THIS BAPTISM IS NECESSARY – PART 2 OF 2

Photo by B Smith from the patio

 

218 – THIS BAPTISM IS NECESSARY – PART 2 OF 2

March 27, 1960

Henry F. Kulp

 

Ephesians 4: 1 - 6  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one Body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

As we start our message this morning, I want you to notice that ONE is the number of the church. We have one Body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.  All through the Bible we learn that 12 is the number of Israel, and so we can surely say that one is the number of the church.

1/  If you were with us when we studied numbers in the Bible, you remember that we said one is the number of the symbol of unity. One excludes all difference.  

You also remember that…

a/  three is the number of completeness

b/  five is the number of grace

c/  six is the number man, and 

d/  seven is the perfect number, and 

e/  twelve is the number of Israel

2/  Let us just notice in the book of Ephesians here, he tells us in Ephesians 5: 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 

Then he tells us that Christ and the church are one flesh and that He has made Jew and Gentile both one in Christ. 

Ephesians 2: 14 - 15 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

There is only one Body, but many members of that Body. To hear people talk you would think there are many bodies, but that is not true. There is only one. You become a member of this Body by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are told that we are to guard the unity that the Spirit has made for us in this Body.

3/  The church in Corinth, did not guard the unity that had been made for them.

I Corinthians 1: 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Here Paul said there was division among them.

I Corinthians 3: 1 - 3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Paul was distressed because the Corinthian saints were divided into several sects—they were not endeavoring to keep the oneness of the Spirit—there was divided unity there.

4/  You will notice when there is envying, strife, and division are sure to be there. With envying, and jealously and strife, one does not guard the unity of the Spirit.

I Corinthians 3: 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

5/  Every believer should be conscious of his responsibility of keeping the unity of the Spirit. Every spiritual believer has so much to be responsible for this condition. Everything you say should be said in the light of the unity we have in Christ Jesus.  Everything you do, should be done in light that God wants us to have unity of the Spirit.

6/  I Corinthians 12: 25, 26 That there should be no schism in the Body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

Here we read that there should be no schisms in the Body, for that the members should have the same care one for another. For if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it—if one member be honored—all the members rejoice with it. Here is the answer, realizing our unity and carrying it out.

7/  One thing we must say—God does not say no divisions because of the fact that men do not believe the Word of God—they are not even members of the Body of Christ, therefore, we must have divisions with them. We must turn away from those who do not walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. We must be careful that we obey the Word in all things.  That is the only way we can have unity.

8/  We studied the one Body, the one Spirit, and the one hope, and last week as we finished we were talking about the One Lord. Jesus Christ wants to be more than your Saviour—He wants to be your Lord. You will notice how many times in the Bible we have the expression “Yea, Lord” – One must never say NO to the Lord. When the Lord speaks it should be “Yea, Lord”. When we say NO to him He is not our Lord anymore. Our Lord is the One Who is to be obeyed.

9/  A picture of what I am talking about is given to us when Jesus Christ was here upon the earth. He told the people that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand; and He had just finished giving the people the Sermon on the Mount, and as a fitting climax to the Sermon on the Mount we have Matthew 7: 21 - 23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

He said, in that day many will come unto Him and say, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name, have we not done wonderful works in Thy Name—and then Jesus Christ will say to them—depart from me, I never knew you, you workers of iniquity.  In other words, they said, we did this because we recognized you as Lord of our lives, and He will tell them you did not have me as Lord of your life. You did not recognize My Lordship – it is a lie, depart from me. Just saying, “Lord” is not enough. To have Jesus Christ as Lord of your life is only possible when we submit to His Lordship.

10/  Philippians 2: 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Here He tells us that every knee and tongue will be bent to Jesus Christ. Even the millions of lost who have scoffed at Him. The swearer—the one who has taken His name in vain, will confess that He is Lord. All the ungodly infidels will confess that He is Lord. Even the Christians who have Him as Saviour, but my, what a difference it is going to be. These folks will confess Him as Lord when it is eternally too late. Right now, it is well to recognize Him as your Saviour and have Him as Lord of your life, for someday you will confess Him as Lord, but then it will be too late. Even in eternity—those who have rebelled here and lived according to their own dictates will live as He tells them to live. Even if it is in the Lake of Fire, they will live and suffer and be tormented, and will recognize His Lordship.

11/  Then the one Faith—that is the faith, I believe that has saved us. The Faith that has redeemed us.

12/  Then we come to the one Baptism and this is so important. Some say this is water baptism, but I want you to notice, all these things that are mentioned are supernatural, (na—chur—al)  but all these are of divine origin. The Body, the Hope, the Spirit, and so is this Baptism, divine. If it is water baptism, then water baptism is necessary for salvation, but, of course, we know that is not true. Then, it can’t be Spirit-baptism, because Spirit-baptism has already been mentioned. What baptism does God have in mind that is the one baptism that is necessary, that is needful.

13/  Luke 12: 50  But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

Many years after Jesus Christ had been baptized of John the Baptist, He said, I have a baptism to be baptized with, their can be no question, the baptism He is talking about here. He is talking about His death on the cross of Calvary, and He calls His death on the Cross of Calvary a baptism.

14/  So we have water baptism, we have Holy Spirit Baptism, and there is no question in my mind whatsoever that He is talking about death baptism here. We are placed into this one baptism, so that we may be saved.

15/  Now let us study what Kenneth Wuest has to say on this word, and I think he has the best rendering of this of anyone I have met. He says the word, baptise, is not the translation of the Greek word but is a transliteration—the word in the classics is used of a Smith who dips a piece of hot iron into water to temper it. Also it is used of Greek soldiers placing the points of their sword into a bowl of blood, or barbarians placing their spears into a bowl of blood, so actually it means placing into and so the one baptism here, is one being placed into—placed into what? —the death of Jesus Christ. Then he goes on to say the introduction of placing of a person or a thing into a new environment, or into union with something else, so as to altar its condition or its relationship with its previous environment. That is exactly what the word means here—we were dead in trespasses and sin—we were in Adam—now we have been taken out of Adam and placed into Jesus Christ, by the death of Jesus Christ.

16/  Now for the fuller explanation of what I mean, another portion of Scripture that explains this so clearly, 

Romans 6: 3, 4  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Here we read, Know you not that so many of us that were baptized into Jesus Christ.  So using the translation, placing into, it makes sense. Know ye not that so many of us as were placed into Jesus Christ were not baptized but were placed into his death. That is the way we are saved. 

Remember Galatians 2: 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

We were placed into the death of Jesus Christ.

17/  Romans 6: 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now, every sin has to be paid for. God doesn’t overlook sin, He doesn’t wink at sin, He doesn’t pass by sin. He says that every sin must be paid for with the wage of death. And when Jesus Christ died on the cross, He paid the wage of this sin. The sinless One was made sin, and He bore the penalty of sin, which was death. The moment we believe on Jesus Christ, we are placed into His death, and into resurrection, and this is the one baptism of Ephesians 4: 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

18/  Romans 6: 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Here it says we are buried with Him by being placed into His death, but like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Certainly, water baptism cannot do any of this. It doesn’t say here that this is a picture of what happens to a believer—not a picture of it—this is what actually happens to a believer—he has been placed into the death of Jesus Christ, he was buried with Jesus Christ, and he is raised again with Jesus Christ.

19/  Let us get another Scripture to prove our point.  

Galatians 3: 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

As many as have been baptized or placed into Christ have put on Christ. When one is baptized, placed into Christ, he is in Christ. Certainly water baptism does not do that. It is foolish to even think that is true.

20/  Romans 3: 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

We read, Let God be true and every man a liar. Let us study the Word for the Word itself, and know what God has put in front of us here.

21/  Then he says, There is one God and Father of us all, who is above all, and in all, and through you all. 

This is not the modern doctrine of the universal Fatherhood of God, and the universal brotherhood of man, but it means that God is Creator of all men. This truth may be seen in Acts 17: 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

Here God says He made of one blood all nations—in other words, He is the Creator of all men. In this sense He is the Father of all, and He has a relationship not only to the believers in His Son, but to every individual who has lived, even to those who have died Christ-less.

22/  Then notice, God is above all—and in you all. Notice the distinction He makes.  God is above all men, but He is only in you—in those who have named Jesus Christ as Saviour. Therefore we have set before us the distinction between God’s attitude toward the world as a whole, and those who have been born again by the Spirit of God. What an exalted position ours is—we walk the streets of our city, and God wants us to be conscious that He indwells us, therefore, we have the exhortation in the beginning of this chapter to walk worthy of Jesus Christ, and the calling that we have in Him.

AMEN

Ref: 03/27/1960 / 218 – THIS BAPTISM IS NECESSARY – PART 2 OF 2 / 11/13/2020

THIS BAPTISM IS NECESSARY - PART 1 of 2

Photo by B Smith at Harvey Cedars, NJ 1973

 

217 - THIS BAPTISM IS NECESSARY

March 20, 1960

Henry F. Kulp

 

Ephesians 4: 1 - 6 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

We have come now to a new section in the book of Ephesians – we are studying the practical part—and the practical part is made up of two different sections. Chapters 4 and 5 have the believers’ walk, Chapter 6 has the believer’s warfare. And so now we have left the doctrinal part, and are now bound for the practical part. We are exhorted to walk worthy of the calling wherewith we have been called.  In other words, we should walk as a heavenly people, living in an earthly atmosphere.

1/  Ephesians 4: 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Here is a verse that I spent quite a bit of time thinking about. It went to my heart as very few verses have gone to my heart, for every word in it, every expression in it is a challenge to the believer. I couldn’t help keep asking myself the question—to what extent have I lived up to the standard that is set forth here.

2/  When we examine this portion of Scripture in the original Greek, we come even more humiliated and ashamed before the Lord than if we just looked at it in English, for the Greek truth drives it home right in our hearts.

3/  Then, see last week, March 13th message, on the “Fine Art of Walking” page 4, 5, 6. 

4/  Ephesians 4: 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Now we are told that all of these virtues contribute toward keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  First of all, please notice what we are asked to do.  We are not asked to make unity.  God has made unity already, within the church, which is His Body, we have differences in wealth, education, color, social standing but God warns His people to guard the unity which He provided.  

A. C. Gaebelein says, “We keep the unity when we recognize every true believer is a member of His Body”. The way to have this unity that is already provided, is to be altogether lowly and humble as verse 2 teaches. Then we will not look down upon everyone, but recognize everyone that believes is a member of His Body and we will have unity.

5/  Endeavoring in the Greek means to make haste—a determined effort. It has the idea of exertion in it—we are to guard, keep a watchful-care over this unity, and guard it as something which is in our possession.

6/  I Thessalonians 4: 16, 17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Here at the rapture of the Church, when Jesus Christ shall snatch His Body up to be with Him, this is the same time when we shall have real unity—we shall be caught up together and in our new bodies, we will have unity, such as we have never had before.

7/  Then we come to a seven-fold unity in verse 4. The first three are important. One body, one Spirit, one hope.  

First of all, let us look at the one body. That is the body of Christ that is called the church. The body is composed only of people who have been washed of their sins in the blood of Jesus Christ.  There are many denominations, many churches, but only one true church—His Body—the members of this body may differ in color, nationality, ability, mentality, but through faith in Jesus Christ are made members of His body which is His church.

8/  Romans 12: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

9/  Then we have one Spirit—and, of course, this refers to the Holy Spirit, Who is a Person, Who is God.  And by the Holy Spirit’s operation, we are part of the body.  That is why He is mentioned with the one body.  Some folks say that we are made members of this body by a Holy Spirit baptism—I do not accept that at all. We are made  members of this body, by the Builder, Who is the Holy Spirit.  

Ephesians 2: 21, 22  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

10/  We have told you and brought messages before on the Holy Spirit in the book of Ephesians, and it is a beautiful picture. You remember, first of all He is the Seal, then the Earnest, then He is the Guide, then He is the Builder.  In the third chapter He is the Revealer.  But the one we are interested in this morning is the Builder. He is erecting the Temple of God, the habitation of God upon this earth, and it is by His work, by His operation we are saved and placed into this body, into this church. So we have just one body, and One Spirit.

11/  Then we have one hope—the third great truth—the one hope of your calling.  A Christian does not have a thousand hopes—he only has one. An unsaved person may have a multitude of hopes, which are never realized. He never really comes to experience them. But a believer has the one hope, which he will realize in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavens for us.

12/  What is that hope? It is that someday we shall behold the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, and shall be transformed into His image.  

I Corinthians 15: 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Philippians 3: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Tells us we shall be changed like into His glorious body.  

Titus 2: 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Says it is the blessed, prosperous hope. 

I Thessalonians 4: 14 - 18 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

He calls it the comforting hope, and here it is the hope of our calling.

13/  One Lord. The one Lord, of course, is God’s eternal Son, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Ephesians we have already known Him as Saviour and He is pictured as Lord. Not only does He give life as Saviour, but He governs over us as our Lord.

14/  Many believers do not know Christ as Lord of their Life. A Bible-scholar said to his professor in Bible school, “I have been fighting with the Lord. He wants me to go to India as a missionary, and I do not want to go.” The professor said, “You have been fighting with the Lord, for you have not recognized Jesus Christ as Lord, or you would not fight with Him. It is impossible to recognize Him as Lord, and then fight with Him.”

15/  Do you recognize how many times the expression, Yea, Lord, occurs in the Bible? These two words are very significant. “Yea, Lord.” One should never say, “No, Lord,” for when you say, “no” you are not recognizing Him as Lord of your life. It must always be “Yea, Lord”—you must rule out the word, “no”.

16/  Even under the law, when Jesus Christ was here telling the people that the kingdom of Heaven was at hand. He had just finished telling the people the Sermon on the Mount, and as a fitting climax to the Sermon on the Mount we have 

Matthew 7: 21 - 23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Many will say in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, have we not cast out demons in Thy Name, have we not done many wonderful works in Thy name.  In other words, they say, Lord, we recognize your Lordship. But Jesus Christ will say to them—depart from Me, I never knew you, you workers of iniquity.  

In other words, they said, we have done this as we have recognized You as Lord of our lives. But He says, you have not recognized Me as Lord of your lives, you have not recognized My Lordship, so therefore, you will depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity.

17/  Philippians 2: 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He tells us that every knee and tongue will be bent to Jesus Christ. Even the millions of lost who have scoffed at Him, and the swearer who has taken His Name in vain, will confess that He is Lord. All the ungodly infidels will confess that He is Lord. All the ungodly infidels will confess that He is Lord. Even we Christians who have had Him as Saviour, it is true. We have trusted Him, we have recognized that He paid the price of our redemption, but actually He has not been the Lord of our lives. We have not obeyed Him. We have not listened to Him. Just take in verse 2 here.  

If you have not done what He says here, then He is not the Lord of your life. If you are not altogether lowly, if you are not modest, if you are not one who is willing to put up with indignities from others, then you have not obeyed Him, and you have not confessed Him as Lord of Your life.

18/  Then the word, faith, is not the Christian’s faith as a system of doctrine, and its respective responsibilities. I am sure it refers to the principles of faith by which all saints enter into salvation.

19/  Then we come to a very important section. One baptism. What is the one baptism?  Many say it is water baptism. Every one of these seven is supernatural. Every one of the seven is necessary.  And so, if it is water baptism, then water baptism is supernatural, and it also essential to salvation. I cannot understand how anyone can possibly believe this is water baptism.

20/  Then, of course, this cannot be Holy Spirit baptism, because we already have the Holy Spirit here. And if we have the Holy Spirit, then it will be a duplication. What Baptism is it talking about here?

21/  First of all, Kenneth Wuest has something to say that is very important here. He says, the Greek words for “one Baptism” are words that are transliterated. For, he says, why should all the other words in this passage be translated, and this alone by transliterated? Why should the commentators transliterate the Word, when the other words are not handled the same way? The words translated should be “one placing into.” So this can only mean that is a death baptism.

22/  Luke 12: 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

 

Here Jesus Christ gives us the principle that is so important. He gives us the principle of death baptism, for He says, I have a baptism to be baptized with. He is not talking here about water baptism, nor is He talking about Spirit Baptism, but rather He is talking about His death baptism when He was made the penalty for our sin.

23/  All other modes that are brought in here, they have to be stretched to meet this point. But this does not have to be stretched, it makes sense right off the bat. We know that we have to be crucified into the death of Jesus Christ.  

Galatians 2: 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.  

And this thought also makes Romans 6: 3, 4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We are baptized into His death, we are placed into His death. And that is an absolute necessity.  

Romans 6 cannot possibly be talking about water baptism, how can anyone say that he walks in the newness of life, just because he has been water baptized? That doesn’t make sense. But after he has been placed into the death of Jesus Christ and been made a new creation, has the indwelling Holy Spirit, then he has the ability, and the know-how to walk in newness of life.

AMEN 

Ref: 03/20/1960 / 217 - THIS BAPTISM IS NECESSARY / 11/12/2020