Vol. 03, No. 43

Mt. Baker Beacon

Steven J. Wallace
10/27/24 - Mt. Baker Beacon 2024

“Righteousness, Baptism, and the Blood” (2)
Steven J. Wallace

Matthew 3:13-15
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’…”¹

BAPTISM

Jesus taught that we must first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33) and be born of water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom (Jn. 3:3-5). The Gentile who heard he must work righteousness was later commanded to be baptized (Acts 10:47, 48).

While the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel, it is apart from the law (Rom. 3:21). Righteousness is through “faith in Christ Jesus to all and on all who believe” (Rom. 3:22). Although it is not found in keeping the Law of Moses, it is found in what God set forth (3:25, 26). What did God set forth? God set forth His Son as our propitiation or mercy seat. Only through the mercy seat can we be redeemed and declared righteous today. What does this have to do with baptism? Let’s observe the link between baptism and the blood.

BLOOD

Paul explained to the Romans that Christ’s death is the demonstration of God’s love toward us (Rom. 5:8-10). We can see from this text that:

Jesus died for us while we were sinners.
We are justified by His blood.
We shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Reconciliation is through the death of God’s Son
We shall be saved by His life. Jesus now lives to make intercession for us as our priest (cf. Heb. 7:25).

Notice, “He might be the just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). So how do I exercise faith in Christ and apply the blood of God’s mercy seat to my soul? Paul answers this:

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3, 4, emp. added).

When immersed, we are brought into Jesus and His death. That is where and when God’s mercy seat is applied! When we rise from baptism, we are enabled to walk in the newness of life that glorifies the Father. Notice the parallels:

Justified by the blood (Rom. 5:9)
à Justified when baptized (1 Cor. 6:11)
Saved by the blood (Rom. 5:9)
à Saved when baptized (1 Pet. 3:21; Mk. 16:16)
Remit sins by the blood (Matt. 26:28)
à Remit sins when baptized (Acts 2:38; Col. 2:12, 13)
Life for the world is in the Lord’s sacrifice (Jn. 6:51)
à Life is found when baptized (Rom. 6:4, 5; Col. 2:12)
Sins washed away by the blood (Rev. 1:5)
à Sins washed away when baptized (Acts 22:16)

The conclusion: When we are baptized into Christ, we are justified (declared righteous) through the blood of Christ, “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:18).

“Do Not Lead Us into Temptation: Guard Your Heart”

Matthew 6:9-15

In the model prayer, identify the first three components of prayer.
1. How can I hallow God’s name in daily life?
2. How can I be kingdom-minded?
3. Why is it important that God's will, not just His title, rules in our lives?
Why should we pray for our daily necessities instead of luxuries?
When we pray for forgiveness (Matthew 6:12), why does Jesus emphasize forgiving others (Matthew 6:14-15)? How can holding grudges affect our relationship with God?
Why do you think Jesus includes a request to avoid temptation? How does praying this help us stay strong against the "schemes" we encounter in life?
According to Proverbs 25:28, someone without self-control is like a city without walls. How does lacking self-control make us vulnerable to temptation?
How can we guard our hearts against negative influences online and in our daily lives (Prov. 4:23)?
What does the inspired advice in Proverbs 7:1-5 keep one from?

“Do Not Lead Us into Temptation: The Danger of Unsupervised Internet Use”

Proverbs 7:1-9

How does excessive time spent on social media impact mental health?
How does parental supervision influence the effects of social media use?
How does Proverbs 7:6-8 illustrate the dangers of being unprepared or naive in the face of temptation?
How does Jesus' response to temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-4) serve as an example for us in dealing with temptations?
Curious Eyes: How can being drawn by wandering eyes lead to sin, and what lessons stood out to you from the biblical examples supplied?

1. Eve -
2. Lot’s wife -
3. Dinah & Shechem -
4. Achan -
5. David -