>>"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith." 1 John 5:4 Faith truly is the victory, and praise be to God that we have been given this victorious life through our faith and obedience in God, but ultimately the life to come eternal. Thanks for joining us this day for The Living Word program. And how blessed we are to be able to have such opportunities and to share in such freedoms that offer us times like this to worship before God and to offer these sacrifices before His throne. I hope we'll all do our part to participate this Lord's Day and to give our own worship toward God and do all things according to His perfect and complete will. At this time, as we turn our full attention to the reason that we have gathered together, we approach our father's throne in prayer. Our God and father in heaven, we thank you for another day of life and the great many blessings that we have, not only physical, but also spiritual. Father, we know you give us everything we need, and we thank you again for that. Father, we also are thankful this day for the great gift of Jesus on the cross, knowing that he died that we might have life, not only today, but eternally. And help us to live every day as not only recipients of that gift, but as those who by obedience prove our love to you by doing and obeying everything that you have asked in your word, knowing that those who are found faithful in the end will receive that mansion and reward. Father, we thank you for this day and the opportunity of worship and praise that we might lift up your name, and Lord and magnify it. And father help us at this time to always remember that we only find justification through the great blood and gift of your son and ultimately our ability to be found pleasing in your sight. And ultimately then by your grace, may we be saved in the end. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Now let's begin our praise to God through song this morning. So once you join me with the congregation as we sing together a hymn that reminds us of the loving God that we serve. The name of the song, "God is Love."

The death of our Lord is certainly a strong reminder of just how much he loved each and every one of us. I often think of the great sacrifice which our Lord made for you and me, and I'm reminded of the great agony and the suffering that he was willing to endure and bear that I might have forgiveness of sins, and ultimately that we all might, and also that we might have salvation through his perfect name. In the account of Jesus' life leading up to the moment of his final death, we are reminded of just what he was willing to bear. I specifically recall the mockery of the soldiers who led him away from Pilate. In fact, in Mark 15:17, beginning we read, "And they clothed him with purple, and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and began to salute him and say, 'Hail King of the Jews.' And then they struck him on the head with a reed and they spat on him, and bowing the knee, they worshiped him." Can you imagine this type of taunting and abuse? They proclaimed "Hail King of the Jews." However, they didn't really mean a word of it. Well, what about us today? Do we praise and uplift our God as we should? Do we Lord and magnify His Holy name and proclaim with our lips, "All hail the power of Jesus' name" and do we mean it when we say it understanding that sacrifice? Well, you see, we need to be those who truly with the fruit of our lips are able to be those who are sincere and serious in what we do and say. Not mockers as well. Because we really don't fulfill what God asks, or obey or follow him at all. Brethren and friend, for all that we know we are those who really understand that God has done so much. So therefore, why would we do anything other than praise, and honor, and glorify him? And to offer Him the adoration that He deserves. You see how much we are worthy before God to give Him what He deserves. But even more than that, do we understand how worthy He is and what He is due? Why not make the commitment even today, and every day for that matter, that you might be found faithful before his throne to the end? And that you might always give God the very best you can, for He is worthy and deserving. And therefore brethren isn't that one of the best ways for us to be able to show Him how much we love Him by and through our obedience. In just a few minutes this morning, we will begin our main study of the day, and as far as our topic together, we will continue our series of study, which is entitled "That I might save all the things that are part of salvation." Our specific lesson of the morning deals with the idea of baptism saves. So please stay with us, and after our next song together, I will be leading us in this discussion from God's word. Now let's join together in the second song in the morning. The name of the song, "He is Able to Deliver Thee."

We're so glad you've continued with us this day as we now go to God's word and look at another lesson in relationship to our overall series, and specifically considering the things that Jesus said concerning salvation. And that is actually found there in the book of John, the statement that we use where he was talking about those things that pertain to one who is going to be saved. And so, as we look this day what we would like to do is to continue to build on some of those things that we have already looked at, inclusive of the ideas of grace that we began with. Certainly we are saved by the grace of God, but then we would certainly as well understand that there are other aspects involved in becoming a Christian and also in living the Christian life. And so what we've been doing together has been looking at the idea such as belief and confession, and repentance, and all those things that certainly are required in order for someone to become a child of God. Who would say that you can be saved without repentance? Well, you see, the fact is is that although repentance might not be that thing that ultimately saves us in the end, that is the grace of God. There is a need to repent in order to be within that grace, and therefore there's a need to repent in order to be saved. The same thing is true with confession. And by the way, those things that we've looked at so far are all really a part of not only what we do in order to become a Christian but also what we do as a Christian. We know that as a Christian, we might need to continue to confess the name of Jesus. And therefore we are those spokesmen, those ambassadors, those individuals who go out and proclaim that Jesus is the Christ to challenge others to make that confession as well. And in relationship to repentance, which we saw last week, we all will also know that you can repent as a child of God, a child of God can begin to sin, or to fall back into worldly things, and then they have a challenge within scripture to again, repent. But within this discussion of today, we are going to look at the idea of baptism. And baptism is a bit unique in the fact that really it is not something we do again, and again, and again after we have already become a Christian. This is a step within salvation that is discussed in the scripture that is paramount, or important in relationship to how one gets into Christ. And although some of the other aspects like confession and repentance might continue on as the Christian has need of, baptism is really a thing we do once to be added by God to His church. And so we want to understand that. I want to begin thinking just briefly about how that throughout all ages, we do find that God himself seemed to use the idea of water and salvation through water. You might recall with me that even back in the book of Peter, 1 Peter 3:21. After discussing the salvation that Noah and his family enjoyed. And by the way verse 20 says that they were saved through water. Then in verse 21, it says, there is also an antitype which now saves us. And guess what that antitype or like figure is? It's not confession, and it's not repentance, although those are things required under salvation and even after salvation. But what is mentioned here is baptism. So we need to understand what is, it about baptism, what is baptism, and how does it relate to the concept of one being saved or not saved? Well that's an easy thing to answer. Because again when we go back to the very beginning of the New Testament, we find that even John the Baptist or the baptizer, the immerser, was busy about proclaiming what? The coming of the Christ, repentance, and the kingdom of God being at hand, and then what were people doing in response? They were being baptized. And then even in the book of John 4, after Jesus began his ministry, guess what Jesus was doing? He was encouraging people to do the same, to be baptized. Why? Repent. The kingdom of heaven was why- Jesus was about to die and shed his blood and purchase the church, Acts 20 and 28. And when that took place, then we see on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2, that then we know the church was established and people began to be added to the church or the kingdom as those who were saved. But what were those individuals doing? How significant that they were still going through at least a similar act that John the immerser or baptizer, and even Jesus proclaimed and taught, and enacted within their ministries. So why would it be so strange to us my friend and brethren, that when we read there in the book of Matthew 16, the very words of Jesus that he said, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved." The two Greek words are joined together with a conjunction, a conjunction that means the two parts are equal. Belief is required in order to equal salvation, and baptism is required in order to also equal salvation. By leaving either part out, what would you miss? The concept of being saved or fulfilling what is necessary that one would be saved. The next thing I'd like you to look at with me briefly is the idea of the word itself. The word "Baptiso" is from the original language, it is what is called a transliterated word. That was really not a word within some languages to sufficiently describe the concept of baptism. And so there was a word for word made in the new language, like Latin or English, to mean the same thing. And if you actually listen to the Greek word "Baptiso," you can hear the concept of baptism within that even in our English language. The next thing about baptism is this definition; Baptism is never described, or even illustrated within scripture as a sprinkling or a pouring. It is compared to a death or a burial. In fact, the word means to put under or to bury beneath. No wonder as we go to the examples of again, John 3 and John 4, that it says, As John, the baptizer or immerser was baptizing people, he was working in a region where there was guess what? Much water, not a little water, but much water. Why? You had to immerse someone or bury them in the water. No wonder on the day of Pentecost, as we begin to see in Acts 2, as they were crying out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Do we find men like Peter who declared repent and let every one of you be baptized? Why baptized? Because again, it is in and through that concept of immersion, that these individuals were able to be cleansed of their sins. And as we find an Acts 2:47, the Lord was then able to add them to the church. What do we find that happened on that day? And we might just turn there briefly so that you can remember the exact wording that is used after they are told to repent and let every one of you be baptized. It says there in verse 41, "And those who gladly received the word were baptized. About 3000 that day." What do we see they did in response to the command of repentance and baptism? Oh, well, I'm gonna wait till next month. Or I wanna be baptized on Easter or a religious holiday made by man. Oh, I'm gonna be baptized at the monthly baptism gathering. No. Immediately that day 3000 were baptized. They were immersed in water. And so we need to understand truly what that concept then means. In my studies, I have found that although there are many passages that are very clear about baptism, there is one that describes it the best. And that is in Romans 6. Because here it describes to us the very purpose or significance, which I'm afraid many of my denominational friends miss out on when they really feel that baptism is only to maybe join the church, or to be added to a record of some sort, or a name to a role where those who are in that church exist. Notice the significance of baptism, as we read here in verse three, beginning. Verse three of Roman 6 says, "Do you not know that as many as we're baptized into Christ have been baptized into his death?" Baptism is a symbolic act of dying as Christ died. He further explains it in verse four, "Therefore we are literally buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life." Verse 5, "For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, we also shall be united in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing that the old man was crucified with him, and that the body of sin is done away with." Oh, you mean to tell me that baptism is a symbolic act where I enter into almost the death of Jesus. Yes. To meet what? Revelation 1:5, the blood of Jesus within that burial or death in the water. And then that I rise as he rose on the third day, I rise from baptism and I am now a new creature. Yes. And why? Because the verse six there says, that we have entered the water to die to sin. How do we die to sin? We are washed in the blood. Are you really going to tell me that that act bears no significance? And do you not remember with me back in Acts 2:38, that the verse goes on to say, "Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and here it is, for the what? The remission of sins." Isn't that what they're talking about here, as well as Paul hears, or the Roman brethren hear what Paul is saying? That they were going to be immersed. For what reason? To die to sin, having met the blood in baptism. So let me ask you a question. How can you be washed of the sins that are in your life that you have repented of? How can you be as it states here, putting to death those sins and burying them in the watery grave if you're not ever baptized for that reason? The answer is you can't. And so therefore, no wonder in Galatians 3, do we learn together in verses 26 and 27, that those who have been baptized have put on Christ. Oh, how wonderful it is to be able to have the message of God so clear. Knowing that every example in the book of Acts emphasizes different acts of what is required for one to be saved or to become recipients of the grace of God. But do you know what? Every one of those examples does not talk about confession. Every one of those examples does not talk about repentance. But do you know what consistent act is required in each one? Baptism. So I've gotta ask you today my friend, have you been baptized in the name of Jesus according to the will of God?

Let me thank you again for choosing to be with us this day. No doubt our time together has been an uplifting and encouraging time together. But let me invite you every first day of the week to join us for the same opportunity at 7:30, as we gather together to give this time to our creator. But for now, let me ask you if you have any questions or comments about today's lesson. Maybe like a free transcript, or free CD or DVD of the program, or possibly we could assist you with free Bible materials or free Bible correspondence courses. No matter what your need is, please feel free to contact us at the following address. The Living Word, 2540 North Kansas Expressway, Springfield Missouri, 65803. Many of these items are also available to our website. That address, thelivingwordprogram.com, or if you prefer you may call us at 869-2284. Thanks be to God for His clear directive on baptism. As the apostle Peter declared, "Baptism does now save us." So the question for us is, have we been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, according to God's perfect will? Why not make sure that even today you are right with God and have done everything according to what He requires.