Monday, November 11, 2024

PT-8 "Obedience" (Matthew 28:19-20a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/11/2024 8:51 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                   Focus:  PT-8 “Obedience”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                             Reference:  Matthew 28:19-20a

 

            Message of the verses:  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;”

 

            I continue to write about baptism as I begin this Spiritual Diary.  MacArthur writes “Baptism is to be made in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was not giving a ritual formula, although that beautiful phrase from the lips of our Lord has been commonly and appropriately used in baptismal services throughout the history of the church. In the name of is not a sacramental formula, as seen in the fact that the book of Acts reports no converts being baptized with those precise words.  Those words are rather a rich and comprehensive statement of the wonderful union that believers have with the whole Godhead.”

 

            Now I am thankful for better understanding what MacArthur just wrote about baptism as I have heard Pastors go over this saying things that a person had to be baptized in the name of, and then gives all of the names of the Godhead.  I have heard others that only two members of the Godhead should be used when baptism people.  I can honestly say that I don’t really remember what was said when I was baptized.  However, and I mentioned this before, when I was baptized that when I was put under the water I saw in my mind myself lying in a casket and when I mentioned that to my Pastor some time later he said to me “well I didn’t see that.” 

 

            Now as we study the New Testament we can surely see that Jesus is the very Son of God, the second person of the Godhead, and we recently saw when Jesus was crucified that this was the reason that He was crucified because the Jewish leaders did not believe that He was the Son of God.  They were wrong and people who teach this today are wrong, for Jesus is, and always has been the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God.  Now is saying that believers are to be baptized in His name too shows this truth that He is the Son of God.  Also when stating this He is emphasizing the unity of the Trinity by declaring baptism should be done in Their one name (singular), not in Their separate names.  MacArthur goes on to write “As it does in many parts of Scripture, the phrase the name here embodies the fullness of a person, encompassing all that he is, has, and represents.  When he is baptized the believer is identified with everything that God is, has, and represents.

 

            “The pronoun Jesus uses here (eis, in) can also be rendered ‘into’ or ‘unto.’  Those who teach baptismal regeneration—the belief that water baptism is essential for salvation—insist that it must here be translated ‘into.’  But that is a completely arbitrary translation and, in any case, cannot stand up against the many other passages that prove baptism has no part in regeneration but is rather an outward act, subsequent to regeneration, that testifies to its having taken place.

 

            “Baptism does not place a believer into oneness with the Trinity but signifies that, by God’s grace working through his faith in Jesus Christ, the believer already has been made one with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

 

            Now this ends the second requirement for making disciples of all nations and the third requirement for making disciples of all nations is that of teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.  It is my desire to look at this third requirement of making disciples in the next SD, and then on Wednesday I wish to be able to finish my study of the book of Matthew which I believe began on November 19, 2019, so a few days short of five years.  My plans are to begin the study of 2 Timothy on Thursday morning.  I am looking forward to beginning that study but rather sad to leave Matthew’s gospel as it has been a part of my morning devotions for almost five years.

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I certainly need the power of the Holy Spirit in my life to do the things that fall under the category of obedience. 

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I continue to ask and to trust the Holy Spirit to cause my life to be obedient to the Word of God and its teachings.

 

11/11/2024 9:19 AM

 

 

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