Somebody this past week, I don't remember who it was, said he's known as the whisperer of Winston-Salem. That's where I was raised, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It's good to be with you again. It is my firm, firm, firm conviction that every believer, every man and woman who knows God, all who profess to follow Christ must find for themselves their place in the body of Christ in a local church like this one. I know we live in this age. Much of it is the result of the horrible teaching of Harold Camping back in the 90s and earlier. that you can get along fine without a church or a pastor. You can be your own disciple. A fellow's smarter to have himself for a lawyer. Every believer needs to be part of a gospel church. I don't mean by that you ought to go to church. Some are many and will worship place. I just soon recommend you go to a Buddhist temple or a Catholic place. Every believer ought to be clearly identified with a gospel church. If I lived somewhere 1,000 miles from a local church, I would still find myself a pastor, not two or 20, a pastor. He would be my pastor. I'd be a part of that congregation. If I couldn't go but once a year, he'd know I'm coming first Sunday of July every year. In fact, you can expect it. I'll be there, and I'd support him. You must be, for your soul's sake, a part of a gospel church committed to that church so that you and your family know you're committed to building the kingdom of God in the place where God has established you for the glory of Christ. Everything else, every excuse for not making that association with a gospel church is irresponsibility. It is just irresponsibility. I have a responsibility to God's family, to God's church, and to God's gospel. Just as much so, no indescribably more so, than I have a responsibility to be that lady's husband and the head of my house. I have a responsibility. The Lord God Almighty graciously commences this thing of the believer's life with Christ and in Christ in the public statement of it in believer's baptism. Two weeks ago, as your pastor just told you, I had the privilege of meeting Chris Timpson for the first time. I'd corresponded with her just a few times, but the Mike Levels put me in contact with her before I went to England a year ago. And so we've been corresponding for a couple of years. And she'd been wanting to confess Christ in believers' baptism. Let me tell you what she did. She's from a family that's not well off. They can't do everything they want to. She and her family got on a train and then took another train and came to Merton in the heart of London, England for her to confess Christ in believer's baptism because it's a matter of tremendous importance that every believer do so. You will search the New Testament in vain. You will search the New Testament in vain to find a single person referred to as a believer who didn't confess Christ in believer's baptism. You won't find him. You won't find him. Our Lord Jesus walked a good many miles to be baptized by John the Baptist, and there was a reason for it. He said, thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Baptism says something. Baptism teaches something. Baptism means something. Our Lord commended his people, all of them, to be baptized and confess him. He tells his servants to go into all the world and preach the gospel, teaching all nations to observe all that I've taught you, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Why? What is the meaning of baptism? Who really should be baptized? Why should you be baptized? What's the meaning and the message of believers baptism? I want this evening, if you'll turn to the 14th chapter of the Gospel of Exodus, to show you the meaning and message of believers baptism. Yes, you heard me right. 14th chapter of the Gospel of Exodus. The title of my message is The Old Testament Doctrine of Baptism. Now being good Baptists, I'm sure some of you hearing the title of that message think to yourselves, baptism is a New Testament ordinance. Baptism is not taught in the Old Testament. Well, you're both right and wrong. Baptism is a New Testament ordinance, entirely a New Testament ordinance. But baptism is clearly taught in the Old Testament scriptures. Just hold your place here in Exodus 14, and I'll get to it in a few minutes. Now, contrary to the opinion of many, contrary to the opinion of many. Now, let me tell you who the many are I'm talking about. I'm talking about papist, folks who follow that fellow dressed in drag over in Rome. And all Protestants will retain papacy in their doctrine, folks who slosh a little water on a baby's face and call it baptism, contrary to the opinion of many. Baptism is not taught, symbolized, or pictured in the Old Testament rite of circumcision. In fact, there's no place in the Word of God to give any correlation whatsoever between baptism and circumcision. Circumcision's got nothing to do with baptism. Baptism's got nothing to do with circumcision. In the New Testament, the scriptures plainly teach us that circumcision in the flesh, that Old Testament circumcision, that legal circumcision, the circumcision God required of Abraham to minister himself and his sons and to all of his sons after him by law, not baptism, but the new birth is identified in circumcision. The work of God the Holy Spirit circumcised in the heart. The work of God the Holy Spirit performing a work in you by which he seals to his elect all the promises and blessings of God's grace in Jesus Christ the Lord. when a baby boy was born in the house of Israel, when he was eight days old, they'd circumcise him. Or before he was eight days old, they'd circumcise him and bring him to the temple and give him a name. And his circumcision identified him as a son of Abraham. You're a child of Abraham. God's covenant with Abraham stands with you. All the blessings of Abraham are yours because you have been circumcised. It was a mark of identification and the circumcision made by the Spirit of God in the heart, giving us life and faith in Jesus Christ, causing us to believe on the Son of God is an identification of who Abraham's true people are. An identification of who God's true Israel are. An identification of God's elect. When you're given faith in Christ, the Spirit of God seals to you, assures you of all the blessings of grace in Christ, our covenant head, made with him before the foundation of the world. We were blessed of God in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let's look in Scriptures and see. Look at Romans chapter 2. Romans 2. How do you know who God's elect are? When they believe. When they believe. We teach the doctrine of election and predestination, and we're not bashful about it at all. We're not bashful about it at all. As a matter of fact, if you just let me talk for five minutes, you'll hear about both of them any time. Any time. I talk about them all the time. We preach limited atonement. That's a wonderful doctrine. It teaches that Christ actually did redeem somebody. Well, who are those who are chosen of God? Who are those who are predestinated to everlasting life? Who are those who were redeemed by the blood of Christ? Every sinner who believes on the Son of God. And faith in Christ is the mark of who they are. Faith in Christ assures you, as you believe Him, that all God's grace is yours in Jesus Christ the Lord. Look at Romans chapter 2 verse 28. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, He is not a Jew, but you went outwardly. I remember Brother Mahan some years ago preaching down in Louisiana, way down in the bottom of Louisiana. And he said, just because a fellow's got a big nose and wears horn-rimmed glasses, that doesn't mean he's a Jew. And a fellow came up to him afterwards, and he said, Brother Mahan, and Brother Hayden said, he saw his large nose and horn-rimmed glasses. I'm sorry. He said, no, I like what you said. But he's not a Jew which went outwardly circumcised in the flesh. Neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh. That's not circumcision, that's just the sign of it. That's just the outward symbol of it. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly. And circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God. Look at Ephesians chapter 2, or chapter 1 rather. Ephesians chapter 1, Paul's talking about these great blessings of grace. In verse 12 he says, God did all the wonders of grace and redemption and covenant mercy and providence for us. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. Now watch verse 13. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth. The gospel of your salvation. What is that talking about? When you hear the gospel, you hear God saved you. When you hear the gospel. Until then, you just hear fellows talking about salvation. But when you hear the gospel, God speaks to you, and you hear God speak the word of grace to you. The gospel of your salvation. In whom also, after that ye believed. Now, make a note somewhere, either in your note paper or on the margin of your Bible, having believed. He's not talking about a second work of grace. I know we live in this nonsense charismatic Pentecostal age where everybody wave hands and shake their rear end and talk about praising Jesus and watering the floor and speaking in tongues and all that nonsense. A second work of grace, no, that's the first work of the devil. It ain't a work of grace at all. He's not talking about a second work of grace. Having believed, he was sealed. Sealed. Sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Which is what? The earnest. Let me give you another note to take. The assurance. The assurance. The assurance, Christ in you, that's the hope of glory. The spirit of God forming Christ in you, that's the hope of glory. Having the earnest assurance of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, until the resurrection of the body, under the praise of his glory. Look at two more texts, Philippians chapter three. Philippians chapter three, verse three. For we are the circumcision, We're the circumcision. Who's the true people of God? Paul says, we are. We are. Well, you folks talk like you're the only one saved, nobody else is. No, I wouldn't say that. God said that. Who is it that really knows God? We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit. We worship God in our spirits. We worship God inwardly, not outwardly. We worship God spiritually, not carnally. We worship God by God the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, in whom we reside permanently. We worship God in the spirit. We don't trust anything about our flesh. We don't trust anything we've done, seen, experienced, said, known in the flesh. We worship God in the spirit and rejoice, that is we boast in, we trust in Christ Jesus. Now watch this, and have no confidence in the flesh. No confidence before God because of what we experience or feel or think or do, past, present, or future. No confidence in the flesh. Colossians chapter 2. Colossians 2. In Christ, Paul tells us in verse 9, all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily. Look at verse 10. And ye are complete in him. You're just as full of him as he is of God. You're complete in him. which is the head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. That's the new birth, being born of God. And this we confess, buried with him in baptism, buried with him in baptism. You Baptist believe the only way you can be saved is by immersion. That's not so. That's not so. That's the only way you can be baptized. By immersion. Everything else is a fake. Everything else is a pretense. Everything else is the invention of men. The word means to bury, to dip, to plunge, to immerse. Buried with him by baptism. Watch this. Wherein also ye are risen with him, risen from the dead through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead. Now back to Exodus chapter 14. So baptism is not taught at all in the Old Testament rite of circumcision. Baptism, that New Testament ordinance, that gospel ordinance, has nothing to do with the circumcision of the Old Testament. Infant baptism is perhaps the most horrible, damning evil practiced by churches in the world. How could you say that? Because every child, every child, sprinkled as a baby, or have a little water spread over his face as a baby, I don't care if you dunk him as a baby, every child is baptized in infancy because mama and daddy have been taught by a preacher that that gives that child one foot up in heaven. One foot up toward God. He's more, if he doesn't save him, he's more likely to be saved. And the children look upon their baptism as the identification of them as Christian. It is a damning evil. It is a damning evil. Baptism is not a sacrament. I know lots of Baptists have taken the name Reformed. And those fellows who call themselves Reformed Baptists, listen to me, my friends. You may want to have my head. They already do. They're just ducking Presbyterians. Baptism is not a sacrament. Baptism is not a means of grace. Baptism is not a ceremony by which grace is conferred or even experienced. Baptism is not, as we're often told, an outward sign of inward grace. But baptism is very clearly taught in Exodus chapter 14. Let's see what this Old Testament doctrine of baptism is. Verse 19. The angel of God, that's the Lord Jesus Christ, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them. And the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel, and was a cloud and darkness to them. But it gave light by night to these, so that the one came not near to the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass that in the morning, watch, the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and the cloud and troubled the host of the Egyptians and took off the chariot wheels. that they draved them heavily, so that the Egyptians said, let us flee from the face of Israel, for Jehovah fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the Lord Jehovah said to Moses, stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared and the Egyptians fled against it and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. There remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea. And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. And Israel saw the great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians. And the people feared the Lord. They called on his name. They worshiped him. And believed the Lord and his servant Moses. Now I'm sure you may be scratching your head and saying to yourself, Brother Don, there's not a mention of baptism here. But there is. There is. I know there is. I'm not making it up. I'm not just saying that. Now here is what I think is a picture of baptism. No, no, no. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Hold your hands. Next is 14. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Preaching. Preaching. Listen to me, you men who preach. Preaching. You read the scriptures, Nehemiah chapter 8. And when you read the scriptures, then you give the sense of the scriptures, not what you make of them, what God said in them. By you and John preaching in the morning, you don't just, well, this is what I think this means. It doesn't matter. It'll be what you think it means. This is why God wrote this text. This text was intended by God, the Holy Spirit, to teach us about baptism. I'll show you, 1 Corinthians 10, verse one. Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were baptized under the cloud, and all did pass through the sea. They were immersed in water. They were baptized in water, water over them, and water on both sides of them as they walked through the sea. Now watch what it says. And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. And did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. Look at verse 11. Now all these things happened unto them for in samples, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are cut. The things recorded in Exodus 14, God the Holy Ghost tells us happened to the children of Israel as examples to us that we might learn from them, be admonished by them, and be taught by them. What was involved in Israel's baptism unto Moses? What does the baptism teach us about the gospel ordinance of baptism, believers' baptism in the New Testament? First, understand this. Israel was baptized unto Moses, not into Moses, unto Moses. And it is a picture of our being baptized unto Christ. Now, in Galatians chapter 3, verse 27, and in Romans chapter 6, verse 3, our translators tell us we were baptized into Christ. In both places, it is the same word used in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and translated unto Moses. In Romans 6, 3, and in Galatians 3, 27, the word would be better translated unto. Unto. It's the very same word we have in 1 Corinthians 10 verse 2 with regard to being baptized unto Moses. Obviously it should be unto. The children of Israel were not baptized into Moses. They were not baptized into Moses. And we are not baptized into Christ. They were baptized with reference to Moses. Their identification with Moses. What God did by Moses. Moses as God's spokesman and God's mediator between God and man, typical of our Lord Jesus. And we are not baptized into Christ. We're put in Christ by the operation of God our Father and God the Holy Ghost in the marvelous works of His grace from eternity and in the experience of grace. But we are baptized unto Christ with reference to Christ. Look at Romans chapter 6, Romans 6. I've said this to you many times, and it's such a deep, profound, hard thing to get. I'll repeat it again. If you want to understand what the Bible teaches about any subject, you want to understand what the Bible teaches about any subject, it'd be a good idea to go to the place in the Bible where that subject is talked about. You don't get your concordance out and look up this word baptized. Well, over here she's this way, over here she's that way, over there she's that way, and you put them all together. Well, this is what I think it means. No, you go where it is taught in the scriptures and you interpret the obscure by the obvious. Never do you honestly interpret the obvious by the obscure. Baptism is taught in Romans chapter 6. Look what it says, verse 3. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into, unto, with reference to Jesus Christ, were baptized into, that is with reference to, unto his death. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism in death. unto, with reference to death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life. For if we have been baptized together, or planted together in the likeness of his resurrection, we shall be also in the likeness of, planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, knowing this, we were baptized knowing this, We're buried in the watery grave knowing this, and we're raised up in the watery grave knowing this. 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, completely freed from sin, justified from sin. Now let's look at both the type and the antitype. The typical picture back here in Exodus 14 at the Red Sea and its fulfillment in believers' baptism, first of all, shows us a picture, a sign, a sign of something specific. I want us to look at this first because I want to emphasize that those who teach sprinkling as a substitute for baptism tell us that the outward sign is not important, but only the spiritual meaning. Some years ago I was preaching for a fellow I went to school with up in Virginia. We were in college together, sold shoes together and he was pastor of a church and there was a Presbyterian church that called him to be the assistant to their pastor had a big school and lots of opportunities and while we were there he was talking to me, he said this couple wants to come into the church because he said they were baptized as Presbyterians, sprinkled, and he said they want us to accept that. He said, what do you think I ought to do? I said, well, I'd never have been known for being real tactful. Randy, are you asking me what do I think you ought to do or what do I think you're going to do? He said, well, both. I said, well, there's no question what you ought to do. You can't accept it. Just because their sincere thing is baptism, that's kind of like shooting a fellow between the eyes and saying, I didn't think that was going to kill him. I didn't intend to hurt him. I didn't want to see the gun go off. He's still dead. That doesn't change a thing. Your perception of something doesn't change anything. He said, well, what do you think I'm going to do? I said, I know what you're going to do. You want to move to Roanoke and be in that Presbyterian church, you're going to accept it. And he did. Because it's not actually the outward thing, it's the inward meaning. No, the outward symbol. means something, because it portrays the inward meaning. Our baptism in scripture is always, without exception, portrayed as a burial in a watery grave. We're baptized with Christ symbolically, buried in the watery grave with reference to Christ and our salvation by him. But what's the importance of that? Baptism is a picture of death. Baptism is a picture of death. Baptism is a picture of death. When Israel walked into the Red Sea, they walked into a grave. They walked right into a grave. Well, they didn't die there. Well, we'll see about that. When they got on the other side, they looked back, and there was nothing in the Red Sea but death for Pharaoh and the Egyptians. They walked into a grave, walked through a grave, and walked out of a grave. Baptism separated Israel from Egypt. And baptism symbolically separates believers from unbelievers, truth from error, true religion from false religion. Israel's baptism at the Red Sea was a utter commitment to Moses. It was an utter commitment to Moses. You try getting somebody to follow you through a sea that's blown apart by a horribly strong wind from heaven so that the walls of that sea stand up like a wall over your head. Come on, boys, let's go to the other side. Come on. I'll get you through this, come on! Brother Don, just cause you popped a quote don't mean we have to. If you followed me through there, you've utterly committed yourself to me and God's people. Right? Publicly. Utterly commit themselves to Jesus Christ. 50 years ago, 50 years ago. Like Jephthah of old, I opened my mouth to God. I can't go back. I can't go back. I declared, I am yours, and you're mine. What you saying just a little bit ago? He's Lord of everything. That's what I said 50 years ago. Every time I had the privilege of watching another be baptized or baptizing a believer, I lift my heart again to my God, and I confess to Christ my Redeemer, I'm yours. You bought me lock, stock, and barrel. Everything, everything, everything I possess, every relationship I have, everything, my time, everything belongs to you, God-taken. Oh, what an honor, God, you take and use it for your glory. Israel came out of the watery grave as a resurrected people. They were a new people. And we come out of the waters of baptism to walk with Christ in the newness of life. We walk with him. all the days of our lives, just as we began walking with him by faith. By faith. Brother Todd and I were talking about this a couple of weeks ago, talking about obedience. Everybody tries to get you to do stuff to obey. Let me tell you how to obey God. Are you listening? Let me tell you how to obey God. Believe Christ. Believe Christ. Faith in Christ is obedience to God. Everything else is just faking it. Believe on the Son of God. Walk before him, believe in him, you bow to him, he's Lord. Israel came out of the Red Sea in hope of entering into the land of promise, possessing all the land of God's promise, the promised land that he gave to Abraham before ever any of these people were born. And the believer comes up out of the watery grave in hope of eternal life with Christ in heaven. When they came out on the other side, they looked back to the Red Sea. And they saw something. They saw something. It's amazing to me, but they saw something. A strange thing happened. They saw all of Pharaoh's armies washed up on the shore. Now, I could understand that if those fellows had just been riding horses, saddled back in the Red Sea. They'd just ride along. They just had on their finest apparel and they'd ride along. These fellows are dressed in armor. It's not likely to float and wash up. And they got swords. And they got spears. And all the children of Israel saw all their enemies dead on the shore. And the believer in baptism. confesses Christ and is raised with Christ in the newness of life, and it looks back upon the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Redeemer and sees all his foes, all our sin, all the law's curse. He sees himself crucified with Christ, dead to the law and risen with Christ. Israel's baptism under Moses was something else, too. It was an initiation into an entirely new state of existence. Here in Exodus 14, we read about a mob. Just read about it, an unruly mob. They were a people led out of Egypt by Moses, but until they got across the Red Sea, they were just a mob. They didn't have any organization at all. They were just a mass of people following a leader out of a common bondage that they wanted to get out of. That's all. But when they got to the other side and they obtained their freedom, they had something to unite them. When they came through the Red Sea, as they came out onto the other side, they were no longer an unruly mob, but they were a unified nation under the leadership of one man. They belong together. Can you imagine the differences? There are millions of them. Some of them pretty and handsome, some of them ugly and bent over, some of them old, some of them young, some of them smart, some of them dumb as a box of rocks. Millions of them. But they were all unified as one people, one nation, under the lead of one man. So it is with God's people. They're one people, one nation, one Israel of God, unified under one man, the God man. Christ Jesus our Lord. I've been pastoring for a long time. I'm getting old enough. Some folks always thought I was kind of cranky. Now you've got a reason. I'm 67 years old. And I get a little cranky with religious folks. I like to play games. They hop from one place to the other. And I'm going to tell you the truth. Folks come to church down here. They rescue church. They can't get along with the church. They move to Denver. They're dead. Sure won't get along with Don. It ain't going to happen. Not as long as we're preaching the same message. It ain't going to happen. They just jump from one place to the other, kind of like a fellow who told his wife, there's some stinks in here. She said, what is it? He said, there's some stinks. He went outside and said, there's stinks out here. She said, honey, you've got mustard cheese on your mustache. That's the problem. You who are good sovereign grace Baptists can relate to this. I've experienced it a lot. Old boy was out fishing one time out at sea, just in a small boat. Boat capsized, and he finally made his way to shore. He had been on shore and managed to stay alive for 20 years. He hadn't seen another human being in 20 years. One day just sitting on the beach feeling sorry for himself, and a fellow came up in a boat and saw him sitting there. He went and talked to him a little bit, and they chatted a little bit, and he said, he said, mister, how long have you been here? He said, mister, you're the first human being I've seen or spoken to in 20 years. They chatted a little bit more. He said, what's that place over yonder? He said, that's my house. That's where I live. Oh. They chatted a little bit more. He said, what's that place over yonder? He said, oh, that's the church. That's where I go to church every Sunday morning. I chatted a little while longer, and he said, what's that place over there? He said, oh, that's where I used to go to church. And that's the way with folks who can't get along with anybody. It's because they can't get along with themselves. God's people overlook one another's faults. The only place where they don't is in a Baptist church. If you're a member of Union Hall, you go to meetings, with fellows who are drunks, and they're cussed like drunken sailors. They may run around with their wives. They may beat the wives, and their wives may beat them. But you stay in the same union, because that's the only way to survive. If you've got a bowling team, and you've got some good bowlers on the team, you go bowling with them every week. And everybody gets along fine. Well, he's, she's, what's that about? We've got to have them for the team. That's the only way the team stays together. Look at him, he's wearing white socks and blue jeans, I don't like that. I'll go to church somewhere else, I'll not be treated like that in church. He said, nobody acts like that. Everybody acts like that, except folks who know God, who are baptized with reference to Jesus Christ. I'm his, he's the head, you too, and me, we're one. and I'm going to stick with it until I die. You just stuck with me. You just stuck with me. Israel's baptism under Moses was baptism experienced by no one except those who had just been delivered from the house of bondage. And baptism under Christ is an ordinance reserved only for believers, for those who have been delivered from the snare of the devil, for those who have experienced God's saving grace. In a word, baptism is for believers only. It is the first act of obedience required by our Lord Jesus. That's enough of a reason. It is our initiation into the family and kingdom of God. As soon as those folks believed in Acts chapter 2, Peter said to them, repent, be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Immediately, he commanded them by God to be baptized. God's messenger to Paul after he was converted said, arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Israel's baptism unto Moses was immediately followed by something. They all ate the same spiritual meat and they all drank the same spiritual drink coming from that rock that followed them. And that rock was Christ. Feasting on him, they walked together in the blessed unity of life. Something else about baptism. I'll wrap this up. Israel's baptism unto Moses was a declaration of their allegiance to Moses. And our baptism unto Christ is the believer's declaration of allegiance to the Son of God. I am the pledged servant of God. Pledged to God. Pledged to God. Jim Nunes, I take that far more serious than I do my marriage oath to that woman over there. I'm pledged to God. I'm His. I'm His. Otherwise, what I did in baptism was just a religious washing, nothing else. Now look at Exodus 14, 31. Thus, the Lord saved Israel. You mean, preach with it. Baptism is saving? You know me better than that. No, no, no. But it's a picture of it. It's a picture of it. You remember when our Lord came to John to be baptized? John said to him, he said, oh, no, no, no, no. I can't baptize you. I have need for you to baptize me. And the Savior said, suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Now, if you can tell me, How getting into a clean tub of water like that will fulfill righteousness, I won't talk to you about it. Let alone getting into the dirty muddy waters of the Jordan River. How that's going to fulfill righteousness. It's got nothing to do with it except symbolically, symbolically. In baptism, the Lord Jesus said, this is how sinners are made accepted with God. A perfectly holy man. is put to death under the curse of God's law because of the sins made his by the judgment of God. And those sins are washed away by his blood and he rises from the watery grave without sin justified in the spirit. Thus, the Lord saves Israel. through the doing and dying of the Son of God, our substitute. Now again, I didn't just pull that out of my hat. I pulled it out of 1 Peter chapter 3. Turn there and I'll wrap this up. 1 Peter 3, verse 18. Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit, by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. Now, if you want to read some gobbledygook, get your Scofield Bible and read what it says on that text. What's that talking about? If it wasn't for what preacher said it was talking about, it'd make perfectly good sense to you. He went by the spirit through his servant Moses and preached to that generation. Verse 20, which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls, were saved by water. Oh. The scriptures are a gin and a snare to them believing. And some things God put in here just for Campbellites to choke themselves to death on. That's folks who believe in baptismal regeneration. He gives folks things just to choke, gives them rope to hang themselves with. What's that mean? Saved by water. Read the next line. The like figure whereunto, the like figure, that's a picture, that's a type, that's a symbol, whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, baptismal water doesn't do that, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Christ, the filth of the flesh put away, marked, identified by the risen savior who has no sin. And we who were crucified with him suffered all the wrath of God just like Noah and his family did the wrath of God in that ark. And they were never injured by it. And they came out of the ark with no harm done. And that ark portrays Christ our Redeemer. by whom we are saved, by the grace of God flowing to us through the blood and righteousness of our obedient substitute who has gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities being made subject unto him. If God's given you faith in Christ, why tarryest thou? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins. Wash them away. No, not something you do, but the symbolism of it. My sins are gone. I confess it because I died with Christ. I was buried with Christ and I'm risen with Christ. I belong to him, John, my blood. and walk with him by his spirit in a whole new life. In a whole new life full of confident anticipation, soon I'm going to take one last step and one last breath and walk into God's land of promise.