Our scripture reading, we turn to Acts chapter two, read from verse 14 to the end. We read this chapter on a number of occasions, sometimes in connection with the pouring out of the spirit at Pentecost. We read it today and take note of the reference to baptism, the reference to the promise to us and to our children, and also The fact that we see the relationship here between baptism and membership in the institute, the church institute, and that's brought up in our confessions too, that we are received into the Christian church. And how important it is for us in our rearing of our children to give them instruction about their membership in the body. so that they consider the meaning of baptism, the washing away of sins, and how it directs us to the cleansing of sin, the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, and also directs us to consider we're members of a body, and that we are to use our gifts for the advantage of others in a time in which there is so much selfishness, and we all by nature are selfish, It's quite important that we hear the instruction that we received concerning our membership in the body, the body of Christ. We read starting at verse 14. Acts chapter two. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words. For these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know, Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad. Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life. Thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David. that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne, he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ. that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did seek corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this which he now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for the promise is unto you and to your children. and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, And the same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayer. And fear came upon every soul. Many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together and had all things common. and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. So far we read from the holy scriptures this morning. The passage we just read and the rest of scripture are the basis for the teaching of our Heidelberg Catechism in Lord's Day 26. There we read, how art thou admonished and assured by holy baptism that the one sacrifice of Christ upon the cross is of real advantage to thee. Thus, that Christ appointed this external washing with water, adding thereto this promise, that I am as certainly washed by his blood and spirit from all the pollution of my soul, that is, from all my sins, as I am washed externally with water, by which the filthiness of the body is commonly washed away. What is it to be washed with the blood and spirit of Christ is to receive of God the remission of sins freely for the sake of Christ's blood, which he shed for us by his sacrifice on the cross, and also to be renewed by the Holy Ghost and sanctified to be members of Christ, that so we may more and more die unto sin and lead holy and unblameable lives. where has Christ promised us that he will as certainly wash us by his blood and spirit as we are washed with the water of baptism. In the institution of baptism, which is thus expressed, go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. This promise is also repeated where the scripture calls baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins. Dearly beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ, as was mentioned, We live in a time in which men are lovers of their own selves rather than lovers of God. As if God told us it would be like. Each one of us has a depraved nature and we're all by nature selfish. We grow to see more how great our own sins and miseries are. And our whole life is to be sent spent in, we are constantly to trust in God and to fight our spiritual foes and to see it to be our calling to commune together with the other members of the body and to help and assist one another. And we see that here in the passage that we read. that there was a reference to those that were receiving that gladly received his word. They were baptized and the same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls. And then in verse 47, and the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved. and we see how they commune together. They continue daily with one accord in the temple, breaking bread from house to house. They ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, that idea of the unity, dwelling together as members of a body. So that when we see baptism and are directed to consider that we are washed by the blood and spirit of Christ, and we're gonna consider what that means, that we see that baptism also directs us to consider our membership in the church, that we are members of the body of Christ, consisting of all the elect, and that also as members of an instituted church, a manifestation of the body of Christ, and that we are to help and assist one another out of thankfulness. with joy and gladness in our heart. And that we who are parents are to lead the way, are to be examples for our children in that. So that our children see that mom and dad, how in their daily life they show their concern for the other members of the body. Not just for their own family, and just a few people that they may know better, but to all the members, to see the importance of all the different members of the body and trying to communicate, trying to get to know one another and to help and encourage one another. Dwelling together, giving thanks to God together for the wonderful work of our salvation. We consider this Lord's Day under the theme admitted, by baptism. That's actually a phrase that's found in the next Lord's Day, Lord's Day 27. When it says, with regard to the children, they also must, therefore, by baptism as a sign of the covenant, be also admitted into the Christian church. By baptism, admitted into the Christian church. And as we have baptisms of infants today, we also make a, we look at it in keeping that in mind. Admitted by baptism, the cleansing, Talk about the cleansing first, that's spoken of. Secondly, the membership. And then thirdly, the calling. First of all, baptism is a means of grace. We speak of the preaching of the gospel as the chief means of grace. The spirit, we considered that last time, that the spirit is the one who works faith. He works faith by the preaching of the gospel and confirms it by the sacrament. The sacrament of baptism, the Holy Spirit assures us by this sacrament. And that's what we read, that the Holy Spirit assures us by this sacrament, that he assures us. And it is said to avail us our whole life. That's an interesting point that is made in the Belgic Confession that shouldn't be quickly passed over. It says this baptism avails us through the whole course of our life. Now the word avail, to avail means to be of use or advantage. So if somebody was to ask you, Your baptism, were you baptized? And you say, well, yeah, yes, I was baptized. Of course, we don't remember it. If we were baptized as an infant, we don't remember it, but we know that we were baptized. Well, our confession says that baptism avails us or is of use or advantage to us through the whole course of our life. Which also serves to bring out that when children are baptized, we are to have our mind on what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit seal unto us, assure us of. We read that, we're familiar with the words as we read the form. God added a promise, Christ added a promise when he appointed baptism. It is really a means of grace when we go through and say, how are thou admonished and assured by holy baptism that the one sacrifice of Christ upon the cross is of real advantage to thee? Are you assured? by holy baptism? You'd say yes. How? The question here is how? It isn't actually are you, but how? How are you assured by holy baptism that that one sacrifice of Christ is of advantage to you? And then we bring out, well, Christ appointed this external washing. This isn't a sign that we have come up with. Christ appointed it. He appointed this external washing with water, and he added a promise, and that's key. He added a promise. That I am as certainly washed, not only that others are, but that I am, the believer confesses, I am as certainly washed by his blood and spirit from all the pollution of my soul. all the pollution of my soul. I am as certainly washed by his blood and spirit from all the pollution of my soul, that is, from all my sin, as I am washed externally with water, by which the filthiness of the body is commonly washed away. that we have filthy hands and we put them under water and the water washes, is used to wash away the filth of the body and we are directed to think of how God cleanses us by the blood and spirit of Christ from all the pollution of my soul. The last question is asked, where is this? You say he promised this. Where did Christ promise that? And the answer that's given is in the institution of baptism. When he instituted baptism, he told us to go and teach all nations, baptizing them by giving us that instituting baptism. He was there. He was giving a promise. He was adding that promise that he will as certainly wash us by his blood and spirit as we are washed with the water of baptism. And then that's repeated when scripture calls baptism, the washing away of, the washing regeneration, that's in Titus three verse five, and the washing away of sins, which is Acts 22 verse 16. The Lord's Supper, or not the Lord's Supper, the baptism form speaks more specifically, speaks also specifically and makes a reference to what the Father witnesses and seals unto us, what the Son seals unto us and the Holy Spirit assures us of. What a comfort it is when our mind is on that. And when we are hearing what God says and we believe what God says. The Father witnesses and sealeth unto us that he doth make an eternal covenant of grace with us and adopts us for his children and heirs. He'll avert all, he'll provide us with every good thing and avert all evil or turn it to our profit. Now in whatever trials we're going through today, whatever difficulties we face, we gather here to worship God. We see the sacrament of baptism. and we're reminded that our Father witnessed and sealed us unto us, that he's made an eternal covenant of grace with us and our children, not all head for head, we understand that. But that he's made his covenant with grace with us and with our children, he's adopted us as his children, we're heirs. He'll provide, we can be worried about so many things, and the Father assures us he will provide us with every good thing. He'll avert all evil or turn it to our profit. We know that and our mind is again directed to that. The Son seals unto us that He doth wash us in His blood from all our sins. He cleanses us. He incorporates us into the fellowship of His death and resurrection. so that we are free from all our sin and accounted righteous before God. We are righteous before God. The Holy Spirit assures us by the sacrament that He will dwell in us so that we hear that the Holy Spirit has assured me that He will dwell in me and apply unto me that which I have in Christ. He will. He will grant me that which I need. What a comfort. What a comfort we have in Christ Jesus when our mind is on these things. The seal, it's a seal. Just like a seal goes with a document, a seal with a document. So this is a seal that goes with the proclamation of the word, the proclamation of the gospel. And When we hear that gospel, we are to believe that gospel and the sign God has given to us directs us to what God has promised us. More specifically, with regard to the cleansing, the question that's asked in the second question is, What does that mean to be washed with the blood and spirit of Christ? There's two aspects there. Reference to the blood, reference to the spirit. What does that mean? It is important to be able to see both aspects here. It's easy for someone, and this is a good example of as far as talking to our children, what does baptism signify? It wouldn't be uncommon to get just the first part of this answer as being the response. The first part is that we receive of God the remission of sins freely for the sake of Christ's blood, which he shed for us by his sacrifice upon the cross. Many might stop there. has to do with the forgiveness of sins. Christ's perfect sacrifice, the reference to his blood, is for the sake of Christ's blood, which he shed for us. He offered the one perfect sacrifice, and we receive the remission of sins freely. The catechism goes on. And says, notice the question is, what is it to be washed with the blood and spirit? The blood and spirit of Christ. And now notice what it makes a reference to the spirit. It says, and also to be renewed by the Holy Ghost and sanctified to be members of Christ. You see how that's going to be brought out in this next section when we talk about membership. sanctified to be members of Christ, that so we may more and more die unto sin. We are renewed by the Holy Ghost, sanctified to be members of Christ, so that we may more and more die unto sin and lead holy and unblameable lives. Now the same was mentioned in the baptism form. It'll be read. Manfully fighting against sin, the devil and his whole dominion. The Holy Spirit works in us. It brings out our calling. It also brings out what the spirit does within us. The spirit of Christ. Notice that this is a reference to the blood and spirit of Christ. That's the cleansing that's spoken of here. Christ by his death took away the cause of our death and misery. namely sin, and he obtained for us the quickening spirit. The Belgic Confession says the blood of Christ cleanses the soul of its sins and regenerates us from children of wrath to children of God. Raised to a new life, and those that are regenerated are said to have one heart. Ezekiel 1119 speaks of us having one heart. And we're members of one body. The adults are and so are the children. So not only the adults, but also the children. They receive the reality, they've received the reality, they're sanctified in Christ, as we say when we stand up and we say we believe our children are sanctified in Christ, members of his church ought to be baptized. We make very clear that that does not mean that all of our children, head for head, are actually in Christ. We make that clear. It's not the case that they're all in Christ. It's not the case that all those that are baptized are united to Christ, but then some later fall away. The covenant is made only with the elect. Only they are really sanctified. God has made his covenant with us and our children. and the promises unto us. It says the children, you know, in the next Lord's Day we'll bring this out, that they are included in the covenant and church of God. Redemption from sin and the Holy Ghost, it's gonna mention redemption from sin by the blood of Christ and the Holy Ghost, the author of faith, is promised to them no less than to the adult. Therefore they must by baptism as a sign of the covenant be also admitted into the Christian church admitted into it. And the baptized children are baptized members of the church. Now some would look at Acts 2 verse 39. That's one of the proof texts, of course we read that in the baptism form. Say, how do you prove that the children are included in the covenant? We say, well, it says right here in Acts 2 verse 39, in addition to quoting from the Old Testament, we quote from the New and say, it says the promises unto you and to your children. And if somebody responds and says yes, but notice it says, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. See, it's particular. Well, our response to that is yes, we do bring that out. that it's not a promise, it's not a conditional promise to all of the children head for head. The idea that it's to all the children head for head goes with the idea that that is a conditional promise. We say it's not conditional. If you say it's all for all head for head, well then that either means that they're all gonna be saved, universal salvation, Or if you say, well, it's for all, head for head, but they're not all safe, well, then it must be the case that the promise is conditional, which it's not. It's unconditional. And it's made only to the elect. And there's a reference here to, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. It was the case also in the old dispensation. There are those that are bad, there are Baptists that will say, well, you know, in the old dispensation, it's different than in the old dispensation, because in the old dispensation, all the children were in included in like the covenant with Abraham. They were all included. The covenant was not, it was not the case in the old dispensation either. That all the children head for head were actually in the cup. It wasn't the case then, and it's not the case now. It was the case back then that all the males were to be circumcised, and counterpart today is that all our infants are to be baptized, but it's not the case that all of them, head for head, are actually in the covenant. The promise back then and the promise today is particular, the promises to Christ. We always bring this out, we repeatedly bring this out, that Galatians 3 brings out that the promise was to Abraham and his seed in the singular. In the singular, his seed, and that seed is Christ. The promises to Christ and those who are Christ's. a particular promise. Baptism points us to consider the importance of the Institute. The Institute is a manifestation of the body of Christ. There's the one body of Christ consisting of all the elect. The word church is used in that sense to refer to all the elect. And the word church is also used in the sense of the church institute. And that the children are members of the church by baptism, not later by their confession of faith. Sometimes that is the thought, that they're gonna be admitted into the church by making confession of their faith later. We often bring out to the children, to you children here, that you are members, the children of the baptized. We have baptized children here. You are members here in this Christian church. And if we have children, when our children are baptized, it's good for us to explain as they come to years of discretion to instruct them in that. You're a member here. if you're a member in this specific congregation. You're a member here, this is where your membership is. You're a member of the church institute here. And as members of that church institute, we are to, we are constantly to keep in mind what that means. One is members of a body. What do you think of members of the body working together? And we see that here. People selling their possessions, parting them to others as people had need. They commune together daily. Daily, not living in isolation. but continuing daily with one accord in the temple. And when the adults are doing that, you see how that's also directing the children to the importance of that communion as members of the church institute. Praising our God together, expressing our thankfulness to our God together. together glorifying our Savior. We are sanctified by our spirit that we may more and more die unto sin. We're to exhort one another and we're to encourage one another as we together are involved in this ongoing battle against sin and satan. Notice that it speaks of us dying unto sin and leading holy and unblameable lives. Now I am to read that and apply that to myself. Dying unto sin. leading a holy life and notice more and more. So that if I ask myself, is it the case that I am more and more dying unto sin and leading a holy and unblameable life. Now, when we read that, we say, well, we're so weak. Yes, this connects it right to the petition in the Lord's Prayer, deliver us from evil, that we confess these enemies don't cease to assault us. We're so weak in ourselves, we wouldn't stand. We pray that God would strengthen us by the power of the Spirit. That we're to pray and our children are to pray. Strengthen us by the power of the Spirit. We're to believe God's promise. Remember what the Holy Spirit assures us of. He will dwell in us and sanctify us. We're to believe that promise and fight. Like in the old dispensation, the Israelites were to hear the promise of God, believe the promise, and fight to serve God and to encourage one another. We're together to walk apart from this world. We're separated from this ungodly world. We're members of Christ's body. Brings out that we have been separated. Separated from, separated from this world. It says, by the Belgian Confession says, that Christ has instituted the sacrament of baptism by which we are received into the church of God and separated from all other people in strange religions that we may wholly belong to him. And you think of how often that's important to bring up to the children. To you children, to us as we're older too. You've been separated. You see the world and you see the world and how it's enticing, constantly trying to entice you to join with them. They seem to be having so much fun while they walk in penitently in their sins. God has separated you from all other people. and strange religions, that you may belong to him. You belong to your God. And how that's constantly to be impressed upon us, that in our battle, and as our children battle, and as our children are tempted, that they remember, I belong to Christ, who laid down his life for me. I belong to him. I'm not my own. That's my comfort. My only comfort in life and death. I'm not my own. And that we're to remember that and not go in the direction when the enemies are tempting us to go the wrong way. But rather, we're to cling to Christ. Cleave to this one God. Cleave to Him, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Trust in Him. Love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Believing. Believing God's promise. that he will forever be our gracious God and father. That God's covenant, that God makes his covenant with us means he says to us, I will be your God and ye shall be my people. So that we hear him say, I am your God, ye are my people. and we, believing God's promise, confess, Jehovah is my God, Christ is my Lord. May I, I will live unto him, and I will strive to glorify his name. Amen. Let us pray. O Lord, our God and our Father, we ask thy blessing upon us and on our children. We are so thankful for that covenant, that everlasting covenant of grace that thou dost make with us and our children. Lord, we do believe. We are thankful for the gift of faith. We don't have perfect faith. Lord, we are thankful for the sacraments, We're thankful for the Holy Spirit who doth work faith by the proclamation of the gospel and confirms it by the sacraments. May we remember what our baptism signifies and what thou has sealed unto us. May we remember and may our children remember what thou has promised. And may we fight diligently fighting. trusting O Lord in thee. Grant this grace to us, grant it to our children, our children of different ages. May we together encourage one another, dwelling together in unity to thy honor. Forgive our many sins. May thy name be magnified in all nations for Christ's sake. Amen.