When it comes to the subject of Baptism, we usually think of ourselves as natives who know the territory well. However, the biblical depth of both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper tend to expose our gentile roots. When we peel back the layers of the sacraments they quickly reveal that our limited understanding of our spiritual heritage as God’s covenant people can lead us to a lot of misunderstandings. We like to think of ourselves as ‘natives,’ but perhaps we are better served to humbly recognize that we are, in many ways, ‘strangers’ in need of local guides. My hope today is to explain an overview of the beautiful sacrament of Baptism. In order to do this, we will be exploring quite a large span of the Bible, and taking a sweeping view of the perfect unity God’s saving work throughout redemptive history.

So what happens to a Christian who, through a sundry array of diversions and excuses, repeatedly neglects to receive, study, and meditate upon the knowledge of God’s holiness? What is the effect of a low view of God’s holiness upon the message of the gospel? Even more, what is the effect of a low view of God’s holiness upon the heart of redeemed sinners?

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” (Exodus 20:17)

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

“You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)

If we are honest with ourselves, even as sincere Christians our own hearts do not often share the same response. All too often we find ourselves struggling to experience the glory of the One whom we have come to love and trust. Yet we must recall that Jesus’ ministry was not merely one of saving sinners from death, but even more so one of bringing sinners into a right relationship to God, (Jn. 14:6). When God saved you, you did not immediately come into a full knowledge of God. No, it is God’s design that His children grow in such knowledge, more and more, as they walk with Him by faith.

In love, as under-shepherds of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the authority vested in us to care for the souls of God's people, we want to extend a strong encouragement to those who have chosen not to attend public worship for many months. You are important to us and we have not forgotten about you. Your presence has been missed and we have often longed to gather together before the Lord with you.

“You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)

“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)

As a growing child of God, it seems only natural to wonder: What changed in me that made me suddenly understand the gospel? What happened in my heart that made me see my need for Jesus and believe? How did the sins I used to love turn bitter to my taste? These questions have beautiful, profound, soul-humbling and God-glorifying answers that run deep throughout the Bible…The major point that I hope you will take away from this post is that saving faith is a gift of God, (Eph. 2:8).

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

While stated very simply, this seemed to be worth sharing. May this God-centered perspective of the true focus and nature of Christian worship take deeper root in the corporate gatherings of His churches as His People draw near to Him in “reverence and awe” each and every Lord’s Day.

35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)

“…we know from the context that Paul is opposing legalism. However, notice that his wording includes all misrepresentations of the true gospel. He does not say, “If anyone is preaching legalism…let him be accursed.” He says, “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received…” This means that any misrepresentations of the gospel are a grievous and accursed thing in the sight of God.”

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6)

While God instructs his people to live in light of King Jesus’ ministry each and everyday, we make a special effort each Spring to consider the final events of Jesus’ earthly life; we call the events of his final days “Holy Week”. Holy Week recounts the events from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the cheers of the fickle crowds, through the last supper, his betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, three days in the tomb, and finally his vindication at the resurrection.

May the victory of Christ over sin and death remind you that if you are in Christ, your future with him cannot be snatched up or taken away by any earthly sorrows. Because he lives, so we too shall live, (Jn. 14:19).

God’s designs are intended to rescue us from our rebellion, to work repentance and renewal in our hearts, and to bring us home rejoicing that we have been loved so dearly by the One who we have scorned. By that same faithful and unrelenting love, we have been spared from sorrow upon sorrow though we willfully pursued it to our own harm.

”For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding,” (Proverbs 2:6).

God’s power is inexhaustible and he calls us to come to him in total dependence, promising to provide his people with all that they need to give him glory. I for one can’t think of a single reason to hesitate to lay hold of such a priceless invitation.

Sometimes it can be helpful to understand the thoughtfulness and intentionality that stands behind traditions, otherwise they can just seem like empty, repetitive, and outdated rituals that are overdue for a modern upgrade. My hope and aim in this article is that by pointing out five of the significant reasons that stand behind our weekly tradition of singing the Doxology, our joy and unity in doing so will be greatly enriched.

For most people, such a question in and of itself presents something of a paradigm shift in their heart. We are so prone to thinking about life in terms of our own interests, preferences, and desires that we have scarcely noticed that we have brought this same attitude and approach with us to the worship of the Almighty God.

In the case of Communion, the bread and wine are visible representations of the body and blood of our Savior, which he willing offered to God as a substitutionary sacrifice for the guilt of the sins of all God's people, (Matt. 26:26-29). Though the bread is just bread, and the wine is just wine, the Holy Spirit works through both the sign (visible elements), and seal (spiritual promises) which are shown forth in the sacrament, to encourage and strengthen the souls of God's people as they receive them with sincere faith in what the elements have been ordained to represent––which is the complete and finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.