Baptism - A Commitment to put on the New Man

That's what it is. Dear brethren, God has a plan for you and I. It's not that He has predestined you to be saved or predestined you not to be saved, but He has predestined you and I to be His children in His kingdom. We have a booklet that addresses that very point. That's why you're born and I've got a copy up for you to glance through or take if you'd like to.

But as we read in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10 says, God has called many children to glory, because He wants many children in His kingdom. And part of that plan, the Father and Jesus Christ work together on that plan. And as we read in 1 Corinthians 8 verse 6, turn with me please, to 1 Corinthians 8 verse 6. 1 Corinthians 8 verse 6. He says, Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him. Of whom are all things. In other words, is like, is the owner of whom everything belongs to Him. Is the owner, the Father. And we have one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. In other words, you and I, we created and creation was done under the authority of the Father through the work of Jesus Christ. That's what it says. In a sense, He's delegated executive that God gave him the responsibility to do. But the two work together in a spiritual unity, like husband and wife, work together in the family as one, and both involved. And as we also see in Matthew 11, so if you turn with me to Matthew 11, Matthew 11, verse 25 through 27, Matthew 11, Matthew 11, verse 25 through 27, it says that at this time Jesus answered and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. So we just finished reading that Jesus Christ, we got one Lord. But yeah, also says the Father is Lord, you see. So it's both have rulership positions. The Father is above, is the supreme authority. And it says, you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent. In other words, we're talking about spiritual things that people in the world cannot understand and have revealed them to babies. A little child can understand. In fact, there's dad and mom as an example, you know, and above work together in a healthy family. Now, granted today in the world, unfortunately, there are many families that are not functioning correctly, but in a healthy family, mom and dad work together in love for the good of the children. And they work together as a team. And he says, even so, Father, verse 26, even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight. In other words, this was according to God's will. It seemed good in its sight. It's according to His will. Verse 27, all things have been delivered to me by my Father. In other words, everything has been delegated to Christ to be the executive director, let's call it that, as the manager, the one that's running with the day-to-day activities. You know, it's through whom are all things, but belongs, of whom belongs to the Father. So, yeah, we have, and the two have got a plan. And what's the plan? The plan is that you and I become children in His royal family, in the God family. That we become children of God, just like Christ is Son of God.

So, this plan is so enormous, it's so big, it's so awesome, that you and I are required to one day be able to make decisions like God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son of God. We're going to have to make decisions like they have to make decisions. Therefore, you and I have to be given the opportunity to make decisions, and therefore, you and I need to be free moral agents to make those decisions, to learn from experience, like you as a parent allow your children sometimes to make decisions, and sometimes to make the wrong decisions. And it pains you. But you realize, as a dad and as a mom, that you have to allow them, as they reach certain age, certain maturity, you have to allow them to make certain decisions. Now, some decisions are right, some decisions are wrong. It's like you and I, you can make a decision to turn this road, turn right on this road to go and see somebody, and then as I turn right, you realize, oh, it wasn't this road, it was the next road. You know, sometimes you go on the GPS and you make a wrong turn.

That's not sin. It's just the wrong decision. But sometimes those wrong decisions could be saved. And so God knew that he had to give mankind the opportunity to grow in character. And character is the capability to know what's right and wrong, and knowing that, to decide to do the right and have the willpower to do what's right. That's what character is. So, for us to become sons and daughters of God, we need to have a godly, holy, righteous character. In other words, the capability of you and I to make the right choices.

And therefore, that plan would require free moral agency. In other words, that plan would require an opportunity for man and woman to make choices. And unfortunately, soon or later, we all make our own choice. It's a fact of life. In other words, we call that the school of hard knocks. Right? You go through the school of hard knocks and you know what? That's the best teacher. But you know, when you get a hard knock, you've got consequences. You've got consequences.

And therefore, some of those hard knocks are just mistakes. But some of those hard knocks have serious implications that affect people and other people. And basically, they're sin. They are sin because they're breaking God's law of life.

Now God the Father and Jesus Christ, when they plan this from the foundation of the world, they realize therefore there won't be a time that sooner or later every man and every woman would make a mistake. That would be sin. And the wages of sin, Romans 6 23, is death. Therefore, every man and every woman sooner or later would die.

Now, if you're dead, you can't be anymore a son or a daughter of God because now you're dead. So, they had to work out a plan to buy us back from death, to redeem us from death, so that then through repentance and knowing that we have to change, knowing that we mustn't make that mistake again, and trusting God that God is telling us the right way in faith, then we then get to a point of commit and do what's right forever. And that plan required Christ to die for us.

And so, Christ did come and did die for us.

It's a wonderful plan of loving kindness and mercy to you and I, because yeah, we have the Word that was with God and that was God, and that He was in the form of God, and He did not consider it robbery to be equal to God, but He emptied Himself voluntarily to become of the humankind, of the form of man, and to die for us on the cross. He did it voluntarily, knowing the suffering you would have to go through. That is an ultimate expression of love, because it says, you know, the highest love you have is when you die for somebody else. But yeah, we had the being through whom all things were created, as we read in Corinthians, by whom all things were created, by whom we exist, in the form of God, with that power, gave His eternal life. And He died for you and I, and that is love, in absolute faith and trust that the Father would resurrect Him, which He did. And that's why we are justified by faith, by the faith of Jesus Christ, because if He didn't have the faith, the Father will do that. He wouldn't go through that plan. So we have a wonderful plan, a wonderful, loving plan.

Our part is to repent from dead works, and secondly, to believe, to have absolute trust in what's left, faith, that God can help us. But we have to change. That's what repent means. We have to change, and we have to commit to change.

We've got to commit. We've got to make a vow. We're going to make a promise that we're going to change. And that promise, that contract, is what we call the new covenant, and that is sealed through the baptism. And then we realize that we cannot do it all by ourselves, that we need certain additional tools to help us. It's like an electrician or a motor mechanic. It can't do its profession of electrics or a motor mechanic without certain tools, certain pliers, certain things, certain shift spanners, you know, whatever.

He needs some additional help. Likewise, spiritually speaking, God has given us the divine power to help us to overcome so that you and I can be overcomers till the end, and that power is the power of God's Holy Spirit, which you and I receive after baptism through the laying on of hands. So part of this plan is first repentance and faith in God. Then we're going to commit to change. We need then to receive the helper through the laying on of hands of the God's Holy Spirit. And then we're going to understand that we've got to be overcoming till the end, because at the end, that means at the end of our life or when Christ comes back, whichever comes first, you and I then will be resurrected, and there'll be a judgment period.

And then there'll be the new heavens and the earth. And so we have six basic steps, Yah, which is repentance, belief, baptism, laying on our hands, resurrection, and judgment. And that's what Paul describes in Hebrews chapter 6. And therefore he says, let's not rebuild these foundations. It does not mean that we don't have to understand them, but what it means is once we've laid it out, we've got to go forwards to perfection. It was to overcoming so that you and I can be perfect. Or, in other words, strive towards perfection, strive to overcome.

And turn with me to Hebrews chapter 6.

And brethren, today we're going to talk about that commitment and the help through the laying on our hands. So if you turn with me to Hebrews chapter 6, Hebrews chapter 6 says, therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection. It was overcoming, growing, and growing in the development of Godly, holy, righteous character. Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God. Yah is the first pair of two that go hand in hand together, repentance and faith. Then the next two in verse 2, which is the doctrine of baptism is in laying on our hands. The two go hand in hand because you get baptized, get laying on our hands, and then you receive also the Spirit, which is the power of God to help you overcome. And then the last two, which is the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment. That day is going to be a day of judgment, a day of counting the beans. Let's call it that. Everyone will be judged according to their works, according to the books. Which are these? As we read in Revelation 20, we'll all be judged according to the works. So, today I want to talk about these two specific doctrines, which is doctrine of baptisms, as you read in verse 2, and of laying on our hands. Now, this is a very serious matter. This is a very serious matter because as we go on reading, for instance, in verse 4, and it says, or in verse 3, and this will do if God permits, and it says, 4, verse 4, this is serious because it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift. What he's saying is it's impossible once you've known the truth, once you understand the truth, once you've been baptized, once you've tasted the heavenly gift, in other words, once you've received God's Holy Spirit, or at least, even if you're not baptized, God's Holy Spirit has been guiding you in the truth, and you are throwing it away.

It is impossible for those who have tasted God's Holy Spirit because God's Holy Spirit has been guiding you to understand the truth, and therefore, he became partakers of the Holy Spirit. And verse 5, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come, you have seen God's miracles in your hand, in your life, intervening, showing the truth, and you've seen people being healed in the Church, as God has done many times, according to his will, if that is his will, of course. Verse 6, if they fall away, if they get to a point that says, God is a sham, Jesus Christ is a sham, I have seen people that have seen that.

And if you turn to the point and you say, Ah, that's it. I can do whatever I want. I can go back. Now, I'm not judging the hearts. I don't know if those people really knew the truth, or they had understood all the things, so I'm not judging hearts. Please don't read into that. But it says, if they have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them to repentance. Since they crucify again for themselves, the Son of God, and put him to an open shame.

You can't crucify Christ twice.

Christ is the rock, as you read in Corinthians, the rock that led them in the Old Testament. And the rocks have different meanings, but look at the example of one example of the rock.

It's when Moses led them into the desert, and they started moaning and complaining bitterly, We don't have water, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know the story. And so God told Moses, go to that rock, and strike the rock by analogy. Kill Christ.

Strike the rock, and out of the rock, there'll come water by analogy. Christ's given us, through his death, the possibility of being redeemed, and receiving eternal life, and receiving the guarantee of that eternal life, which has got some spirit, that living water.

And it says, Yea, in Hebrews 6, he says, Since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, you cannot heat the rock a second time. You can't heat Christ a second time. This is a mistake Moses made after 40 years in the desert, when God told Moses, speak to the rock. He didn't say, strike the rock.

And Moses lost a little bit of his self-control, because the people are rebellious, and they've been rebellious, and people are rebellious. So he lost his self-control.

And therefore, he has another analogy. He could not go into the promised land. The analogy is, the promised land symbolizing the kingdom of God, the eternal life. Obviously, that promised land was not the kingdom of God, the eternal life. It was just symbolic of the real promised land, which is eternal life, after the resurrection, to spirit beings.

And the analogy, therefore, is just like Moses could not go to the promised land. That was just a physical lesson to teach Moses an important lesson, and he didn't learn it painfully. For us, the lesson is, you and I cannot crucify Christ the second time, because then we will not enter the promised land, the true promised land, the kingdom of God. So this is serious matter, and it's, therefore, baptism is not for children. Baptism is not for children. Baptism is for adults that need to understand the weight of this decision. Turn with me to Acts, chapter 8, verse 12. Acts, chapter 8, verse 12.

Acts, chapter 8, verse 12. And now we read, But when they believed Philip, as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, that he is our Savior, and because of what he did for us, so when he preached the gospel, the good news of the kingdom of God, and the good news of what Jesus Christ did for us, both men and women were baptized, not children.

Adults were baptized. So, brethren, therefore, that's why I'm going through the doctrine of baptisms, because it is important to review this. If you have been baptized, it's good to review the commitment that you have made. If you have been baptized, but you did not know the commitment, it's like you signed a contract, but you signed the wrong contract. And if you signed the wrong contract, you're not going to get the right house or the right thing, because you signed the wrong contract. So, if you've been baptized, but you did not make the right commitment, in other words, you did not sign the right correct clauses, maybe in God's eyes, you've signed the wrong contract, and it would be unique to be baptized. On the other side, if you've not yet been baptized, it's time to think about it, and to take that step forward, because you and I cannot, cannot do everything by our own hands.

Being baptized, it only means that you're committing to now do what's right, and therefore you recognize that you need God's help.

So you've got to understand what the commitment is, and then you recognize that you can't do it. And if you're not baptized, you realize, well, I can't do it. Well, that's why you need to be baptized. If you know the right commitment, be baptized. Don't be afraid. So what we see, therefore, is that there is a process, and in a process of salvation, God has provided help to us, not only God's Holy Spirit, but He provided help us through this process, which is the Church, and the ministry in the Church to help us. So turn with me to Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 11, we see, and He Himself, God, gave some to the apostles, and yes, we have apostles. The apostles were at the time of Christ. Some were prophets. Yes, we do have prophets. Some were evangelists. They even, we are evangelists. But today, we have pastors and teachers.

What for? Look at verse 12. What is the purpose of this? What's the purpose of God's Church? And the ministry? For the equipping of the saints. In other words, of the brethren in the Church. For the work of ministry. Diaconess. The Greek word is diaconess, which means service. For the work of service.

Or put another way, it's the purpose is for the edifying of the body of Christ. In other words, to build up the Church of God. That's what it is. The edifying the body of Christ.

So, continue to read. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The ultimate goal, the ultimate purpose is for us to ultimately reach the point of being a perfect man like Christ is. That's why we got influence. So, then we continue. So that we should no longer be children, tasked to infrow and carried apart with everyone the doctrine. But speaking the truth in love, may grow in all things unto him who is the head Christ. We need to grow in maturity. We need to grow so that we can be like Christ. That's what it is. That's the purpose. That's the goal. And brethren, we've got a part to do, therefore. Now, you and I understand that salvation is a gift. There's nothing you and I can do to earn salvation. It's a gift of God. But we have to repent towards God and our faith towards Jesus Christ. There's nothing wrong with God's law. There's nothing wrong with the law of love, which is out of gain concern for others and for God. And this is part of Satan's deception. It says, oh well, there's something wrong with God's law. There's nothing wrong with God's law. The problem is us. In fact, there's another angle to that satanic deception, is to say, all people are basically good. Well, they're not. Because it says, we are humans and we have a common mind. Oh, the satan says, oh, everybody's basically good. Well, turn with me to Romans chapter 7. Romans chapter 7 verse 14. It says, we know the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, soul and the sin. So if I'm carnal, soul and the sin, that means I'm not naturally, I'm not good. I need to change. That's the old man that we gotta change.

And we need to put on the new man, which is following, imitating Christ, imitating God.

For what I'm doing, I do not understand. For what I will do, I will do that I do not practice. For what I hate, then I do. In other words, we need to repent. Mankind as a whole is not basically good. And God's law, there's nothing wrong with it. We need to repent towards God from dead words. And we need to have faith in Jesus.

Look with me to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 11 through 14. Hebrews 10, verse 11 through 14. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. The Old Testament priesthood offered goats and bullocks and lambs and whatever. They could never take away sins. But this man, that's Christ, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, has sat down at the right hand of the Father of God. From that time and waiting till his enemies are made, he is food's footstool. For about one offering, he, Christ, has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. And that's you and I. That one offering is enough. It's perfect. But you and I are in the process of being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. It's the process of time. We are being changed and we modify. We're getting better. We're trying to be with the help of God's Holy Spirit. We are overcome. And so what we have is a special calling. We've got a really special calling because God wants every man to be saved. But every man is in his own time. And when I'm a man, I'm a man and a woman, of course. So everyone in his own time, when Christ starts preaching to them, people start leaving. And he's said to the apostles, are you also going to leave? Are you also offended? No, because you have the only hope. But you see, mankind could not see it. Mankind was not prepared yet. But one dying they'll understand. And that's the beauty of God's plan. One dying they'll understand.

Because God wants all to repent. God wants everyone to repent. Turn with me to 2 Peter 3. 2 Peter 3. Verse 9 says, For the Lord is not slack concerning his promise.

As some count slackness, but his wrong suffering toward us. Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. That all should come to repentance. So God gives us time. It's like a fisherman gives rope. But he wants to bring all to repentance.

You know, like he says, you're a fisherman of man. God gives us rope, gives us time, gives us line. But he wants to bring in all to repentance.

But there's nothing that you and I can do to earn salvation.

There's nothing that you and I can do. It's by God's gift, God's grace. That's what earns salvation. But he wants us to do our part. He wants us to obey Him. But just because you keep the Sabbath, and you and I have to keep the Sabbath, but just because we keep the Sabbath, that does not earn us salvation. But we have to keep the Sabbath. Because as we heard in the sermon, Ed, it's his appointment that he has with us. And he's called us appointment. He called us meeting. It's like if you work at a company and your manager calls a meeting. And you say to your manager, I am not going. I can go any day I feel like. Well, what do you think your marriage is going to tell you? This is an appointment. It's a holy convocation. What does holy mean? It's from God. It's a convocation. It's a gathering. So it's not just that. Any appointment. It's a holy appointment. And God is there. But you know what? That's the bare minimum. That does not qualify you to be in the Kingdom of God. That's expected. That's a minimum compliance. You know, like when I worked for a specific company, you had basic, basic compliance things. You had to comply to these things. That's it. That's what we call conditions of employment. There was no guarantee that you are top performer and that you get an increase or whatever. There is condition that you're still employed. So because you're not in the Holy Days, that doesn't mean that we've earned salvation. That's a condition of employment, quote unquote. That's a basic condition. Because we only eat clean food, that does not earn salvation. Because we tithe, that does not earn salvation. Yes, indeed. We do have to obey God. I'm not saying you do not have to obey God. So please don't take me out of context. But that does not earn us salvation. Because salvation is a gift. Salvation is a gift from God by His grace. Yes, we have to submit to God to God's conditions. We have to do the bare minimum. And beyond to grow in faith. Over and beyond. So we need to repent towards God. We need to have faith towards Jesus Christ. And we have to commit. We have to commit. And what do we commit? We commit to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, our Master, our High Priest, and soon come in pain. And we have to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, our Master, our High Priest. And we commit that we're going to use the helper which God's going to give us, which is His Holy Spirit, to grow.

We commit to use it and not to quench it. And then, as we are in 2 Peter, you read right at the end of 2 Peter in verse 17 and 18 says, You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware, lest you fall from your own steadfastness, from your own character of being faithful. Don't get tired. Oh, this I'm tired. I've been doing it for 30 years. I've been doing it for 40 years. Well, I'm tired. Now we've got to be faithful till the end. Because if we do, we'd be led away with the error of the wicked. But, verse 18, we've got to grow. We've got to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We've got to grow in that gentleness and loving kindness and compassion and the knowledge of Christ. In other words, we have Christ living in us for the power of Holy Spirit. And therefore, we're getting to know more about Christ. We're getting to learn how to imitate God. This commitment is done through the act of baptism. We read that they were baptized. You could read in Acts. They saw, yeah, there's a lot of water. Come here. And they said they went into the water. You read that, for instance, in John 3.23, where he says, yeah, can I be baptized there? Well, yeah, there's a lot of water. You can be baptized. So some people have come across. People say, well, therefore, that means you've got to be baptized in a river. No, it doesn't say that.

He says there was a lot of water. That could have been a river. I'm not saying it wasn't a river, but it could have been what they call a mikvah. In those days, particularly around the temple, and as people traveled towards the temple, they had to do very ceremonial washings, or let's call it ritual baths. And if you do some research and you'll find out even pictures of those baths there, the mikvahs, that they went in, they went in there to purify themselves. You know, some of those areas were pretty arid. It was that they did not have a lot of rivers around there in some of those areas. Yes, if you're around Galilee, etc., and next to the river, yes, you had, but other areas you do not have. And so they had those mikvahs. When they came in towards Jerusalem, they had those purifications. So there was a lot of water, and they got baptized there. So it could have been a river, yes it could have been, but it does not have to be that. So, but the symbolism of a baptism is not that it has to be a running river. The symbolism of baptism is that you go underneath the water and you die, and then you come out of the water, and it's like symbolically you've been resurrected, and now you put on in your life. That's what you and I read in Romans 6, verses 3 through 5. It says you you go into baptism, you know, all the man is dead, and you come out of the water, and you have a new man. And we, when we baptized, we baptized into... Oh, where are you baptized into what church? Or was baptized into this church? Or was baptized into that church? Or baptized in the other? People usually say that, don't they? Well, I was baptized in XYZ church, right? I was baptized in whatever church. They say that. But we are baptized into the body of Christ, into the name of that body of Christ, that family, which is the family of God, which is kept in the name of the Father, the whole family's name of the Father. So we're baptized in... And what is the body of Christ? It's the church of God. And what is the true church of God? It's not a physical organization. It's a spiritual organism. And you and I are baptized into that spiritual organism, which is the body of Christ.

That's very important for us to understand. And as it reads, for instance, in Acts 3, 28, it says, Go and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. We are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. In other words, we are baptized by the authority of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And then you will receive the Holy Spirit. You can read that in Acts 2, 38. Then you'll receive the Holy Spirit. And how do you and I receive the Holy Spirit?

Through the laying on our hands and combined with prayer, after baptism, God's true minister lays his hands on you and prays and asks God to give us of that person, of his Spirit. And the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, as you and I know. Scripture says the Spirit proceeds from the Father, but it comes through Christ and Christ gives us the Holy Spirit. And so that's why he talks about the baptism of the Spirit, which is done by Christ when you do the lay of hands and Christ gives us the Holy Spirit.

Because God sees the hearts, sees that you've indeed repented, and you have indeed believed, and therefore he sees the hearts. He sees that commitment, and you honor that prayer and that promise of the Holy Spirit, which is the promise of the Father. So it demonstrates that this is important. Look at Acts chapter 8 verse 15. We were in Acts a moment ago, but let's go back to Acts chapter 8 verse 15.

I have mentioned a few scriptures, and I didn't turn to all of them for the sake of time, but I hope you understand that. Like I mentioned, Acts 2.38, but I didn't turn to it, but I quoted it and cited it. But look at Acts 8 verse 15, and says now, well, we'll start verse 14. Now when the apostles, where the Jerusalem, heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. Who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

For he had not, he, that means the Holy Spirit, had not, he had not yet fallen upon them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. So, yeah, we have. They had been preached upon them. They heard, as it says, the name of the Lord Jesus, what Jesus Christ has done for us, as we saw in other scriptures.

They they understood the kingdom of God, as we saw there in verse 12. They were preached the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus, and then they got baptized. And so now we gotta make good that commitment. And what is that commitment? Turn with me to Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. And that commitment is presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. That's what it is. I beseech you therefore, brethren, Romans chapter 12 verse 1, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. Holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

So it does not say that now you, therefore, brethren, you present a goat, or you present another lamb. No, the sacrifice is you and I. But it's not you and I dead, it's you and I living. It's a living sacrifice by us not doing what the carnal mind wants us to do. That's the living sacrifice. Not doing the wrong stuff. That's why it says verse 2, do not be conformed by this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Transformed is like from the word metamorphosis, that you get a complete change, like a metamorphosis from a worm into a butterfly.

It's a complete change. It's a metamorphosis. And that's what you and I have to do. You have to go through this metamorphosis. In our mind, that's going to be renewed. That old man, that carnal man, that we committed that baptism to die and to live in a new man. Now we've got to commit, and we've got to do that living sacrifice. But you and I cannot do it for ourselves.

God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us, to help us. So that renewing our mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. That is God's will for us to make this change, a mental change, a commitment. And by the way, brethren, God's Holy Spirit is a seal. It's a guarantee. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1.

Verse 21 and 22. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 21 and 22. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God. You see, Christ and God are working together in conjunction. Sometimes it's kind of difficult for us to understand. They're working together as a team in unity. And He says it's God. Now verse 22. Who has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. God has sealed us and given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee. It's like a downpaint of a house, a guarantee. You make a guarantee that I'm gonna do it. God makes a guarantee to us that He will give us eternal life. So if you have been baptized and received God's Holy Spirit, you've been sealed by God and you've been given a guarantee of eternal life. So the Father is deeply involved and so is Christ.

And so how important is God's Holy Spirit?

Turn with me to Romans chapter 8 verse 9. There it explains how important God's Holy Spirit is. Romans 8 verse 9. Romans 8 verse 9. It says, but you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. In other words, we have been baptized. We made this commitment and we're not following the thoughts and the actions of the flesh of the carnal mind, but we are striving, being led by God's Holy Spirit, to overcome and to make a change. So you're not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if, if, it's a very big word, it's only two letters, but it's a very big word, if, indeed, the Spirit of God dwells in you. If we got God's Holy Spirit in us, and how do we receive God's Holy Spirit after baptism by the laying on our vans together with prayer, as we saw. So if God's Spirit is in you, it dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have God's Holy Spirit, which, by the way, says the Spirit of Christ, which is a thanks-spirit, there's only one Spirit, Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ, thanks-spirit, he's not at ease. He's not one of God's people and he's not a Christian. That's it. You and I need God's Holy Spirit to be truly God's people. You and I need God's Holy Spirit to be truly true Christians in God's eyes. So, there is a process, what we call a road to eternal life. That's why we've got Bible study guides entitled The Road to Eternal Life, which covers baptism and that process. And we also have a study guide, which is the process of changing our minds, the process of conversion, transforming our lives, changing our minds.

Continue to read in Romans 8. So let's jump to verse 11. But if the Spirit of In, that's God's Spirit, who raised up Jesus from the dead, dwells in you. If you and I have God's Holy Spirit that raised, which comes from God, and God raised up Jesus from the dead because Jesus was dead, he who raised up Jesus from the dead, that's the Father, will also give life to your mortal body through his Spirit who dwells in you. But Christ would say, I'll resurrect you. In John 6, 14, 44, it says, I'll resurrect you. But the instruction, the command comes from the Father, and it's everything done by and through Jesus Christ. So they work together as one. That's a wonderful truth. But you and I need to be led by God's Holy Spirit. Look at verse 13 of Romans 8. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God. Led by the Spirit of God. God's Holy Spirit never forces you, never possesses you, leads you, guides you, pricks your conscience, pricks my conscience, and leads us in the right way, and gives us opportunities to do the right thing. If we are led by the Spirit of God, then indeed we are the sons of God. You know what's there indeed? We are growing in a holy, righteous, godly character, because we are overcoming till the end. But you and I need God's Holy Spirit to do that. Otherwise we can't do it. We need God's Holy Spirit to do that.

So when we baptize, we are put into the body of Christ.

By God's Holy Spirit and His One Spirit. Look at 1 Corinthians 12-13. 1 Corinthians 12-13.

1 Corinthians 12-13.

It says, by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body. By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body. By that power of God's Holy Spirit. We are the Jews or Greeks. We are the slaves of free and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. You see, so the Father plays an important role. He calls us. He is the one that gives us the Holy Spirit. It's the promise of the Father. Christ is by whom, through whom everything is done. It's through Christ everything is done. And He is the one that died for us. And He gave His life and His blood for us. And the Holy Spirit is the power that from God that helps us to overcome. The three work together. That does not mean it's Trinity. That does not mean that the Holy Spirit is a person. But it just means the three work together. Look at Romans chapter 8 verse 1. Romans chapter 8 verse 1. So back to Romans 8. We read a moment ago.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. How is that possible? Because God's Spirit helps us to overcome, helps us to change, helps us to be different. And therefore it frees us from that pull of the current mind. But we have to keep fighting it all the time. That's the living sacrifice you and I have to be doing. Verse 3. For what the law could not do. You know, the Ten Commandments can't help you to overcome. The Ten Commandments only tell you what's right and wrong. There's nothing wrong with the Ten Commandments. But they don't give you the help, the helper to overcome. We need the help. You see, what the law could not do, because it was weak through the flesh because of the carnal mind, God did it by sending his son in the likeness of sin and flesh according to sin. And he did it by sending his son. His son died for us, redeemed us, and then he sent us his Holy Spirit to help to help us overcome. And therefore through that he condemned sin in the flesh.

Why? Verse 4. That the righteous requirement of the law. The law is required. The righteous requirement of the law. Oh, people say, oh well, it's not required to keep the law. No, it says here, the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. You and I have to keep the law.

But that does not give us eternal life. It's required to do that. But that does not give us eternal life.

But that requirement of law might be fulfilled as we do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Look at verse 13, where we read a moment ago. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put on, put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. So we've got to change. And as we read in Hebrews chapter 6, verses series matter. You remember Hebrews chapter 6, we read a moment ago, verse 4 through 6. It says it is impossible to renew them again. This is repeated in Hebrews chapter 10. Look with me, please, to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10.

Hebrews chapter 10, verse 26 and 27. For if we sin woefully after we receive the knowledge of truth, now interesting. It does not say if you sin woefully after you've been baptized.

That's powerful. It says if you sin woefully after you've received the knowledge of the truth, so once you receive the knowledge of truth, you have to commit because recognize you can't do it by yourself and you need the helper, which God is giving you to you freely. So why don't you take that help? God's giving you the help. Take the help. But it says if we sin woefully after we receive the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment and a fiery indignation which will beflower the adversaries. A fiery indignation. And that's what the Bible calls it. The second death. The lake of fire. So think about you've got to go into water to be baptized. The watery death symbolically. You then are baptized of the Holy Spirit, receiving the Holy Spirit, but God's a third type of baptism. The baptism of fire, which you do not want. You don't want to be baptized in this fiery indignation.

Turn with me to Revelation chapter 20. Revelation chapter 20.

Revelation chapter 20, verse 14 and 15.

It says, then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Everyone that was not given that gift of eternal life was to receive the baptism of fire.

So we've got to count the cost. We've got to count the cost. And that's why in Luke chapter 14, turn with me to Luke chapter 14.

Luke chapter 14, verse 26 to 28.

It says, but the helper.

Oh, I'm looking at the wrong number. Look, chapter 14.

Look, 14.

Verse 26 through 28 says, If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yet his own life, also he cannot be my disciple. If we do not love less our life and our relatives, in other words, God must be first. And I think yet is the first commandment, isn't it? God is first.

Unless we put God first, we cannot be Christ the disciple. That's what he's saying. And whoever does not beat his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. That's why it says, count the cost. In verse 28, count the cost. It's a commitment. But you know, what are the options? It's not a very exciting option. You've got to count the cost. And when you make that commitment, make the commitment. But if you've made a commitment that this is the life and that's what you're going to do, then why not get the help? It's bonus. It's gratis. It's there waiting for you. So, brethren, what are the fundamental steps for salvation? We've got to repent. We've got to be prepared to commit. We've got to believe and understand and believe that Christ is the Messiah, is the King. And we've got to believe that for His teachings and follow those teachings, we've got to contact the minister of Jesus Christ in the body of Christ, a servant of God, and to discuss and counsel for baptism. And then we need to be baptized into the body of Christ by the authority of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And then you'll receive the Helper, the Holy Spirit, by the laying of hands, accompanied by prayer from the servant of God, so that you will receive the help of the Holy Spirit. You and I can be resurrected at the return of Jesus Christ, and then finally you and I become sons and daughters of God.