1. Baptism

1.1. What happens in baptism?

1) We take the sign which represents our life-long marital vow of faith/faithfulness to Christ as our Head/Husband necessary to establishing a saving covenant w/Him and becoming a part of His Bride, the church, - i.e., God’s family (Mar 16:16; 1Pe 3:21 “appeal” = A vow/pledge; “good conscience thru the resurrection” = God receives our vow of faith and applies the forgiveness secured thru Christ’s death and resurrection [giving us a good conscience before Him – i.e. we are now right w/God or justified]; Jer 31:31-34 “Husband…I will be their God and they shall be My people = Marriage”; “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it” = Similar to Sinai [Exo 24:7-8], a vow of faithfulness [to God and His Law] wb taken to secure the covenant and salvation/justification; Act 20:28 “church of God which [Christ] purchased with His own blood” = Jesus gave His life as the bride-price for the church [Eph 5:25]; Gal 3:26-27 “clothed” = You are now a part of Christ’s lineage/family, the lineage/family of Abraham/promise [v16], the lineage/family of the sons of God [v26] who do the deeds of Abraham [Joh 8:39] and the will of the Father [Mat 7:21 w/12:50] b/c they have traded their earthly family/loyalties for loyalty to God’s family [hence v28]). As such, we now consider ourselves not only dead to sin/flesh/the world (no longer trusting their judgment or seeking to fulfill their desire) but under the daily obligation to put them to death through trust and obedience to the Spirit - or Christ and His Law. IOW: we must flee what is familiar [our flesh/the world/blood family] and embrace what is foreign [the Spirit/Christ/His Law/God’s family/the church]) to maintain what we have gained (Rom 8:12-13 [w/Joh 14:26, 16:13-15]; 1Co 9:21[Gal 6:2]; Gal 5:16; 1Jo 2:15-17; Rom 6:1-18).

2) We receive initial cleansing[1] of our sins (justification/right standing/forgiveness/propitiation) by the Holy Spirit in regeneration (receiving a new spiritual heart/becoming a new creation) as well as His indwelling presence as Helper (Tit 3:5-7; Eze 36:25-27 [HS as helper not doer - Joh 14:16). Both our vow of faithfulness and the work of the HS are mentioned in (1Pe 1:1-2 “sprinkling” [w/2:24 “wounds…healed”] = The prescribed mode for baptism is sprinkling not immersion).

1.2. Who is Jesus Christ?

1) The promised God-Son (the Yhwh separate from Yhwh the Father) Who became the incarnate Son of David and Savior-Messiah (anointed priest, prophet and king) of the Jewish people (i.e., the children of Abraham) Whose life, death and resurrection secured eternal salvation and established the New Covenant with Israel as the eternal kingdom of God on earth (Dan 7:13-14; Heb 1:8-9, 13:20; Rom 1:3-4, 4:25; Mat 1:18; Jer 31:31 w/Joh 4:22; Heb 2:14-16; Luk 22:20).

2) The covenant-making God of the Bible (e.g., OC: Jud 1:5; Heb 9:15-16). Hence the reason the framework of salvation stays the same: it begins w/blood and water (Passover = Beginning of God’s salvific calendar and a burnt offering – a vow of faithfulness necessary to receiving the sin offering/atonement/forgiveness - Lev 1:4 [LBS!] w/Lev 16:3; hence 1Co 5:7-8; 1Co 10:1-4; 1Pe 3:20 w/Gen 8:20).

1.3. What does our baptism provide as our new identity?

We are now among the saved children of Abraham – or spiritual Jews who are now a part of Christ’s covenant community or church, New Covenant Israel (Rom 2:29, 11:17, 19, 24; Gal 3:29, 6:16; Eph 2:11-22).

1.4. Who can baptize us?

Only those possessing the keys to the gates of heaven/salvation as Christ’s covenant church or New Covenant Israel, the Kingdom of God/heaven on earth (Mat 16:17-19; Joh 20:21-23).

1.5. What must we do once we have graciously gained this saving covenant relationship with Christ and become a part of His church (or New Covenant Israel)?

Fulfill our marital vows – or maintain the covenant through the faithful practice of equity and love (most especially to Christ and His church as defined by Him and the entirety of the Scriptures (Mat 5:17-20; Mat 28:18-20; Mat 7:12; Mat 22:36-40).

2. Our Covenant Commitment To Christ and His Church (Christ Covenant Church/CCC)

Do you promise before Christ on penalty of apostasy (Deu 29:18-20; Heb 10:26-30) if you fail or refuse:

1) to preach, faithfully practice and defend the aforementioned as the only truth and true gospel unto death?

2) to be loyal to CCC as Gods family above your blood/physical family (Mat 12:50)?

3) to trust and submit to Christ’s leading through the leadership of CCC (Heb 13:17)?

4) to never be unteachable but eager to learn and change as we continue to be shown new things by Christ from the Scriptures (Joh 8:31)?

5) to rejoice when counted worthy to suffer for what we believe (Mat 5:10-12)?

6) to seek counsel and understanding from rabbi Scott when there are questions or problems with the teaching or others in the covenant community - including yourself (Col 1:28)?

7) to stand on the truth of God’s Word regardless of the opposing voices (2Ti 4:2)?

8) to recognize as truth from God’s Word only what is coherent, consistent and equitable with the whole of Scripture (Psa 19:7-8)?

9) to use the courts of CCC to handle all grievances related to its members or the teaching which cannot be resolved by other means (Mat 18:15-20)?

10) to separate from all those who speak against this gospel, this leadership and church (2Jo 1:9-11)?

11) to believe nothing as coming from the Holy Spirit that is contrary to the teaching of this church which you cannot prove to its leadership and people (Act 15:22 w/28)?

12) to never cover up sin- no matter the member -including rabbi, yet never accuse anyone of sin without providing the evidence and following the process prescribed in Scripture (Lev 19:15-18)?

13) to denounce Christianity as defined by the FAG, the doctrines of original sin, penal substitution and moral inability as false, unjust and therefore entirely wicked (Eph 5:11)?

Signature of baptized member:

Date:

[1] This cleansing continues – especially through the sacrament of the Lord’s Table as long as we maintain the covenant through faithfulness (repentance [justice]/obedience [just living]) (1Co 11:23-32).