Obedience in Baptism

Sunday evening we had the joy of baptizing four new brothers and sisters as the Lord added them to His local congregation here at Indian Hills Baptist Church. This was their first public step in new lives of obedience by faith in the King of kings, Jesus Christ.

Obedience is a very important part of baptism. On the day of Pentecost, some did not hear the voice of God the Holy Spirit through Peter's message. They heard a drunken man's rambling: "He is full of sweet wine" (Acts 2:13). However, some had their ears opened and heard, for the first time in their lives, the voice of God speaking through the apostle. What they heard did not tickle those newly-opened ears, but "they were pierced to the heart" (Acts 2:37) by what they heard concerning the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Lord of all. They cried out, pleading, to Peter: "Brethren, what shall we do?" Peter's response was not an "invitation," but the issuance of the King's order to those rebellious traitors who are seeking reconciliation from His eternal throne: "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38). That day the Lord added 3,000 who, after being brought to faith in Christ, took the first step in a life of obedience to Him by submitting to His command to be baptized.

That first step of obedience is not the last, of course, but the first. Jesus, speaking to the 11 gathered on the hill in Galilee, identifies Himself as the One in Whom "all authority has been given...in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). This all-sovereign King then issues His marching orders to the apostles: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" (Matthew 28:19,20). After the first step of obedience (baptism) is to come a life growing in faith and obedience to the King of kings. It is a lifelong commitment to teaching and learning together in faith-based obedience as the Church that begins at baptism.

For four, it was a beautiful, God-glorifying beginning last Sunday night. We rejoice, and look forward to seeing what the King will work through their lives for His Kingdom as they follow His voice with us all the days of their lives.

Getting the Family-Church Connection Right

“Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church...the marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people...parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage” (Baptist Faith & Message 2000, art. 18).

These statements from our confession come out of the apostle’s revelation in Ephesians 5:22-6:4. What’s not usually noted is the preceding foundation for these commands: “...be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (5:18-21). A Spirit-filled corporate life - a congregational-Church self-identity - is the foundation for the family’s life, which pours out of this group relationship/interaction with the holy Trinity. We should not expect generational blessings before God apart from a rich imbibing of the covenantal commitment to the local church as the foundation for the family. I value, respect, and continue to learn much from family-faith ministries like that of Voddie Baucham, but I believe they have the model upside-down. They start with the family as a faith-unity and proceed to the Church because this was the chronological progression in the Old Testament. However, I believe Paul teaches something quite opposite in Ephesians 5. Being Spirit-filled leads to Church life (which transcends biological or familial bonds – see Matthew 10:37; 12:50; 19:29) which then expresses itself through the marriage/family relationships.

Be the Spirit-filled Church of Jesus Christ to the glory of the Father, and then live that out in the home. The faith-community of the Trinity should be our “North Star” for how all other relationships are understood (not our self-esteem, felt needs, desires, priorities, cultural standards, etc.).

This, of course, means that we are all Bible students, seeking deeply how Christ loves the Church and how the Church is to submit to Christ. This means we are thankful in all things to the Father. This means that we teach one another the truth in our Spirit-filled worship. This means that we submit to one another in the fear of Christ. This means that we seek to live together as the Church biblically. We have no right to expect blessed family life apart from making a priority of this Kingdom foundation.

- Pastor Michael

Person Faith That Is Corporate

Today's reading from the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 at Indian Hills Baptist Church will be from the introduction to article IV: “There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.”

Yes, it’s a personal faith in that no one else’s faith can be counted as yours for salvation. However, there is a tendency in our culture to compartmentalize faith to the extent that we regard it as private, isolated, and disconnected from others who share in that faith. The mythical, unbiblical “I can be Christian without the Church” mentality is “personal faith” taken to an extreme.

Faith. Note the following occurrences of the verb “to have faith,” translated “believe” (the Greek πιστεύω) in the Acts:

• “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:44-47).
• “And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:32-35).

So keep in mind: “personal faith” does not mean isolated, individualistic faith. It is a faith that does separate you from the world, but immediately and always binds you to the congregation of “those who have received a faith of the same kind...by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1). It is a personal faith that is corporate; that is, of the Body.

“A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel” (VI).

See you at the Gathering, beloved.