The Heidelberg Catechism Part II: Deliverance The Holy Sacraments, Baptism, part 1 Lord’s Day 26
Question 69: How does holy baptism remind and assure you that Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross benefits you personally?
Answer 69: In this way: Christ instituted this outward washing [1] and with it promised that, as surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly His blood and His Spirit wash away my soul’s impurity, that is, all my sins. [2]
[1] Acts 2:38 NKJV Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
[2] Matthew 3:11 NKJV I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Romans 6:3-10 NKJV Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, (6) knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (7) For he who has died has been freed from sin. (8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. (10) For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
1 Peter 3:21 NKJV There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Q 70: What does it mean to be washed with Christ’s blood and Spirit?
A 70: To be washed with Christ’s blood means that God, by grace, has forgiven our sins because of Christ’s blood poured out for us in His sacrifice on the cross. [1] To be washed with Christ’s Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed and sanctified us to be members of Christ, so that more and more we become dead to sin and live holy and blameless lives. [2]
[1] Zechariah 13:1 NKJV "In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
Ephesians 1:7-8 NKJV In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (8) which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
Hebrews 12:24 NKJV to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
1 Peter 1:2 NKJV elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
Revelation 1:5 NKJV and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
[2] Ezekiel 36:25-27 NKJV Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. (26) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
John 3:5-8 NKJV Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' (8) The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Romans 6:4 NKJV Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
1 Corinthians 6:11 NKJV And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Colossians 2:11-12 NKJV In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, (12) buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Q 71: Where does Christ promise that we are washed with His blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism?
A 71: In the institution of baptism, where He says: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” [1] “The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.” [2] This promise is repeated when Scripture calls baptism “the water of rebirth” [3] and the washing away of sins. [4]
[1] Matthew 28:19 NKJV 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,
[2] Mark 16:16 NKJV He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
[3] Titus 3:5 NKJV not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
[4] Acts 22:16 NKJV And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'
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