One Baptism.

by R. T. H. Horne | Category: Fellowship And Unity: | Jun 1950

On the occasion of the sending forth of the twelve by the Lord Jesus, recorded in Matthew 10., the command was, "Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans:

but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

As we turn to the later commission given in Matthew 28.18-20

by the risen Lord, we are thankful to observe the wider range of His command.

The work of redemption has been accomplished. He who died in weakness has been raised in power. Of~Him it had been declared,

"It is too light a thing that Thou shouldst be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49.0).

Having been given" all authority . . . in heaven and on earth," His command in Matthew 28.19 is: "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations."

The Samaritans and the Gentiles who had been excluded in the sending forth in Matthew 10. are to be included in that of Matthew 28.; and the position of the risen Lord and the authority vested in Him are henceforth the theme of the apostles.

When addressing " the house of Israel " in Acts 2. Peter proclaims that" God hath made Him both Lord and Christ." To the Samaritans Philip preaches" Christ "and" Good tidings concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ " in chapter 8.; whilst in the 10th chapter to the first Gentile converts Peter's message is concerning Him who is "Lord of all," and who is "ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead." -

In each of these incidents the ~proclamation resulted in the acknowledgement of the truth that Christ is Lord, and the baptism of those who responded was an evidence of their submission to the Lord, and His claims upon them, for He had said,-" Make disciples baptizing them into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

In Romans 6.4, 11, we learn that in baptism the baptize~~ one, having died with Christ, is in figure buried with Him, "that like as Christ was raised from the dead . . . . so (he) also might walk in newness of life." Henceforth he is to reckon himself "to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus." The old life which, as Paul wrote to the disciples in Ephesus, had been "lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind" is in God's reckoning, and should be in ours, ended in death, and life henceforth is to be lived "unto Him who for their sakes died and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5.15). His will is to be the rule of the disciple's life, and love to Christ its constraining power.

As this truth is acknowledged by the disciple so he will be impelled to give effect to the will of the Lord expressed in the command:

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you."

This obedience to the word of the Lord will result in disciples being found together in unity, acknowledging the fact-" Ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6.19-20).

We have been purchased by the Lord Jesus, we are owned by Him, and as those who are His we sbould learn that "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel is. 22). Let us therefore set ousselves to do as the disciples did, of

whom we read in Acts 2.41, 42, and elsewhere, who after they had been baptized sought to conform to the teaching of the Lord and His apostles.

May we not be like those to whom the Lord had cause to say,

Why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say" (Luke 6.46).

After the children of Israel had been redeemed by the blood of the pasehal lamb in Egypt, and delivered from the power and bondage of Pharaoh by "the mighty hand and stretched-out arm of the LORD," they were "baptized unto Moses" (1 Corinthians 10.2) when they passed through the Red Sea, and~thus they were separated from those who had been their masters and from the associations of their former life.

Israel thus saved and separated were in a position where the Lord could say to them, " Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto Myself."

Obedience to God's light and truth must necessarily lead to Himself. The Psalmist realized this, and so he prayed, "0 send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me . . - . unto God my exceeding joy" (Psalm 43.8, 4).

Obedience to the one Lord, as His will becomes known to us in the one faith, will lead us through the one baptism to separation unto God, and as we "go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach " (Hebrews 13.18), we shall find other disciples like-minded, with whom we may in fellowship together seek to fulfil the injunction, to give "diligence to keep. the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

<Author:R. T. H. Horne>.

R. T. H. Horne | Jun 1950
Fellowship And Unity: