Posts

We gather to administer baptism to an infant – in the view of many sincere Christians we are doing something for which the Bible offers no warrant.  What is the meaning of this sacrament and why do we administer it to infants?  In writing to the Colossians Paul shows how what we have in Christ is superior to what God’s people in the Old Testament had.  Here he applies this to baptism.  We consider Colossians 2:11-12 Decoding baptism.

1. The spiritual significance of baptism

In speaking of the Christian’s present position Paul introduces the thought of baptism: ‘buried with him in baptism…’ (v12).  This is one way of describing the union of a Christian with his Lord – dying and rising with Christ.  We find the same thought in 3:1,3 and Galatians 2:20.  Spiritually the Christian has died with Christ and risen to new life.  Baptism signified this putting off of the old and putting on of the new: ‘putting off of the body of the flesh’ (v11, lit.).  At conversion a spiritual revolution takes place.  We now live a life empowered by the risen Christ (Galatians 2:20).  This includes cleansing from sin and baptism is an appropriate symbol of this spiritual washing (see John 3:5 and Revelation 7:14).  Paul shows the link with circumcision in v11.  What does he mean?  He shows that Christians have a far superior ‘circumcision’ than OT believers.  It is not a mere surgical operation (‘not…done by the hands of men’ v11) but an inward spiritual matter.  Even in the OT circumcision was to signify an inward spiritual change – it was not simply a sign of Jewishness.  It was ‘a seal of the righteousness [Abraham] had by faith’ (Romans 4:11) – a picture of salvation.  Both circumcision and baptism are signs of belonging to the covenant people of God.

2. The outward sign of baptism

The sign of water baptism is to be administered to the covenant people of God.  In the case of adults this is on credible profession of faith.  It is the sign of entry into the covenant community and into the visible church.  Baptism itself does not affect cleansing – 1 Peter 3:21.  It is not magical or mechanical.  What of children?  The link must be made with the OT.  There the covenant embraced the children of believers (see Genesis 17 ‘and to your seed’) and they received the covenant sign.  NT baptism too recognises a covenant child for what it is – one within the circle of God’s covenant, who belongs among the people of God.

3. The inward reality of baptism

Baptism is a means of grace, bringing strength and blessing, but only when its symbolism is matched by the inward reality of faith and salvation.   Hence v12 ‘raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.’  Baptism pictures God’s promise of cleansing from sin and new life in covenant with him.  Our response must be one of faith.  Only then does baptism bring blessing.  What of covenant children?  Faith and subsequent blessing may come at a later time (as they may too in the case of adults).  The prayer of the parents and the church must be that God by grace would, in his time, join the outward sign with the inward reality.  We have solid grounds in God’s promises to families for praying in faith (but not in presumption).  As the child matures it has the duty to believe.

Jeremiah was called to minister in dark days, having been given the task of announcing the destruction of Judah.  The nation was slipping to disaster, with God’s judgment administered by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar.  Jeremiah’s message was often one of judgment, but the Lord also gave words of consolation and strength in his precious, though rare, promises.  We consider Jeremiah 9:23-24 How should we boast?

1. Foolish boasting

In v23 we have the divine diagnosis of the human condition: at heart the sinner’s attitude is one of boasting, expressing self-reliance and self-sufficiency.  This is life without taking God into account, the life of ‘the fool’ (Psalm 14:1).  The root of sin is putting self in the place of God (Genesis 3).  The Lord exposes the things sinners rely on – wisdom, strength, riches.  ‘Wisdom’ indicates trust in education and intellectual ability severed from God’s revelation in Scripture, the attitude that looks to science for solutions to human problems.  ‘Strength’ covers all forms of power – political, military, economic, social, seeking security in an insecure world.  ‘Riches’ seem to offer security and a comfortable lifestyle, feeding our desire to have more than others.  They offer no hope or security.  Hence the divine warning: ‘Let not the wise man boast…’  Sinners constantly feel the attraction of this ‘trinity’.  Satan even tried to use them to tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:8; Luke 4:6).  To trust in any of these deceptive things is a fatal mistake.

2. Godly boasting

The divine prescription is ‘let him who boasts boast in this…’ (v24).  What is required is a God-centred life.  2 elements are set before us. 

            (i) The knowledge of God: this is what we are to ‘boast’ (or ‘glory’) in – ‘that he understands and knows me’.  This is what we were created for and apart from this, life is without ultimate purpose.  Here is where our delight is to be found.  ‘Understand’ indicates knowledge of the great truths God has revealed about himself.  It requires the application of the mind to God’s written Word.  But more is required.  ‘Knows me’ – the language of relationship.  Along with intellectual knowledge there must be a commitment of life to the Lord.  These elements – acceptance of the truth and commitment of life are the constituents of true saving faith.  Note the Saviour’s words in John 17:3: ‘this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ’.  This is a living, loving knowledge of a gracious God.

            (ii) The perfections of God: the Lord gives a concise description of himself.  ‘I am the Lord’ – the special covenant name that speaks of a sovereign God of grace who condescends to enter into relationship with his people (Leviticus 26:12).  He has revealed himself perfectly in Christ (John 20:28), whose blood redeems us and seals the covenant.  He next details his saving activity.  He ‘exercise kindness’ (or ‘steadfast love’ ESV).  This is the love that makes the covenant as the Lord gives himself to us in grace.  The word speaks of his commitment to us, choosing us in Christ before creation (Ephesians 1:4).  He will be faithful to all his promises.  He does ‘justice’ – punishing his enemies and delivering his people.  He also does ‘righteousness’ – enabling his people to live in harmony with his will expressed in his law.  Here is a ‘trinity’ of perfections in which God delights as he sees them reproduced in his people.

If someone is seriously ill, we might expect that he would be eager to accept a cure – surely if a treatment offered an excellent prospect of healing, it would be most welcome.  And yet there are those who refuse a cure, for various reasons.  In relation to bodily illness, we can see the folly of refusing a cure.  Jeremiah had to minister to people who were refusing a cure for their spiritual illness.  We consider Jeremiah 8:18-22 Balm in Gilead.

1. The plight of Judah

We hear the voice of ‘my people’ (v19) – a cry goes up ‘from a land far away’.  The people of Judah are in exile in Babylon.  In the exiles’ words we hear confusion: ‘Is the Lord not in Zion?’  They had assumed that the Lord was among them and would protect them.  Was not the temple the visible sign of the Lord’s presence?  They were however ‘trusting in deceptive words’ (7:8).  When Jerusalem fell and the temple was destroyed the people were shocked and baffled – how could the Lord allow this to happen?  The Lord explains.  Along with their reliance on outward symbols, they had indulged in idolatry.  It is the same sin as is committed by those who maintain a veneer of Christianity whilst being committed to other ‘gods’ which take the place due to the Lord.  We hear their bewilderment – the grain harvest (May/June) is past, and so is the harvest of olives, etc (July/August), yet ‘we are not saved’ (v20).  Though they seek deliverance from exile, they also lack salvation.

2. The burden of Jeremiah

It is easy to think of the OT prophets as hard figures, delighting to deliver their message of judgment.  Although much (but not all) of Jeremiah’s message included judgment, we need to understand the spirit in which he ministered and the cost paid in fulfilling his calling.  Note v1 ‘my heart is faint within me’ – he carries a heavy burden in his ministry.  He will not prove disloyal to the Lord – he will speak as commanded, but it costs him dearly.  Note too references to ‘my people’ (v19, 21) – he does not stand apart in a spirit of self-righteousness.  Thus v21 ‘Since my people are crushed, I am crushed’.  He does not exult over the punishment of sinners.  Any faithful gospel witness needs the same spirit.  There will be faithful presentation of the sinfulness of sin and grief over what sinners bring on themselves.  Listen to Paul’s grief at the unbelief of his fellow Jews (Romans 9:2).  Here is a challenge to all gospel preachers and all witnesses.  We need to seek grace to be free from a hard, self-righteous spirit.

3. The balm of grace

Is there no solution to the sin and hurt of Judah?  Jeremiah asks, ‘Is there no balm in Gilead?’ (v22).  Gilead was a region producing aromatic resin that was used in soothing and healing ointments.  ‘Is there no physician there?’  Is there no-one to bring healing to a sinful nation?  The answer to the question is ‘Yes’.  Psalm 103:3 ‘He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases’.  Also Psalm 41:4 ‘heal me for I have sinned against you’.  The Lord heals sinners.  Hence Jesus’ description of himself as a doctor (Matthew 9:12-13).  By his life, death and resurrection he is the balm.  But Jeremiah asks, ‘Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?’   The Bible’s answer is that they refuse to repent, which is essential for salvation (Acts 2:38).  The Lord’s balm heals repentant sinners.

Many people in our society are convinced that what is new and what is modern must be better than what is old.  Such an outlook is not itself new – note the Athenians who spent their time ‘talking about and listening to the latest ideas’ (Acts 17:21).  Of course, the solution is not to be ‘antiquarian’, asserting that the old is automatically better, but we must remember that our Christian faith is millennia old.  We consider Jeremiah 6:16 Ask for the ancient paths.

1. The coming judgment

The spiritual situation of Judah in the time of Jeremiah’s ministry was bad and rapidly deteriorating.  There was no shortage of religious practice and Josiah had instituted significant reforms, but the effects seemed very superficial.  Thus, for example, ‘all are greedy for gain’ (v13) and the people are hardened in sin, with no shame (v15).  The priests and prophets are dishonest and suggest all is well ‘Peace, peace’ (v14).  We see the same things in our own society and the consequences are clear – ‘the wrath of the Lord’ (v11).  Even the closing of the ears becomes an element in judgment – see Isaiah 6:9-10, cited by Jesus in regard to his parables (Matthew 13:15).  Refusing God’s Word leads to greater spiritual hardness – a grave warning.

2. The earnest seeking

Despite the sins of Judah, the Lord is remarkably patient.  Through Jeremiah he calls them back yet again.  He is ‘compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love’ (Psalm 103:8).  Through the prophet he issues a call to any who will listen:

• Ask:  This is a time for taking stock – ‘Stand at the crossroads’.  What are our priorities and values, what gives life meaning?  Effort and thought are required – ‘ask’.  The ‘ancient paths’ are those revealed by the Lord and which lead to salvation, the paths that honour him.  It is not the age of the paths that matter, but their character.  This is ‘the good way’ for us, opened up by the dying and rising Messiah, who is ‘the way’ (John 14:6).

• Walk:  When we know the way, action is required.  The paths must be followed.  This is grace-enabled obedience, flowing from love for the Lord (John 14:15).  If we ‘walk by the Spirit’, then we ‘will not gratify the desires of the flesh’ (Galatians 5:16).

• Rest:  The blessed result of such a walk – ‘you will find rest for your souls’.  ‘Rest’ is a gift of God to his covenant people (Isaiah 28:12).  All burdens are lifted and we are able to live as the Lord wills.  Note the call of Jesus – ‘Come to me…I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28).  This is true liberation, with the best still to come – the dead in Christ ‘will rest from their labour’ (Revelation 14:13).

3. The stubborn refusal

Despite the call and the wonderful promise, the response of the majority is, ‘We will not walk in it’.  They prefer life according to their own wisdom.  Since they are ‘dead in…transgressions and sins’ (Ephesians 2:1), a response is impossible apart from grace, yet the sinner is responsible for refusal.  The patient God is giving a further opportunity for repentance.

We want men and women to accept the gospel and be saved.  Many, however, do not respond to the message and we may wonder why.  We may even be tempted to think we are making the gospel too difficult – perhaps if we removed some of the elements of our message that people find hard to accept, we would be more ‘successful’.  That is one reason why some modern-day presentations of the gospel have little to say about repentance, yet the Bible shows the vital importance of repentance.  We consider Jeremiah 3:11-18 Repentance the path to blessing.

1. The call to repentance (v11-13)

• National sin:  This part of Jeremiah’s ministry takes place in ‘the reign of King Josiah’ (v6) – a godly king who instituted wide-ranging reforms in Judah, yet with limited effect on the people.  Jeremiah speaks of ‘faithless Israel’ – the northern kingdom now in exile in Assyria, but the message is for Judah, sinning against the Lord by the same idolatry (v8).  Jeremiah’s words are for Judah’ benefit, but also show God is not finished with Israel.

• Divine grace:  Jeremiah’s message contains a wonderful word of hope.  This is not due to anything in the people, but all depends on ‘the Lord’ (v12).  This is the covenant name of God, indicating his sovereign grace to sinful people, taking them into his loving covenant (Leviticus 26:12).  He is ‘merciful’ (v12) – the special word for his unbreakable covenant love.  Note ‘I will not be angry with you for ever’ – there is hope for sinners.

• Essential repentance:  The blessings of salvation do not come automatically.  The call is ‘Return’ (v12) – the OT word for ‘repent’.  We repent by God’s enabling, but we must repent.  Repentance is God-centred – we have ‘rebelled against the Lord’.

3. The blessings of repentance (v14-18)

• Joyful homecoming:  God says, ‘I am your husband’ – the language of covenant.  He brings us to Zion – our spiritual home, God’s dwelling.  Also in the NT, we ‘have come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem’ (Hebrews 12:22).  All is fulfilled in Christ.

• Pastoral care: ‘I will give you shepherds after my own heart’ (v15).  The care is to be given by God-appointed spiritual leaders.  Those in Israel had often failed the people of God (see 23:1ff).  True shepherds are fitted by God’s grace for the work.  Above all we have Christ, the ‘Good Shepherd’ (John 10:11).  Shepherds must reflect his ministry.

• Spiritual focus:  Note the promise ‘your numbers have increased greatly’ (v16), fulfilled in the days of the Messiah, by the spread of the gospel.  Material symbols such as the ark are no longer needed.  We have the spiritual Jerusalem, the ‘Throne of the Lord’ (v17) where he dwells among his redeemed people.  It embraces ‘all nations’ (see Matthew 28:19).

• Godly unity:  In Jeremiah’s day Israel was in exile and Judah was on the same path, but in Messiah’s days ‘the house of Judah will join the house of Israel’ (v18).  This did not become a literal political reality – it depicts the spiritual unity of God’s covenant people – ‘we are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28), visibly so at the return of Christ at the last day.