Born of His Mighty Word

Introduction

Christians are born of this mighty word. That’s the title of the lesson this morning. Born of His Mighty Word. The Word of God is designed to be heart changing, life altering, conduct shaping. And this is what we’re all about. This lesson about being born of His mighty word will flow very nicely into a more in-depth study tonight. Everything you ever wanted to know about the natural man of 1 Corinthians 2 14 and more. Some of you say, I don’t know anything about the natural man. You come tonight, you will.

And it really flows out of my subject this morning. And so I bid you come back for that important study tonight. You’ve probably never heard a lesson like this. I know I haven’t preached one like it in 30 plus years. If you have, well, kudos to that guy, whoever he was. Alright. This lesson this morning could be shorter than normal. No rejoicing. But I do that because I want you to get it. I want you to stay with me in this instruction. It’s going to be quicker. It’s not going to be as fast as you saying bolt is tonight. Okay. Not going to be that fast. But please stay with me. This is important. We’re going to start in one of my favorite texts where Jesus says, and we better listen to it.

1. The Truth Shall Make You Free

These are the words of our Savior who reigns in heaven. He says, If you abide in my word, the parts I want you to focus on are in blue here. All of it’s important. If you abide in my word, that’s a big if conditional statement, then you are truly disciples of mine. That’s what we want to produce. That’s what we want to be. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Now, the reason why this is one of my favorite verses in the New Testament is because the only way to be set free is if we embrace the truth. We are born of his mighty word. Now I want to take you in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6, verses 17 and 18 to show you a couple of passages there that pertain to this all-important thought.

We must abide in Jesus’ words to be his disciples. It is the truth that sets free. We’re all about communicating the message of truth and encouraging people to abide in Jesus’ word. In Romans 6 and verse 17, this is really why Paul is giving thanks to God when he says, but thanks be to God, that though you were slaves of sin, okay, you need to be free of that. You were slaves of sin. He’s writing to Christians. He says, You became obedient. Okay. The truth sets free. If you abide in my word, Jesus says. He says, You became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching. And that’s that form of teaching I want to explain to you this morning what that teaching is. To which you were committed, to which we are committed.

2. In Christ, Walking in Newness of Life

And having been freed from sin, that’s the freedom that Jesus is talking about. Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of doing right or slaves of righteousness. And so, as a result of being obedient to the truth, we find ourselves in Christ, a phrase that you’ll see all over the New Testament. In Christ. Now, I’m not literally in Jesus, and he’s not literally in me. So, what does that phrase mean? It is a phrase that speaks of access at the throne of God. Jesus brings us to God. We have relationship with God, specifically our Savior Jesus Christ, who did all of this for us to make it possible. And so that’s why it could say we are in God and does in some places, but often specifically it speaks of the role of Christ, and so we are in Christ.

And when we are in Christ, it is because we have found forgiveness for our sins. We have been released from the shackles of sin. And so let me tell you, that’s where you need to be. Every one of us who have sin on our account, so reckoned by God in heaven, we need to be set free from that sin and come into a relationship with Christ, where we have access to God and forgiveness of our sins. Now go back earlier in Romans 6. I told you we’re going to look at a couple of passages there. Look at verses 3 and 4. And he explains this. And he explains this because some were thinking grace is so wonderful that perhaps if I sinned even more, grace could do more.

And he says, no. The goal is to get you away from sinful conduct. And he explains their baptism in this regard. And notice what it says. Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ, into Christ Jesus, have baptized, have been baptized into his death. Therefore, we have, and that’s what he’s emphasizing. And because he’s emphasizing the death part of baptism, because he’s telling them you need to die to sin and stay dead to it. Okay? You have been baptized into his death, where we have forgiveness. He says, therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that, as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

See, we’ve been baptized into Christ. We’ve come into relationship with him. We have been given forgiveness. Truth has set us free, and now we’re to walk in newness of life. And let Paul describe the nature of this life in Christ. This is familiar to many in our audience. What did Paul say in Philippians 1? For to me to live is Christ. Christ who is our life, he says in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 4. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. That is unabnormal kind of thinking in our world. We think the last thing we want is death. But Paul knows that because he’s in relationship with Christ, that what follows death is very much better. And so when one is in Christ, he lives.

He walks in newness of life. To live is Christ. And the reason for that is that when one is in Christ, and when the attitude of one is to live is Christ, we now have guidance for our footsteps, guidance for our thinking, guidance for our lives. We have purpose.

So again, this is where you need to be. You need to make sure you’re here. Truth has set you free, that you are in Christ, that you have all the things associated with that, and now your attitude as you walk in newness of life is to live is Christ. And you allow Jesus to indwell you. And that’s the idea of guidance. You allow Jesus to shape, as I said at the very outset this morning, to shape your life, your thinking, your conduct, your attitudes, your values. You have guidance, you have purpose to be a light in the world as his child, and you have the ultimate hope of glory. And that’s why he says, around this, as I’ve already quoted in verse 23, to depart and be with Christ is very much better.

But he said just prior to that in verse 20, as he talks about speaking with all boldness in regard to the things of the gospel, he says, this Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. That’s the statement that flows in for me to live as Christ and to die as gain. Christ exalted and magnified in my body. He says, that’s my purpose. That’s our purpose. Now, how did all of that come to be? How did Paul get into Christ? A little explanation there in Romans 6, so that he could live with Christ being the focus of his life. Well, as the title suggests, we are born of his mighty word. And we’re going to let Peter talk about this in 1 Peter chapter 1, because it’s very clear here how this all happens.

3. Born Again Through the Living and Abiding Word

Alright, we’re going to talk about how this happens. Really, I’m starting in the middle of the context here at verse 19. Really need to start all the way back in the beginning in verse 3. So you know that and go back to that this week if you have some time. Okay? We’re going to start in verse 19, where Peter talks about the fact that we’re redeemed with something very precious. We come into that relationship with Christ that we just talked about, only made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice for us. We have been redeemed not with things like silver and gold as valuable as they are, but something even more valuable. The precious blood of Jesus. Alright, that’s verse 19. As the Lamb, unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

And he said, this was, and this really relates to tonight, so circle this in your mind, students. For he was foreknown before the foundation of the world. Huh. I wouldn’t have known that unless God told me. For he was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you. God is cluing us into what history has been all about. He has appeared in these last times, as Daniel pointed out, like a flash in the sky. That’s how quickly the life of Jesus on the landscape of history occurred. I like that, Daniel. But has appeared in these last times for the sake of you. Now look at this. Verse 21, stay with me. Who through him, through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Now, this, now this is where you come in. This is how you get into Christ. Since you have in obedience to the truth, what do we see in the beginning? Truth sets free. Right? Abiding my word, then your disciples of mine. Since you have in obedience to the truth, that’s the only way into Christ. Purify your souls unto a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart. See what happens when you get into Christ, you have purpose, and part of that purpose is a real big part of it is you now love his people. And that’s what he says in 1 Peter 1 22. So look at that. In truth, you have purified your souls. Now, verse 23, the sentence isn’t over.

Sentence still going. For you have been born again, not of seed, which is perishable, but imperishable. You are the product that comes from seed, like you plant a seed and you get a result, hopefully strawberries or watermelon or something good like that. Not rhubarb. My dad planted rhubarb above all things. Dad, it’s a small garden. Why rhubarb? Seeds produce results. I like tomatoes, strawberries, things like that. Watermelon. Okay. For you have been born again, not of seed, which is perishable, but imperishable. You can’t you can’t destroy this. But imperishable, that is through. Okay, you your souls were purified in obedience to the truth. And he says, You have been born again through this seed, which is the living and abiding word of God. For everything else is temporary.

All flesh is like grass and all of its glory, like the flower of grass. You ever notice everybody dies? Everything goes to rack and ruin. The grass withers, the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord abides forever, and this is the word which was preached to you. So Jesus had said, the truth sets free, and then as it talks about how we receive the benefits of Jesus’ sacrifice, the precious blood of a lamb, he says, this word tells us how. Tells us what Jesus’ sacrifice means. Tells us how we are to get in Christ. And so when we come into that relationship we just talked about, it is because this word has shown us the way. Now let’s go back to being in Christ.

4. Baptized Into Christ

How does that happen? Our souls are purified in obedience to the truth. And as we studied in Acts 19 in our Bible class this morning, as Romans chapter 6, verses 3 and 4 clearly suggest, that happens as we are baptized in His name. That is the final step that places us in Christ. Want some evidence for that? Galatians 3. We’re the children of God by faith, it says in verse 26, for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. That’s this relationship. That’s the culminating step. One more verse. Also in 1 Peter, a couple chapters later, he’s already said your souls are purified in obedience to the truth. He says, again, pointing to this specific step, he says, baptism doth also now save us.

Yes, it’s water, yes, it’s immersion, but it’s not an outward cleansing. It’s not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but it’s an appeal to God, he says, for a good conscience. I need you to cleanse me. I need you to take care of my sins. It is an appeal to God for a clean conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is, I have confidence that I’m going to be raised from spiritual death unto life because Jesus himself was raised from the dead. Peter is saying the same thing in 1 Peter 3 that Paul was saying in Romans chapter 6. So here’s what I want to convey to you this morning. Yes, baptism involves the right act. A lot of churches get this wrong.

5. Right Act, in His Name, Fueled by Faith

They don’t follow the model of baptism in the New Testament. They sprinkle, they pour. But this is a burial, we read in Romans chapter 6. A burial into Jesus’ death. The very word in the Greek speaks to a submerging or immersion in water taught consistently through the New Testament. Even John baptized where he did because there was much water there. John chapter 3 and verse 23. But just getting the right act is not all there is. There’s something inward going on here when someone comes into Christ. There’s an inward change that’s happening. It’s an appeal to God for a clean conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And the way I like to illustrate this, when we were little kids, we were enamored with baptism. Because it was a neat thing we saw.

People being baptized. But we were little kids. And in the summertime, which is the only time you can swim in Indiana, because it’s cold there 95 months out of the year. We would swim in July. That was it. No, maybe June, July, and August. And, you know, you make up games when you’re swimming in a swimming pool. And what we would do sometimes is we would baptize each other. So we got boys baptizing girls baptizing boys. I mean, it was. We mimicked what we saw. But everybody knows that’s not conversion unto the Lord because it’s not just the right act, it is why we’re doing it. Okay. Why we’re doing it? Because baptism in his name, that’s the part I want you to get. It’s not just Jesus, J-E-S-U-S.

It is on the basis of what you understand that he is. It’s his status. It’s all that Jesus is. That’s what it means to be baptized in his name. It’s I believe he is risen king, raised from the dead. He’s my Savior. He’s going to cleanse my sins, and he’s Lord of my life. He is the ultimate authority in the universe. He is King, Savior, and Lord. And so I appeal to Him, as 1 Peter 3 21 says, appeal to God for a clean conscience, because I trust in him and his mighty word to deliver what God promises. The truth sets you free. And all of this, Peter doesn’t really talk about that in 1 Peter 3. He talks about it in chapter 1. It is fueled by faith.

It only has meaning, this right action that my sins are being washed away by Jesus’ blood. And that should have an apostrophe right there. By Jesus’ blood as I am repenting. Other passages talk about that, the other parts involved in this. Acts 2.38, the very first sermon that was preached, said what? Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. On the basis of all that he is, in the name of Jesus, for the remission of your sins. See, you’re making an appeal. Jesus, you know what I believe about you? You’re the King. You’re the Savior. I need you to be saved from my sins. You’re the living Lord in heaven. I need to do what you bid me do. I’m coming to you. I trust in you for my salvation.

6. Taught Incorrectly About the Purpose of Baptism

Because I cannot do it on my own. I believe in this act that you will do what you promise, and that’s to cleanse me from my sin. So three things. Right act, baptism in his name, risen King, Savior, and Lord, fueled by faith. Now, one more part of this, and I’ll be done. See, that’s going quick. Not as fast as you say, Bowl, but pretty quick. If I am taught incorrectly about the purpose and role of baptism, if I believe, for instance, as many teach, that I am already saved when I am immersed in water, I am not being baptized in his name. Regardless of what the baptizer says. Now I’m going to leave that up there and let you take that in because it’s the last major slide.

I’ve got one more. Okay. I have to believe the truth in order to be saved. It’s the truth that sets free. And if I’m taught incorrectly about what baptism does, you see, I was saved back here when I said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He’s the Savior. I accepted Him in my heart as my personal Savior. That’s not what the Bible says. The Bible says baptism is an essential part of this process of getting into Christ. And so if I believe the wrong thing, even though I do the right act, I am not baptized in his name, which I must be in order to be in Christ. So these are very important points. Some people take solace in the fact, well, I did the right thing.

I did the religious thing. I was immersed in water. And I had a pretty good heart about it. You know, I want to do what God wanted me to do. But if you were taught incorrectly about the role that baptism plays according to this mighty word, then you’re not born of the word. That’s why this is important. And it’s so deceitful, isn’t it? It makes me mad that people don’t teach it right. That people believe things that are wrong. And thus they think they’re right with God, but they’re not born of his word. They’ve not been baptized in his name. That’s why this is so important. That’s why I’m preaching on it this morning. If I am taught incorrectly about the purpose and role of baptism, and that’s what I’ve got to ask myself about being immersed at some point in the past.

Was I taught correctly? What did I believe? If I believe that I was already saved, and this is just a righteous act that people do because the Bible talks about baptism. Then I wasn’t baptized for the right reason. I wasn’t baptized in his name. That’s why I left that at the top of that. You’ve got to be baptized in his name to be in Christ.

I am not being baptized in his name unless I understand the purpose and role of baptism. Regardless of what the baptizer says. You know, that’s, you know, a lot of times we say, I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit because of the passage that says that, Matthew 28, 19. But when you baptize people according to this truth, you are baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, regardless of what the baptizer says. That’s not another step in the salvation process. I don’t have to say the magic words. For it to be a scriptural baptism. That’s not the point of that. Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, or baptism in Jesus’ name, is a baptism according to this mighty word.

Where you have the right act with the right heart together. The right understanding and belief. That’s baptism in Jesus’ name. That’s baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. And so just because somebody like me says those words, that doesn’t make it baptism in Jesus’ name. I can sprinkle on you and say the same words. And it not be baptism for the remission of sins. And not place you in Christ. That’s the real horror of Satan’s deception. When people are convinced that they’ve done the religious thing, they’ve done the right thing, but not for the right reasons, because they were taught by a false teacher. And thus they don’t end up in a saving relationship with the Lord. I’ve left this up here for a long time because I wanted you to get it.

Conclusion

I want you to think about it. And this is the concluding point. It’s not just what we do, but why we do it. Both of those things matter. Doing the right thing. What and why have to work together. Let me show you this. And we’ll move right into the invitation this morning. 1 Corinthians 13. This is Paul’s point in this text. Where he says this. Here’s a lot of right things going on here. If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, that’s good, but do not have love, I’m just a noisy gong and a clinging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but I do not have love, it profits me nothing.

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, that’s a good thing. And if I deliver my body to be burned, martyr. But do not have love, it profits me nothing. I’ll tell you what this passage is saying. The what is important, but the why must also be present. I’m sorry, that’s what we’ve got to constantly be doing. Why am I doing religiously what I’m doing? Is it about love for God and love for others? What’s my motive? The two must go hand in hand. And so if you’re in our audience tonight, actually still this morning. Just seeing if you’re awake. If you’re in our audience this morning and, I know you’re in our audience because I see you. We say that. If you’re in our audience today.

Well, yeah, of course you are. I see you. But there’s a second part to that. And, okay, if you’re in this audience this morning, and you have not done the right act that we have described. Or perhaps you’ve done the right act, but not also coupled with the right reasons or understanding. We make an appeal at the end of every lesson for you to come so that you can be in Christ and start the life that Paul described to live is Christ. Where you’re always examining whether or not Christ is in you like he needs to be, governing and guiding your heart and your steps. If you are subject to his invitation to embrace his message of salvation, we urge you to respond. Let’s stay in the second.