Baptism in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Introduction

I would like to speak today on the subject of the baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My text is Matthew 28, reading verses 18 to 20:

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen." -- Matthew 28:18-20

Baptism and the Early Church

Now, baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit has been connected with water baptism ever since soon after the apostolic era. There is a manuscript called the Didache, which they say was from the early second century, and in there you see that the church is baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit -- baptizing in water. But the Didache is not the inspired Word of God. It quotes from the Gospel, but it itself is not the inspired Word of God. Our authority is the Scriptures -- the sixty-six books of the Bible. And there is nothing in these three verses that specifically says that this is water baptism.

When I see the early church baptizing, they did not use this formula when they baptized people in water. When people were baptized in water, they were confessing their faith in the Lord Jesus. When they stood in the water they were saying, "I am crucified with Christ," and then going down into the water -- buried with Christ -- and then raised a new creation in Christ.

Different Kinds of Baptism

But it isn't water baptism that saves us. It's another baptism -- it's the baptism by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. That's the baptism mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:13. That is the born-again experience. It is the Holy Spirit who baptizes us into the body of Christ so that we are born again of the Spirit of God. It is totally a work of God, and that's not water baptism -- that's baptism by the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist spoke of Jesus and said, "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." That's not water baptism. Baptism with the Holy Spirit is what we see on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes upon the believers there in Jerusalem.

The Baptism of Suffering

But then there is also another baptism mentioned in Matthew 20, when James and John -- or actually it was their mother who asked -- she was asking that her sons could sit on His right side and on His left side when He came into His kingdom. All the other disciples were furious, because of course they wanted the best positions too.

Then Jesus answered them in verse 22 of Matthew 20:

"You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able." So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father." -- Matthew 20:22-23

The baptism that Jesus is talking about here is a baptism of suffering. Jesus was about to go to the cross and suffer and die for us, and His disciples are called to suffer with Christ in this world. We are the outcasts of this world, the fools of this world, because we trust in Jesus. This goes completely against everything the world believes in -- that we are dead to ourselves and risen with Christ.

Paul writes to the Romans in Romans 8 and says that we are heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ -- if so be that we suffer with Him, so that we will also be glorified with Him. When Jesus comes again, we will be glorified with Him if we are willing to be united with Him now, to suffer with Him now, so that we will reign with Him then. And Paul says after that:

"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." -- Romans 8:18

What Water Baptism Truly Is

So there are different ways in which the word "baptism" is used. I don't have a problem at all with people using the formula in water baptism of baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That isn't the main point. The main point of water baptism is your confession of faith in the Lord Jesus -- that you're crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, and raised a new creation in Christ. And then you say, "Now that I'm one with Christ, I'm going to live my life for Him -- but not in my strength and in my power, but because Christ lives in me." That's what water baptism is. You're sealed by the Holy Spirit, you're confessing your faith in the Lord Jesus.

If you say, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," I don't have a problem with that. But I believe that this verse in Matthew 28 means much more than that.

Fully Immersed in the Truth of the Triune God

The word "baptism," of course, means to be totally immersed. And in the Old Testament you can see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- but it's hidden.

In Psalm 2, it says, "I will declare the decree" -- what decree? The decree in eternity past, when the Father and the Son covenanted with one another, and the Father said, "You are My Son, this day have I begotten You." The whole plan and purpose of salvation was mapped out in eternity past.

In Psalm 110 it says, "The Lord said unto my Lord" -- there you've got the Father and the Son.

In Psalm 139, "Where shall I go from Your Spirit? If I ascend to the highest heights, You are there. If I descend to the lowest depths, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, You are there." The Holy Spirit is everywhere -- only God is everywhere.

You see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, but He's hidden. You only see this wonderful God who is three in one when your eyes have been opened by the New Testament.

Jesus Reveals the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

When Jesus came, He brought this wonderful revelation. He would say, "I and the Father are one." When He began His ministry, it began with Isaiah 61 when He said in the synagogue in Nazareth, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed Me." At the Jordan, when John baptized Jesus in water, he saw the Holy Spirit come down like a dove upon Jesus. And then you hear the Father saying, "This is My Son, in whom I am well pleased." There you see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit at the baptism of Jesus.

Jesus is always talking about the Father -- and that wonderful High Priestly prayer in John 17, when He prays to the Father just before going to Gethsemane, He says, "I have given them Your name." Jesus revealed this wonderful truth of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

So now in Matthew 28, if I look at it this way, what Jesus is saying to His disciples is: go and fully immerse -- go and fully immerse them. Teach all nations and fully immerse them in this wonderful truth of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

When I look at the letters and epistles of the New Testament, this is exactly what they did. This is exactly what Paul did.

The Grace, Love, and Fellowship of the Triune God

If you go to 2 Corinthians 13, the very last verse, Paul writes:

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all." -- 2 Corinthians 13:14

There it is -- this wonderful message of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ -- that through His death and resurrection I have been washed clean and brought into new life in Jesus.

The love of God -- the Father sent the Son. Oh, what love! It says in Romans that herein is revealed the love of God: that while we were yet sinners, while we were yet the enemies of God, Christ died for us. When we were far from Him, running for the opposition, Christ died for us. That's the love of the Father -- that He sent His Son to become despised, forsaken, a fool to the world, nailed upon a cross -- for one reason: because of the love of the Father, so that you and I could be redeemed.

The communion of the Holy Spirit -- when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, He said to His disciples, "I am going away so that the Comforter can come." The Holy Spirit has come to be our helper, so that we can live as He wants us to live, so that we can be the people He wants us to be.

It's a wonderful work of the God who is one yet more than one -- the three in one.

Romans 8: God's Masterpiece

I say to people: if you don't know much of the Bible, read Romans 8. Get Romans 8 inside of you. Learn it. It's so wonderful. I call it God's Masterpiece. Of course, all of the Scripture is God's Masterpiece and God's master plan, but Romans 8 is truly extraordinary.

Reading from verse 14:

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." -- Romans 8:14-17

That's the wonderful message of this -- that we are joint heirs with Christ. Christ died for us. He rose again from the dead so that His life can be in us, and we are one with Christ. When I stand in the presence of the Father, He sees Jesus. Jesus lived for me, so the Father sees the perfect life of Jesus. He doesn't look and see my failings and my thoughts -- He sees the perfect life of Jesus. And when it comes to my thoughts and failings, He sees the blood of Jesus that cleanses from all sin.

There's a wonderful scripture in Colossians 3:

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." -- Colossians 3:1-3

When I stand in the presence of the Father, He sees Jesus, because my life is wrapped up in Him.

Abba, Father

The Spirit of God in me cries out, "Abba, Father!" When I approach the Father, I don't approach with fear and trembling. I approach with godly fear and reverence, but I come into His presence and say, "Abba, Father." This is so wonderful.

Think of Moses. When Moses went up Mount Sinai, he said, "I exceedingly fear and tremble." There was thunder and lightning on the mountain. The people said to Moses, "You go up there. You speak to God and you tell us what He said." They were too afraid to be in the presence of God.

Hebrews 12 actually tells us that we haven't come to Mount Sinai -- we've come to something more holy, more fearful: to Mount Zion, to the presence of the Living God, to an innumerable company of angels. But even though Mount Zion is even more fearful than Mount Sinai, I can come boldly into the presence of the Father, knowing that He's not looking at my faults and failings. They're washed in the blood of Jesus. I stand righteous. My life is wrapped up in Christ, and I come boldly into the Father's presence.

When I pray, I'm not alone, because the Holy Spirit helps me. He is my helper. I don't know how to pray, but He prays. Sometimes my words are so useless, but the cry of my heart is so desperate -- and the Holy Spirit takes that cry of my heart, takes those words, and puts them in perfect harmony before the Father. Just like a person who sings off key, and a computer puts it into perfect harmony -- the Holy Spirit takes my words and presents them perfectly before the Father.

Totally Immersed in the Triune God

Oh, it's so wonderful that we are just totally engulfed, immersed in this wonderful relationship with the God who is one yet more than one -- the three in one. Christ's life is in me. The Holy Spirit is upon me, helping me. And I can come boldly into the Father's presence, knowing that He who said to Jesus, "You are My Son, in whom I am well pleased," looks at me and says, "I see My Son, in whom I am well pleased." He sees Jesus. Hallelujah!

Why doesn't the church talk all the time about Jesus? The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Jesus. The Holy Spirit is not come to glorify Himself -- He's come to glorify Jesus. Why? Because there is salvation in no other name except the name of Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for you. He died on the cross for me, so that all of my sin is nailed upon that cross -- crucified with Christ, buried with Christ -- and I'm raised completely new. Now it's Christ who lives in me.

Conclusion

This is the wonderful message of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit -- that I can come boldly into His presence and say, "Abba!" Just like a child coming into the presence of his loving father. Some children never had a loving father, but you come into the presence of a Father who just loves, and we can say, "Abba, Father."

But without Jesus, without the blood of Jesus, without the cross -- oh, what a fearful thing to be a sinner without hope in the presence of the holy God, the Living God. Jesus is the hope of the world. But without Christ, it is so fearful to think of people dying in their sin. There is no other way except in Jesus.

This is the wonderful message of the God who is one yet more than one -- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." -- John 3:16

And the Son has sent His Spirit to be our Comforter, to be our helper, so that we can live for Christ and be the people He wants us to be in this ungodly world.

Hallelujah! Thank God for this wonderful message of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God bless you. Amen.