Sunday Re Cap (1st November 2009)

What REALLY Happened At Baptism/The Cross? Part III

There are 2 significant events in the life of a believer which we saw the parallel in Ex 12 and Ex 14.

The Passover (Exo 12:24-27) is a "type" of The Holy Communion (1Co 11:23-25)

Red Sea Crossing (Exo 14:26-30) is a "type" of The Baptism (Rom 6:6-7 & Rom 6:9-10)

Both events point the believer to the victory of Christ on the cross on behalf of us.

• The Baptism is identification with the cross and the Holy Communion is a remembrance of the cross.
  
• The differences between these 2 events are the identification only occurs once and remembrance is celebrated as often as we can in remembrance of Jesus.
  
• Baptism is also most of all a powerful declaration of the end of the observance of the law and the beginning of the walk of grace. (Rom 6:14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace).
  
• Holy Communion is a continual reminder that we are under grace.
  

What is REPENTANCE?

Acts 2:37. 38.Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins ; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What is this Repentance that Peter was talking about? Not a repentance of sin; otherwise Peter would have said REPENT FROM SIN!

We get another clue about the true meaning of repentance from Peter's next statement "you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". When did Jesus mention this and under what conditions? John 14:16;26 When Jesus returned to the Father having fulfilled all the requirements of the LAW on our behalf! The Holy Spirit could only be given IN FULL MEASURE when Jesus finished His work on the cross and having fully dealt with sin. The fact that we have the Holy Spirit is a proof that sin has been totally dealt with on the cross! The Father no longer sees us as sinners but fully redeemed by grace! We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. IT IS FINISHED!

So what REPENTANCE is Peter speaking about in Acts 2:38?

Heb 6:1-not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,

In Acts 2, Peter was laying a foundation of repentance. What is that foundation? Not repentance of sin but repentance from dead works! Dead works speak about the LAW.

Heb 9:11-15 ¹¹  cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? ¹⁵ 

We are NOT against repentance. However we need properly understand repentance. There is a difference between Old Covenant and New Covenant REPENTANCE. Repentance that unveils sin is of the LAW! NEW COVENANT repentance unveils CHRIST! The curtain of the law of our hearts is torn and we see Jesus and His finished works on the cross! Notice what Peter what doing right up to the point where they were cut to the heart. Acts 2:36 summarizes everything he was saying, he unveiled Christ to them! Their eyes were opened! Then Peter said "REPENT!" Open your eyes and see JESUS instead of the LAW (DEAD WORKS).

REPENTANCE is allowing the blood of Christ the continuously cleanse our conscience from DEAD WORKS to serve the living God. That is why Judas died (Matt 27:3-4) and Peter lived (JOHN 21:7 It is the LORD!). When it's a repentance that unveils sin, it leads to condemnation and death! When it's a repentance that unveils Christ, it leads to LIFE and LIFE more abundantly!

Let us go unto perfection (Heb 6:1) by not going back to "dead works" to serve the living GOD! This is Bible Repentance.

Samuel Hari © GROW BM