Page 276 - Bible Writers Theology Original

260 ♦ Bible Writers'Theology Chapter Eight
buried, and the new man will never have to face it again. Baptism is a place where a repented and believing sinner meets his Savior, who will "cast his sin into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:19). The Bible declares, "For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters:Thoubrakesttheheadsofleviathaninpieces..."(Psalm74:12-23). It is by baptism in Jesus' Name that we bury the fear and power of eternal death and the sting of the devil (Hebrews 2:14).
In baptism, the circumcision, or the removal of the old man, takes place when it is administered in the saving Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Old Testament circumcision was the work ofhuman hands, and only took off the foreskin. The New Testament circumcision, which is baptism in Jesus' Name, puts off "the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ" (Colossians 2:11).
Paul declares in Colossians 2:13 that a sinner must be aware of two important things before he is baptized in water. First, he must know that he isdeadbecauseofthesinshehascommitted. Secondly,hemustbealso
aware of the uncircumcision of his flesh, the inherent nature of sin in his flesh. Thenhegoesbyfaith,intheNameofJesusChrist,tothewaterygrave to put off both, because sin as well as earthly flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Corruptible cannot inherit incorruptible.
Abraham's circumcision was a means by which a male Jew would become part of the Jewish religion and an heir to God's promises. God told Abraham, "This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you
and thy seed after thee; every man child among you shall be circumcised And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circum cised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant" (Genesis 17:10,14). Since circumcision was a type of baptismal
regeneration, a person who does not believe its effect and is not baptized for the remission ofhis sins and the blotting out ofthe death penalty to receive his justification from God is condemned to eternal death (Mark 16:15-16*
John 3:5-6).
Paul has still more to reveal about the mystery of the saving power in baptism. He tells us that the gospel of circumcision was preached first to Abraham (Galatians 3:8). The covenant of circumcision was the tutor to bring us unto the faith of Christ, who is the saving seed (Galatians 3:24). Faith has come, and we become children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, by puttingonChristbybaptism(Galatians3:25-27). Thebaptizedbelieverthat has put on Christ has now become partaker of Abraham's promised seed,
and"...heirsaccordingtothepromise"(Galatians3:29). Nowthereisno