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Last time we looked at chapter 
28, which is sort of an introductory, a small introductory chapter. Not only introductory, but setting 
forth the fact that simply there are two sacraments. given to 
the church in the New Testament, and those being baptism in the 
Lord's Supper, and sort of introducing both of those particular ordinances, 
those particular sacraments, and then the confession moves 
into a specific consideration of those sacraments, one after 
the other. And the first one is baptism. 
Chapter 29, of baptism. I'll read these four 
paragraphs and then we'll get into a study of this doctrine. 
Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament ordained by Jesus 
Christ to be unto the party baptized, a sign of his fellowship with 
him in his death and resurrection, of his being engrafted into him, 
of remission of sins and of giving up into God through Jesus Christ 
to live and walk in newness of life. Those who do actually profess 
repentance towards God faith in and obedience to our Lord 
Jesus Christ are the only proper subjects of this ordinance. The 
outward element to be used in this ordinance is water, wherein 
the party is to be baptized in the name of the Father and of 
the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Immersion or dipping of the person 
in water is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance. So a very simple and straightforward 
paragraph, but once again packed with theology, there is much 
in the background. Now this is one of those chapters 
in our Confession of Faith that separates itself from those source 
documents of the Confession. You'll remember, if you've been 
here and studying the Confession with us for a while, there are 
some source documents that the Second London Baptist Confession 
of Faith have. The Westminster Confession of 
Faith, the Savoy Declaration of Faith and Order, and then, 
of course, the First London Baptist Confession of Faith. Those are 
sort of the primary documents that undergird this Second London 
Confession of Faith, perhaps most significantly the Westminster 
and the Savoy. Now, There are chapters in the 
Confession, though, where they show their differences when compared 
to their Presbyterian and their Congregationalist brothers. By 
and large, the Confession is a reiteration and a showing of 
affinity with their Presbyterians and the Congregationalists. They 
did not want to, as they say in the preamble or in the introduction, 
they did not want to clog religion with new words. They had no itch 
to clog religion with new words, but that they readily acquiesced 
in that form of sound words that came before them. However, they 
did say that when conscious demands, and when more specifically the 
principle of adherence to the Holy Scriptures and what's revealed 
therein, demands a deviation from those that came before them, 
they did humbly depart. and then therefore articulated 
their particular position. And baptism is one of those places. The doctrine of God's covenant 
is another place prior to this. The doctrine of the church, chapter 
26, is another place. And then chapter 29 here of baptism. 
Those three chapters, in fact, are very intimately related. 
I mean, all of the chapters are, but covenant, church, and baptism 
are intimately related. Covenant and church, those two 
particular doctrines were foundational for the particular Baptist's 
articulation and position on the doctrine of baptism. Just 
a quote from Dr. Samuel Renahan to to set the 
stage as we look at this particular doctrine. Whether it was an appeal 
to Reformation principles of religious worship, an appeal 
to Reformed soteriology, or an appeal to the Cameron-Owen typological 
interpretation of God's dealings with Israel. We won't spend a 
whole lot of time on that, but we might allude to it later. 
It just simply refers to the typology in Christianity that 
believers' baptism as being the biblical approach to baptism 
rests upon a proper interpretation of Old Testament types and Christ 
as the fulfillment of those types. But anyway, the particular Baptist's 
opinion In the particular Baptist's opinion, Reformed theology's 
own principles legitimized and necessitated their conclusions. 
Now, I'll just pause on that moment for a second. It's often 
charged against Reformed Baptists that we shouldn't be called Reformed 
because we don't properly adhere to the full plethora of Reformed 
doctrine. Here, rightfully, Sam is identifying 
that the particular Baptist's opinion was that Reformed theology's 
own principles legitimized and necessitated their conclusions. 
In other words, the particular Baptists are the fullest and 
the best expression of Reformed theology, not the ugly cousin 
to the Presbyterians and the Congregationalists, but rather 
the better result of Reformation principles. The covenant of circumcision 
was not the covenant of grace. The old covenant was not the 
new covenant. The shadow was not the substance. 
And the substance being come, the shadow flies away. So long 
as the old and new covenants remained mixed, the church and 
its covenant theology would not be truly and fully reformed. 
So the particular Baptists, in their doctrine of Baptism, rest 
upon the legitimacy of Reformation principles, and even more than 
that, articulate a better position of Baptism based on those principles. So, first off, some important 
doctrinal foundations for the particular or Reformed Baptist 
approach to the ordinance of Baptism. Important doctrinal 
foundations, and the first is the doctrine of Holy Scripture. the doctrine of Holy Scripture. 
This is the principle that rests, that ought to rest behind every 
doctrine in Protestant articulation, every Christian doctrine. It 
should have this as a primary principle, the doctrine of Holy 
Scripture. Not tradition, but revelation. Again, and just briefly, 
paragraph one, the first statement in the Confession of chapter 
one, the Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and 
infallible rule of all saving knowledge faith, and obedience. So it is to the scriptures that 
we go, not tradition. Now remember, there is good tradition, 
that which is in concert with the holy scriptures and an expression 
of what the scriptures reveal. But tradition is not the foundation, 
but revelation for our doctrine. And this is, if you get this 
book, there might be another way of getting what I'm about 
to talk about, but Faith and Life for Baptists, In the confessions 
that we have, we don't have that preamble or introduction in the 
printed ones in the church. We also don't have the appendix. 
And the appendix is absolutely excellent. It's on baptism, credo 
baptism, contra pedo baptism. And this is what they say with 
respect to this doctrinal foundation, the Holy Scriptures, the revelation 
of God. As to those Christians who consent 
with us, that repentance from dead works and faith towards 
God and our Lord Jesus Christ is required in persons to be 
baptized, we cannot for our own parts be persuaded in our own 
minds to build such a practice as this upon an unwritten tradition. but do rather choose in all points 
of faith and worship to have recourse to the Holy Scriptures, 
for the information of our judgment and regulation of our practice, 
being well assured that a conscientious attending thereto is the best 
way to prevent and rectify our defects and errors. So they saw 
the principle of the Holy Scriptures as that principle that dashes 
away defects and errors in our doctrine and practice. Now, Of 
course, the Presbyterians and the Congregationalists would 
agree with them, but there is an inherent principle to that 
principle of the Holy Scriptures that the Paedo-Baptists would 
deviate from or would reject or would not apply properly. 
Anyway, the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures rests in the background 
very vitally to the doctrine of baptism and its proper expression. 
The doctrine of God is vital as well to the doctrine of baptism, 
the authority of God in commanding the ordinance, and also that 
name into which we are baptized. It's very, very important. We're 
baptized into the name of the triune God, and it is that triune 
God who gives us the doctrine of baptism, and this is also 
in the appendix to the Baptist Confession. It depends purely, 
that is baptism, it depends purely upon the will of the lawgiver 
to determine what shall be the sign of his covenant, unto whom, 
at what season, and upon what terms it shall be affixed. So 
if we want to practice, and we ought to want to practice the 
baptism or rite, we ought to appeal to the doctrine of God 
and respect the doctrine of God and attend unto the proper doctrine 
of God as the lawgiver in order to be informed and in order to 
properly carry out the doctrine that is the sign of His covenant 
and unto whom at what season and upon what terms it shall 
be. affixed. The doctrine of God's covenant, 
of course, is foundational for the Baptist's position on baptism. And in paragraph 3 of chapter 
7, if you want to turn there just briefly, there is a difference 
there expressed between the Paedo-Baptists and the Baptists. The Baptists 
are not deviating from covenant theology and, you know, moving 
towards some dispensational scheme, not at all. In fact, they're 
upholding covenant theology and its proper biblical expression, 
and we see The statement here in paragraph 3, this covenant, 
that is the covenant of grace, is revealed in the gospel first 
of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the 
woman. and afterwards by farther steps until the full discovery 
thereof was completed in the New Testament. So we see here 
the covenant of grace isn't, there isn't an equal sign between 
the covenant of grace and the covenant given to Abraham. Abraham 
is revealed, he receives a revelation of the promise of the covenant 
of grace, but the covenant of grace is revealed in the gospel 
first proclaimed to Adam in the curse upon the serpent. We'll 
notice at the outset of at the outset of the revelation of the 
covenant of grace, it is the conquering work of this seed 
of the woman, Jesus Christ, that is prime in covenant revelation. So there is all that to say that 
there is an intimate and inviolable link between the cross death 
of Jesus Christ, His atoning work, and the covenant of grace, 
and that reality of the covenant of grace that sees its full discovery, 
its full revelation when Christ comes, sinners to save, to inaugurate 
the New Testament. But we'll talk more about that 
as we move along. So the doctrine of the covenant 
is absolutely vital. The doctrine of Christ the mediator. is vital, of course, with respect 
to baptism. As we were reading the language 
there in paragraph one, we notice there that baptism is a sign 
unto the party baptized of his fellowship with Christ in his 
death and resurrection, etc. Baptism is an identification 
of the one baptized with their Savior, their mediator, their 
glorious one, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And so the doctrine 
of Christ the mediator is absolutely vital for a doctrinal foundation 
for our understanding of the practice of baptism. And a number 
of things in chapter 8 that would speak to this is the mediatorship 
of Christ in paragraph 1, that he is the head and savior of 
the church and as mediator is that only lawgiver who gives 
to his church the ordinance of baptism to be observed. Vitally important as well is 
we consider the proper recipients of baptism, those who profess 
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, paragraphs 4 and 5, speaking 
of the finished work of Christ. You see, it is only those who 
are the blessed beneficiaries of the redeeming perfection of 
Jesus Christ that are to receive the signs of the new covenant 
ratified in His blood. The Lord's Supper. We give the 
Lord's Supper, as the Bible informs and commands, to those who are 
believers only, those who are the members of the Church. Baptism 
ought to be the same. If the Lord's Supper is a sign 
of the New Covenant in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
if it signifies the broken body of the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
we are to give it to believers only because it is only to those 
who are the recipients of the cross works efficacy, then with 
baptism it's the same thing. It's an ordinance of the new 
covenant given by the Lord Jesus Christ to be given to those who 
profess faith in the one who died and rose again. Who died 
was buried. and who rose again. More about 
that as we move along. But in chapter 8 there, when 
it speaks of the willing undertaking of Christ Jesus to be obedient 
to the law, to perfectly fulfill it, to undergo the punishment 
due to us, He bore and suffered that punishment, being made a 
sin and curse for us. receiving grievous sorrows in 
his soul, crucified, died, risen again, we ought to see that as 
the blessed foundation for the giving of baptism only to those 
for whom that perfect work was rendered. As well, moving along, 
the doctrine of effectual calling. The doctrine of effectual calling 
in chapter 10 is absolutely foundational to baptism. If you have a look 
very briefly at chapter 10 in paragraph 2, this effectual call, 
that is, whereby those predestinated unto life are brought forth by 
the power of God in amazing grace, this effectual call is of God's 
free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen 
in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature, being 
wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, 
until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby 
enabled to answer this call and to embrace the grace offered 
and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which 
raised up Christ from the dead." Now, two things in that paragraph 
that are absolutely vital with this understanding that we're 
looking at theological foundations for baptism. First off, this 
washing of regeneration. The Bible uses that language 
time and again, Old Testament, New Testament. This language 
of washing connected to or as something that signifies and 
reflects and represents the regenerating power of God and bringing dead 
sinners to life. Well, the waters of baptism don't 
affect that. The waters themselves are not 
effectual to bring a dead sinner to life, but being emblematic 
of that, signifying that reality, there is an intimate connection 
to that thing signified and that which actually did take place, 
so that When someone is baptized, we are saying that that person, 
what is true with respect to the washing of regeneration, 
is true with respect to that person baptized. The one who 
receives the ordinance of baptism is to be one that has been brought 
forth from the deadness of sin to life in Christ by that effectual 
washing of regeneration, amazing grace. And so effectual calling 
is absolutely vital. to this point, the appendix to 
the confession agrees. If our brethren do suppose baptism 
to be the seal of the covenant which God makes with every believer, 
of which the scriptures are altogether silent, it is not our concern 
to contend with them herein. Yet, we conceive the seal of 
that covenant is the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ, in the 
particular and individual persons in whom he resides, and nothing 
else. What they're saying here is that 
the Presbyterians and the Congregationalists, in their chapters on baptism, 
they say that baptism is a sign and a seal of the covenant of 
grace. Well, here, the Baptists are 
saying, no, the seal of that covenant is the indwelling of 
the Spirit of Christ. And so baptism, while the sign 
and seal language has been used by Baptists, it isn't properly 
the sign and seal of the covenant of grace. The sign and seal of 
the covenant of grace is the washing of regeneration and the 
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. So effectual calling is is vital, 
again, foundational for our doctrine of baptism. Moving along quicker, 
the doctrines pertaining to salvation at large, you consider justification, 
you consider adoption. We are sons of God by virtue 
of amazing grace. It's a number of Pedo-Baptists, 
and I think John Murray is one of them, but others have said 
the same thing, is they'll say things like, the unbelieving 
children of believers are just as much the children of God as 
their believing parents. That's a horrible statement, 
to say the least. We are children of God by virtue 
of our union with Jesus Christ, by virtue of amazing grace, God 
making us alive in Christ Jesus. It's by salvation, by amazing 
grace that we are the children of God, not by virtue of being 
the genetic descendants of believing parents. The doctrines of justification, 
adoption, etc. are absolutely vital. The doctrine 
of faith in chapter 14 in paragraph 1, you don't need to turn there, 
but it speaks that our increase of faith as believers is brought 
about by the means of grace, one of those means being baptism. 
The Doctrine of the Liberty of Conscience in paragraph 2 of 
chapter 21. And then, a little bit of time 
on this. The doctrine of religious worship is vital for our foundation 
to baptism. The doctrine of religious worship. 
You can turn to chapter 22 for a moment. Chapter 22, in the 
doctrine of religious worship, if we are to worship God aright, 
then we are only to do those things which God has commanded 
for the worship of himself. Notice, in paragraph one, the 
light of nature shows that there is a God who hath lordship and 
sovereignty over all, is just, good, and doth good unto all, 
and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, 
trusted in, and served with all the heart and all the soul and 
with all the might. We'll just stop there for a moment. 
That first clause, or that first set of clauses, that first sentence, 
is what's called natural worship. That natural worship that every 
man owes unto God. And the old boys would use the 
terminology natural worship pertaining to that particular statement. 
But notice there is religious worship that then follows. But 
the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by 
himself and so limited by his own revealed will that he may 
not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of 
men, nor the suggestions of Satan under any visible representations 
or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures." We're 
going to find out later on in the paragraph here that baptism 
is an element of worship. And so the link is obvious here. To rightly worship God, we are 
only to do those things that are pleasing in his sight and 
that he has commanded. But also, we're only supposed 
to do them in the way that He has commanded, and in the way 
that He has revealed. So limited by His own revealed 
will, and not according to the imagination and devices of man, 
etc. And notice paragraph 2. Religious 
worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 
and to Him alone, not to angels, saints, or any other creatures, 
and since the fall, not without a mediator, nor in the mediation 
of any other but Christ alone." The mediatorship of Christ Jesus 
with respect to worship is vital. Well, how does this pertain to 
baptism? Well, remember, baptism is given by a sovereign and positive 
institution of the Lord Jesus Christ, our only lawgiver. So 
obedience unto Christ and his mediatorial dictates that we 
joyfully observe That is a practice that is to be kept up by the 
Christian and baptism pertains obviously now notice paragraph 
5 and this is perhaps getting more to the point hopefully not 
The preceding discussion was helpful, but the reading of the 
scriptures, this is paragraph 5 of 22. The reading of the scriptures, 
preaching and hearing the word of God, teaching and admonishing 
one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing 
with grace in our hearts to the Lord, as also the administration 
of baptism and the Lord's Supper, are all parts of religious worship 
of God. to be performed in obedience 
to Him with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear." You 
see there that language of religious worship of God. That is changed 
in the Baptist confession of faith when compared to the Savoy 
and the Presbyterian before them, and there's a reason for it. 
When we see here the religious worship of God, there's a connection 
here to the regulative principle of worship and the Baptist position 
that we are only to do that in worship that God has explicitly 
commanded by positive law and positive declaration. So if there 
is something that is not revealed in the Holy Scriptures by precept, 
then we are not to do it in worship. And so the Baptists used this 
religious worship argument that was something that the Presbyterians 
and the Congregationalists had, and they use it clearly against 
them, saying you're doing something that God, you're doing something 
in fact against what God has commanded and that he has revealed 
by apostolic example. In the appendix to the Confession, 
they say this, and it's a quick statement. and is to be thereby governed 
in all the necessary circumstances thereof." In other words, paedobaptists, 
you guys derive your doctrine of paedobaptism by good and necessary 
consequence, not by explicit precept, and in fact against 
explicit precept, not by apostolic example, because there is no 
apostolic example to baptize babies, and in fact, against 
the apostolic example, because apostolic example everywhere 
shows the preaching of Christ, a question, for example, in Acts 
8, do you believe with all your heart that this is true concerning 
Jesus? And then the receiving of an 
affirmation of belief in that Christ, and then baptism. And 
so to mount an argument for the practice of a sacrament based 
upon logical inference, and in the face of explicit commands 
not to do that, or to engage in believer's baptism, the paedo-baptists 
derive their approach to the sacrament or to the ordinance 
in a manner that isn't conducive to the holy scriptures or the 
proper interpretation thereof. All right, the doctrine of the 
church as well is foundational. We're gonna move on to the confession 
here in 37 seconds, but the doctrine of the church is absolutely foundational. You see in chapter 26, and we're 
just to read on your own time, the first six paragraphs, we 
see there that those who constitute the church of the Lord Jesus 
Christ are those who profess faith in that Christ. And so 
the ordinance which concerns membership in the church or entry 
into the membership of the church, the ordinance of baptism, is 
only to be given to those who constitute the church of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. And so we see there, for example, 
that in paragraph two, all persons throughout the world professing 
the faith of the gospel and obedience unto God by Christ according 
unto it. These may be called visible saints 
and of such on all particular congregations to be constituted. So the doctrine of the church 
is absolutely vital. Okay, so then let's look, let's 
finally make our way back to the confession. Hopefully that's 
helpful, just if nothing else, if you didn't track with everything 
there, because I think I talked way too fast, is this, that the 
doctrine of baptism doesn't exist as a command given in a vacuum, 
but rather is undergirded by so many other, by every other 
doctrine. The doctrine of the scriptures, 
the doctrine of God, the doctrine of covenant, the doctrine of 
Christ. the doctrine of salvation. There is an intimately woven 
tapestry of doctrine that undergirds that blessed signal of baptism, 
and so it's very vital to see those foundational doctrines 
that connect to it. So this is an outline of the 
Confession, a very simple threefold outline of the Confession in 
chapter 29 of Baptism. First off, what is baptism? 29.1. 
To whom baptism? This is secondly, to whom baptism 
is to be administered? Chapter 29 in paragraph 2. And 
then thirdly, how baptism is to be administered? Chapter 29, 
paragraphs 3 and 4. So what is baptism? Paragraph 
1. To whom baptism is to be administered? 
Paragraph 2. And then how baptism is to be 
administered? Paragraphs 3 and 4. So first, what baptism is and four sub 
points here. First, baptism is a divine and 
mediatorial ordinance. Notice the language in. Paragraph 
1, baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament ordained by 
Jesus Christ. It is a divine and mediatorial 
ordinance. The language of Chapter 28, Paragraph 
1, remember, baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances 
of positive and sovereign institution appointed by the Lord Jesus, 
the only lawgiver, to be continued in His church to the end of the 
world. And so, Being a divine and mediatorial ordinance, the 
Christian is to obey that command and that particular ordinance 
given. Christians are to be baptized. This has been given by the triune 
God through the mediation of Jesus Christ, the only lawgiver, 
to be observed in his churches. And those who constitute his 
churches are to joyfully render obedience to the risen and glorified 
Christ in giving that. And a passage of Holy Scripture 
where we clearly see that not too long ago preached by Pastor 
Butler, Matthew 28, 18 to 20. the giving of this ordinance 
and this command to the disciples by the risen Lord Jesus Christ. That mediator who had been victorious 
in his obedience unto cross-death vocation gives them this divine 
and mediatorial ordinance to be observed until he comes again. And so we are to obey and we 
are to joyfully do so. It is a divine and mediatorial 
ordinance. Secondly, under what baptism 
is, baptism is particular to a covenant. Notice the language, 
baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament. There's a significance 
to that. The Presbyterians and the Congregationalists 
use that language as well. They go on to destroy it, but 
they use the language that baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, 
but their argumentation for the lawful recipients of that ordinance 
rests upon going back to Moses and Abraham. The Baptists go back to Moses 
and Abraham, but only to identify within the proper covenantal 
scheme the reality that Moses and Abraham are farther steps 
until the full discovery of the New Testament and the covenant 
of grace brings forth the greater revelation with respect to the 
ordinances, and in fact, more to the point, where new ordinances 
are instituted by Jesus Christ, the only lawgiver. So in order 
to properly carry out a New Testament ordinance, we don't condition 
the lawful administration of the ordinance by Moses and Abraham, 
but as reformed and covenantal Christians, we respect Moses 
and Abraham in their typological capacity, and in their pointing 
forward capacity to the greater reality that is Jesus Christ. Moses and Abraham, those farther 
steps were subservient and earthly covenants, that pointed forward 
typologically to the greater and heavenly spiritual reality 
that is Jesus Christ the Lord. And so it is an ordinance of 
the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ. Thirdly, baptism is specifically 
for the recipient. This is wonderful language here. 
Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament ordained by Jesus 
Christ to be unto the party baptized. There is an intimacy here, not 
that there isn't one with the Lord's Supper, but the nature 
of the Lord's Supper is different than baptism. When we have a 
baptism, the congregation is there, but the congregation isn't 
participating, if you will, in the administration of the ordinance. 
unto the party baptized. That one, peculiarly there in 
the Blessed Pool, identifying with their Savior in His death, 
in His burial, in His resurrection. It's a wonderful occasion for 
the party baptized, for the specific recipient of the ordinance. And 
again, that specific recipient there being baptized is hopefully reflecting 
upon a number of glorious realities. They believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ. They have been brought forth from the darkness and the 
deadness of sin to life and light in Christ Jesus the Lord. That 
their Lord crucified, their Lord buried, their Lord resurrected, 
that Lord is the one whom they receive or from whom they receive 
these blessed benefits of salvation, effectual calling, regeneration, 
justification, adoption, sanctification, all these blessings, these heavenly 
blessings are theirs by virtue of that crucified, buried and 
resurrected Lord and there in the waters of baptism, an ordinance 
that signifies that reality and their particular in that reality 
by virtue of the perfect work of Christ, it's a blessed thing 
for the party baptized. Naming themselves or pledging 
allegiance, if you will, to the triune God of heaven and earth. 
They're baptized into that blessed name. Name of the Father and 
of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. A blessed thing in baptism. You're 
identifying with the triune God in that blessed pool. Absolutely, 
the benefits and the glories of Jesus Christ, the only lawgiver 
and mediator, but Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christ gives 
that command to His church, baptizing them in the name of the Father 
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. believer goes into those 
waters, and they're there pledging allegiance, if you will, to Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit. Their connection, they're owned 
by, they are the servants, the bond servants, even the slaves 
of that great God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What a blessed 
thing for the party baptized. blessed thing for the people 
viewing it as well, who have been baptized. That's why I think 
where the means of grace reality of baptism is peculiarly the 
party baptized at the point of their baptism, but wholesome 
and glorious recollections upon our own baptism when we're viewing 
the baptism of another. God is communicating to our hearts, 
in essence, identifying again with the crucified and buried 
and resurrected one when we cast our eyes upon the party baptized 
undergoing obedience to that ordinance. Lastly, under what 
baptism is, baptism is representative of and signifying salvific realities 
presently true. Notice the confession of faith 
goes on here. Unto the party baptized, a sign 
of his fellowship with him, that is Christ, in his death and resurrection, 
of his being engrafted into him, of remission of sins, and of 
giving up unto God, into God rather, through Jesus Christ, 
to live and walk in newness of life. You see, those things are 
true of the party baptized. But baptism is representative 
of and signifying salvific realities presently true. Let's turn in 
our Bibles to the book of Romans. In the book of Romans, we have 
there, Paul has been arguing for justification by faith alone. He's now moving into sort of 
answering some objections that might come up and dealing with 
the reality of sanctification as being something that necessarily 
follows one who has been justified. And excuse me, notice in Romans 
chapter six, beginning in verse one, what shall we say then Shall 
we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How 
shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not 
know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were 
baptized into his death? Therefore, we were 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 also should 
walk in newness of life. You see where the confession 
is drawing its language from here, clearly from Romans 6, 
one to four there. Verse five, of course, we should 
have continued reading. Notice, therefore, if we have 
been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also 
shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. So you see here 
the intimate and inviolable and necessary connection between 
baptism, the ordinance itself, but also the party baptized and 
salvation by Jesus Christ. There is union with Christ. There 
is union in death, burial, and resurrection. And there is this 
intimate connection with the glorified Christ and His victorious 
salvation rendered. And remember that the book of 
Romans is written to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, 
called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God, 
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So when he writes here, 
as many as of us as were baptized. into Christ Jesus, were baptized 
into his death, he's writing to those called to be saints. 
He's writing to those who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
They were baptized, and that baptism is reflecting a present 
reality for them that they were united with Christ, they died 
with him, they were buried with him, and they are raised with 
him. And that's what the baptism, 
the proper administration in the proper element reflects. 
You've hopefully seen a number of them now, maybe at this church, 
or at this church, and perhaps others before. the person is 
immersed into the water and raised back up out of the water. They 
have died with Christ, they're crucified with Him, according 
to Paul in Galatians, they're crucified with Christ, they're 
buried with Him, in fact, not just Galatians, but also Romans 
6 here, they're buried with Him and they're raised with Him. 
That's why we have that immersion in water. One of the reasons 
why we have that is because it reflects, by signal, that thing 
signified, that they have been buried with Him and raised with 
Him. They are united with Him in their 
salvation, and baptism reflects that. As well, Galatians 3. You can turn there for a moment. 
Galatians chapter 3. Galatians, not only do we have 
some important language in Galatians 3 and 4 with respect to covenant 
theology, a proper Baptist interpretation of covenant theology. In fact, 
chapter 4, if you get, maybe you have it, but if you don't 
and you have some money to spend on it, you can get Pascal Deneau's Distinctives of Particular Baptist 
Covenant Theology. A little book on the Distinctives 
of Particular Baptist Covenant Theology where he deals fairly 
at length with Galatians chapter 4 and the two covenants here. 
You see it's the Pato Baptist approach primarily to the Abrahamic 
covenant to see a two-fold reality to one covenant rather than to 
see two covenants. And so you have one covenant 
and two persons in that one covenant. Abraham's earthly seed and Abraham's 
spiritual seed. The Baptists see this as two 
particular covenants. Abraham's spiritual seed, which 
are to receive the ordinance of baptism, and Abraham's physical 
seed. But there's a great discussion 
there, a great argument for believers' baptism based upon Paul's argument 
here. And one of the things that we 
have at the end of chapter 3 is we have something that clearly 
speaks to the reality that those who are baptized into Christ 
are only those who by faith believe in him. Notice Galatians 3 26 
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus You see 
there that that statement by the bipedal Baptist is dashed 
to pieces by one You know single sword thrust of the Word of God 
for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. I We can 
only say with an impropriety that's trying to defend tradition 
that the unbelieving children of believing parents are just 
as much the children of God as their parents are. It's madness. 
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Now notice, 
for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, 
there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, 
for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, 
then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." 
You see, Abraham's seed is not believers and their children, 
Believers and their believing children, yes. But not believers 
and their unbelieving children, but rather notice, you are Abraham's 
seed if you are Christ's, and you are heirs then according 
to the promise. So those who are of faith are sons with believing 
Abraham. So baptism is representative 
of and signifying salvific realities presently true. Secondly then, 
largely, that was what baptism is. Back to the confession here. 
Secondly, to whom baptism is to be administered. And notice 
paragraph two. Those who do actually profess 
repentance towards God, faith in and obedience to our Lord 
Jesus Christ, are the only proper subjects of this ordinance. So baptism is to be administered 
to believers only. And we would draw an equal sign 
between believers and New Covenant members. The Paido-Baptists would 
have a two-fold membership in the New Covenant. Believers and 
their unbelieving children. We see that the biblical witness 
clearly, and the Baptists here arguing for the proper and lawful 
recipients of the ordinance, we see here that believers equal 
new covenant members. Remember, Christ Jesus himself, 
in the giving of the Lord's Supper, says this is the new covenant 
in my blood, which is given for the remission of sins. There 
is a beautiful reality to the New Covenant that it contains 
within it, the blessing of the New Covenant, the remission of 
sins. We have sort of a three-fold blessing, if you will, with the 
New Covenant announcement in Jeremiah 31, 31, that's picked 
up in the New Covenant as being ratified and perfected by Christ. We have the law written upon 
the heart. We have that wonderful announcement 
that all the members of the New Covenant will have the law written 
upon the heart. Now, every creature, by virtue 
of the image of God, has the law written upon their heart 
in that creative sense. That when we violate it, our 
conscience is pricked. We know that we violated the 
law of God because he's created us in his image and he has endued 
us with the knowledge of himself and the law is written on the 
heart creatively. But that New Covenant announcement 
speaks to a redemptive inscribing of the law of God upon the hearts 
of his people. We have the law written upon 
our hearts. We have the knowledge of God. 
They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest 
of them. And we have the forgiveness of sins. And so New Covenant 
membership equals believer, one who has been saved, a believer 
in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no two-fold membership 
to the Church of Christ. There is no two-fold character 
to New Covenant membership, but only those who believe are New 
Covenant members. You can see in some of those 
baptism sections in the book of Acts, for example, we see 
in Acts chapter 2, Old Covenant fulfillment is the context of 
the giving of baptism. You see, creedal Baptists aren't 
contra the Old Testament or the Old Covenant, but rather we see 
the proper fulfillment and the full discovery of the covenant 
of grace being, when the New Testament comes, ratified by 
Christ Jesus. Acts chapter 2, Acts chapter 
8, we see Old Covenant language, Old Covenant proclamation, Old 
Covenant preaching and reality being declared as fulfilled in 
this Christ whom you murdered upon a tree. And so the giving 
of baptism in Acts chapter 2 and in Acts chapter 8 follow upon 
the heels of Old Covenant and Old Testament revelation fulfilled 
in Jesus Christ, and it's given to believers only. You can turn 
in your Bibles to the Gospel of Mark for a second. Well, probably 
longer than a second. Turn to Mark 16. Now, in Matthew 28, we have the 
clear reality there as well in the commission given by the risen 
Christ, where he says, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing 
them. So disciples are made, as Pastor 
Butler is has been preaching on previously, disciples are 
made by the proclamation of the gospel, and then those disciples 
that are made, who believe, are baptized. We have, as well, in 
this commission in Mark 16, the same reality. And notice with 
the order here with respect to belief and baptism. Notice in 
verse 15. of March 16, and he said to them, go into all the 
world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes 
and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will 
be condemned. So you see there, and this is 
a text that the Baptists included as a proof text in the giving 
of the Second London Confession, Mark 16, 16, as the lawful recipients 
of baptism being only those who profess faith and repentance 
towards God and in the Lord Jesus Christ. So baptism is to be administered 
only to those who are believers, equal sign, New Covenant members. Lastly, then, how baptism is 
to be administered. Another passage that you can 
just make reference of, we're running out of time here, but 
another passage would be Acts chapter 8, and specifically 36 
and 37, where we see a proper order to belief, then baptism. So how baptism is to be administered. 
Notice paragraphs three and four. The outward element to be used 
in this ordinance is water, wherein the party is to be baptized in 
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 
Immersion or dipping of the person in water, paragraph four, is 
necessary to the due administration of this ordinance. So we see 
that the proper administration of baptism is full immersion 
in water in the name of the triune God. That is the proper administration 
of the ordinance. Notice first the element used 
is water, paragraph three, and this again reflects some glorious 
things concerning salvation. It's emblematic of some glorious 
things regarding salvation, the washing of our sins in the blood 
of Christ. The Bible uses that language. In fact, going back to the Psalms, 
Psalm 51, David is pleading with the Lord to wash him. There's that language of washing 
of sins used there by the psalmist in Psalm 51. We see the language 
in Ezekiel 36. That prophecy concerning the 
new covenant, we see with respect to the work of the Spirit, it's 
connected with water. I will sprinkle clean water on 
them. and I will put my spirit within 
them and they will walk after my statutes. There's an intimate 
connection between this language and symbolism of water with salvation 
and not only with the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, but 
that redemptive perfection which undergirds that, that is the 
shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ. We're washed in the blood 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some texts to make a note of, 
1 Corinthians 6.11 at this point, 1 Corinthians 6.11, Ephesians 
5.26, Titus 3.5, Hebrews 10.22, Revelation 1.5, and Revelation 
7.14, where washing is connected with salvation. Now remember, 
the water is emblematic of that reality. The water itself doesn't 
bear with it any efficacy, the tank. It doesn't have any sort 
of efficacy, but rather it represents and it signifies that which is 
blessedly true with the recipient and with respect to the work 
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit. The 
use of the element, full immersion or dipping. We see there in paragraph 
4, immersion or dipping of the person in water is necessary 
to the due administration of this ordinance. You'll see the 
texts there, Matthew 3.16 and John 3.23. We have that example 
in Matthew 3.16. with respect to the baptism of 
the Lord Jesus Christ himself, where he goes into the water 
and he comes up out of the water. I think I've probably said this 
every time that we've done baptism and we've alluded to that text. 
There's a great quote by Spurgeon. preaching on the glory of... 
It was a Lord's Supper sermon. He's preaching on every aspect 
of Christ's life. You know, the language and the 
administration of the Lord's Supper do this in remembrance 
of Him. And he's rehearsing the entire life of Christ from cradle 
to grave. And at the point of the baptism, 
speaking of Christ being immersed in the water and coming out of 
the water, he reflects on that and he says, we have reason to 
suspect that the conscious water trembled from the knowledge that 
it contained the deity. Jesus Christ goes down into the 
water. He comes up out of the water. 
You see, that's something that is a blessed thing for the party 
baptized. And for us as Christians, generally 
speaking, reflecting on baptism, our Christ was baptized in full 
immersion in water. And to fulfill all righteousness, 
the Son of God and Son of Man, yet one Christ went into the 
water, fully immersed. He came up out of that water 
as a blessed pattern for those who would be saved by his blood. So the use of the element is 
full immersion or dipping, and there's a connection here to 
burial and resurrection. Well, first off, burial and resurrection, 
and secondly, the comprehensiveness of salvation afforded to us by 
the triune God through Jesus Christ. So to sprinkle someone, 
is to, A, not be in obedience to the scriptures with respect 
to the manner in which one is to be baptized with water, but 
it doesn't represent the fullness of the reality of burial and 
resurrection, nor does it represent adequately the comprehensiveness 
of salvation afforded to us by the triune God through the mediator 
Jesus Christ. And lastly, with respect to how 
baptism is to be administered, into whom and into what name 
we are to be baptized. Notice. Paragraph 3, the outward 
element to be used in this ordinance is water, wherein the party is 
to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and 
of the Holy Spirit. We already noted with respect 
to Matthew 28, the blessed reality that we're commanded to baptize 
in that name, singular, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. This 
is Gregory Nazianz, and on this reality that the proper administration 
of baptism is into that blessed name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
He's writing here, he's writing, this is one of his orations. 
And during the giving of this oration, the Arians, who denied 
the deity of Jesus Christ, were trying to interrupt the oration, 
the preaching. They were there and they were 
causing a, you know, just going mad and trying to interrupt the 
preaching of Gregory Nazianzus. And he's connecting here Trinity 
to faith, and to baptism. You see, when we are baptized, 
we're not baptized in the name of the Father. We're not baptized 
only in the name of the Son, and we're not baptized only in 
the name of the Spirit. We're baptized in the name of 
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And he's 
preaching here with spit-tossing Arians, trying to interrupt him. 
And he's defending Trinity, faith, and baptism here. He says, Now 
just one moment. Baptism reflects and declares 
a confession. When we go into, when a believer 
goes into the waters of baptism, he is saying, I know whom I have 
confessed. I confess this Jesus who I am 
identified with in death, burial, and resurrection, and I am identifying 
myself with and I am confessing the triune God of heaven and 
earth who has brought me forth from deadness to life. It is 
a confession. I know whom I have confessed, 
whom I have renounced, and whom I have joined myself to. A few 
words will suffice. Remember your confession. Now 
here we go. Into what were you baptized? 
The Father? Good, but still Jewish. The sun? Good, but not yet perfect. The Holy Ghost? Very good. This is perfect. Now, was it 
into these simply or some common name of them? The latter. And 
what was that common name? Why, God. In this common name 
believe and ride on prosperously in rain, and pass on from hence 
into the bliss of heaven. And that is, as I think, the 
more distinct apprehension of these, to which may we all come, 
in the same Christ our God, to whom be the glory and the might, 
with the unoriginate Father and the life-giving Spirit, now and 
forever and to ages of ages. Amen. blessed baptism, a glorious 
ordinance for the people of God, one to be joyfully obeyed, one 
to be reflected upon by those who have undergone it with great 
joy and with great reflection, remembering our confession, identifying 
with that blessed Jesus and with the triune God of heaven and 
earth. Well, let us pray. God, we thank you for this study. We rejoice in the doctrine of 
baptism. We rejoice in the beautiful connections to so many doctrines. Your revelation, the doctrine 
of God, the doctrine of covenant, of Christ, of salvation, of the 
church, of worship. We do pray that we would see 
in this doctrine a blessed thing to be known, a blessed thing 
to be obeyed, and a blessed thing to reflect upon. And we pray 
that you'd go with us now into worship. We rejoice that we're 
able to identify with Jesus Christ, our Lord, that one who died for 
us, that one who was buried for us, that one who rose again for 
us, that one who is now exalted. And we thank you that we can 
pledge allegiance to you, our great God, Father, Son, and Holy 
Spirit. And we pray that you would be 
worshiped in this next hour, that you would be honored and 
glorified, and that you would condescend to bless your people. 
And we pray in Christ's name, amen.