the water and come out of the water as a sign of the faith we have in Christ. In that Baptism, we are making this godly pledge. We are pledging that we are a people now because of the saving blood of Christ who belong to Christ and we are going to live and follow Christ. And the application of what that looks like is in the church. This is how and where that takes place. It's why as we look in Acts 2:41, when we see that those who had received the word are baptized, we then see that 3,000 are added, the 3,000 souls are added. There's no disconnect between Baptism and church, because this is then the ongoing life that you will live as a Christian. Because you've been saved by the Lord Jesus and as you're baptized on profession of faith it's then the, well now I live my life as a Christian and this as I proclaim that I am one who belongs to Christ as I go up out from the waters of Baptism as a new creation in Christ now I'm going to live my life as one who belongs to Christ.
And that's the position, posture and desire of the heart of the believer. That we would make such a pledge because our pledge, our allegiance is no longer to the world. No, you were crucified with Christ. That's why you go under the water because you've died to your old sinful self. Now you are a new creation. Now you are a born-again believer. Now you are one who belongs to Christ and your life is now lived in and for Christ. And this already gives us the springboard into understanding, well, how you live as a Christian, how you then live as the church. It matters. Because of your salvation, because of the Gospel. And this is also what makes Baptism a sanctifying ordinance. Because even by being baptized on profession of faith, this is a means by which you are being built up and growing in your Christian faith and being readied for the direction in which the Lord will take and use you for the sake of His kingdom and glory. So that's the godly pledge, the pledge of Baptism.
5. Practical things.
Now just a few practical things relating to the subject of Baptism and in how it relates to the church more specifically. With regards to the administration of Baptism, see Christ has instituted it. We see that initially the apostles are the ones who command it and they are the ones who administer it. And then eventually as we go through later into Acts and with the forming of churches, this will then take place in the context of the church functioning in various individual local settings. Now practically a Baptism could take place in a baptismal tank if a building is blessed to have one. It could take place in a hired venue or with a hired pool. Sometimes and in many places, it can take place in the river and sea. And we've done just about all of these things in the past 7 years as a church. Because we understand that this holy sacred ordinance of Baptism is an act of obedience. and it is a sacred blessing. It is a blessed occasion, a time of rejoicing. Because when we witness someone going under the waters of Baptism, we are seeing the public profession, the outward sign of someone whose life has been changed. And that's a beautiful thing and what we long for. Because as we go to preach Christ to lost sinners, what do we long to see? That they would be cut to the heart. That they would come in repentance and faith. And that they would then, as those who are saved, seek and have a desire and yearning to live for the Lord. And so there would be the being baptized on profession of faith.
Now this takes us to one other practical question which is one that has often been debated and discussed because there's no set clear answer in Scripture and that is with regards to the when should someone be baptized. Now if we to look at the pattern in the New Testament in Acts we would see consistently that it is an almost instantaneous thing. When someone has repented, when someone professes faith in Christ then they are baptized on profession of faith. That's the pattern that we see during the apostolic time in the New Testament. And so, as we look at the Acts especially, would we then think to say, we should be baptizing anyone who professes faith. If the baptismal tank is open even if it's not, if someone comes up to you, maybe you've met them for the first day and they say, well, I'm a Christian, can I get baptized? Do you then baptize them there and then? Well, it's important to establish a key principle. There is no biblical grounds to say to someone, you're not ready yet to be baptized. You need to be more mature in order to be baptized. That's not the grounds and means by which anyone can and should be baptized. So, it's not if you can articulate with accurate precision the doctrine of such and such and such and such. If you truly believe the Gospel, then you should be baptized. on profession of faith. So, then we come to the question, well why would anyone wait? Well, the key issue is not if you're mature enough, no it is if you are truly born again. I remember years ago reading a statistic, it was based I think in America that about a third of the 15 odd million people who had been baptized, I think a year or two later, were still part of the churches that they had been baptized in. And so when we consider during this apostolic time, first the apostolic office and also the nature of those whose lives had been so evidently transformed in this early time when they were professing faith and swearing their allegiance to Christ, as time goes on and as then as elders are appointed and churches are formed, the governance and authority of the leadership of churches to then discern a credible profession of faith, is what is being given to the churches. There should be in no way a sense in which, I'm going to delay this, I'm going to wait a year or two then I'll see. No, there should be an urgency, but that urgency is also based upon being clear and seeking to discern if one is truly born again. So, if someone were to ask, well, if maybe a child in the congregation professes faith in Christ, the younger that child is, the harder it will be to discern. Certainly, in Christian homes where maybe by the grace of God a child at a very young age is able to articulate the Gospel, that's great and essential, but what we would seek to discern is, do they truly believe the Gospel? Have they repented and believed? Now, we wouldn't want to be erring on the side of caution for the next decade, but there would be certainly a desire to have a clear sense in which we can see the evidence of true saving faith.
Now with this subject, it is obviously something that can be quite hotly debated in terms of timeframes and so on, but it is based solely upon one who is truly born again and the church discerning if one is truly born again. On that basis, that profession of faith in Jesus Christ. There is Baptism. That is who it is for. Those who are baptized on profession of faith. The meaning is a dying to their old sinful self and a rising of their newness of life. It is that picture why immersion of the full body is so important and it is also a godly pledge. A pledge of a good conscience towards the Lord. And this is why as we close, Baptism has sometimes even been described as a sort of entry into the church in terms of when you're saved, you're baptized on profession of faith and those who are baptized are then added to that church. The framework we see in Acts 2:41. Not a disconnect, but those who are administering the baptism, the church which is discerning one's profession of faith, they're baptized and then they're welcomed, added to the church where they then will be part of, they will serve, they will grow as disciples in their Christian walk and life of service to Him. And this is the subject of Baptism, a key area in the life of the church where we've looked at the Gospel, we've looked at Baptism and then next week we'll start to think more specifically about the church as we look at Membership, then Doctrine and Leadership and as we go through throughout the series.
Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for this time this morning, which has been driven towards establishing the key teaching points and applications of the sacred, the holy ordinance of Baptism. Father, we thank you that this is a blessing which is given to the church because Christ has instituted it. We thank you that it is for those who have truly repented and believe in Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Thank you that even by being immersed in the water, going under that water, is that picture of burial to that old sinful self, having died, being crucified with Christ. We now are a people who are alive in Christ, a new creation. Thank you, O Lord, that as the baptized believer comes up out of the water, this is what that is a picture of, a newness of life, a faith, a life which is lived in Christ Jesus. O Lord, may it be a comfort and a joy for us to reflect even this very hour on our own Baptisms and the blessing it's been to witness Baptisms in this church and throughout our lives. Father, we thank you for this sacred, holy ordinance and we pray, O God, that you would be glorified in our hearts and lives as we think about this and many crucial subjects on the topic of the church. Your people, the called-out ones, the bride of Jesus Christ. Thank you, O Lord, that we exist and we function because of the Gospel, because of the Lord and Saviour in whom we trust and worship. For it's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.