Faith and Baptism (Genesis 17)
We are rebellious people, so we really enjoy exceptions to the rule. Discuss whether a person should be obedient to an authority in their life and the response is most often about exceptions to that rule.
If you tell your child that they must obey their teacher, they will often ask, “what if she tells me to do something I shouldn’t.” Then you explain the exception. And this line of questioning continues. At some point we begin to realize that this is not actually about figuring out boundaries. It’s about not wanting to submit to authority.
This sort of attitude spills over into our thinking about all sorts of other things. And baptism is one of those things.
There is a story in the New Testament that people cling to and grab hold concerning whether a person must be baptized to be saved. And that story is the story of the criminal on the cross. When Jesus was dying on the cross one criminal made fun of Jesus while He was on the cross and the other criminal responded with faith in Christ.
“But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”” (Luke 23:40-43 ESV)
Now, when we read that story and understand what is going on it becomes obvious at once that the only necessary response to Christ is faith. That criminal entrusted himself to the Lord and Jesus promised that he would have eternal life.
And so, I believe rightly, we understand that baptism is not necessary for salvation. We rightly observe that Christ has completely accomplished our salvation and there is no work necessary for us to do. Jesus really accomplished our salvation completely. But to put baptism on the back burner is to totally miss the point.
And here, in our message today I want to discuss the importance of baptism. I want us to understand that baptism, while not necessary, is of massive importance. And to neglect being baptized is a sin that God is very displeased with.
This entire event takes place with God’s unilateral promise given to Abram (Genesis 15). It’s been a while since we discussed it, but God made a covenant with Abram. It was a covenant that God would fulfill. God would be with Abram and fulfill His promises to Abram, not because of anything Abram had done. Abram had done nothing to receive this tremendous grace. God would Himself fulfill all the obligations of the covenant with Abram. And the heart of this covenant with Abram was “undeniably and simply: “I will be your God and ye shall be my people” (cf. Gen. 17:7; Exod. 19:5, 6; Deut. 7:6; 14:2; Jer.31:33)”.[1]
At least 14 years have passes since that covenant was made. 14 years without a fulfillment. 14 years of waiting is no small amount of waiting. God made Abram wait for 14 years, but now things will get to moving.
And what we will see in this text is that salvation is of the Lord and He commands us to partake in the sign of that salvation.
The sign of God’s covenant with His people in the Old Testament was circumcision. The sign of God’s covenant salvation in the New Testament Church is baptism. We understand that there are differences between circumcision and baptism. Circumcision was only given to males. Circumcision was given to boys who were eight days old, and we understand that the sign is given to those who are professing believers only. But the similarities in the signs are also
Circumcision was a symbol of renewal and the cleansing of the heart. That is why hardness of heart toward the things of God was often called being “uncircumcised in heart” (Leviticus 26:41, Jeremiah 9:26, Ezekiel 44:7). And this is also why a person who was circumcised of heart was thought to be more submitted to the Lord and able to receive the things that are spiritual (Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4, 9:26; Ezekiel 44:7).[2] We would say whole heartedly that this is very similar to what Baptism signifies. In fact, notice what Paul does in the Book of Colossians.
“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:11-14 ESV)
It is obvious that the two signs are very similar. But, it is also obvious within the text that the two are very different. Those who have been buried with him in baptism are those who were raised through faith in God. This very similar sign, with a very similar meaning is now given to people who have entrusted their lives to Christ.
Because of the similarities in the signs, I believe that we can take a text like this and apply it to our day and gain an understanding of baptism. And what we will see in this text is that salvation is of the Lord, and He commands His people to partake in the sign of that salvation.
Salvation Is Of The Lord (Genesis 15; Genesis 17:5-8, 1-4)
The background of this chapter is all of God’s dealing with Abram thus far. As we’ve worked through the Book of Genesis, we have seen that God chose Abram and His family out of all the people of the world (Genesis 12). God’s favor fell upon Abram, not because of any thing he had done. It was God’s choice of Abram that set him apart for the Lord.
God would save a people for Himself. Nations would come from Abram. This is not just the Hebrew people and the nations that came from Ishmael. God had already promised to bless all nations through Him. And we have emphasized that this promise was about the coming of Jesus and all those who profess faith in Him. (Galatians 3:25-29). God’s covenant people would come through Abram. And those people that were adopted into the Abrahamic covenant in the New Testament era would come through faith in Christ, who was Himself part of the lineage of Abram.
As we think about what this means, we begin to understand that God chose the means by which His covenant would extend. The covenant would be extended through the offspring of Abram. The promises to be with the offspring of Abram and the land promises all point to the fact that God chose to save a people for Himself through the lineage of Abram. And this choice of God to work in this manner even extended down to the lineage of Abram that these promises would extend. They would extend through Isaac and not Ishmael. They would extend through the child born from Sarai and not Hagar.
And so, something else becomes incredibly obvious to us. It is God who does the saving. It was the child brought about supernaturally to two people who were far too old to have a child that would be the lineage that through which the Savior would one day come. This salvation would not come through the lineage that was brought about through the sinful plan of Abram and Sarai. It was God who brought this about. It was no human work.
And in response to this glorious salvation, God expected obedience. Abram was commanded to walk before the Lord, that is to keep God’s commands. He was to live blamelessly as a family that was set apart for the Lord.
One of the most profound and repeated truths, whether it be in plain statement or illustrated in a story in Scripture is that salvation is of the Lord.
All the world was plunged in the depths of darkness and God chose Abram and his family to be His people. God pledged Himself to them. He is their God and they are His people. And God made rich, rich promises to them.
But this does not change after Abram. The Apostle Paul proclaims it loudly,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)
Mankind fell into darkness when Adam rebelled against God. From that point on, we were born with a rebellious nature. We are all born as those in rebellion against God. And God chose Abram out of all the people of the Earth to be His and to bring salvation. And between the children of Abram, He chose Isaac. This choosing of the lineage is something that will happen repeatedly throughout the Book of Genesis, most notably when we get to the story of Jacob and Esau. But eventually, through the lineage of Abram, Christ came. God the Holy Spirit chose one through whom to bring God the Son to Earth. He took on human flesh and dwelt among us. He lived a perfect life and died on the cross as the punishment for sin on behalf of all who would believe. Then He rose from the grave three days later, so that all who believed would also rise. And this work that Jesus accomplished has purchased for us the right to be called children of God.
From start to finish it is God who does the work of salvation. It is God whose idea it was to save. It is God who decided how we could be saved. And it is God who accomplished the salvation. So, we cry out with Jonah,
“Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9 b ESV)
And God has given to us an ordinance concerning that salvation that we are to participate in. He has given us the sign of baptism.
God Has Given Us The Sign Of Baptism (Genesis 17:9-14)
God not only made a way for salvation, but He gave a sign or a picture of that salvation. It was something that all who participated in the sign would see and remember. Here it was circumcision. For us, on this side of the cross it is baptism.
Circumcision was the cutting off of the flesh that we call the foreskin. And every time Abram urinated he would see this picture and be reminded of the things that this sign symbolized.
Being circumcised pictured a few things that we should consider here. First, it symbolized being set apart for the Lord. They were God’s chosen and covenant people. It was a sign that reminded them that they were God’s people. It also pictured their cleansing from sin (Deuteronomy 30:6, Colossians 2:11). And it pictured regeneration, or the purification of the heart and love for the Lord (Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6, Jeremiah 4:4, 9:26; Ezekiel 44:7).
As we think about these things for today, I think it would behoove us to consider what it is that baptism symbolizes. When you do this, you quickly find that the things pictured are very similar. Being baptized is a picture of being set apart for the Lord. It is a public declaration of our allegiance to Christ. We also understand that baptism, like circumcision is a picture or our cleansing from sin (Colossians 2:11-14). And we oftentimes read or quote from Paul’s teaching on baptism in Romans 6:3-11 where he shows us that baptism pictures our death to sin and the old life and our new life in Christ.
Though circumcision is far different from baptism, the things signified are very similar. They both pointed God’s people, in their appropriate time, the salvation that God freely gives. In the same way that every male that looked down at himself had a visible reminder of all these things on himself, you should remember your baptism and be pointed to the salvation that God freely gave.
We have much to remember and be thankful for when we remember our baptism or see someone else get baptized. We are adopted into God’s family through the finished work of Christ. We have been cleansed from sin through the finished work of Christ. We have been born again or regenerated and brought to Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. And all these things are pictured for us in baptism.
In Genesis 17:9, circumcision is so closely related to the salvation given that the word circumcision is used to signify the grace that God has given.
“This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.” (Genesis 17:10 ESV)
The picture given is so closely related to the salvation given that the word is used interchangeably. And even that is similar to baptism.
“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1 Peter 3:21 ESV)
Faith and baptism are so closely related for Peter that he used them interchangeably in this text. He explained that it was not a removal of dirt from our bodies, but an appeal to God for a good conscience or cleansing from sin.
And here is the point, God has given us signs that we need to take hold of. We saw the sign of the rainbow a few months back. It calls us to remember the promise of God not to flood the entire Earth again.
God has given us the sign of the Lord’s Supper. We are to take hold of that and remember and proclaim the great salvation that has been given to us in Christ.
God has given us baptism, and it pictures for us our relationship to the Lord as God’s people, cleansing from sin, and the new birth. These are things we need to ponder and think on often.
When another person is baptized, we should be thinking on all that baptism symbolizes, both for them and for us. It should call to mind the grace and mercy of God over our lives.
God Commands Us To Partake In The Sign (Genesis 17:9-14)
Circumcision was not a suggestion. And neither is baptism. Both are commanded by the Lord. And neither are to be neglected in their own time.
There are differences in when these signs are to be partaken in. Circumcision was when the baby was eight days old. And baptism is when one believes. Over and over throughout the Scriptures the command is to “repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38). And in that way baptism is different from circumcision. But neither one is a recommendation. Both are a command.
And herein lies the scariest portion of this text. And it should come as a warning to anyone who has decided not to be baptized.
“Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” (Genesis 17:14 ESV)
The sign is not salvation. But the Israelite who rejected being circumcised broke God’s covenant and invited the curses of the covenant to fall upon their selves. It displeased God greatly if the Israelites rejected circumcision. I would argue that it is the same for those who reject being baptized.
Obedience to the Lord is something that Christians are supposed to do. Obedience to partake int eh sigh is obedience to the Lord. And those who believe in Christ and are not baptized invite upon themselves God’s displeasure and His chastisement. God will not tolerate His people being disobedient to Him long term. And being baptized is the first act of obedience for the born again believer.
Baptism is not a recommendation, neither was circumcision. It is no small matter.
When we say that baptism is not necessary for salvation, we mean that the necessary response is repentance and faith. But that does not mean that baptism is unimportant. Because Abram responded with faith in God’s promise, it was counted to him as righteous. In other words, Abram was counted as righteous by faith in God’s promise before the sign of circumcision was given. That is the point of Paul’s discussion in Romans 4.
“Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.” (Romans 4:9-10 ESV)
He was credited with righteousness by faith n the promise of God, not his circumcision. But this did not make his circumcision worth little. In fact, it is obvious from our text today that God would have been very displeased had Abram neglected to circumcise himself and his household.
So this helps to inform us quite a bit concerning baptism.
Yes, the thief on the cross made it into glory to be with Jesus without having been baptized. That is true and it teaches us that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone by Christ alone. I want that to be understood well. The thief on the cross illustrates for us the fact that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone and to think that we must be baptized to be brought into God’s family would mean that there is some sort of work that you must do to gain right standing with God. And that is no the case.
But I also want you to understand that baptism is of massive importance to God. And, it is of massive importance to the life of a Christian. We simply cannot relegate baptism to the back burner of faith.
I do want to have a short discussion about baptism of children. There is a difference between taking baptism seriously and being careful not to baptize someone who should not at this time be baptized.
We believe that the sign is now given only to those who are believers. The sign is now given to those who are born again Christians. We are not always going to get that right. But we do proceed with caution and try to get it right. This means that we proceed with caution with regard to our children and anyone else that professes faith in Christ. I do not believe that we should hold children to a different standard than adults. They should be able to confess the faith in a meaningful way. And they will also manifest fruits of repentance in their life.
So, I do believe that we should not hinder children coming to faith in Christ. But I also know that children are easily persuadable, immature, and easily deceived. All of this means that we proceed with caution when considering baptizing our children. And, believe me, this is sometimes very difficult.
Your child will likely say that they believe long before they have entrusted their life to Christ. And here is what I want to say to you. It is okay to be patient with this. We don’t want to hinder children coming to faith in Christ or being obedient in baptism, but we also do not want to give them a false assurance of their salvation by baptizing them before they were ready.
Parents, patience is not disobedience. But we also do not want to be people who think so little of baptism that we don’t ever consider baptism. And, I will here give a recommendation for a book on this topic that I picked up recently and it is “Your Child’s Profession of Faith” by Dennis Gundersen. The baptism of your child is of massive importance, but be patient and look for those manifestations of saving faith in your child.
God Will Do What He Has Promised And Pictured In The Sign (Genesis 17:15-21)
After delivering the command to circumcise, God delivered the promise again to Abraham that circumcision was to picture. And here is the point. God will do what He has promised to do. And God will do what He has promised to do in the picture.
For us today, this means that God has made a way for us to be brought into His family. God has cleansed us from sin. And God has given to us eternal life. And we can count on all these things being true because God will do everything that He has promised to do.
The sign is a picture of the promise given. Consider the signs found in Scripture. I believe this will help us to understand what is happening here.
God gave the rainbow as a picture of the promise given. When we look at the rainbow, we should remember the promise that God gave to not wipe out the whole Earth with a flood again (Genesis 9:8-17). So, we understand that God will fulfill the obligations that He made in that covenant every time we look at the rainbow.
God gave us the Lord’s Supper. In the Lord’s Supper we see the picture of Christ’s death. But we are also reminded of God’s promise of forgiveness of sins through the finished work of Christ and that we will one day be with Jesus in eternity (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
In baptism we partake in a picture that both signifies what God has done for us: cleansing from sin, and regeneration. But it also pictures full forgiveness of sins and entrance into God’s family. We are adopted into God’s family, to be with Him through all eternity because God has done and will do what is pictured in baptism.
Take Obedience Seriously And Be Baptized (Genesis 17:22-27)
Our text ends today with Abram and his household jumping into action. This is filled with a lot of obedience to the Lord, and probably a lot of soreness. But the end of this passage really gets to the heart of our message today.
The end of the passage is simple. Abram simply obeys God’s command. And all of his household was circumcised.
This sermon, for most of you, may have helped you to understand baptism in a better and more full way. But most of you have already been baptized. That does not make this sermon an unnecessary one.
One of the things that happens when you preach through an entire book of the Bible, is that you end up preaching on topics that you would not have chosen to preach on otherwise. But as I examined this text and what it said to us in our day, I began to understand that we probably need to have a fuller view of baptism. It is not an issue that should reside on the back burner. It is something that should matter greatly to us.
If you are here today, have trusted in Christ and have not been baptized then we need to discuss obedience to Christ. Obedience to Christ demands that believers be baptized.
As Christians, we are to take obedience seriously in all areas of our life. But the first area that we are to do this is baptism. So, if you have not been baptized and are a professing believer, then you need to be baptized.
Parents of children asking questions. Be patient. I would love to talk with you about this. But at the same time, don’t treat baptism like a secondary issue. It certainly is not. We do wait to see things in our children’s lives such as a sound profession of faith in Christ, love for Christ, a determination to be obedient to Christ, and a rejection of sin in their lives. We watch their lives for things such as this. But we do not treat it as an unnecessary addition to the Christian life, for it certainly is not that.
And as a church, we walk in obedience to the Lord concerning baptism. And as we see more and more people baptized, we will over and over again be reminded of the wonderful work that God has done in our own lives and the salvation that He accomplished for us in Christ.
Conclusion
The ordinance of baptism is important. And one of the rather odd things that has taken place in the life of the modern church is that it has been seen as unimportant. Salvation is of the Lord, and He commands His people to partake in the sign of that salvation. Our salvation is by faith alone and your baptism does not get you into Heaven. But it is commanded of you. And it is something that we, as a church should take seriously.
R. Dwain Minor
[1] John Murray, “Christian Baptism”, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, Phillipsburg New Jersey, 1980. P. 47. (I disagree with the premise of Murray’s book, that’s why I am still a Baptist. But he is very helpful here.)
[2] John K. Jewett, “Infant Baptism and the Covenant of Grace”, Wm. B. Eerdman’s Publishing Co., Grand Rapinds, Mich., 1980, Pp. 85-89. (This is a summary of an argument from John K. Jewett’s very good book called “Infant Baptism and the Covenant of Grace”. This book is an excellent response to John Murray’s book cited above.)