Baptismal Service, including that of a former witch.
Jeremiah 31
31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
35 Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name.
Hebrews 8
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Mark 16
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 16:16 tell us that the one who doesn’t believe will be condemned. It doesn’t say that the one who is not baptised will be condemned. But the one who believes and is baptised will be saved. Baptism doesn’t save you. If you go into baptism unsaved you’ll come out the other side unsaved. Faith comes first. Then you are baptised.
In the Old Testament all males had to be circumcised, otherwise they were not part of the Israelites. But in the New Testament it says “circumcision is nothing neither uncircumcision but a new creation.” Baptism too cannot save you. You must be born again.
This word (Jeremiah 31:31-35) is directly aimed at the children of Israel and Judah; the covenant which God was going to make with them. They rejected the Lord and crucified Him, but in the end He will have mercy on them. And we will still experience God doing this for Israel. But it doesn’t stop there. It also refers to our salvation and the Word is for us so that we might also share in their blessing.
In Hebrews 8:8-13 we find the fulfilment of the prophecy.
This is an amazing, wonderful matter. It makes one want to jump for joy. My heart is thrilled as I see this marvellous aspect of the New Covenant for all of God’s people. The previous Covenant was written upon tablets of stone and the laws were continually broken. Now God says He will make a new covenant where He writes His laws in their hearts. None will say to His neighbour, “know the Lord” for they shall know Me.”
I think back of a Zulu woman who came here to Kwasizabantu. She immediately accepted Christ and repented of her sins. A few days later she went home and not very long after that she returned. She asked me, “Pastor, does God not allow drinking?” I asked her what she meant by that. She answered that since she went back home she could not successfully keep down the alchohol brew which she and her family were used to. “Every time I tried it just came up again!”, she said. It was a sign to her that the Lord who had entered her heart was calling the shots. He was in residence as her King and his laws were now written into her heart.
(other similar examples were used)
Even today there are so many people who identify with Christianity, but only a few are truly touched and changed; many may remark after a service that “the Word was wonderful” but they just carry on in their sinful ways. They aren’t changed. They have not experienced the joy of the New Covenant.
But when Jesus changes us He makes us new. Jesus came to die and rise again to bring about the fulfilment of the New Covenant.
Are you still living under the Old Covenant which was ineffective or the New Covenant which changes and transforms your life?
The New Covenant is not just a law you’re trying to obey, but it’s in your heart, by His Holy Spirit, that you want to obey God.
There were 3 Christians martyred for their faith, in Turkey. It’s remarkable that Muslims demand complete freedom to practice their faith in our Western countries, including South Africa, and they are given full “freedom of religion”; and at the same time deny these very same freedoms in Islamic countries such as Turkey. In a newsletter from Christians in Turkey they ask us to pray that they will remain faithful.
Once Jesus has written His law into your heart, your life is ruled by Him and He lives the New Covenant life in you.