We dug into some deep scriptures this morning, as we are looking at the 3 physical pictures Paul uses from Israel, to teach us spiritual or doctrinal truths. He uses the baptism of the nation in the Red Sea as a picture of salvation. They left Egypt – a picture of the world, trusting God to save them, and entered the wilderness a new people, a new nation ready to deal with the journey through the wilderness into the promised land. Our salvation follows the same pattern in a spiritual sense. When we get saved, we leave the world, and enter a new relationship through the new birth, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed, by the Word of God!
1 Peter 1:23; Acts 16:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:17
We looked at the baptism of Christ, as the obedient and sinless Son of God, in Matthew 3:11-17, and how John the Baptist spoke of how Jesus would baptize some with the Holy Ghost, and some with fire. There are only two groups of people mentioned that will receive a baptism. All the world is included in these two groups. One is saved and heaven bound, the other is lost, and bound for the unquenchable fire of eternal torment. We will examine this a little bit more next Sunday and the doctrinal implication of the kingdom of heaven.
We looked at the difference between the image of God and the likeness of God, as stated in Genesis 1:26, and how Adam lost the image of God through sin. He still had the likeness, the physical appearance, but the image, the spiritual communion with God was lost. Genesis 5:3 speaks volumes about the condition of every child born of Adam.
Genesis 5:3: And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth:
Romans 5:12: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
1 Corinthians 15:20-21: For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:45-47: And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
We have the image of God restored in us through Christ! We were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), and were made alive through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Colossians 3:9-11: Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
We will finish Paul’s use of Israel in the wilderness next week, studying out the 2 pictures of Manna and water from the Rock. The spiritual implications and doctrinal application will be an incredible study.