The Church and Infant Baptism, Part 5

Introduction: The Church's Distinguishing Religious Experience

0:00 This adult Sunday school class was held on February 12, 1984, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now let's once again pray for the blessing of God upon our study of His Holy Word.

0:18 O Lord, as we come again into Your presence, we come asking that You would assist us this morning. And we pray, Lord, that we would be washed and cleansed from our sins in the blood of the Lamb, that the dullness may be taken from our minds and spirits, that our minds may be quickened and made active and receptive to Your Holy Word and truth, and that the Spirit may be present in our midst this morning, that we may be given the ability to understand and comprehend the truth, and also, Lord, that we may take it to heart, for the glory and honor and praise of Jesus Christ. We ask these things in His name. Amen. Amen.

1:11 Now we have been considering the manner in which this issue of infant baptism relates to the biblical doctrine of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in this fourth unit of thought. And what we have seen is that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what we have seen so far is that the practice of infant baptism is incompatible with the biblical descriptions of the growth of the Church, with the biblical descriptions of the membership of the Church. And now also, this morning, we're going to consider its incompatibility with the biblical descriptions of the religious and spiritual experience of the Church. Its incompatibility with the religious, and spiritual experience of the Church, Roman numeral 3. Now just by way of introduction, to try to put things in perspective on this score, we know that the Church is a group of people. But the question is, who are they?

2:19 How are we to identify this group of people? Well, we're to identify them by looking at the biblical descriptions that, of those things, which tend to be the biblical descriptions of the Church. Which tend to mark out, or to distinguish, a given group.

2:41 If you're going to find out what a group consists of, you ask, well, how are its members described? You ask, how does it grow? And you ask, what does that group, as a group, characteristically experience? In other words, what are the distinguishing traits of its experience?

3:02 Of its growth? And of its membership? So that's what we've been looking at. In an effort to understand and define the identity of the Church.

3:16 Now the Pato-Baptist position is that the Church consists of believers and their infants. Believers and their minor children. And what I'm saying to you is that this is true. It doesn't fit with the biblical descriptions of the members of the Church.

3:34 It doesn't fit with the... It doesn't fit with the biblical descriptions of the growth of the Church.

3:39 And hopefully, as we'll see this morning, it doesn't fit with the biblical descriptions of the experience, the religious experience of the Church. It's incompatible with the way that this group called the Church is described, the way it's said to grow, and it's incompatible with its distinguishing religious experience. Now throughout all of this, I've spoken about distinguishing traits. You know what?

Illustration: Distinguishing Traits of a Tire

4:06 You know what distinguishing traits are? Well, I hope that you do. But I have a little illustration this morning about distinguishing traits. And what I would like to do is I'd like to list out the distinguishing traits of a given object and then you can tell me what the object is.

4:24 All right? All right, first distinguishing trait is that it's round and it has a hole in the middle. All right? Well, there's lots of things it could be, right?

4:36 You just have that. You couldn't say exactly what it was. It's round and has a hole in the middle. Someone says it's a doughnut.

4:42 Someone says, well, no, it's a bagel. All right. Well, it could be a doughnut. It could be a bagel.

4:48 Next distinguishing trait is that it's black. Now, it's unlikely that it's a doughnut. It could be a burned bagel, I guess. All right.

4:58 But now, next distinguishing trait is that it's made out of rubber. Well, unlikely that you'd still guess that it's a doughnut and a bagel, right? It's made out of rubber. So what could it be?

5:10 Well, if it's made out of rubber, it could be a pair of boots. Well, that's black. A pair of boots is black, right? But most boots are not round with a hole in the middle, although I had a pair of boots once that was round and had a hole in the middle.

5:27 But now, the next thing is, suppose you said, well, it mounts on a rim. Oh, now I'm starting to get somewhere. It mounts on a rim. It could be a wagon wheel, but unlikely.

5:40 Then you say, well, it has treads on the surface. Well, it could be boots. It could be running shoes. But what is it?

5:46 It's a tire. That's right. It's round. It's got a hole in the middle.

5:51 It's black. It's made out of rubber. It mounts on a rim and has treads on the surface. I'd say it's a tire, right?

5:57 So the point is, if you have the distinguishing traits of a thing, now, a tire has something in common with a bagel and a doughnut. It has something in common with a pair of boots and wagon wheels and running shoes. It has things in common with all of those. But when you list out the distinguishing traits of a tire, then it really, when you're all finished, it can't be a doughnut, and it can't be a pair of boots, and it can't be a wagon wheel.

6:21 It's a tire. Right? Now, that's what we're doing. We're looking at the distinguishing traits.

6:26 Now, some of these things, if you just look at one of them or two of them, you couldn't really tell absolutely and certainly what it is. But when you put them all together, there's only one thing that fits. And there's other things that don't fit. Now, that's the point.

6:40 God has in the Scriptures given to us the distinguishing traits. He's given to us the distinguishing traits of his church. He's given, he's told us, he's described for us the members of the church, he's described the growth of the church, and he's described the experience of the church. And when you put all that stuff together, there's only one thing that fits.

6:59 And what doesn't fit, what doesn't fit, is that the church is composed of believers and their infant children. That doesn't fit. What does fit is that the church is composed of those who believe in Christ. Now, the final thing, the final thing, then, that we're going to look at today, and I want to come at it from a positive point of view, is the religious experience of the church.

The Church in Jerusalem and Judea: Peace, Edification, Fear, and Comfort

7:24 And once again, now, we're going to survey the relevant biblical passages, and we'll see how far we get. We have about 45 minutes, and we'll see if we can get through them. We have a ways to go. And I've opened them up into ten categories, and I don't know how many of these ten categories we'll get through today, but we're going to try.

7:45 The first is the church of Jerusalem and Judea. And the second is Antioch and the surrounding churches of Paul's missionary journey. Thirdly, Corinth. Fourth, the churches of Galatia.

7:59 Fifth, Ephesus. Sixth, Philippi. Colossi, seven. Thessalonica, eight.

8:07 Hebrews, nine. And the seven churches mentioned in Revelation in Asia Minor, that's ten. So, we're going to start then with the church in Jerusalem and Judea. Now, many of the passages that describe this group of people we've already looked at, and I don't want to keep going over the same things.

8:24 I went over them twice. Maybe that was too much. I'm not going to do it three times. But we're going to begin now with Acts chapter 9 and verse 31.

8:31 I'm sorry, yes, Acts 9, 31. Now, the reason I've selected this text is because you have an explicit description of the religious experience of the church throughout Jerusalem and Judea. So, the church throughout all Judea and Galilee, Samaria, had peace, being edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit was multiplied. Now, as we've seen in previous lessons, the context is the persecution which the Apostle Paul had brought against the church. We read in 9.1, And Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, as we saw over in Acts chapter 8 and verse 1, And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem.

9:43 And then verse 3 of chapter 8, But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women, committing them to prison. Then we read in chapter 9, But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, in the one passage they're called the church, in the other passage they're called the disciples of the Lord, the same people who are the objects of this persecution. Now, it's in this context that we read of Saul's conversion. And after Saul's conversion, there was a marked change in the experience of this group of people, the disciples or the church.

10:19 Now, here is what happened then in their experience. They had peace and also being edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. Peace, edification, the fear of God, the comfort of the Holy Spirit. This characterized, these were the distinguishing traits of the religious and spiritual experience of that group called the church throughout that whole area.

10:48 Their distinguishing trait was that they walked in the fear of the Lord. Their distinguishing trait was that they knew the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Their distinguishing trait was that they were experiencing a period of edification and that they had peace. And it was in the context of walking in the fear of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit that this group of people grew and prospered.

Antioch and Missionary Churches: Belief, Discipleship, and Faith

11:16 Right, second passage, Acts 11, 22. Well, beginning in verse 19 to catch the context. They therefore that were scattered abroad about the tribulation, they went as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus, speaking the word only to Jews. But there were some of them who, when they came to Antioch, spoke to Greeks too, preaching the Lord Jesus.

12:00 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. This describes the formation of the church in Antioch. There were some who were by race Greeks, who were adherents to the Jewish religion, and a great number of these were converted. They had this religious experience that they turned to the Lord in response to the preaching of the gospel.

12:30 Then in verse 22, And the report concerning this group came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas. The church was involved in sending forth this man. It was the church who sent him forth. And then verse 26, And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch, and it came to pass that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church and taught much people, and the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.

13:04 These people who comprised the church in Antioch came from that group who had the word of God spoken to them and who believed and who turned to the Lord. Then they were gathered together and they were taught, and these disciples were the first ever to be called Christians. And that was because of the fact that something unusual had happened there with respect to the unusual method of going not to the Jews only but also to the Greeks. Then also Acts 14, Acts 14, verses 21 to 23, And when they had preached the gospel in that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith. The disciples are those who have come into the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. They've confessed Christ, believed in Christ, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed for them elders in every church

14:26 and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed. And here's a description of their religious experience. They commended them, that is these various churches, these various groups of disciples for whom they had appointed elders, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed. They had been brought into a relationship of trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

15:03 And it was for this reason that he said that he exhorted them to continue in the faith because they were already in the faith. Because they had been made disciples through the preaching of the gospel. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they confirmed their souls and exhorted them to continue in the faith. The disciples were organized into groups called churches.

15:30 Elders were appointed for them and they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed. Now there is a description of their distinctive religious experience. They were those who had heard the gospel and those who had believed the gospel, who had been made disciples of the Lord and organized into various groups called churches and then elders were appointed for them. Also Acts chapter 16 and verse 5.

16:00 Considered first of all in Acts 9, the church in Jerusalem and Judea. Then secondly, the church in Antioch and the missionary endeavors that grew out of it. Acts 16 and verse 5. Beginning in verse 4.

16:23 And as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered them the decrees to keep which had been ordained of the apostles and elders that were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily. The churches were strengthened in the faith. That with respect to their experience, they were strengthened in that faith in Christ which they had exercised and in terms of their growth, they were increasing daily numerically.

16:59 So once again, you find the same thing. That their religious experience is described in terms of having experienced conversion and having exercised faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Alright, now we come to the third group of people which is the church at Corinth. We've looked very quickly because we've been through those passages in the book of Acts before.

The Church at Corinth: Conversion, Grace, Gifts, and Remaining Sin

17:24 Now the story of what happened in Corinth is found in sections of Acts chapter 18. And all we read in Acts 18.8 is this. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

17:42 And then the Lord said to Paul in a vision, Don't be afraid. No one's going to harm you. I have many people in this city. And he dwelt there for a year and a half.

17:53 Teaching the word of God among these people. Now, he wrote a letter as well to these people. Two letters. First one, of course, 1 Corinthians.

18:03 That's recorded in Scripture. Where we have now another description of the religious experience of this church from 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Paul called an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and Sosthenes, our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth.

18:32 Them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called saints with all that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus in every place their Lord and ours. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I haven't listed every passage here because of the sake of time that describes any aspect of the religious experience of the Corinthians. But I do have several of them which are so clear and patent on the surface that they ought to be considered.

19:15 Now, first of all, right in the beginning in verse 2 he describes the experience of the church. He says that it consists of those that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. They are set apart unto God in Jesus Christ. And because they've been set apart unto God they're called saints.

19:36 And then he says, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember what Ananias said to Paul. Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord. And remember that the disciples and those who were persecuted are called those who call upon this name in the book of Acts.

20:03 Calling on the name of the Lord involves openly confessing the Lord Jesus Christ to be one's savior and master. It involves entering into an open and public relationship of identification with the Lord Jesus Christ as his disciple. With all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ their Lord and ours. And now he describes their religious experience.

20:38 I thank my God always concerning you verse 4 for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus. This group was distinguished by the fact that it was the recipient of the grace and favor of God. Verse 5. That in everything you were enriched in him in all utterance and all knowledge.

21:04 They were enriched with utterance and knowledge in him. Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. Verse 6. So that you come behind in no gift.

21:19 Verse 7. Waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 7. They were characterized as those who were looking for the second coming of Christ and waiting for the Lord Jesus to return.

21:34 This was a vital part of their religious experience. They were given gifts and no meager gifts. They were waiting for Christ to come. They were enriched in knowledge and utterance.

21:46 They had been given grace. Who, verse 8, shall confirm you unto the end that you be unreprovable in the day of our Lord Jesus? The Lord Jesus was going to continue to confirm them in the faith as he had done in Acts 14. Confirming the souls of the disciples.

22:08 Exhorting them to continue in the faith. And they will be confirmed to the end. They will be preserved and they will be kept so that they persevere in the way of righteousness. This will be the distinguishing trait of the group at Corinth.

22:26 Verse 9. God is faithful through whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. They have been called. Not they will be called or they may be called but they were called.

22:45 Past tense. They had experienced calling into the fellowship of Jesus Christ. Now these are some of the religious experiences. Notice verse 18.

22:59 For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness but to us who are saved or who are being saved literally it is the power of God. They are constituted of those who are being saved. They have been called and they are being saved. And then also verse 24 of chapter 1.

23:29 But to them that are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Verse 26. For behold your calling brethren. And then also verse 30.

23:46 But of him are you in Christ Jesus who was made unto us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. And then also chapter 2 and verse 5. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. And then also first Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 9.

24:16 Describes the religious experience of the group. He also says in 415 that he begat them through the gospel. But in particular first Corinthians 5 9 and following. I wrote to you that you should not have company with fornicators.

24:36 They were those who were to be distinct and kept separate from fornicators. Now what did he mean by that? Not at all meaning with the fornicators of this world or with the covetous and extortioners or idolaters. For then you need to come out of the world.

24:51 But as I wrote to you not to keep company if any man that's named a brother be a fornicator covetous idolater reviler drunkard extortioner no don't eat with someone like that. And then he says verse 13 put away the wicked man from among yourselves. So it's clear that as a group their lives were to be characterized by moral purity that they were those who were named brothers and they were not to be identified with anyone named a brother whose lifestyle was wicked and inconsistent with being in the state of grace. And then again verse 9 of chapter 6 or don't you know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God do not be deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with men nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God and as such were some of you but you were washed you were sanctified you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and in the Spirit of our God. That they had come into that realm of religious experience which is identified with the name of Jesus and the presence

26:19 of the Spirit of God even though some of them had a very checkered past they had been changed they had their lives changed they had been washed they had been washed in such a way that dealt with pollution they were sanctified and they dealt with guilt they were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and in the Spirit of our God. Now it's also true that though these Corinthians have been described in terminology which indicates that they had passed from wrath to grace that they were in a state of grace that they had been converted you can't help but read the letter to 1 Corinthians and know that there are some problems in the church at Corinth. I mean, yes, they were a large group of believers yes, some of them had a checkered past and they were marvelously transformed by the grace of God and yet this group was characterized by spiritual immaturity chapter 3 and verse 1 it was plagued with disorder it was plagued with indiscretion it was plagued with scandal it was plagued with heresy and divisions provoked by their immaturity were very much present and the Apostle Paul in this letter is dealing with

27:47 all of these things that characterize this group of Christians because all of those things were present first of all he says your immaturity I couldn't speak to you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal as unto material therefore, I have nothing to do with death it was my duty to be still to be as you have been for many many years in your church for many years and many many years also for those who are who are yet to go to the that in chapters 5 and 6. And then they were plagued by some complex and gray matters of marital ethics that they wrote to him about. And those things bothered them. And next he sorts those things out in chapter 7. And then he rebukes the careless indiscretion that characterized that

28:49 group with regard to their use of Christian liberty. And he inculcates in their midst a proper attitude toward Christian liberty in chapters 8 to 10. And furthermore, there were various disorders associated with a lack of social decorum in their corporate life and even in their worship in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. And next he rebukes and corrects those things in chapter 11. And finally, their insensitivity and selfishness in the employment of spiritual gifts.

29:19 They had those gifts, but they were insensitive and they were selfish. In the way that those gifts were being used, and he addressed that in chapter 12 to 14. And also he sets the whole matter of this use of spiritual gifts into the proper perspective, let everything be done in love and unto edification. And finally, Paul turns to the reputation of a heretical notion concerning the resurrection which infected their ranks.

29:48 And he goes after that in chapter 15. Now these seven problems, which beset this group of disciples, are the subject of Paul's faithful and careful pastoral oversight. And so you see, this epistle is therefore a great call to realism in conducting the work of the church. Paul does not unchurch this earnest group of disciples. And in chapter 16, he even descends to give them directives concerning such practical matters as collecting money and showing hospitality and responsibility. And in chapter 16, he even descends to give them respect to the visiting servants of Christ. And then he extends to them distinctively Christian greetings. Now, none of this excuses or encourages the conscious toleration of the unconverted in the Church of Christ. Rather the whole letter cries out against it. On the one hand,

30:49 it's a rebuke to unrealistic idealism, and on the other hand, it's a question of chartering, not to be exempt from the kingdom be pergi in such times of terrible and learn something. And so are these pious disciples who are bendőliver to and are obedient to the question с;; and are obedient to, by good culture and in what way such great creed to the end, twisting their souls to the will of Christ Lord, un padding any blind, amigos not accepted by 62 and recophobia as infrequent faith that upon the friend of a simple man become On the other hand, it's a rebuke to conscious compromise with evil in the church, as Paul didn't do either. With regard to that church at Corinth, he was not overcome with a sentimental and unrealistic idealism about the state of that group of Christians. But on the other hand, he was not prepared to say, well, there's sin, there's immaturity, there's scandal, there's all this stuff, we'll just write those people off.

31:22 That's not true. Oh, no, no. Oh, we just tolerate it. Oh, no, he didn't do that.

31:26 He faithfully, painstakingly dealt with every one of those issues in order and brought the biblical principles of the word of God to bear upon the existing evil, deformity, sin, and the rest that existed in that group of Christians.

31:45 So when we speak about the spiritual experience of the people of God, it's right to say that these people were converted, yes. But you also have to face the reality that this group of converted people, was beset with indwelling sin, which in many ways was unmortified in many areas of their church life, and which needed rebuke, and which needed mortification, and which the apostle Paul went after.

32:17 Now, that's reality. And that's not inconsistent with Christian experience. Christian experience involves both that radical, ethical transformation, you were washed, you were cleansed, you were once these things, but you're not that now. That group was not characterized by being covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners, because such were some of you and you were washed.

32:46 You were changed. And yet that doesn't mean they were perfect. They weren't glorified saints either. They had plenty of problems, lots of them.

The Churches of Galatia: Sacrifice, Spirit, Knowledge of God, and Danger of Error

32:54 There was a radical breach with sin, and yet there was the ugly reality of rebuke. Remaining sin, a radical breach with sin, and at the same time, the ugly reality of remaining sin. And both are recognized as characteristic of the experience of this church of Christ. Now, then we move to the church at Galatia, church at Galatia, Galatians chapter one, beginning verse two. And all the brethren that are with me, he says, Paul, an apostle, and all the brethren that are with me,

33:58 unto the churches of Galatia, grace to you and peace from God, the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Now, one thing is clear here, that the distinguishing trait of the religious experience of these people was such that Paul could say that they participated in the sacrifice of Christ. They were its beneficiaries. He gave himself for our sins. It was for them that Christ died.

35:02 Christ died. That distinguished Christ. That group. Verse six.

35:09 I marvel that you are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel. He marvels that this group for whom Christ died, this group who was called in the grace of Christ, is being disturbed, is being shaken in its faith. He marvels that this group for whom Christ died, is being shocked by the sanctification of Christ. He marvels that this group for whom Christ died is being called in the grace of Christ, He marvels that this group for whom Christ died is being shocked by the sanctification of Christ.

35:38 He marvels that this group for whom Christ died is being shocked. Also in Galatians chapter three.

35:45 Oh foolish Galatians! Who did bewitch you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified? This only would I learn from you, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, that you're now perfected in the flesh?

36:13 Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it be indeed in vain? He therefore that supplies to you the Spirit and works miracles, does he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?

36:31 This group was distinguished by the fact that they'd heard the gospel. They were distinguished by the fact that they had received the Holy Spirit. They had received the Holy Spirit by hearing the gospel in faith. They were distinguished by the fact that they had begun their religious trek in the Spirit.

36:52 And now they were in danger of falling away from this grace religion and spirit religion and faith religion and getting into a works religion and legalism. And they were currently experiencing the supply of the Spirit, verse 5, and this was not related to the works of the law, but to the hearing of faith. Also Galatians chapter 4.

37:29 Howbeit, verse 8, at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods, but now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, but how do you turn back to the weak, beggarly rudiments? Where to? Where do you desire to be in bondage over again? Prior to their conversion, they were in bondage.

37:58 And the precise exegesis of the text is not the point right now. The point is that they underwent a religious transformation. They underwent a religious change. And prior to that transformation, they were in bondage.

38:12 And now, having come out of that bondage, they've come to know God. And Paul is afraid that they're going to be taken back into the world of God. They've come to a different kind of bondage, which really and fundamentally is no different than the bondage they were originally in in the first place.

38:30 And he says, now you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God.

38:40 You know God.

38:42 You know God.

38:45 And that was the distinguishing trait of that group. They had entered into an experimental communion in a context of love with the living God. Whatever else could be said of them, Paul could say this much. It was a group of people who knew God.

39:05 Then chapter 4 and verse 15, he speaks about their attitude toward him.

39:15 And 14, he says, you know, verse 13, that I preached the gospel to you the first time through the infirmity of the flesh. That which was a temptation, you didn't despise nor reject, but you received me as an angel of God. That was their attitude. That was their attitude toward the apostle, even as Christ.

39:35 Where then is that gratulation of yourselves? For I bear you witness that if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. He says that they were marked by a deep love and attachment to those or to the man who administered the gospel to them and had been the instrument of bringing them to faith in Christ. So you can say this about this group.

40:02 Paul said that, Christ died for them. He said that they had received the spirit. He said that they'd been converted. He said that they knew God.

40:12 He said that they had faith. And he said that their heart was such that it was deeply attached and indebted in love to the one who had preached the gospel to them. That's the distinguishing religious experience of that group of people. And they were in trouble right now.

40:28 There was false teaching in their midst, such false teaching, that if they succumbed to it would actually draw them away. Away from their distinctive privileges as Christians. That which would actually sever them from Christ. Verse 4 of chapter 5.

40:45 You are severed from Christ who would be justified by the law. And so we must not think, brethren, that because we could say these things are true of us, therefore there's no danger. Therefore we're automatically safe. Nothing can happen to us.

41:04 That's not true. There is danger. And that danger must be resisted and recognized. Nothing can happen to us if we recognize, resist, and overcome, and remain in the way of righteousness.

41:24 But it is possible for a group of people, a group of disciples, who were once standing in the way of righteousness, it is possible for that group, either in part, or as a whole, to embrace heresy and to go off into heresy. Now, I'm not saying people can lose their salvation. I'm not teaching that or denying the reality of the perseverance and preservation of the saints. But that's what Paul said, isn't it?

41:51 That's what Paul said. That a group marked and characterized by these things could be deceived to the point where it was no longer so marked and characterized. And we need to beware. We need to beware.

42:06 We need to learn the lesson. Watch the danger. And beware, lest we also fall from our steadfastness.

42:15 So in all these descriptions of the religious experience of the people of God, you find both the reality of remaining sin and the reality of danger. Danger and pressure to depart from righteousness and to depart from truth.

Addressing the Objection: The Church as Communicant Members Only

42:33 All right? Pastor Martin. What would we say to those who would object and say, yes, but since only the adults who could experience these things would understand the letter when it was read, this says nothing about the little children. And isn't the whole argument just assuming something?

42:54 How would we answer that objection?

42:57 Well, the way that I was going to get to objections like that next week. Oh, I'm sorry. But just off the top of my head as to what I'm going to hope to say next week, I don't mind answering it now. Yes, I mean, someone could turn around and argue and say that this just describes the communicant members of the church.

43:18 Well, yes, but the word church just describes the communicant members of the church. I think that's the whole point.

43:25 I think that's the whole point. The word ecclesia, that's all ecclesia ever talks about. It doesn't talk about anything else but that. So if you're going to study the word ecclesia, then you're going to have to study the group that it describes.

43:38 If you want to say that it is talking about another group, well, you have to have some basis to say that. So I'm just studying those passages where ecclesia and its, well, in parallel expressions like the disciples and et cetera are used. And when you use those passages, this is what describes their experience. So the rest has to just be assumed and just built into the thing.

44:04 Because the only thing that's described is the communicant members of the church. And if there's any other church besides the church mentioned here, why isn't it mentioned here? If there's any other church besides the communicant church, why isn't it mentioned? Why isn't it described?

44:18 What's its religious experience? And where do you get it in the Bible? You don't get it in the New Testament. It's not there.

44:25 So that would be the way I would answer that. The only church I know about is the church mentioned in the Bible. And that's the only one mentioned.

44:33 But we'll get to that next week.

The Church at Ephesus: Election, Redemption, Sealing, and Conversion

44:37 All right, now, Ephesians, book of Ephesians. Acts chapter 20 and verse 28. He says, The feed the church of the Lord which he purchased, with his own blood. Feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.

44:54 And he said that to the Ephesian elders. He described this group of saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus in Ephesus. He described them as those purchased with the blood of Christ. Now, look what he says about their distinguishing experience.

45:16 First of all, he says that they were elected. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Every spiritual blessing in heavenly places is the characteristic possession of the church of Jesus Christ.

45:37 That's what distinguishes the church, that group called the church. It's marked out by this. Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ is yours.

45:48 That's a wonderful truth. And now he's going to enumerate some of these things. Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the church, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love. They were chosen before the foundation of the world.

46:04 They were elected. That's part of their distinguishing religious experience and possession. Secondly, verse 7, In whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace, that they have, redemption through the blood of Christ, their trespasses are forgiven according to the riches of his grace. Verse 13, In whom you also, having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. They heard the gospel. They believed the gospel. And they were sealed with the Holy Spirit.

47:02 This is something that previously had happened to them, and it characterized this group of people. They heard the gospel. They believed the gospel. And they were sealed with the Holy Spirit.

47:17 And so these three things, this group called the church, is distinguished by the fact that it was chosen by God from all eternity, that those people had their sins forgiven through the blood of the Lamb, that they had heard the gospel, they had believed the gospel, and they had received the Holy Spirit of God, and they were sealed with the Holy Spirit of God.

47:43 Then verse 15, For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you show to all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making many, mention of you in my prayers. He says that he's heard of the faith in Christ, which is exercised among them. He's heard of the love which they show. They were those who had manifested and exercised faith and love toward all of the saints.

48:18 Then also, down in verse 19, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us were to believe, according to that working, of the strength of his might, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead. The great power of God was at work in their heart, and they are those who had believed and who did believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 1,

48:55 And you did he make alive when you were dead through your trespasses and sins. Verse 1, Wherein you once walked according to this world, according to the prince of the powers in the air. Verse 3, Among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, for his love, his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses and sins, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved.

49:47 Verse 11, Wherefore remember that you, the Gentiles, who are called uncircumcision, you once were separate from Christ, you once were alienated, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel. Verse 13, But now in Christ you are made near in the blood of Christ, etc. So what he says is that they were once dead in their sins, they once lived a wicked life, they once were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest, but they had experienced conversion. Their lives had been changed.

50:32 They had been turned to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and that those unconverted Gentiles when they were saved and when they came to Christ had been incorporated into the people of God. They had been joined together with believing Jews to constitute the one holy Catholic Church of Christ. And then the final text is in verse 1 of chapter 2. Verse 1 of chapter 4, and we'll end here today.

51:04 We'll finish with the book of Ephesians. Well, we got through 5 of 10, halfway through. I therefore the prisoner in the Lord beseech you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called. They had experienced being called by God out of darkness unto light and from death unto life.

Prayer and Application: Gratitude for Grace, Vigilance Against Sin

51:26 Now let's pray that the Lord will be pleased to write His word upon our hearts. Lord our God, as we come to your presence, we give you thanks for the pictures of the experience of the church, the descriptions of what happened to your people that we read in the word of God. We thank you, Lord, that we can say that we have known these things too. We bless you for what you've done for us, that we heard the gospel, that we received the gospel and believed the gospel.

52:04 We thank you that we were sealed with the Holy Spirit. We thank you that we've been washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, that all our sins have been forgiven. We thank you that you've given to us a radical breach with sin.

52:16 We thank you, Lord, that you've chosen us from all eternity to be the peculiar object of your love and grace. But we're also conscious, Father, that we are a group of people in danger. And we're conscious that we're a group of people who have remaining sin. And we pray, O Lord, our God, that you would give us wisdom to be able to avoid those pitfalls and danger, dangers and those things, which would seduce us to go aside unto unrighteousness and error.

52:42 We pray also that you would give us grace to mortify the sin which is in our own hearts, to mortify it individually and to mortify the sin which is in our midst corporately, that we may put it to death. To the end, O God, that we may be those who, as individuals and as a group, please the Lord Jesus Christ and bring honor and glory to his name. Hear our prayers. Be pleased to answer them for his sake.

53:09 Amen.