Baptism Doth Save Us.
The word “baptism,” which is the Greek word transferred, not translated, has but one meaning, namely, to plunge into, to dip, to immerse. The Greek blacksmith baptized his iron in the water, to cool it. The housewife baptized her dishes in water, in order to clean them; and for the same purpose all would baptize their hands in water. Yea, every man would baptize himself frequently, goingto thebaptisterion, that is, the immersing pool, for that purpose. We have the same word transferred as “baptistery.” It was and is a place where people could plunge in, and be wholly immersed in water.
That is not being “baptized into Christ,” but it indicates what must be our relation to Him when we are baptized into Him. We must be swallowed up and lost to sight in His life. Only Christ will henceforth be seen, so that “it is no more I, but Christ,” for “we are buried with Him by baptism into death.” Rom. 6:4. Baptism doth save us “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” from the dead (1 Peter 3:21), because we are “baptized into His 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.” Being reconciled to God by the death of Christ, we are “saved by His life.” Rom. 5:10. So baptism into Christ, not the mere form, but the fact, does save us.
This baptism is “the answer of a good conscience toward God.” If there be not a good conscience toward God, there is no Christian baptism. Therefore, the person to be baptized must be old enough to have a conscience in the matter. He must have a consciousness of sin, and also of forgiveness by Christ. He must know the life that is manifested, and must willingly give up his old life of sin for the new life of righteousness.
Baptism is “not the putting away of the filth of the flesh” (1 Peter 3:21), not the outward cleansing of the body, but the purging of the soul and conscience. There is a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness(Zech. 13:1), and this fountain is the blood, the life of Christ. That life flows in a stream from the throne of God, in the midst of which is the slain Lamb (Rev. 5:6), even as it flowed from the side of Christ on the cross. When, “through the eternal Spirit,” He had offered Himself to God, there flowed from His side blood and water (John 19:34), “for there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three agree in one” (1 John 5:8, R. V.). All these are also one with the Word, which is Spirit and life. John 6:63. Christ “loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.” Eph. 5:25, 26. Literally, “a water bath in the Word.” In being buried in the water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the conscientious believer signifies his acceptance of the water of life, the blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin, and that he gives himself to live henceforth by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. From that time he disappears from sight, and only the life of Christ is manifested in his mortal flesh.
One in Christ, the Seed.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” “There is no difference.” This is the key-note of the Gospel. All are alike sinners, and all are saved in the same way. They who would make a distinction on the ground of nationality, claiming that there is something different for the Jew than for the Gentile, might just aswell make a difference on the ground of sex, claiming that women can not be saved in the same way and at the same time as men, or that a servant can not be saved in the same way as his master. No; there is but one way, and all human beings, of whatever race or condition, are equal before God. “Ye are all one in Christ Jesus,” and Christ is the One. So it is that “He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ.” “For ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” There is but one seed, but it embraces all who are Christ’s.
Only One Man.
In putting on Christ, we “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Eph. 4:24. He has abolished in His flesh the enmity,—the carnal mind,—“for to make in Himself of twain one new man.” Eph. 2:15. He alone is the real man,—“the Man Christ Jesus.” Outside of Him there is no real manhood. We come unto “a perfect man” only when we arrive at “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Eph. 4:13. In the fulness of time God will gather together in one all things in Christ. There will be but one Man, and only one Man’s righteousness, even as the seed is but one. But “if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
“Until the Seed Should Come.”
It needs not many words now to determine what is meant by the phrase, “till the seed should come to whom the promise was made.”We know what the seed is,—all who are Christ’s,—and we know that it has not yet come in its fulness. To be sure, Christ was once manifested on earth in the flesh, but He did not receive the promised inheritance, any more than Abraham did. Abraham had not so much as to put his foot on (Acts 7:5), and Christ had not where to lay His head. Moreover, Christ can not come into the inheritance until Abraham does also, for the promise was “to Abraham and to his seed.” The Lord by the prophet Ezekiel spoke of the inheritance at the time when David ceased to have a representative on his throne on earth, and He foretold the overthrow of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, in these words: “Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.” Eze. 21:26, 27.
So Christ sits on His Father’s throne, “from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His foot-stool.” Soon will He come, but not until the last soul has accepted Him that can by any possibility be induced to accept salvation. Those who are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, so that Christ can not come into the inheritance before they do. The seed is one, not divided. When He comes to execute judgment, and to slay those who said, “We will not have this Man to reign over us,” He comes “with ten thousands of His holy ones.” Jude 14.
Then will the seed be complete, and the promise will be fulfilled. And until that time the law willfaithfully perform its task of stirring up and pricking the consciences of sinners, giving them no rest until they become identified with Christ, or cast Him off altogether. Do you accept the terms? Will you cease your complaints against the law which would save you from sinking into a fatal sleep? And will you in Christ accept its righteousness? Then, as Abraham’s seed, and an heir according to the promise, you can rejoice in your freedom from the bondage of sin, singing:—
“I’m the child of a King,The child of a King,With Jesus my Saviour,I’m the child of a King.”
“I’m the child of a King,The child of a King,With Jesus my Saviour,I’m the child of a King.”
“I’m the child of a King,The child of a King,With Jesus my Saviour,I’m the child of a King.”
“I’m the child of a King,
The child of a King,
With Jesus my Saviour,
I’m the child of a King.”