This morning for our scripture reading, we turn to Romans chapter six. For sake of time, we're only going to read the first 14 verses, which contains the heart of the point we intend to make in the sermon based on the Heidelberg Catechism. Romans 6. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin. but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace. And we read that far in God's Word. We turn next to the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 22. Lord's Day 22 and the last two articles of the Apostles' Creed are explained here. What comfort doth the resurrection of the body afford thee? that not only my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its head, but also that this my body, being raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul and made like unto the glorious body of Christ. What comfort takest thou from the article of life everlasting? that since I now feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, after this life I shall inherit perfect salvation, which I hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, and that to praise God therein forever. Beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ, We have opportunity this morning, where we have witnessed the administration of the Sacrament of Baptism, to consider a Lord's Day 22 in that light. Wonderful opportunity, therefore, to consider the considerable inseparable connection between the Sacrament of Baptism and these last two articles of the Apostles' Creed, namely, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Perhaps a connection that, although it is crystal clear and very evident in the Scriptures and the creeds, is not something we often think about. This connection between baptism and the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting is clear from Scripture. First of all, the passage we read in Romans 6, especially these words, which teach us we were baptized into the death of Christ and therefore raised with him. 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 should walk, the idea is, we should be raised to walk in newness of life. For even as we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, like seeds we are planted into the ground in his death, by baptism we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. This connection is also found in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 29. You recognize 1 Corinthians 15 as the great text on the resurrection. And what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead? argument in which the apostle connects baptism with resurrection. Or Colossians 2 verse 12, ye are buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead. We pointed out how that same connection is brought out in our baptism form. I pointed out three specific places, but there are five or six if one really looks at it closely. And this is evident also from the Heidelberg Catechism itself, this connection. After treating the subject of justification immediately following this, Lord's days 23 and 24 will be on justification and the relationship of justification to sanctification or the life of good works. The very next thing that's treated is the sacraments. And the sacraments are defined as signs and seals that more fully declare unto us the promise of God. The promise of the gospel, which is what? which is that we are freely given the remission of sins and life eternal. And then if you look at the catechism's work and exposition of baptism, you will see that it's a sign and seal that we are renewed by the Holy Spirit, that we may more and more die unto sin and lead holy and unblameable lives. See the connection again. Baptism is a sign and seal of death and resurrection. Catechism even points out, for that reason, that the Scriptures even call baptism the washing of regeneration, or the washing of a new life. One even can see that sometimes. when the sacrament is administered and how the child reacts to the water of baptism with which they are anointed. The connection between baptism and the everlasting life is the Holy Spirit. It's due to the life and work of the Holy Spirit, which is the very subject the Heidelberg Catechism is treating here. The work of the Holy Spirit and His person was introduced in Lord's Day 21, and we have been considering that in the next articles, which were the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, and also then the life everlasting and the resurrection of the body. Now, this particular Lord's Day doesn't mention the Holy Spirit by name, but it does say that our soul after this life is taken up to Christ its head, and body is made like unto the glorious body of Christ by the power of Christ. The idea is the Holy Spirit is that power of Christ. And the connection is, we are baptized by the Spirit, which is the power of Christ, unto life everlasting. Consider that with me this morning. Baptized unto life everlasting. We begin by considering that this life everlasting has a beginning, and a beginning of what is called eternal joy. That is, this everlasting life is not a life that we simply wait for and we receive in the resurrection of the body or in the new heavens and earth, but it is a life that we have already now. And furthermore, is a life that is experienced primarily as joy. That's the idea of the phrase in the Catechism, that I now feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy. It's the eternal joy of eternal life. And I don't need to wait until my soul is taken to heaven to have it. I don't need to wait until the resurrection of the body to have it. I have the beginning of it already now. Now, we have to be brief this morning, but it's very important that Romans 6 and many other passages that connect baptism and the life everlasting connect it also to death. Not only that, not only is it connected to the death of Christ and our own death, but what is also called the mortifying or the killing of the old man and the quickening or the enlivening of the new man. You will find that all these concepts go together. In other words, there's a contrast drawn. by baptism and the sign and seal of baptism between two different kinds of life. On the one hand, there is an earthly, physical life that we live in our present body and soul. The Bible calls this the life of our flesh. This is the life that God gives us when we are born the first time, physically, from our mother. The life in which we live in this world. The life in which we transit from being a tiny little baby that was conceived in the womb of our mother to an adult. The life in which we marry, we have children, we work at our job, But when the Catechism says that the everlasting life is the beginning of eternal joy, it implies something about that life. It implies that that life is actually a life of misery. And that if there is any joy in that life, it's a joy that's temporary. It's not eternal, everlasting joy. It's temporary joy. And it's a temporary joy because it's a joy in earthly, physical things. It's a joy in the physical relationship that we have with our spouse, or our children, or in our work, or in our recreation. It's not the eternal joy that's spoken of here. Not only is there two different lives that are being talked about, but there's two different kinds of joy that are being talked about. And why is our life that kind of life? And why the catechism must talk about feeling in our hearts the beginning of an eternal joy? Because that life is morally corrupt. It's the life of the old man. It's the life that is corrupt with many, many sins, so that the Catechism says that even our good works are polluted with sin and are condemnable before God. We have many, many inclinations in our heart against the law of God. We are selfish. We are proud. And as long as we live in that flesh and in that life, that life of the old man, we never stop sinning. And it never improves either, so that we sin less in that life. It's never less corrupt than it was before. The thing that the Scriptures say must happen to the old man is not that he must improve and get better, but he must die. And therefore, this is a life in the flesh that ends in death as God's judgment, which is why if you continue on in Romans 6, verse 23, it's going to be brought up as the wages of sin. It's what sin deserves and sin earns. That's why the apostle in the previous chapter, Romans 5 verse 12, speaks about the fact that, as one man death entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, in that all have sinned. And in the next chapter, Romans 7, the Apostle is going to say that we must die in the flesh because in it dwells no good thing. That's verse 18. And in 1 Corinthians 15, the great chapter on the resurrection, the Apostle says, it's a life that cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. That flesh cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. So it must die. It must be mortified. It must be put away. And thus, its joy is only temporary. It's why that life is a life of misery. But baptism teaches there's another life. It's not an earthly life, it's a heavenly life. It's not a physical life, it's a spiritual life. And yet it's a life that's lived in the present body and soul. The Scriptures call this the resurrection life. They call this the eternal life. This is the life that we are given in our second birth or regeneration. It's a life that we live for various time in this world, perhaps not even all of our physical life. One could be given this life at the very end of their earthly physical life. Whereas baptism teaches there's others who could be given that life already in their mother's womb, like was the case with John the Baptist. Now this is a life without corruption. The Bible teaches that it is an immortal life. It is a life that cannot die. It is a life of perfect joy, eternal joy. And we have it already now. Our creeds speak about this as the regeneration so highly celebrated in Scripture and called a new creation, a resurrection from the dead, a making alive, which God works in us without our aid. It's a moral life incapable of sin. The Apostle is speaking about in 1 John 3 when he says, whoever is born of God doth not commit sin. It's the life of the Holy Spirit. That's why it's an immortal life, incapable of sin, incapable of death, incapable of corruption. It's what Jesus is talking about in the book of John when He says, And he that lives and believes in Me shall never die. And what's amazing is the Catechism summarizes that whole life as a life of joy. I want you to take notice of that because you can characterize that life a lot of different ways. It's characterized in the baptism form. It's characterized in Romans 6 as a life of holiness or obedience to the law of God. It's a life of ardent love. It's a life of perfect love, perfect obedience and submission to God. but it may also be characterized as joy. And it's striking that the Catechism does that. And not simply a joy we have, but a joy that we feel. Now when the Catechism does that, it's speaking about something that's placed in our heart, we all know. We feel joy in our heart. And then from there it spreads to the body, to our actions, to our life. This points out there is a place, an important place, a significant place for feelings in the Reformed faith. The Reformed experience, the Christian experience, is not one of cold indifference and stoicism. It is a life of feelings, and the predominant feeling is joy. It is the feeling of faith. Faith has feelings. Faith, which is implanted in the heart, feels something. And that should not surprise us, because we just learned recently that we are partakers of Christ and all His benefits by faith. It is by faith that we are anointed in Christ. We share in His anointing, so that we also are prophets, priests, and kings anointed We partake of Him and all His benefits, but we don't partake in a way where it doesn't affect us emotionally. If one is a partaker of Christ and all his benefits and blessings, he is affected greatly in his emotions, in his feelings, and will have joy. And keep in mind now the importance of that, because we learned that we live another life In the same body and soul, that's nothing but misery and death and trouble and sorrow that is inescapable except by death. In that flesh, we must die. And yet in all of that, the child of God has the beginning of eternal joy. Another significance of that phrase in the catechism is how that this is a summary of all eternal life. We often wonder, what is life going to be like in my soul after death? What will we do? What will we think? And then even more, what will life be like in the resurrection? Would I live life perfectly with God, body and soul? And not for 50, 60, 70, 80 or even 100 years, but forever. How do you summarize that? The Catechism says, joy. Joy. Joy which I hath not seen. Joy that you've never seen before in your life. Oh, we can see a lot of things that give us joy. What joy it is to see our children and grandchildren. Think of that this morning at baptism. What a joy it is, isn't it? What a joy it is to see your spouse every day. God gives us many, many joys in this life, but they're temporary, aren't they? But joy which I hath not seen nor ear heard. I like that phrase because what it indicates is I could preach for the rest of this sermon just on that joy, lay it out as best as I could. And the Bible says you really didn't hear it. You haven't heard half of it. You haven't heard even just a little bit of it. Neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive. There's no words in any language that could be put in your mind that would allow you to conceive of this joy. It's quite an amazing thing how that's the Word. the Scriptures use to describe this whole life even as we experience it now. Now, we could add content to that. This joy is something that we experience as a change, as a moral change in our body and soul. The Apostle speaks about that in Romans 6. A change in actions, thoughts, words, and deeds according to that new man. It's the joy of sanctification. It's the joy of conversion. That's why we delight so much when we're able to witness an adult, let's say, who was an unbeliever, who was alienated from Christ and from God, who lived a wicked and profane life, converted by God, anointed by the Spirit. And we can see it, not only a change in how they dress and behave and act and think, but in the joy that they have. And they put us to shame, don't they? because we who perhaps may have been in the church many years as Christians belong to a family of Christians that's been in church for many generations. What do we do? All we do is complain. We're morose. We're filled with sorrow or worse yet, if we have any joy, it's because we had a good year. We got a pay increase. We got a better job. We had another child or grandchild. But that's only earthly joy. This is joy over the great good that God has given us, in particular, the forgiveness of sin. It's a joy even in sufferings, joy in sickness, joy in loneliness, joy in pain. A joy that the apostle says is not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in Jesus Christ. Joy that keeps the child of God steadfast and on the right track in times of trouble and sorrow. And that's the connection between baptism and the life everlasting. That connection is simply this, the connection between baptism and these last two articles. Very simple. The real baptism is not what just happened. The words that I said and the pouring of water that I did on the young child, Madeline Grace, that's not the real baptism. That's a sign. The real baptism is being anointed by the Spirit, who is the power and life of Christ. By that anointing, we are joined to Christ as members of one body to a head. We are given the instrument of faith. By that, we become a partaker of Christ and all his blessings and benefits, the fulfillment of all his promises. Baptism is a sign and seal of that, and therefore a sign and seal of those blessings and benefits. And what's the primary blessing and benefit of being joined to Christ? The catechism always says the same thing. All of our creeds say the same thing. If you want to have something to do this afternoon, now's a good time to grab the Belgic Confession and read the article on holy baptism. says the same thing, makes the same connection between baptism and life. It's that we are regenerated God makes us a new creature, men and women with a new life. We receive the remission of sins and a new life, which is a holy life, and a life, therefore, of obedience unto God that lives unto him and loves him. It is a life of joy. And all of that is signified in baptism. Now, The Lord's Day also speaks of this life in terms of the soul being taken at death to Christ. That's part of my present joy that I have now. That though I must die according to the flesh, the old man mortified, my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its head. This refers to what we call in theology the intermediate state. That is, the state in between when we physically die and the Lord returns and raises our bodies. There's a period of time there, different for different people. People have been dead for a long time. The intermediate state's a long time. Some may die just before Christ returns, and it's only a small period of time. And we say, what happens? Well, one of the things that happens is my soul is immediately taken up to Christ its head. Now, briefly, the points that need to be made this morning is, number one, this is the work of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, the work of God. Who's operative here? Who does this? And the answer is Christ through his Spirit. So again, it's signified at baptism. This must be the work of Christ because it requires a separation then of the body and the soul in some sense. Because the body is not taken up to Christ its head when we die. The body goes into the grave. So soul and body are in a certain sense separated. And you and I cannot do that. The union of body and soul is a union of God, and only God can rend it asunder. And it's one of the things that terrifies us about death, because all we know is a life of body and soul. But the Scriptures are clear. I don't have time. to go through all the Scriptures about that, but it talks about it in terms of the soul leaving its earthly house, its earthly tabernacle, its earthly clothes. That's what it's talking about is the body. And therefore, it must go to heaven. And there it's clothed in something else. It's giving a different tabernacle, a place to live. A place called a home, a house, mansions. And there we live with Christ. And this is something we long for and we hope for. It is striking that that's one of the things God works in us by His Spirit. This earthly life which we love and is all that we know, an earthly life in which God gives us many blessings and benefits, an enjoyable life from many points of view, He causes us to desire to leave that life, even uses many miseries and sorrows to do that. Talk to a Christian that has lost their long-loved spouse after many, many years. They still love them, even though they're long gone. And it serves to make them desire to go to heaven. What happens to our body? Well, the Bible calls it sleep. As to our body, we sleep. We have to understand that, but the Scriptures speak about it frequently. We shall not all sleep, says 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4. But I would not have you ignorant concerning those that are asleep, that is, those who are dead according to their body. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them that sleep in Jesus. That's a wonderful figure regarding death in our body. To think of our body as simply sleeping in a bed. Why? Because we know sleep is temporary. Even as we awaken after a short period of sleep, so will be death in the body. It's as if we go to sleep, we sleep for a night, and we wake up in the morning. It's renewing. Sleep renews us. It invigorates us. The idea is that even though the body goes into the grave and turns to dust, it is being refreshed. That's why the catechism in question answer 42 will speak of it as an abolishing of sin and a passage into eternal life. And so we should not fear death, even in the body, even when we know what is going on. The body is decaying and turning back into its original constituent elements, dirt. That's what's going on. But what a wonderful thing. that in baptism we have this sign where we're incorporated into the death of Christ so that even when we go into the grave, we can be assured that even as Christ came out of the grave only three days later, we likewise shall come out of the grave into this body that's sleeping. But now the soul is taken up. And notice that word, taken up. The soul, contrary to what the world believes and many religions believe, does not naturally fly off into heaven to God. Because that soul is flesh. That soul is sinful. It's as corrupt as your body. And not everyone is taken up to God, its head. Not every soul has God or Christ as its head. So it must be taken up by God. And those whom God takes up are those whom he gives that life to even before they're taken up. Why must this happen? Well, because that soul, first of all, we must see our soul is in sort of an earthly mode. even though it's a spiritual thing. We call it spiritual. The Bible actually uses a slightly different word for it. The idea is that it's an earthly soul. It's a physical, fleshly soul. And the idea is that our soul right now is in an earthly mode. It's not fit for heaven. In fact, we can hardly even think about God or heaven except in earthly terms. A city gold streets, pearl gates, light, glory, that we can't even conceive of God, except through our Lord Jesus Christ in human form, as a man. That's our soul, it's of the earth or the two, just like the body. And so it must go through a resurrection. Look up Revelation 20, and it's called the first resurrection there. And also because we sin, not only in our body, but our soul, that soul must be changed. It must be changed from an earthly mode to a heavenly mode, and change in that it's morally corrupt and must be made morally pure. And so it goes through a radical transformation in an instant when we die. And it goes from the earthly physical mode to a heavenly mode. Perfectly fit for God in heaven. That's what happens. And that's what's being talked about here in the Heidelberg Catechism. Lastly, we want to talk about this everlasting life according to the body. What's interesting here is that the Catechism summarizes the resurrection of the body and this immortal life that's given to us then in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as the inheritance of perfect salvation. I shall inherit perfect salvation. From a certain viewpoint, the salvation we have today is imperfect. The idea of that is it's not yet what God has ordained it to be. It's a life, but it's a beginning. It's not the ending. It's not what God has ordained for us. It's a life in the flesh, a life in a body that's corrupt and a soul that's corrupt, a life with the old man. It's a life in this world which hates Jesus Christ and seeks to destroy the church. The inheritance of perfect salvation is completely different. But notice that. That's how it's described. And the idea is, if you talk about salvation, You may think of salvation not only as a destination, but as life. What is that perfect salvation? And the answer of the catechism is, it's perfect life, a life of perfect joy, a life of perfect morality, a life of perfect forgiveness of sins, and this life everlasting. Now, just to conclude, That life is first, as it were, received perfectly when it's received body and soul. Not just in the soul, but the body. There's something about our salvation. And I could add here, by the way, it includes also the perfection of this creation. It's amazing how Scripture connects all these. We have this physical earthly life in our body and in this world But God's plan is not to exterminate them. God's plan is not, you shall live eternally in heaven with me in your spirit. No, you're human beings with a body and soul. And so I redeem body and soul. I'm going to save them. I'm going to redeem them. They're going to be perfected. And so is this world that's so corrupt. Now in order for that to happen, it first must be destroyed. Body must go into the grave. And the earth must be consumed in fire. But it will be raised. And if you say, how shall this be? Which is naturally the question. How shall this be? Because from the earthly viewpoint, it's impossible. We can't imagine this creation being destroyed. We can't imagine our body being destroyed. And even more, if we understand what destruction is, how in the world can it be raised up? And the answer is God. God knows what belongs to your body and what belongs to this earth, and He's going to make it new. And if you say, well, how do you know that? The answer is, go to Christ. This everlasting life is not only the power of Christ's own resurrection life, but it's the pattern, therefore. So if you want to know what it's like, look at Christ. Look at Christ's body when it raised up. It wasn't the same earthly, physical body. It wasn't the same. They all recognized who he was, still had holes in his hands, hold it aside, put it in there, check. They could hug him, they could hold him. So same exact body, just like you, you will be raised with the same exact body. You, we will know who you are, you will know who I am from our body. And yet, the quality had changed beyond imagination. And don't forget, When Christ was raised from the grave and is on earth, we still saw him in his humility from a very real viewpoint. It wasn't the glorified body that he would receive in the ascension is the idea. Read passages in Revelation, you'll get a sense of that. Look at the Christ that's portrayed in Revelation 1. What a different Christ. There he stands with his eyes blazing with fire, in a light whiter than the sun, feet like burnished brass, sword. Yeah. What's going on there? Well, we're getting an idea. of what happens to the child of God when his body is raised from the grave. Interesting too that Jesus will do that by his word, the same way that he works regeneration, by his word. He speaks the word and we're regenerated. And it's that life that indicates that he has done this. So shall it be in the resurrection. He shall say, like he did with Lazarus, Lazarus, come forth. and the children of God shall come forth from the grave, glorified as he is glorified. And that's what he's going to do to the creation, too. It'll be a creation that on the one hand is very recognizable. It'll be recognizable as home, the place God has made for us to live, and yet of a vastly different quality, a heavenly, spiritual quality. So those are the things that baptism brings to mind. That is what baptism is a sign and seal unto us of, because that's the promise of God. The promise of God in baptism is life everlasting. And so therefore, also, believe. Our calling is to believe that promise of God. Amen, let us pray. Our Father which art in heaven, O Lord our God, we thank Thee for our Lord Jesus Christ, and that by an anointing of the Spirit we are joined unto Him, partaker of Him and all His benefits. That by baptism, this anointing, we are baptized even into his death, whereby in principle we are dead to sin, our flesh mortified, but then also raised as he is raised. O Lord, we thank thee for this wonderful gospel. Give us faith evermore to believe. In Jesus' name, amen.