I'll be referring to the Book of Romans, chapter six, verses one through six. So if you'd like to turn there at this point, you may to follow some of the scriptures that we'll be looking at. You know, my subject, at least I hope, you know, my subject for this afternoon, we're going to have four baptisms, so the subject is baptism. And I'm going to talk about the signs of baptism. Signs are very, very important. I have a brother-in-law who's now retired who said that he could always find what he was looking for without his GPS. And that's because he sold medical equipment to hospitals. So all he had to do was drive into town, find the great big sign, the blue sign with the big H on it, and he found the hospital so he could sell his His wares, actually it was x-ray machines, special x-ray machines for cancer. So baptism is a sign. In fact, there are really two signs in baptism. And I want us to consider this afternoon those two signs of baptism. One sign is given by Christ to the one being baptized. The other is a sign of the one being baptized to Christ and to all of us who are watching. And this first sign is really a is a large sign and it has three large words on it. And it's that first sign which is a sign of the sign of Christ to the believer with the three large words that I want us to consider together this afternoon in this message. The text I'll read from Romans chapter six verses one through six. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? And then we begin to see the signs. This first sign with the large words, which I hope you can guess as I read it. Verse three. Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. That's God's word that we've read. Well, the first line, as I said, is a message from heaven to the one being baptized. And there are three very large words on this sign. The first word is fellowship. Now, the word fellowship isn't there, but the idea is certainly here in this text, because the one being baptized is receiving a message from the Lord of heaven that he has fellowship with Jesus Christ, first of all, in his death, in his death. As we read in the text, verse three, do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death? And that's the message. Now you understand, or at least if you don't understand, I'm going to tell you right now, this passage is not talking about water baptism. This passage is talking about spirit baptism. This passage is talking about the fact that the Holy Spirit is the one who baptizes us into the death of Jesus Christ, buries us with Christ, raises us with Christ, makes us new creatures in Christ. But this passage shows us what that true baptism is. And water baptism symbolizes everything in this passage. And the first symbol is that we've been baptized into his death. So those of you who are being baptized or those of you who have been baptized, Here is what the text is saying to you, dear child, it is as though you were on that cross with me. You did not suffer. I did. But you died. And the effect of that fellowship is that you have died to sin. Fellowship with Jesus Christ and is that a wonderful thing? The sign says fellowship, fellowship in Christ's death, but there's more. this fellowship with Jesus Christ in His burial. Look at verse 4. Therefore, as we were buried with Him through baptism into death. Do you know where you're going to be buried? Have you been buried? Spiritually buried? Oh, if you're in Christ, you've already been buried. You see, it's as though Christ is saying to you, dear child, It is as though you were in that tomb with me. I really died. I was buried so that your sins are buried. And this is the glory of baptism. This is the message from heaven to every one of you who have been baptized by the Spirit into Jesus Christ, have been baptized by water baptism, that water baptism symbolizes the fact that you were buried, that you were buried. Fellowship with Jesus Christ in his burial. And then there's a third part of this fellowship, and that we find at the end of verse four, verse five, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father. Even so, we also should walk in newness of life, for if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. And the third large word on this sign of fellowship is that we have fellowship with Jesus Christ in his resurrection. Have you been raised to life after you were buried? Well, if you're in Christ, you have been. It's as though Christ is saying, dear child, I rose from the dead, and through my resurrection, I give you a spiritual life which fits you for close fellowship with me, your Savior and friend. So this water baptism is a is a sign of fellowship with Christ in his death, in his burial and in his resurrection. If you ever forget that, oh my, you got bad Alzheimer's spiritually. Well, there's a second large word, not only fellowship with Christ, but the second large word is union. And you can see that in verse, I think it's in verse four. Reverse is verse 5 actually or if we have been united together in the likeness of his death So we have this large word Fellowship now we have the large word union Union with Christ real spiritual union with Christ You will recall over in Romans chapter 11. I think it's verse 7 I know it's verse 17 because I looked it up just before I came up here where it says that Gentiles were wild olive branches and they were engrafted into Jesus Christ. Well, what is true of Gentiles, as far as a group, is true of each individual who has been born again by the power of the Spirit of God. We have been engrafted into Jesus Christ. We have a real union with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, united together in the likeness of his death. Galatians 3.27 says, For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ, that is, you have a real spiritual union with Jesus Christ. One of the most glorious truths of the Christian life, as far as I'm concerned, that I have union with Jesus Christ. What a glorious thing. I grew up on a farm in north central Iowa and a mile west and about a half mile north. Herman Last farmed and he was an old time farmer. Even in my youth, he was still using horses for his farming, which my grandfather gave up years before. But he still farmed with some horses. And a fine fellow. But one of the things he had was a cultivated orchard. And we actually had to drive through that orchard when I was very, very young to get to some property that my dad owned at the time. But I remember one time going to visit Herman Lass with my father and he was showing us his orchard and he delighted to graft branches of different kinds of trees into other trees. For instance, if he had an apple tree, he would graft a branch of pear, a twig of pear tree into the apple tree. Now to do that, he had to take that small branch, and whittled it down to a point. It was bare on both sides. And then, if it was a pear twig or branch, the larger branch on the apple tree, he'd take his knife and he'd cut right down the middle of that branch. And then he would take that small branch and push it right in to the apple branch and then wrap it with a tape. And then he delighted to show us, because he'd been doing this for years, he'd take us to a tree and there was an apple tree producing pears because it had been grafted in. Now this illustration falls apart someplace because we're wild olive thistles. But we get renewed by the power of God. And once we're renewed by the power of God, then we get grafted in. We get united with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So we have this real union with Him. Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches. Well, if He's the vine and we are the branches, something had to change for us before we could ever be grafted into Jesus Christ. And of course, that's the new birth. But the point I want us to see is, as this text says, we are united with Him. There's a real, genuine spiritual union. And this is what this water baptism symbolizes. It symbolizes fellowship with Christ. It symbolizes a real union with Jesus Christ. That's a precious thing. Something else my brother in law told me about the H signs, hospital signs. He says those signs are never put up until the hospital is built. Oh! I like that. And so you see, we never give the symbol until the reality is present. And so those who are being baptized, most of you have already read their testimonies. We sent them out to all the members here at Grace Reformed Baptist Church and all the ones from Redeeming Grace have read their testimonies. And so we're giving them the sign Because the hospital's been built, that is, because the new birth is already a reality in their lives. So you see, here we have this here, here we have this this baptism, it's a sign, it's a sign of fellowship with Christ, it is death, burial and resurrection. It's a sign of union with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And the third big, large word on this first part of the sign is forgiveness. That's a wonderful thing. Forgiveness is. Because. I know that we don't baptize anyone who's never sinned. Why do they need to be baptized? They don't need to be forgiven, do they? They have to sin and so as pastors and we hear testimonies, we want to know whether or not you've sinned and someone says, no, I've never sinned. Why be baptized? You don't have anything to be washed away. And then I always ask, not only have you said, I said, can you tell me particular sins that you sin? And that's sometimes none of us like to talk about a particular sins, do we? No, we don't like to talk about that, but we know we have particular sins. And so every one of these who are being baptized have been asked, what are the particular sins? I'm not going to tell you what they told me, but they have particular sins. And the particular sins are forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ. Remember what Ananias said to the apostle while he was Saul of Tarsus at the time before he became the apostle Paul. Paul was recounting his conversion on the road to Damascus in Acts chapter 22. And Paul said that Ananias told him this. And now, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Come on, come on, Saul. It's time to quit waiting. Let's get you baptized. Now, the baptism doesn't wash away the sins, but it's the symbol of the washing away of sins. Water does that. It washes away a lot of filth. And so this water is a symbol of that washing. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit is what Paul told Titus in chapter three, verse five. And so it is. It's a it's a symbol of forgiveness. So you see, baptism is a sign from heaven to everyone who is baptized. It's a sign of fellowship. In the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's a sign of union with Jesus Christ. And it's a sign of forgiveness. It is that sign. Now, there's a second sign. In baptism, that's the first sign with a lot of sub signs, but there's a second sign and that sign is baptism is a sign of newness of life, or to put it this way, baptism is a sign of the one being baptized to Christ and to the world. Because the one being baptized is saying, well, we were buried, as Paul says, therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Now. Might walk in newness of life. New King James says should walk. I like might. Because we now have the power to do it. And this is the glory of the new life. The person being baptized and say, well, I hope this changes me so I can do better. No, no, no, no, no, no, not at all. The person being baptized says, I have been changed by the power of God. I understand I have fellowship. I understand I have union with Christ. I understand that I have forgiveness of sins and I've been changed on the inside. And now by the grace of God, with the power of the spirit of God, I intend with all my being to walk with Jesus Christ and be obedient to him. Is that what you meant when you were being baptized? I've already told these baptism candidates what I'm going to ask them, no surprises. Not only whether they're trusting Christ alone, but is their desire and intention to walk with Christ and obey him by the grace of God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. And they've already told me, yes, but you're going to hear them say that as their testimony. that they've been changed by the power of God. Oh, dearly beloved, let me ask you, are you walking in newness of life? You know why we can walk in newness of life? It is because we've died to sin. It is because we are in union with Christ. It is because we've been changed by the power of the Spirit of God. It is because we've been forgiven. Oh, I know we fail. I know we sin continually, but but we don't sin in the same way that we did before we were regenerated, do we? We sin in a very different way. Now we hate it. We loathe it. And our hatred of it is shown in that we go to first John one nine, which says, if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And that cleansing is daily and continual to be cleansed from all unrighteousness. Well, dear ones, whose name I will call when we get into the baptistry. You're posting a sign today. You're saying I will, by the grace of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit, live for Christ with all my being. And I intend to obey him. And. Have you been baptized on the profession of your faith? Is that still your testimony? Do you still rejoice in the knowledge that your baptism, as you think back on it, was a sign from heaven for you of fellowship, union and forgiveness? Does that thrill your heart? As it will thrill your heart to see these baptized here today. And is it still true of you that you say By the grace of God, I still am committed to living for Jesus Christ. Now, just a couple more things and I'll be quiet. First thing is this. Are you trusting Christ? Has God redeemed you? Has God changed you? And you've not yet been baptized? I say with Ananias, As he said it to Saul of Tarsus, what are you waiting for? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins. And then another word, and this is the last one, and that is, you shouldn't be baptized because you haven't yet had the inner change. You haven't been born again. You must be born again. You must have this true spiritual change in your heart, just as you heard this morning in the message. And if you will, you've got to be born again. It's the only way to have life. And the good news of the gospel is this, that Jesus Christ offers you himself. And he says, if you come to me, you will indeed have everlasting life. Will you come to him? Will you believe on him? Will you turn from your own wayward ways, whatever they are, And trust that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. I pray that you will. By the grace of God, I pray that you will. You may. And you're commanded to. By the Lord Jesus, don't disobey his command, come to him, come to Jesus. And find all your salvation in him and him alone. Our father, God, we thank you for this symbol of baptism, it is a Precious symbol to all of us who have been baptized in the past as we remember again what you said to us in that baptism and what we said to you. Now, bless, we pray, these four young people in whose heart you have worked. Make this a blessed and precious time to them, a time of great joy and rejoicing. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.