Baptism: A Sign of God’s Sovereign Work

Acts 16:6-15

About the Sermon

Listen in to hear the story of a sister’s baptism from Acts 16:6–15. Her name was Lydia, and she was the first European convert to Christ. As Luke tells her story, we realize that there is more going on in our salvation than the preaching of the gospel and our reception of that good news. These are God’s gracious means. But God is at work behind the scenes to orchestrate every salvation, even opening our very hearts to hear and receive the Word. This account will put a story to the words, “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Jonah 2:9).

About the Series

What does baptism picture? What does baptism do? Who should be baptized? Who actually does the baptizing? Here is a set of sermons for an introduction to baptism, the sign of the new covenant in Christ. The act of baptism doesn’t save a person from their sin. As a covenant sign, however, it signifies the saving reality that Christ has brought, and in particular how that salvation comes to us: through union with Christ in his death, where we have died to sin, and in his resurrection, where we have been raised to new life. As an initiation rite, it also identifies a person with the church. It’s the way the individual and the church say together, “this person belongs to Jesus Christ.”
What does baptism picture? What does baptism do? Who should be baptized? Who actually does the baptizing? Here is a set of sermons for an introduction to baptism, the sign of the new covenant in Christ. The act of baptism doesn’t save a person from their sin. As a covenant sign, however, it signifies the saving reality that Christ has brought, and in particular how that salvation comes to us: through union with Christ in his death, where we have died to sin, and in his resurrection, where we have been raised to new life. As an initiation rite, it also identifies a person with the church. It’s the way the individual and the church say together, “this person belongs to Jesus Christ.”

Sermons in the Series